Iris Murdoch

Sitterback to top

• Dame (Jean) Iris Murdoch (1919-1999), Novelist and philosopher. Sitter in 33 portraits.

Artistback to top

• Tom Phillips (1937-), Artist. Artist of 22 portraits, Sitter in 4 portraits.

This portraitback to top

The portrait was painted in the artist's London studio. In the background is a detail from Titian's Flaying of Marsyas, a painting exhibited at the Royal Academy at the time artist and sitter met and the subject of conversations between them. Phillips described Murdoch as 'a luminous presence…an electric light-bulb in that gloomy corner, glowing, casting out darkness'.

Related worksback to top

• NPG 5944(1): Iris Murdoch (study)
• NPG 5944(2): Iris Murdoch (study)
• NPG 5944(3): Iris Murdoch (study)
• NPG 5944(4): Iris Murdoch (study)
• NPG 5944(5): Iris Murdoch (study)
• NPG 5944(6): Iris Murdoch (study)
• NPG 5944(7): Iris Murdoch (study)
• NPG 5944(8): Study of 'The Flaying of Marsyas' by Titian (study)

Linked publicationsback to top

• Audio Guide
• Gibson, Robin; Clerk, Honor, 20th Century Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery Collection, 1993, p. 7
• Saumarez Smith, Charles, The National Portrait Gallery: An Illustrated Guide, 2000, p. 222
• Saumarez Smith, Charles, The National Portrait Gallery, 1997, p. 222
• Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 449
• Simon, Jacob, The Art of the Picture Frame: Artists, Patrons and the Framing of Portraits in Britain, 1997 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 8 November 1996 - 9 February 1997), p. 190

Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top

• Artists and sitters (From 21 April 2007)
• Icons and Idols: Commissioning Contemporary Portraits (2 March 2006 - 18 June 2006)
• Britain 1960-1990 (From 18 September 2004)

Subjects & Themesback to top

• Allegory in portraits
• Commissions - Paintings and Drawings
• Portraits with Archive documents