First Previous 1 OF 11 NextLast

Alan John Percivale Taylor

1 of 11 portraits of Alan John Percivale Taylor

© National Portrait Gallery, London

 Like voting
is closed

Thanks for Liking

Please Like other favourites!
If they inspire you please support our work.

Buy a print Buy a greetings card Make a donation Close

Alan John Percivale Taylor

by Maggi Hambling
oil on canvas, 1988
21 in. x 17 in. (533 mm x 432 mm)
Commissioned, 1988
Primary Collection
NPG 5988

Sitterback to top

Artistback to top

  • Maggi Hambling (1945-), Painter. Artist or producer of 13 portraits, Sitter in 15 portraits.

This portraitback to top

A. J. P. Taylor was in failing health at the time of the portrait, but the artist was able to draw on memories of his compelling television presence, putting history across as though he were telling secrets.

Linked publicationsback to top

  • Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 604
  • 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. 191 Read entry

    Silvered ramin(?), mitred, the water silvering on a black bole with extensive leaf overlap (leaf width 3 5⁄ 8 inches), treated with ammonium hydrosulphide and lacquered. Under reflected light a changing array of pink and green colours can be seen, a phenomenon caused by the reflection of light on the thin surface film. 2 1⁄ 8 inches wide.

    This is a silvered frame which has been artificially tarnished, rubbed back and lacquered. The silvering is distinguished by the overlapping of the silver leaf and by a thin surface film giving an unusual range of changing colours under reflected light. The frame is the work of Nick Hawker who has been responsible for Maggi Hambling's framing since her Serpentine show in 1987.1 Much of her earlier work, including her portrait of Dorothy Hodgkin, commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery in 1985, was framed by Mattei Radev (he framed her Max Wall exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in 1983).

    1 The suggestion that she should go to Hawker for the framing of her Serpentine show came from Alister Warman, then the Serpentine's Director. Information from the artist.

Events of 1988back to top

Current affairs

A Pan Am jumbo jet is brought down by a bomb over Lockerbie in Scotland, killing 259 passengers and 11 people on the ground. The Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary launched Britain's largest criminal investigation before convicting a Libyan intelligence officer of planting the bomb.

Art and science

Professor Stephen Hawking publishes his popular book on cosmology, A Brief History Of Time.
Damien Hirst and his fellow Goldsmiths students organise the exhibition Freeze in a disused block in the Docklands. The exhibition launched the careers of many of the young British artists (YBAs) associated with Brit Art including Gary Hume, Michael Landy, Sarah Lucas, Angus Fairhurst, and Anya Gallaccio.

International

Iraq drops poison gas on the Iraqi Kurdish city of Halabja, killing thousands of civilians. The city was held at the time by Iranian forces and Iraqi Kurdish rebels, although there was initially some debate over which side was responsible for the atrocity. It was the largest-scale chemical attack on civilians in modern times.

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.