Alessandro Raho
National Portrait Gallery, London
22 June 2023
Alessandro Raho, Judi Dench, 2005
Alessandro Raho’s 2005 commissioned portrait of Dame Judi Dench is included in the rehanging of the National Portrait Gallery’s reopening on 22 June. ‘Judi Dench’, 2005 is presented alongside a newly filmed video in which the artist speaks on the particularities of portrait painting and the commissioning process.
Describing Raho’s practice, Senior Curator of Contemporary Collections Sarah Howgate explains how ‘Raho depicts his subject unadorned, without prop or costume, against a neutral background – a reversal of his usual practice of ‘dressing up’ his subjects. Although photography is an integral part of Raho’s practice, the portrait retains painterly qualities in the delicate brush strokes and soft tonal effect.’