We often find the subject of a painted portrait positioned in the centre of the composition, set in isolation, our attention focused on the individual. In this crowd of faces, solitary moments are brought together. Drawn from the National Portrait Gallery collection, this salon-style hang references the lavish 18th- and 19th-century European salons where paintings were hung floor-to-ceiling.
Here, portraits from the 1850s to the present day celebrate the achievements of artists and activists, doctors and company directors, musicians, writers, a former Governor-General and a Queen. Through a furtive glance, a held stare, a gesture extended or repeated, the sitters connect with us and each other across time and space.
