My Oil Paintings
Moments in Time
These portraits are in the possession of their subject
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Article 50 signing (Theresa May)
This painting captures an iconic moment in British History with former Prime Minister Theresa May (2016-2019) signing the letter which signalled Britain’s departure from the EU. This does not imply a political view on Brexit either for or against. I also did a portrait (see below) for former Commons Speaker John Bercow, who is well known for his commentary around Brexit. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-brexit-article-50-painting-lord-moynihan-downing-street-a8282706.html
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Wimbledon Moment (Royal Box 2018)
An iconic moment in the Royal Box of Wimbledon in 2018 with the Duchess of Cambridge
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Sale of the Century (Salvator Mundi)
An iconic moment in art auction history, when Christie’s President Jussi Pylkkänen sold Leonardo’s Salvator Mundi for a record world price. Nothing in the known universe, no item, object or quantity of material, has ever appreciated in value as fast as this painting. It was sold in 2005 at a New Orleans auction for $1,175 and then again at Christie’s 12 years later for $450 million. (Ben Lewis: The Last Leonardo; William Collins, 2019)
Proudest Moment for Rugby:
François Pienaar receives the Webb Ellis Cup from Nelson Mandela after South Africa won the 1995 Rugby World Cup
Trudi Kemp Overcomes Adversity
Wife of the Head of Medical at the Rugby Football Union. After suffering a sub arachnoid haemorrhage and being in a coma for several months, she happily made a good recovery and started playing clarinet for the first time in twenty years.
Trudi Kemp practicing in front of her portrait (click to view)
Family
Self-Portrait With Owl
Alice & Arthur Drake, my paternal grandparents. The portrait was based on a black-and-white photograph
My parents, Horace and Gwyneth Drake,
to whom I owe everything. I’ve created an open-access website for my father’s story: https://www.horacedrake.com
My wife Jenny and youngest daughter Rhianna on holiday in Provence
Friends
My friend Henry Leapman on one of our city breaks in Paris
Public Figures
Queen Consort
Camilla, Queen Consort, formerly The Duchess of Cornwall, is the wife of His Majesty King Charles III. She is Patron or President of over 90 charities, with literature, health and tackling violence against women and girls amongst her biggest causes. Our own work happens to be very much aligned with the Queen Consort’s passions, including my Drake Foundation’s work on intimate partner violence (the Drake IPV Study and Drake IPV Symposium).
Judi Dench
British actress regarded as one of the greatest of all time. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in Shakespeare in Love in 1998.
Politicians
Lord Colin Moynihan
British politician, he served as Minister of Sport from 1987 to 1990, under Margaret Thatcher’s premiership.
Gordon Brown
British Prime Minister 2007-2010, captured here in a light moment.
Boris Johnson
Former British Prime Minister.
Science
Tim Berners-Lee
English Computer scientist, who invented the World Wide Web in 1989. He was one of Time magazine’s most influential personalities of the 20th Century. Donated to the Royal Society, London.
Lord Winston
Lord Winston is a British scientist. He developed techniques to improve fertility treatment. Donated to Imperial College, London
Sir Paul Nurse
Sir Paul Nurse is an English geneticist and Nobel Prize winner. Former president of the Royal Society and current director of the Francis Crick Institute.
Sir John Hardy
Sir John Hardy, who has spent over 30 years of dedicated research to improve our understanding of dementia & neurodegenerative diseases
Lord Martin Rees
The Astronomer Royal and one of the world’s most distinguished scientists. Martin is an ex-President of the Royal Society and a former Master of Trinity College Cambridge.
Literature
Jeffrey and Mary Archer
Jeffrey Archer - prolific novelist and life peer, and Mary Archer DBE - distinguished British scientist.
Author of the iconic Harry Potter series which has sold more than 500 million copies worldwide.
Music
Angela Gheorghiu
Reflecting on her journey from a poor family background in Romania to one of the greatest sopranos since Maria Callas.
Angela singing ‘Ebben? Ne andrò lontana’ from an opera by Alfredo Catalani
Benedetti is one of the most influential violinists of her generation.
Enrico Caruso
One of the greatest Tenors of all time who influenced all his successors including Pavarotti.
Some years ago I acquired a large collection of letters and other papers of Caruso, which I later sold. I used it to write a biography: Enrico Caruso By Himself. It focused on his early career and private life, which had been neglected in previous biographies. My book is available in open access here: www.enricocaruso.org
I showed the Caruso letters to the great contemporary lyric tenor Joseph Calleja, and as a result we started a charity to help young gifted classical musicians: the Drake Calleja Trust:
Founder of the Grange Park Opera.
Publishing
Robin Baird-Smith
Distinguished publisher with HarperCollins and Bloomsbury.
Kit Van Tulleken
Publishing Entrepreneur & Philanthropist, proud mother of Broadcasters / Medical Doctors Chris & Xand Van Tulleken (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Tulleken_brothers)
Vitek Tracz
British entrepreneur, involved in science publishing
Media
Hugh Pym
Health Editor for BBC News, mostly known for his calm presentation during the Covid epidemic.
Business
Francois Pinault
Founder of the investment group Artemis.
Laurence Geller CBE
Chairman, The International Churchill Society and Ministerial Advisor on Concussion in Sport.
Sport - Football
Alan Shearer
One of the greatest players in the history of the Premier League, and the League's record goalscorer. He has also helped to catalyse research into a possible link between heading footballs and dementia in later life, in an acclaimed BBC documentary. My Drake Foundation has funded the Heading Study to investigate this link.
David Dein
Former Arsenal co-owner and one of the main architects in the creation of the Premier League. He brought Arsène Wenger to Arsenal in 1996.
Gareth Southgate
England football manager Gareth Southgate who kindly agreed to participate in the Heading Study funded by the Drake Foundation:
https://www.drakefoundation.org/gareth-southgate-joins-the-drake-foundations-heading-study/
Marco Van Basten
Three times winner of the Ballon d’Or, Van Basten is considered one of the greatest football players of all time.
Arsène Wenger
Celebrated and long-serving manager of Arsenal from 1998 to 2018.
Hugo Lloris
Captain of 2018 World Cup winners France, and Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper. Hugo was concussed in a premiership football game in 2013, and then allowed to stay on the pitch. Watching this unfold was one of the drivers for me setting up my brain health not-for-profit, The Drake Foundation
Sport - Rugby Union
Lewis Moody
One of the 2003 Rugby World Cup winners, Lewis Moody MBE. The Drake Foundation is proud to have Lewis as our Rugby Union Ambassador.
Bill Beaumont
Former Rugby player and currently President of World Rugby.
Steve Thompson MBE
One of England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winners
Owen Farrell
Saracens and England Rugby Player
Maro Itoje
Saracens and England Rugby Player
Owen Farrell
Saracens and England Rugby Player
Billy Vunipola
Saracens and England Rugby Player
Mark McCall
Saracens Director of Rugby
Nigel Wray
Owner of Saracens Rugby Club, entrepreneur and philanthropist
Sport - Motor Racing
Sir Jackie Stewart
Motor racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart with his much-loved wife Helen. I met Sir Jackie through my Drake Foundation and his wonderful charity Race Against Dementia
Sport - Tennis
Andy Murray
The British winner of Wimbledon after a gap of 77 years since Fred Perry in 1936. A three-time Grand Slam winner and two-time Olympic champion.
Tim Henman
The first British male tennis player since the 1970s to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon
Copies of Great Works
Vermeer
The Art of Painting, 1666-1668
A copy of an iconic Vermeer, The Art of Painting. Depicted is an artist painting a woman dressed in blue. The woman is thought to be an allegory for painting, as she carries a laurel wreath and a trumpet. The original painting is on display at the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna.
The Little Street
This painting integrates the painting by Vermeer titled The Little Street (on the left) and De Hooch’s painting of The Courtyard of a House in Delft.
The Music Lesson, 1662-1665
A copy of the great Music Lesson by Vermeer. The scene shows a young woman girl receiving a music lesson by who is thought to be her teacher. The original is kept in the Royal Collection at the Picture Gallery in Buckingham palace, London
Woman Holding a Balance, 1664
Of refined composition and lighting, this is a copy of Woman Holding a Balance by Vermeer. Depicted is a woman dressed in blue, holding a balance. Hanging on the back of the wall is The Last Judgement. The juxtaposition of the woman and the painting enhances the theme of Judgement.
The Lacemaker, 1669-1670
A copy of one of Vermeer’s most famous paintings, The Lacemaker. The original is one of Vermeer’s smallest paintings and is in the Louvre’s collection, Paris
The Love Letters, 1669-1670
A copy of Vermeer’s Love Letters. Particularly known for its three dimensional character and trompe-l’oeil element, the painting depicts a private scene of two women comment a love letter just received.
The View of Delft, 1660-1661
A copy of The View of Delft by Vermeer. The painting depicts a morning scene on the southeast of Delft, more specifically showing the river Schie with its harbour.
The Guitar Player, 1672
A copy of the famous Guitar Player by Vermeer. The painting is exemplary of Vermeer’s late style, which is often characterized by movement, in particular by dynamic poses of the sitters and shifting objects.
The Girl with the Wineglass, 1659-1660
The Girl with the Wine Glass (Dame en twee heren) is a 1659-1660 painting by Johannes Vermeer, now in the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum in Braunschweig
Young Woman with a Water Pitcher, 1660-1662
A copy of Vermeer’s stunning Young Woman with a Water Pitcher. Depicted is a young woman standing at an open window, holding silver water pitcher. The original painting is kept at the Met in New York, the first one to enter an American collection.
Lady Seated at the Virginal, 1670-1672
This is a copy of Vermeer’s Lady Seated at the Virginal. Considered one of the most iconic Vermeer paintings, it shows a Lady in front of a Virginal with a Viola da gamba on the side. It is kept at the National Gallery, London.
A copy of the Mistress and Maid by Vermeer. Depicted is a domestic scene, with two women contemplating a letter which has just arrived. The original is kept in the Frick Collection in New York.
Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid, c. 1670
The original is in the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. The work shows a middle-class woman attended by a housemaid who is presumably acting as messenger and go-between for the lady and her lover.
Raphael
Portrait of Doña Isabel de Requesens, 1518
This painting is a copy of the famous portrait which depicts Doña Isabel de Requesens, thought to be painted initially by Giulio Romano (based on a sketch by Raphael) and subsequently altered by Raphael. The original painting is in the Louvre’s Collection, Paris.
Lorenzo de Medici
This is a copy of Lorenzo de Medici’s portrait by Raphael, which was auctioned by Christie’s in 2007 and sold for 37.2 million pounds.
Ingres
A copy of Ingres’ portrait Louise de Broglie. The original is kept at the Frick Collection in New York.
Madame de Senonnes, 1816
Considered one of Ingres’ finest works, this painting is a copy of the Portrait of Madame Senonnes. The original can be found at the Musée des Beaux Arts of Nantes.
Renoir
Self-Potrait, 1889
A copy of Renoir’s Self – Portrait of 1889
By the Water, 1879-1880
A copy of Renoir’s By the Water, which depicts a middle-class leisure scene between a man and young lady. The original is kept at the Art Institute of Chicago.
A copy of Renoir’s La Promenade. The scene shows a young man (thought to be a boatman) holding the hand of a young lady on the bank of the seine, surrounded by trees and bushes, a common element in Impressionist paintings. The original is kept at the Getty Museum of Los Angeles.
Reading Girls, 1890
The painting is a copy of Renoir’s Reading Girls. The original is kept in the Louvre Museum.
Mademoiselle Grimpel with Red Ribbon, 1880
Private Collection. It dates from the highpoint of Renoir’s portrait painting, between 1878 and 1881.
Klimt
Kammer Castle on Lake Attersee II, 1909
A copy of Klimt’s landscape painting, where the artist used to spend his summers.
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Kunsthistorisches Museum Mural (detail), 1890-1891
A detail from the mural by Gustav Klimt at the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna
Portrait of Emilie Floge, 1902
A copy of the portrait of Emilie Floge by Gustav Klimt, painted in 1902. It is thought that she was Klimt’s lover. The original is kept at the Wien Museum in Vienna.
Girl in the Foliage, 1896
A copy of the Girl in the Foliage by Klimt, which was auctioned at Sotheby’s in 2017 and sold for over 4 million pounds.
Portrait of Sonja Knips, 1889
A copy of Klimt’s portrait of Sonja Knips. The original was painted in 1898 and is kept at the Belvedere Museum in Vienna.
Manet
Plum Brandy, 1877
A copy of the painting Plum Brandy by Manet. The painting depicts a woman seated alone holding a cigarette, eating a plum soaked in brandy. The original painting is kept at the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Dans la Serre, 1878-1879
A copy of Manet’s Dans la Serre, which presumably portrays a couple in a conservatory. The original painting was exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1879, regarded as unexpectedly conservative. The original painting is currently located at the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin
Printemps, 1881
A copy of Printemps by Manet, considered the greatest success of Manet’s Salon career. The original is kept at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
Portrait of Berthe Morisot, 1872
A copy of the iconic portrait by Manet depicting Berthe Morisot. The original is in the Musee’ d’Orsay’s collection in Paris.
The Railway, 1872-1873
A copy of The Railway by Manet. The original artwork was one of the two works presented by Manet at 1874 Salon to be accepted.
Portrait of Berthe Morisot Laying Down, 1873
copy of Manet's Portrait of Berthe Morisot Laying Down. The original is kept at the Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris
Edouard Manet’s Father and Mother, 1860
Manet’s Portrait (in the Musée D’Orsay) of his beloved parents. It was set in the grocery shop of his father, where he spent his childhood.
Monet
Poplars (series), 1891
A copy of one of Monet’s paintings dedicated to Poplars. This series was made by Monet in the summer and fall of 1891.
Matisse
Portrait of Andre Derain, 1905
Matisse and Derain painted portraits of each other while staying at the port of Collioure. Using vivid, apparently arbitrary, colours, Matisse has captured the sensation of sunlight striking Derain’s face and casting a heavy shadow down one side. He has also tried to create a dynamic but balanced relationship between
complementary colours, such as blue and orange, red and green. The original is in the Tate Modern.
Millais
A copy of Mariana by John Everett Millais. The subject depicts Mariana from Shakespeare’s play Measure for Measure, as retold in Tennyson’s 1830 poem. The original painting is kept at the Tate Britain.
Smetham
The Mandolin, 1866
Copy of The Mandolin by James Smetham, an English Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood painter and follower of Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Waterhouse
The Crystal ball, 1902
My copy of a detail from The Crystal Ball by John William Waterhouse, completed in 1902. The painting shows the influence of the Italian Renaissance with vertical and horizontal lines, along with circles "rather than the pointed arches of the Gothic”. It’s in a private collection
The Soul of the Rose, 1908
It is inspired by the 1855 Alfred Tennyson poem Maud, a verse of which mentions "…And the soul of the rose went into my blood.”
Pissarro
The Boulevard Montmartre, 1897
A copy of Pissarro’s Boulevard de Montmartre, which was sold at Sotheby’s London in 2014 for £19,682,500.
Caillebotte
Paris Street; Rainy Day, 1877
A copy of the famous painting by Gustave Caillebotte. The painting depicts several people walking through the Northern side of Paris, specifically the Place de Dublin. The original painting is at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Cezanne
Portrait of the Artist’s Son, 1885
A copy of the portrait of Cezanne’s son. The original portrait is one of the most acclaimed of Cezanne’s portraits. The original is kept at the Musee’ de l’Orangerie in Paris.
Sisley
Villeneuve la Garenne, 1872
A copy of the painting by Alfred Sisley showing Villeneuve-la-Garenne. The original painting is exhibited at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
Berthe Morisot
Jeune Femme, 1871
A copy of Berthe Morisot’s Jeune Femme. The original is currently in a private collection.
Tamara De Lempicka
Tamara De Lempicka
A portrait based on a black and white photograph of Lempicka painting her husband.
John Singer Sargent
The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit (detail), 1882
A detail from John Singer Sargent’s painting depicting the daughters of Edward Darley Boit. The original painting is considered by art critics as one of the most psychologically captivating of Sargent’s entire career
Portrait of Auguste Rodin, 1884
A copy of Auguste Rodin’s portrait by John Singer Sargent. The original is of 1884 and is kept at the MET, New York.
Van Gogh
The Siesta (after Millet), 1890
A copy of Van Gogh’s The Siesta, which was painted when the artist was interned in a mental asylum. The composition was taken from Millet’s Four moments in the Day. The original painting is kept at the Museé d’Orsay, Paris.