Portraits

An impromptu stop at the National Portrait Gallery today after much deliberation. I entered and floods of memories of my childhood came rushing back. Those school trips to galleries that not only made us think about Art, but tested out our History too. I entered to find the Audrey Hepburn exhibition was full. ‘Never mind’ I thought, I will leave that for another time and off I continued inside. 
I didn’t have much time until the Gallery closed, so it was really a whistle-stop tour. I observed many portraits of those that make the fabric of British history. There were a number of paintings that did capture my attention for certain reasons. Art is all about what emotions or memories are evoked in you. You have to depict what the image in front of you means to you, or you try your hardest to understand the what the artist wants to make you think about.
One such painting was ‘Key to the House of Lords, 1820, the Trail of Queen Caroline’ by Sir George Hayter. Having worked for a Lord, I have seen the Lord’s chamber in the present day. The scene in this painting was very different (bar the Crimson of the seats and the regal feel). An all male House was deciding the fate of Queen Caroline. Caroline, who had been living abroad for several years, returned to England to claim her right to be crowned queen. George IV, who wanted to divorce Caroline, introduced a Pains and Penalties Bill to Parliament in an aim to dissolve his marriage. Caroline had a massive following and the Bill was unpopular and so was withdrawn by the Tory government. 
Another such portrait was of someone who every woman feels proud of. She gave us the right to vote. Emmeline Pankhurst. Suffragette. Political Leader. Woman. It stood next to a sign stating, ‘We are making a New World Britain’. She brought reform and modernised Britain so that millions of women could have a right to say how they should be governed. This was progress. It takes a real fighter to change society and its thoughts but her portrait showed her to be a soft, sweet lady. Her eyes had a reassurance about them. A few people stood in front of it and just smiled. One lady looked at me and smiled as if to say, ‘yes, she made it happen’. I smiled too, I was proud.  
The final collection that really took my notice was a series of photographs by Ketaki Sheth. She captured the Sidi community who originated from Africa and settled in India, mainly in Gujarat and Karnataka. The town Jamnagar instantly captured me as my roots are from near there. The Sidi community arrived in the 17th century and adopted a lot of the Indian culture, including dress, ceremonies and food, but at the same time kept their own identity. The collection is aptly called ‘On Belonging’. 
Overall, too little time to really enjoy – it left me wanting to visit again as soon as possible. This time, to definitely make it to the Audrey Hepburn exhibition and to view all the other collections I couldn’t. Whilst today’s visit took me through the depths of British history, it also made me appreciate the country’s development and reform. I can’t wait to go back!