Michael's portrait of crime fiction writer, P D.James is currently on display in Room 37 at the National Portrait Gallery, London.
This painting was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery in 1996. It has been loaned by the NPG to 10 Downing Street and to the Geffrye Museum. It was also the subject of a Channel 4 television program in 2002.
Michael's portrait of Paul Beckett, amateur heavyweight boxer, committed Manx lawyer, qualified masseur and tattooed man with an appetite for human rights issues was exhibited at this year's Royal Society of Portrait Painters’ annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries 24th April-11th May 2008.
Michael Taylor is a figurative painter, who has been producing his carefully and thoughtfully composed oil paintings since he left Goldsmith's College School of Art, in 1973.
His portraits are well known for their insight and intensity — images of many of these works may be found on this site. Winner of the prestigious John Player Award (now BP Portrait Award), Michael has three portrait paintings in the National Portrait Gallery (London) collection. His work can also be found in many notable institutional and private collections. These include the fine portrait collection at Christchurch Hall (Oxford), Church House (Oxford), Southampton University, and Robinson College (Cambridge).
Michael's portrait of P D James is on loan to an exhibition of British paintings and drawings of English , middle class, urban domestic spaces 1914-2006 at the Geffrye Museum.
The portrait, which is on loan from the National Portrait Gallery, was painted in 1997 in the author's Holland park home. The exhibition which is the third part of a major survey of the genre runs from 16th October 2007 until 4th February 2008
In 2006, Michael was commissioned by the UK Houses of Parliament to paint the then Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, for the House of Lords collection. The reform of the role in 2006 has meant that in effect the painting marks the last in a line of such portraits stretching back to the Norman Conquest. The portrait was unveiled at the house of Lords on July 9th 2007.
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