By, Charlotte Oliver
1 min read
ByCharlotte Oliver, Charlotte Oliver
The National Portrait Gallery has unveiled a portrait of leading publisher and Labour peer Gail Rebuck as part of its permanent collection.
The image of Baroness Rebuck, which was specially commissioned by the gallery as part of its J.P. Morgan Signature Series, was painted by award-winning Scottish artist Jennifer McRae, known for her portraits of writer Michael Frayn and actress Dame Judi Dench.
It depicts the Penguin Random House chair sitting against a packed bookshelf, with more books, her kindle and her notebook scattered in front of her. In the background are Baroness Rebuck’s favourite views: the rooftops outside her London office and of the home she shared with her late husband, Lord Philip Gould.
Baroness Rebuck said she was “amazed and humbled” to be asked by the gallery to sit for a portrait.
“It was the beginning of a fascinating journey, including the first question they put to me: ‘How do you see yourself?’ which left me unusually speechless,” she said. “But when I met Jennifer McRae, I knew immediately that here was a woman of dedicated vision and ability and I trusted her immediately.”
She added: “I came to appreciate the skill of portraiture – the blank canvas so similar to the blank page as a writer begins their work. I am full of admiration.”
National Portrait Gallery director Nicholas Cullinan said he was “hugely grateful to J.P. Morgan for their generous support over the past twelve years towards such an important programme of commissions” – which depict influential British figures today and, in the past, have included Dame Maggie Smith, Sir James Dyson and David Beckham.
He added: “This informal portrait of Baroness Gail Rebuck is a thoughtful portrayal of one of Britain’s most influential publishers.”
The image is on display for free in the ground floor Lerner Contemporary Galleries at the National Portrait Gallery.