Andrew Festing: Face Value

Throughout his career, Andrew Festing has painted over 750 portraits, including the Queen, the House of Commons and all the famous English Cricket players in the last 40 years at Lords. This stunningly illustrated biography traces the development of Andrew Festing's artistic career, from promising early beginnings at Ampleforth College under the tutelage of sculptor John Bunting, to his current international status as one of Britain s most prestigious portrait painters.The book explores Festing s unusual family background and the influences, artistic and otherwise, on his life and work. It covers his years as President of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and his efforts to promote the practice of painting from the life in an increasingly digitalized world. It discusses his meticulous painting methods and gives a vivid insight into the mind of a remarkable painter. The book also includes a comprehensive list of Festing's portraits, including the major 'multiple' portraits and conversation pieces for which he is particularly well known.Contents: 1. A Pride of Generals; 2. A Boys' World; 3. Military Matters; 4. From Guns to Gainsborough; 5. In the Studio; 6. Commissions, Commissions; 7. The Royal Society of Portrait Painters; 8. The Top of the Tree.