Artist Julian Opie will present new work to be displayed alongside the National Portrait Gallery’s self-portrait of Sir Anthony van Dyck , which will be on display from the 6th October.
Sir Anthony van Dyck’s self-portrait, which was acquired by the gallery in 2014, returns to the National Portrait Gallery following a three year national tour and is to be displayed alongside Julian Opie’s new work.
Titled Julian Opie After Van Dyke, the display will showcase the work created by the artist after being invited to present his work in dialogue with Van Dyck’s self-portrait (c.1640) in the seventeenth-century galleries. The new pieces of art to be displayed in the free display include Faime. (2016), Lucia, back 3. (2017) and Beach Head, 6. (2017).
While on the surface, the artist’s work is modern, his style and composition are actually inspired by a variety of historic and contemporary visual sources.
Talking about the return of Van Dyke’s self-portrait to the gallery Dr Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, London, said: ‘Following its hugely successful nationwide tour this is a wonderful opportunity for our visitors to see Van Dyck’s Self-portrait back in the seventeenth century galleries of the National Portrait Gallery but also alongside striking works by Julian Opie.’
The display is curated by Catharine MacLeod, Senior Curator, Seventeenth-Century Portraits, National Portrait Gallery who said of the news: “Julian Opie’s work references historical portraiture, and has often used compositional devices employed by seventeenth-century artists. The portraits in this display are a testament to Van Dyck’s lasting legacy in Britain.”
Julian Opie After Van Dyke will be on display at the National Portrait Gallery from the 6th October until the 7th January 2018. For more information visit: http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/display/2017/julian-opie-after-van-dyck