The Queen has been given a black glowing ring in a vibrant new portrait to mark her platinum jubilee.
The painting was commissioned by Nigerian artist Oluwole Omofemi gossip And grace the cover of its June edition.
The colorful portrait shows the Queen wearing a green and blue floral dress, a Garter belt and stars, and holding a patterned fan.
Omofemi said he wanted to paint the 96-year-old queen as someone who “conquered life” and painted her black hair to symbolize “female power”.
She also wore a necklace and diamond bracelet given to her by the Nizam of Hyderabad, a gift from the Duke and Crown of Edinburgh.
Tatler has unveiled a new portrait of the Queen to celebrate her platinum jubilee.This painting by Nigerian artist Oluwole Omofemi is featured on the cover of the June edition of the Society Bible
The portrait is based on a photograph of the Queen taken around 1955, shortly before her visit to Nigeria in 1956.It shows the Queen wearing a belt and star of the Order of the Garter
It is based on a photograph of the Queen taken around 1955, shortly before her 1956 visit to Nigeria.
The artist said: “When I start any project, what matters is not how beautiful the painting looks, but how I capture the essence of my subject. I need to imagine that I am in front of the Queen, connecting with her.
“She was the longest-serving [monarch], when I look at her, I see someone who has conquered life. She understands what she needs to do, and she knows she can do it well.
He continued: “As an artist, it was a fantastic opportunity for me to be able to add my name to the list of historical figures drawing the Queen, so I’m very excited about it… God helped me do it at this point.
‘[It is] By far the most important project of my life This portrait is one of my best because of the emotion it puts into it.
Most of Omofemi’s portraits depict African women, for whom, he notes, their hair is a key part of their identity.
Omofemi, pictured, said he saw the 96-year-old queen as someone who “conquered life” and depicted the monarch with black hair, a symbol of “female power”
He continued: “A lot of the Queen’s great achievements happened at a very young age, so I painted her black hair. I also wanted to introduce my own style into the painting, and for me, the hair Represents the power of women.
The photograph he used as a starting point for the portrait dates back to the Queen’s visit to Nigeria in 1956, which was witnessed by his grandfather.
“Growing up, I heard a lot of good news about the Queen and her influence – not just in the UK, but the Commonwealth and the world,” he said. “She is so young, but she has already taken on so much.”
The work will be on view in London from May 28 to June 15 as part of Sotheby’s exhibition Power and Image: Royal Portraits and Portraits.
Omofemi’s paintings will be juxtaposed with portraits of seven Queens of England, including the iconic Elizabeth I Armada portraits from the Woburn Abbey collection.
The work will be on view in London from May 28 to June 15 as part of Sotheby’s exhibition Power and Image: Royal Portraits and Portraits.The Queen is pictured in London this week
Tatler editor Richard Dennen said: “In honour of the Queen’s global stature, I wanted to commission a new portrait of Her Majesty the Queen for the cover of our Platinum Jubilee special issue by commissioning a young Commonwealth artist.
“It was English rugby player and art connoisseur Maro Itoje who introduced me to Oluwole Omofemi, a young artist living in southern Nigeria, and I knew right away that his bold and unique style would fit this historic moment.”
Itoje, a supporter of the Signature African art gallery representing Omofemi, said: “It has been a pleasure working on this project with Oluwole Omofemi and Tatler. Special projects like this don’t come around very often…
“This artwork captures the strength, grace and dignity that the Queen has symbolized throughout her 70 years on the throne, and I am honoured to be part of this historical story.”
The piece will also be the centrepiece of Tatler’s Platinum Jubilee celebration at Sotheby’s on Tuesday, May 31, co-hosted by Richard Dennen, Maro Itoje and Bridgetton star Golda Rosheuvel.
Tatler’s July issue will be available on May 26, and the cover portrait will be on view at Sotheby’s London from May 28 to June 15
