Object number
M.2012.39
Title
Portrait of Rob Fahey
Date
2011 - 2012
Creator
Production reason
commission
Production notes
The portrait was painted over the course of six weeks both on court at Lord’s Cricket Ground and in the artist's Balham studio. Alexander is particularly interested in light and only paints under natural light. Alexander has a skylight similar to the skylight on court in his studio.
Material
Size
95 x 69 cm
Description
Full length portrait of a Real Tennis player wearing whites and holding a racquet on court at Lord's Cricket Ground.
Display caption
Portrait of Robert Fahey (b.1968), 2012
Rupert Alexander
Oil on canvas
Full-length portrait of twelve-time Real Tennis champion Robert Fahey on court at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
Painted entirely from life using a method known as sight size; meaning that when a subject is close to the canvas they appear at the same size as when seen in real life. If they sit in front of the canvas they appear bigger, and behind the canvas smaller.
British Royal portrait painter Rupert Alexander takes inspiration from 17th Century Old Master painters in their drawing methods and modelling of form around light and dark (a technique known as chiaroscuro). The whole painting is fairly monochrome and based around tone rather than colour.
Here Alexander creates a wonderful sense of bounced light around the marble court creating a sense of space, drama and movement.
MCC Collections: Commission, 2012
Object number: M.2012.39
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