Mo Mowlam

1 portrait on display in Room 36 at the National Portrait Gallery

Mo Mowlam

by John Keane
oil on canvas, 2001
60 1/4 in. x 48 1/4 in. (1528 mm x 1224 mm)
Commissioned, 2001
Primary Collection
NPG 6468

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Sitterback to top

Marjorie ('Mo') Mowlam (1949-2005), Politician, journalist and writer. Sitter in 2 portraits.

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John Keane (1954-). Artist of 2 portraits.

This portraitback to top

This painting originally began as a proposal by the artist to paint a group portrait commemorating the Northern Ireland Peace Negotiations. The group was to consist of Mo Mowlam, Gerry Adams, John Hume and David Trimble. In spite of the sensitive politics of such a painting, all the sitters initially reacted positively to the suggestion. However, when the peace process went into crisis, Trimble expressed reluctance to sit for the group. Once the outlook for the peace process was more positive, attempts were made to restart the project but these failed. It was consequently decided that the commission should be changed from the Northern Ireland Peace Negotiations to a portrait of Mo Mowlam, with reference to her involvement in the peace process.