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 and one pencil drawing in the National Portrait Gallery (London) collection. His work can also be found in many notable institutional and private collections.
I will be showing my new portrait of Rodney Williams at this year’s Royal Society of Portrait Painters annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London. The commission came just at the tail end of the second lockdown, so I naturally welcomed the chance to engage with the outside world again, and paint someone other than myself or Caroline!
This year I shall be exhibiting Portrait of the Photographer with Seated Girl at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries.
Portrait photographer Alistair Morrison approached me last year with a proposal to collaborate on a Sit for me sitting for you project to be entitled Portrait of the Artist through the Artist's eyes.
Figure with Box is currently on display at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London, where it was awarded the Smallwood Architects Prize for 'contextual portraiture'.
The National Portrait Gallery's drawing, Self Portrait (in memory of my father), is to be shown as part of an exhibition devoted to self portraiture at Turner Contemporary, Margate. Opening on 25th January, and organized jointly with the NPG, 'Self: Image and Identity: Self-portraiture from Van Dyck to Louise Bourgeois' is being staged to showcase their newly acquired Van Dyck self portrait.
Film director Wes Anderson approached me in 2012 to paint a fictional Renaissance portrait to be titled 'Boy with Apple' for his next film The Grand Budapest Hotel.
The plot pivots around the theft and recovery of a priceless portrait by Renaissance master Johannes Van Hoytl. Intrigued by the script.....
On 12th of November the world lost a truly unique personality and composer, and I lost a very dear friend and neighbour. John had that rare quality of a formidable intellect combined with a child's trusting heart, and the combination could be devastating. I had painted a portrait of this lovely, impossible, brilliant, difficult, kind and often very funny man in 2001 for the National Portrait Gallery, and although we stayed in touch, it was only since ......
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham will be showing Michael's portrait of Sir John Tavener as part of a collection of portraits of 20th century composers. The exhibition, a joint project with the National Portrait Gallery titled "Facing the Music", will be formally opened by Michael on 24th May and will run from 25th May- 27th August 2012.
Michael's portrait of jazz saxophonist Andy Sheppard is on show as part of an exibition called "Local Heroes" which showcases the Holburne Museum Portrait Prize commissions, and runs from 21st April-24th June 2012.
Self Portrait (In Memory of my Father) was acquired by The National Portrait Gallery, London in February, 2012. It joins their collection of artists' self portraits.
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