Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition 2021

There is always so much to enjoy in this exhibition, from the faces depicted in the portraits, both famous and unfamiliar, to the wide variety of high-quality paintings. It is a celebration of the very best in contemporary portraiture nationally and internationally.

Unlike other portrait exhibitions, it is rigorously selected by professional portrait painters who themselves have been elected by their peers to the Society. It is one of the world’s most extensive contemporary portrait exhibitions forming a showcase of some 200 works.

This year there is a mini-theme of Childhood, and The RP Award will be presented for the best portrait on this theme. Other awards include The Ondaatje Prize for Portraiture, worth £10,000, and The William Lock Portrait Prize of £20,000.

Discover the prize winning work now

To encourage this unique genre, we run a commissions service throughout the show to help you commission a work of your own.

Discover our Commissions Service