Since we just made the decision to spend five days in London in November, I knew my Sunday Painting this week had to have a British connection. I love the National Portrait Gallery and I have always found this portrait of the Queen fascinating. A realistic depiction, but she seems to be rising out of the ocean or perhaps a post-apocolyptic Britain.
If you haven’t already commented on my previous post What should I do in London?, I would love it if you would scroll down and let me know what you think.
Elizabeth II (1969)
Pietro Annigoni (1910-1988)
hogglestock 
Now that is very interesting! Don't think I have ever seen this before and love your reasons for loving it. Enjoy that trip to London. Such a great city. Unfortunately for travel tip purposes, I never make it far off the beaten trail because there is so much to do. But one of my favs is always the V&A.
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Ah the Queen, I do so love her. This is an interesting portrait of her. Not my favourite. I really love the one Rolf Harris did of her.
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She seems so formidable in this painting!
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Frances: She is like Betty Croker in a cape.
Elise: I hadn't seen the Rolf Harris until you mentioned it and I Googled it. Certainly very different. I like this one becuase it is so of its time.
Kathleen: Of course she is quite formidable. Perhaps the ultimate passive aggressive?
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Great portrait! And I'm very envious about the London trip . . . I loved the National Portrait Gallery, too!
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Annigoni painted an earlier portrait of the Queen in 1954/5, which is my all time favourite. Vide my post here:
http://corcol.blogspot.com/2008/09/pleasure-of-annigoni.html
Unfortunately it was commissioned and belongs to the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, and they are not always open. (I've yet to see the original.)
Let me give some thought about interesting things to see. We're heading to Scotland in two weeks, but have decided to give London a miss this time. There is of course so much to see and do. You might enjoy the Reading Room at the British Library, the British Museum, Sir John Soane's Museum, The Burlington Arcade, The Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace, Tate Britain, and on and on. If you Google these you'll get an idea of what they offer, but you may well have seen them previously.
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Sorry – yes I now note you have seen Tate Britain (the old one), and the Soane Museum. But the others might amuse.
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Inkslinger: I prefer the NPG over the NGA,if only becuase it is much less crowded.
Columinist: I remember seeing that post of yours but wouldn't have remembered it was the same artist. The two paintings almost look like they were done by different artists. I love that there is still a group called the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers.
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