A true icon: Pietro Annigoni's 1955 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II
The story of the royal portrait that has most deeply embedded itself in British consciousness and was adopted all over the Commonwealth
www.theartnewspaper.comI don’t currently have live updates beyond my last training data, but I can share the latest well-documented context on Pietro Annigoni’s portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and where to find current coverage.
Direct answer
- Pietro Annigoni’s most famous portraits of Queen Elizabeth II were painted between 1954 and 1972, including a 1955 full-figure portrait for the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers and a notable 1969-1972 set for the National Portrait Gallery (London) [sources below].
Context and key points
- Commission and process
- Annigoni was commissioned in 1954 to paint Elizabeth II after being selected by the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers; the queen sat for sittings in Buckingham Palace. The project helped elevate his profile in Britain [sources below].
- A major portrait from 1955 was among his early triumphs and contributed to his international reputation, with rights and distribution later tied to the paintings and reproductions [sources below].
- Notable works and exhibitions
- The 1955 Fishmongers portrait is commonly cited as the iconic image of the queen in mid-20th-century portraiture, widely reproduced and discussed in art history coverage [sources below].
- In 1969, Annigoni created another portrait for the National Portrait Gallery, and these works were later shown together in exhibitions such as The Queen: Art and Image (2012) to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee [sources below].
- In 1972, he produced a circular (tondo) drawing of the Queen with Prince Philip to mark their Silver Wedding, intended for commemorative plates; this piece is frequently noted for its formal, regal tone [sources below].
Where to read more (recent and detailed coverage)
- Articles and overviews from art press and institutions discuss the 1955 portrait, the 1969 National Portrait Gallery work, and the broader arc of Annigoni’s royal portraits.
- Notable reference pages include summaries of the commissions, sittings, and reception in UK art history contexts.
Cited sources for further reading
- Pietro Annigoni’s portraits of Elizabeth II (overview of works and dates)[1]
- When Pietro Annigoni painted a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II of England (context on commissions and sittings)[2]
- 1969 National Portrait Gallery context and later exhibitions featuring the works[3]
- A true icon: Pietro Annigoni's 1955 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (art press feature)[4]
- Pietro Annigoni (biographical overview with emphasis on royal portraits)[5]
If you’d like, I can pull up the latest news articles or gallery web pages and summarize any fresh developments, exhibitions, or recent scholarly discussions about Annigoni’s Elizabeth II portraits.