Peter Tatchell’s Portrait Now Displayed in National Portrait Gallery

A vibrant portrait of LGBTQ+ and human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has been unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery’s History Makers gallery. This move aims to better represent the diversity within the UK.

Painted by Sarah Jane Moon, the portrait captures Tatchell in a casual pose, seated with his hands clasping his left calf. At 72, the activist sports a rainbow tie, symbolizing almost six decades of advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights.

Tatchell, who has endured more than 300 violent assaults and faced arrest or police detention over 100 times, expressed his delight and honor in having his portrait displayed. He said, “I love the bold, expressive, joyful style [of the painting], which reflects the spirit of my campaigns.” He chose brightly colored clothes for the sittings to avoid the “somber, dark tones” often seen in portraits.

Despite the rarity of men routinely wearing ties today, it is a common accessory for Tatchell. He realized that people had “preconceptions about campaigners in T-shirts.” By wearing a tie, he found that others took him more seriously, a practice he has continued.

Moon prefers her subjects to “wear what they feel comfortable in.” She intended for the final product to reflect Tatchell’s “energy and enthusiasm” as well as his “warmth and generosity.”

This portrait marks the first by Moon to be added to the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection. Commenting on the genre, Moon noted that portraiture has often upheld the status quo and perpetuated certain class structures, particularly in the UK. She sees changes on the horizon, however, especially in reducing the conservatism found in commissioned portraiture.

The artist, who is also gay, was thrilled when Tatchell agreed to sit for her. She praised his strong moral compass and lauded his enduring activism as “an inspiration.”

Tatchell, originally from Melbourne, moved to London in 1971, becoming a leading member of the Gay Liberation Front. His activism has spanned numerous human rights and social justice issues, including apartheid, racial justice, electoral reform, and the climate crisis.

“There has been hugely positive progress in my lifetime. When I was a teenager in the 1960s, homosexuality could still be punished with up to life imprisonment. But one of the big failures is that we haven’t fundamentally changed class and wealth inequality in the UK,” he stated.

Tatchell remains committed to his cause, saying, “I’m still going strong, and I hope to go on for another 20 years. There are so many injustices to fight and overturn.”

Sarah Howgate, the NPG’s senior curator of contemporary collections, emphasized the gallery’s efforts to better reflect the UK’s diversity since its reopening last year.

She expressed her excitement about the portrait of Peter Tatchell, calling him one of the most influential campaigners of today. She noted that his portrait by Sarah Jane Moon will be displayed alongside other significant “history makers” of the UK.

Source: The Guardian