Royal Society of Portrait Painters

The Royal Society of Portrait Painters is a long-standing and forward-thinking organisation that aims to promote the practice of and further excellence in painted portraiture

In 1891 twenty-four artists, frustrated by the elitist attitude of the Royal Academy, joined together to form a society devoted exclusively to the art and development of portrait painting.

Twenty years later this became the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. Early members included John Everett Millais, George Frederick Watts and James McNeil Whistler.

The Society is now a registered charity with Her Majesty The Queen as its Patron. We continue to promote excellence in painted portraiture but today, we tackle it from a range of viewpoints: the artist’s, the subject’s, the patron’s and the public’s.

We further our aims by offering an annual exhibition and a permanent collection as showcases for contemporary portraiture; valuable prizes and a bursary for emerging talent; talks, debates and demonstrations to give insight into portraiture and a service to help anyone who would like to commission a portrait.