Books

In a prodigious career spanning more than four decades, Andrew Festing has painted over 750 portraits, including commissions for the Royal Family, the House of Commons and Lord's Cricket Ground. This stunningly illustrated biography traces the development of his artistic career, from promising early beginnings at Ampleforth College under the tutelage of sculptor John Bunting, to his current international status as one of Britain's most prestigious portrait painters.

This account, told with wit and candour by author Jenny Pery, explores Andrew Festing's unusual family background and the influences, artistic and otherwise, on his life and work. It covers his years at Sotheby's, as well as his tenure as President of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, during which he made great efforts to promote the practice of painting from the life in an increasingly digitalised world. The book discusses his meticulous painting methods, offering a vivid insight into the mind of a remarkable artist, and concludes with a comprehensive list of all his portraits, including the multiple portraits and 'conversation pieces' for which he justly famous.