The Royal Society of Portrait Painters invites artists from all over the world to submit portraits for their Annual Exhibition in 2021.
The final exhibition is selected by leading portrait painters and being selected is a mark of distinction. Selected artists will have their work exhibited in a prestigious showcase at Mall Galleries in central London at which a number of works will sell and a number of commissions will be placed. There is also the chance to win a number of prizes and awards totalling over £40,000.
The Society welcomes paintings, drawings and original prints from artists over 18, from the UK and internationally to be shown alongside members of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters at their Annual Exhibition.
Please note that the call for entries has closed for 2021.
Important Dates
Submissions close: Monday 25 January 2021, 12 noon
Notification of first round results: Monday 15 February, 12 noon
Notification of final selection: Tuesday 9 March, 12 noon
Receiving Day (for non-members): Friday 23 April, 10am to 5pm
Receiving Day (for members): Saturday 1 May, 10am to 5pm
Exhibition opens: Thursday 6 May, 11am to 4pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 15 May, 4pm
Collection of unsold work: Thursday 20 May and Friday 21 May, 10am to 5pm
Prizes & Awards (subject to final confirmation)
There are many prizes and awards available to win, including:
NEW The William Lock Portrait Prize: £20,000 for the most timeless portrait with a real feeling for paint and its aesthetic potential
The Ondaatje Prize for Portraiture: £10,000 plus the Society’s Gold Medal awarded for the most distinguished portrait in the Society’s annual exhibition
The RP Award: £2,000 will be awarded to the artist whose work best represents the year's chosen theme - which for 2021 is 'Childhood'. The judges will be looking for the most interesting and engaging interpretation of the idea of 'childhood' within the parameters of portraiture.
The RP Prize for the Best Small Portrait: A prize of £2,000 for the best small portrait in the exhibition, measuring not more than 38 x 30.5 cm (15 x 12 inches) unframed
The de Laszlo Foundation Award: £3,000 plus a Silver Medal for the most outstanding portrait by an artist aged 35 years or under
The Prince of Wales's Award for Portrait Drawing: £2,000 and framed certificate for a portrait in any recognised drawing medium
The Burke’s Peerage Foundation Award for Classically Inspired Portraiture: The Burke’s Peerage Foundation Award, established by its founders William Bortrick and Mark Ayre in 2015, is presented for Classically Inspired Portraiture in the RP Annual Exhibition. It is presented each year with a certificate and a cheque for £2,000.
The Smallwood Architects Prize: £1,000 for a portrait in which architectural or interior features play an important part