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Notes
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Andrew Festing, who has painted this portrait says: 'The sitter in the portrait is Jim Winter – a local builder in the north. The skull is from an elephant, and I have had it in the studio for many years. It was given to me by a friend, who acquired it completely legitimately ages ago, because Henry Moore had one in his studio, which inspired him. I got Jim to sit on it because it mirrored his circular shape.' This painting was exhibited at the Mall Galleries for the Royal Society of Portrait Painters’ annual exhibition in 2010. It was presented to People’s Portraits in 2015. Andrew Festing was born in 1941, educated at Ampleforth College and RMA Sandhurst. He was commissioned into The Rifle Brigade where he served until 1969. He worked at Sotheby’s and was head of the British Pictures Department from 1977–1981, where he became Sotheby’s chief expert for British Pictures.
Festing became a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RP) in 1989 and was President from 2002–2008. He was awarded an MBE in 2007 for services to the arts and holds an Honorary Degree from Northumbria University (2010).
Elephants in the room? Portrait of Jim Winter by Andrew Festing. This painting provokes a mixed response and so we thought we would use it to start a conversation. Here are a few observations and questions for starters. Please add your own thoughts and comments to the online feedback form (see the weblink below).
The artist says that he posed local builder, Jim Winter, on top of the elephant skull (which he already had in his studio) because he saw a happy coincidence between the circular shapes of the man and that of the elephant’s skull.
Is the thrust of this painting as straightforward as that, or do you think this composition offers other signifiers? For example: Could the painting be read as a satire on the trope of the big-game hunter?; Might there be a tacit ‘joke’ targeting (a) issues of class (b) concerns for animal rights?; If a joke is there, who or what is the ‘joke’ on?; Although described as a ‘found object’, what is your response to the use of an elephant’s skull in this context?; Do you find this painting (a) amusing (b) offensive (c) both?; Is the fact of starting this conversation too woke? Please add your comments here: https://girtoncollege.wufoo.com/confirm/elephants-in-the-room
Title
Jim Winter
Date
c.2005
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 182 x W 101 cm (E)
Accession number
611
Acquisition method
on loan from the Royal Society of Portrait Painters
Work type
Painting