Aelfred Hillman’s oil on panel portrait of Neo Allert is on display in the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition.
Aelfred, who is studying for a PhD in English, made the portrait of his fellow postgraduate over the summer and autumn of 2025.
He said:
“My picture 'A Flautist at Hinton Ampner' draws on a long English tradition of pastoral portraiture. By situating my sitter within a richly layered natural setting, I aim to evoke mood not only through the figure, but also through the organic forms that weave throughout the composition.”
Neo said:
“It has been a pleasure and an honour to sit for this portrait. The portrait has given me the opportunity to showcase two things that are very dear to my heart: the first, signified by the flute, is music, in particular jazz music.
The second thing is my Nigerian heritage which is present in the image through my cap, or fila in Yoruba. I inherited it from my great-grandfather who attended Christ's College in the 1940s.”
The annual exhibition is the leading portrait painting showcase in the country. The displayed works - by members of the Society, emerging, and established artists - are selected by a jury of practising portrait painters.
Miriam Escofet’s portrait of Honorary Fellow, Professor Margaret Stanley, OBE, which usually hangs in the College Hall is also on loan to the exhibition.
A layout drawing of this portrait will be on display alongside the final work giving visitors an insight into the development of the piece.
The Annual Exhibition is at the Mall Galleries in London from Thursday 7 May – Tuesday 19 May (closed Tuesday 12 May). Admission £7, Free for Friends of Mall Galleries and under 25s. Concessions available. No booking required.