Three years ago London’s National Portrait Gallery closed its doors for its £41 million renovation. Now, a pandemic and three prime ministers later, it’s finally open to the public again with a reinvigorated collection of paintings and photographs that aims to reflect modern Britain. From iconic shots of Kate Moss to a café dedicated to Audrey Hepburn, here’s our pick of the eight things every Vogue reader needs to see.
Tracey Emin, The Doors, 2023
The gallery, previously criticized for its gender imbalance when it comes to sitters (prior to the closure, only 25% of the portraits were of women, and 88% of the artists were men), has addressed this concern, commissioning world-renowned artist Tracey Emin to paint the faces of 45 women onto the entrance doors. Each face has been hand drawn by Emin, cast in bronze, and fixed to the entrance in the gallery’s new forecourt. The faces do not depict any specific or identifiable individuals—as Emin explained: “I felt like the doors of the National Portrait Gallery should represent every woman, every age and every culture throughout time.”
Kate Moss by Corinne Day, 2006
Back in 1990, before Kate Moss was, well, Kate Moss, photographer Corinne Day took the unknown 16-year-old from Croydon and transformed her into the face of The Face magazine. The late visionary wanted her work to reflect the London she knew, and the “real” faces she walked past everyday. This portrait, commissioned by the gallery in 2006, sits in the newly opened Contemporary Collection in the Weston Wing alongside a wall of other pop culture legends.
Zadie Smith by Toyin Ojih Odutola, 2018/2019
A few meters away from the Kate Moss portrait you’ll find a newly acquired work from the formidable Toyin Ojih Odutola. The Nigerian-American artist painted Zadie Smith, one of London’s finest contemporary writers, back in 2018, and the pair have spoken about being deeply impacted by one another’s work. Of the portrait, Smith says, “I know her art will have a tremendous effect on young people because I’m a grown ass woman and it’s had a tremendous effect on me.”
Amy Winehouse by Charles Moriarty, 2003
Down in the cellar of the Weston Wing you’ll find a striking portrait of the late, great Amy Winehouse captured by Charles Moriarty. Sitting in Larry’s, the gallery’s newly opened late-night cocktail bar, the photograph shows the jazz singer reapplying her lipstick in the Ritz Tower in New York City. This wasn’t the first time Moriarty had photographed Winehouse, either—in fact, this image was part of a wider series of portraits the pair collaborated on in the run-up to the release of Winehouse’s debut album, Frank.
Audrey Hepburn by Bassano Ltd, 1950
Directly above Larry’s is Audrey Green, the NPG’s new café inspired by portraits of the inimitable Audrey Hepburn. Headed up by the team at Daisy Green, it features a dazzling collection of portraits covering various eras of Hepburn’s life, with a keen focus on her time as a ballerina. The portrait by Bassano Ltd hangs adjacent to the Weston Wing entrance and opens up the journey through Hepburn’s life, and specifically her time in London.
Khadija Saye’s self-portrait, 2017
Khadija Saye was 24 when she died in the Grenfell fire, and to this day, the victims and families have not received justice for the tragedy. Saye was a photographer on the cusp of being recognized; just weeks before her death, she was in talks with the Venice Biennale to get her work shown in the 2017 edition of the showcase. Today, her breathtaking self-portrait hangs on the walls of the National Portrait Gallery as a sobering reminder of the progress that still needs to be made in Britain.
Marcus Rashford by Misan Harriman, 2020
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Footballer Marcus Rashford has made a profound impact on British society. From feeding the nation’s kids to speaking out against racism in soccer, the Mancunian has earned his place as a national hero. The 25-year-old sat for this portrait for British Vogue’s September 2020 issue, captured by none other than Misan Harriman, alongside a troop of activists. It hangs proudly in the NPG, courtesy of Condé Nast.
Malala Yousafzai by Shirin Neshat, 2018
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This portrait of Malala Yousafzai is one of two commissioned by the NPG. The writer and activist sat for a series of photographs for Shirin Neshat, who then chose the final image. This one features a hand-inscribed Pashto poem by Rahman Shah Sayel, a nod to Yousafzai’s Pakistani roots.