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The only formal portrait of Tony Blair to be painted whilst he was Prime Minister. It was commissioned by the Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art in the House of Commons. The sittings took place at Chequers shortly before he left office in June 2007. Hale's work is largely figurative, with the emphasis on the isolated figure and often with a strong confrontational element. Of painting Mr Blair, Phil Hale commented: 'I saw my role as a documentarist, and tried – accordingly – to remain as transparent a presence as possible. Any filtering or shaping would have distorted and devalued the piece; it had a very pure set of demands and limitations. Blair himself was very accommodating – I was lucky to see him at Chequers, and lucky that he had more pressing concerns than prettifying himself for a picture.
Title
Tony Blair, MP
Date
2008
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 135.6 x W 105.5 cm
Accession number
WOA 6791
Work type
Painting
