u/Lupatog

I want to share my Vanity Fair ‘Spy’-style homage to Vincent van Gogh (Vanity Fair in its original Victorian/Edwardian incarnation, rather than the magazine we know today)

It seems strange that certain colourful figures from the art world, such as Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, were overlooked by this publication in its day.

But overlooked they were, so I thought I’d create my own ‘Spy’ caricature of Vincent.

You're welcome to visit my website https://www.amandaclegg.co.uk/vincent-van-gogh-le-fou-roux/ to read the fuller story behind the portrait and it's curious title.

Twenty years ago, I painted a portrait for a BBC TV show that had just a few seconds of screen time… but somehow went on to have a much longer life.

With Doctor Who's The Girl in the Fireplace recently passing its 20-year milestone, I thought it was the perfect time to share the story behind this unusual commission.

In 2006, I was commissioned by the BBC to paint Sophia Myles as Madame de Pompadour. A good friend who was working as the episode’s prop master recommended me for the job.

The finished portrait appears for less than twenty seconds at the very end of the episode, but it has remained one of the most popular pieces I’ve ever painted.

In my new blog, I share how the commission came about, my approach to painting Madame de Pompadour, and the rather intriguing story of what happened to the original painting after filming.

If you’re a fan of The Girl in the Fireplace, I hope you enjoy this little glimpse behind the scenes.

https://www.amandaclegg.co.uk/madame-de-pompadour-20-years-on/