Richard William Stone born on 5 June in Witham, Essex. He lives in Colchester where he maintains a studio. Richard is married and has a son and two daughters.

His sitters have included Nelson Mandela, Luciano Pavarotti, Baroness Thatcher, Dame Joan Sutherland and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Richard continues to paint senior members of the Royal Family, alongside other prestigious commissions. Upon completion, it was acquired by The Royal Collection and now hangs in St James’s Palace, London. To commemorate HM becoming Britain’s Longest Reigning Monarch, Richard was commissioned by The Realms to paint Her Majesty’s portrait again in 2015. The portrait has been hailed as one of the finest painted during Her Majesty’s reign and was subsequently chosen by Her Majesty as the Royal Mail airmail stamp. Commissioned by the burghers of Colchester, the eight foot by five foot canvas hangs today in the town’s Moot Hall, and represents three years work and some seven sittings. Unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery in 1992, his portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II is his most famous work. The finished work was greeted with tremendous critical acclaim, but many were sceptical that the young artist could sustain a successful career.ĭefying the critics, Richard saw this as the first step that would lead to the achievement of his childhood ambition. After accepting a commission to produce a likeness of Lady Adam Gordon, Richard was invited to paint the Queen Mother’s portrait. This singular lack of modesty paid off and Lord Adam listened to his reasons for wanting to paint the Queen Mother. When he was put through to the Comptroller of the Household, Lord Adam Gordon, Richard made his mark with a memorable phrase, “Don’t ring off, I could be the latter-day Rembrandt”. As well as Sir Adrian Boult, another contact Richard made was at Clarence House, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother’s London residence. One of his earliest subjects was Sir Arthur Bliss, the Master of the Queen’s Musick. Following Sir Gerald’s advice, he started knocking on doors in an attempt to find work, and he was successful. With his help and advice, Richard set about becoming a portrait painter. It was the start of a friendship that was to last until Sir Gerald’s death in 1972.

Richard took along what work he had done, listened to Sir Gerald’s reasons, and would not be dissuaded. Sir Gerald could offer him all the reasons against being a portrait painter, but if he would like to call and see him, and bring his work, he was welcome. With the directness that has subsequently characterised his career, he wrote to Sir Gerald, saying how much he had admired the portrait and asking if he could possibly help and advise him. Then when he was fourteen, Richard went to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, where he saw a portrait by Sir Gerald Kelly. An amateur Essex painter, Heron taught Richard the basics of art. The young artist began sketching in a notebook and later painted to communicate with his family and teachers, demonstrating a keen sense of perspective and mixing colours.įrom the age of eight, he was actively encouraged by his next door neighbour, Frederick Heron. Although he has had little formal art training, Richard Stone’s success is a direct result of a natural talent and a strong determination to succeed in the career he has pursued since childhood.īorn in 1951 the son of a Colchester postman, Richard began cultivating his talent following an accident at the age of four that left him with a fractured skull and permanent deafness in his right ear. At the age of 22, he became Britain’s youngest royal portrait artist since Sir Thomas Lawrence painted Queen Charlotte in 1790 at the age of 21. Richard Stone has painted portraits of the Royal Family for more than four decades.

Portrait painter oil