Exhibition

The Queen’s People

19 Aug 2015 – 19 Sep 2015

Event times

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 11:00am to 6:00pm
Thursday: 11:00am to 7:00pm
Saturday: 11:00am to 4:00pm

Cost of entry

free

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Eleven

London, United Kingdom

Address

Travel Information

  • Victoria / Sloane Square
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Eleven is pleased to present 'The Queen’s People', a collection of photographs by Hugo Rittson-Thomas.

About

The Queen’s People is a compelling photographic portrait of the British monarchy and those who sustain it. At the heart of the project is fifty formally posed portraits in a unique studio setting. The project offers an exclusive insight into the traditional dress codes and pageant of our nation – while also giving a captivating sense of the living characters behind the royal and ceremonial regalia in a never before seen environment. His most recent portrait of the Duchess of Cornwall will be debuted in the exhibition.

 

The project includes an exploration of formal dress worn by members of the military, livery, palace, parliament, clergy and peers in a formal reflective studio setting. Unlike anything that’s been done before, the subjects were placed in a corner of mirrors, and positioned in a way that reflects multiple angles and views of their dress all at once. The contemporary nature of the series is highlighted by the use of four different simultaneous angles of view. The isolation of the subject in a neutral background, and the dignity and poise of the simple full-length portrait, reinvents traditional court portrait painting. Inspired by masters such as Diego Velázquez, Antonis Mor, and Irving Penn, Rittson-Thomas’s dark backgrounds highlight the rich and vibrant cardinal reds and gleaming gold of the regalia. The resulting portraits are modern and offering a rare up close glimpse into the traditions, dress, and people of the British monarchy. Although formal and technically exact, Rittson-Thomas’s portraits are nuanced, and reveal much of the personality of the sitters.

 

Through being granted privileged, personal access by the Queen and Royal Household, Rittson-Thomas has photographed not just his esteemed sitters, but also their priceless and rarely seen ceremonial uniforms. The beauty and craftsmanship of these garments is eclipsed only by the magnitude of their history and tradition, and the ceremonies that are linked to them. 

 

Hugo Rittson-Thomas was born in 1956 and lives and works in London. Rittson-Thomas is one of the UK’s leading portrait photographers. He studied at Central St. Martin’s and Goldsmiths University of London and took part in the landmark exhibition Temple of Diana alongside Tracey Emin at The Blue Gallery (1999). He has worked extensively as a producer and director of television and film including directing the BAFTA award winning series Network 7 and the award-winning documentary The Totter. In 2011 he started working on a photographic series entitled Creatives, documenting a number of high profile individuals including: Ron Arad, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Kylie Minogue and artists Gilbert and George. 

 

For further information on The Queen’s People or other forthcoming exhibitions at Eleven please contact Susannah Haworth on +44 (0)20 7823 5540 or on susannah@elevenfineart.com 

 

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