Iris Murdoch
1 portrait of Iris Murdoch
© DACS / Tom Phillips 2021
Iris Murdoch
by Tom Phillips
conté, 1986
54 1/2 in. x 40 in. (1384 mm x 1016 mm)
Purchased, 1987
Primary Collection
NPG 5944(4)
Sitterback to top
- Dame (Jean) Iris Murdoch (1919-1999), Novelist and philosopher. Sitter in 35 portraits.
Artistback to top
- Tom Phillips (1937-2022), Artist, writer and composer; Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery. Artist or producer of 22 portraits, Sitter in 6 portraits.
This portraitback to top
Iris Murdoch was already a lecturer in philosophy and the author of Sartre, Romantic Rationalist (1953) by the time her first novel, Under the Net, was published in 1954. Later works include The Bell (1958), A Severed Head (1961), The Sea, The Sea (Booker Prize, 1978) and The Good Apprentice (1986). This drawing is one of four large-scale studies of the sitter made by the artist in connection with the portrait of Murdoch commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery. They were done by Phillips from memory when, half-way through the oil painting, he found himself losing his original impression of the writer as a luminous presence. The drawings are named after the four elements; this one is 'Fire'.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 449
Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top
- The Artist's Process (4 December 2007 - 1 June 2008)
- Britain 1960-1990 (From 18 September 2004)
Portrait setback to top
Events of 1986back to top
Current affairs
Hampton Court Palace is devastated by fire. Much of the third floor and the roof of the building were destroyed, although, thanks to the courage of the fire fighters, only one painting and one piece of furniture were ruined.Prince Andrew, Duke of York, marries Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey.
Art and science
Poems on the Underground, the brainchild of American writer Judith Chernaik, is launched by London Underground. A rolling programme of poems is displayed in tube train carriages, bringing contemporary and classic poetry to commuters.The Independent Newspaper is first published.
Artists, Gilbert and George win the Turner Prize.
International
An explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power station leads to nuclear meltdown in the reactor and causes massive nuclear contamination over Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, western Europe, the UK and Ireland, and even North America. The 2005 Chenobyl Forum attributed 56 direct deaths to the disaster and estimated that 9,000 people may die from some form of cancer as a result of exposure to radiation.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.