Diana, Princess of Wales continues to reign the world of pop culture and discussions years after her untimely demise in 1997. Recently, the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry is back in the news. A London-based art collecting organisation named Philip Mould & Company revealed a rare portrait of Diana in its recent Masterpiece exhibition.
The portrait shared on Instagram last week, shows Diana wearing her green Catherine Walker dress. The portrait done by Nelson Shanks seems to have captured the former British royal family member’s inner turmoil as she struggled in her marriage and other rules and restrictions of the regal firm. According to Philip Mould & Company, the portrait was completed in 1994, almost three years before Diana passed away. The caption mentioned, “This extraordinary head study of Diana can rightly be described as the most affecting painted portrait of the ‘People’s Princess.’”
The caption also informed that the sittings for this portrait took place at a “critical moment” in Diana’s personal life. Over the course of thirty sittings and thirty-five hours, Nelson Shanks London studio provided Diana with a much-needed solace and refuge. The painting shows Diana wearing a rather melancholic expression which was unlike her popular image of a charming woman who always loved to smile.
According to Philip Mould & Company, during the process of the portrait, Diana became close friends with both Nelson and his wife, Leona. She later confided in a letter to Nelson and Leona that “‘…coming to the studio was a safe haven, so full of love and support,’” read the caption.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CfW2yJeK0FV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The oil sketch shows the former member of the British royal family in a pensive mood, with her eyes looking downwards. The portrait was a “preparatory study” for a formal full-length portrait by American artist Nelson Shanks, which was completed in 1994 and is now at Althorp House.
Diana passed away after meeting with a car accident in Paris in 1997.
Comments
0 comment