Tony Blair: artistically knackered

If you were posing for a painting, you'd probably want to look your best. Needless to say this wouldn't involve having the inner turmoil of attempting to redefine your sullied legacy etched onto every line of your oh-so weary face. Unless you like that sort of thing.

Ex-PM Tony Blair didn't have much of a choice either way. Artist Phil Hale captured Blair in brushstrokes during the last few months of his tenure as leader; a portrait that will be hung in Portcullis House alongside depictions of other luminaries. There's one thing that sets Tone's picture apart from all the rest, though: the fact that he looks absolutely bloody knackered.

Tory advisory chairman Hugo Swire has been remarkably graceful about the painting, insisting that it is an "authoritative and powerful portrait". Well, quite - if by "authoritative and powerful" he means "hungover man attempting to grapple with daytime television" or 4am realisation: that Iraq thing was a bit of a mess, wasn't it?"

The artist himself unsurprisingly claims that Blair had a lot on his mind at the time, yet - despite his anxiety - was the perfect subject:

"Blair himself was very accommodating. I was lucky to see him at Chequers, and lucky that he had more pressing concerns than prettifying himself for a picture. I think we were well-balanced in that sense; he didn't perform and I didn't divine."

All very well and good, but wouldn't it be nice to see future Prime Ministers taking more of a risk with their artistic contributions? Westmonster can only hope that upon Gordon Brown's departure - three months, tops - he drags in Tracey Emin to create some scattershot, hideously deformed piece of nightmare concept art.

They could call it 'the economy'.

Written by C J Davies on 23 Apr 2008 11:55 PM. Permalink