This is a far, far better thing.... than I have ever done
1 portrait of Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton
This is a far, far better thing.... than I have ever done
by Neville Colvin ('Colvin')
pen and ink and Letratone, 1962
15 1/8 in. x 21 5/8 in. (384 mm x 550 mm)
Given by Lady Ruth Marples, 1980
Primary Collection
NPG 5350
Artistback to top
- Neville Colvin ('Colvin') (1918-1991), Cartoonist. Artist or producer of 1 portrait.
Sittersback to top
- Richard Austen ('Rab') Butler, 1st Baron Butler of Saffron Walden (1902-1982), Politician; served as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary. Sitter in 44 portraits. Identify
- Reginald Edward Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount Dilhorne (1905-1980), Politician and Lord of Appeal in Ordinary. Sitter in 11 portraits. Identify
- David McAdam Eccles, 1st Viscount Eccles (1904-1999), Businessman and politician; Paymaster General and Minister for the Arts. Sitter in 21 portraits. Identify
- Charles Hill, 1st Baron Hill of Luton (1904-1989), Politician, administrator, broadcaster and doctor. Sitter in 7 portraits. Identify
- David Patrick Maxwell Fyfe, Earl of Kilmuir (1900-1967), Politician; Home Secretary and Lord High Chancellor, lawyer and judge. Sitter in 18 portraits. Identify
- Iain Norman Macleod (1913-1970), Politician; Chancellor of the Exchequer. Sitter in 8 portraits. Identify
- (Alfred) Ernest Marples, 1st Baron Marples (1907-1978), Conservative politician; Postmaster General and Minister of Transport. Sitter in 38 portraits. Identify
- (John) Selwyn Brooke Lloyd, Baron Selwyn-Lloyd (1904-1978), Speaker of the House of Commons. Sitter in 22 portraits. Identify
- Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton (1894-1986), Prime Minister. Sitter in 38 portraits. Identify
- Harold Arthur Watkinson, 1st Viscount Watkinson (1910-1995), Businessman and politician; Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation. Sitter in 8 portraits. Identify
Linked publicationsback to top
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 723
Subjects & Themesback to top
Events of 1962back to top
Current affairs
After a series of by-election defeats, the prime minister, Harold MacMillan organises a drastic cabinet reshuffle, dismissing one third of his cabinet. Liberal MP Jeremy Thorpe's wry comment summed up the desperate action: 'greater love hath no man than this, than to lay down his friends for his life.'Britain suffers the 'Big Freeze' with no frost-free nights between 22nd December 1962 and 5th March 1963.
Art and science
The Beatles have their first hit with Love Me Do and release their first album Please Please Me.The new Coventry Cathedral is consecrated and creates a showcase for British artistic talent with the first performance of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, a wall hanging by Graham Sutherland, stained glass by John Piper, and sculptures by Jacob Epstein and Elizabeth Frink.
International
The world comes to the brink of nuclear war with the Cuban Missile Crisis. In response to the USA's nuclear advantage, the USSR sent missiles to Cuba. The crisis lasted for 12 days before a deal was finally stuck between Khrushchev and Kennedy in which the Cuban missile bases were dismantled in return for the secret removal of US missiles from Turkey.Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.