As reported by The Guardian, the National Portrait Gallery boosts female representation with self-portraits by artists including Celia Paul

The National Portrait Gallery has acquired five self-portraits by female artists as part of a three-year project to enhance the representation of women in its collection.

The gallery, which is currently closed for a major refurbishment, said the works highlighted stories of women who have helped shape British culture…

Celia Paul’s painting, Portrait, Eyes Lowered, is intimate and emotionally intense. It was created as part of a series of self-portraits in conjunction with her 2019 memoir, in which she documents her relationship with Lucian Freud, who painted her many times.

She said recently: “To see one’s self truthfully is one of the most challenging things for an artist… self-hatred is as invalid as self-love. Both things are false.”

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Image: Celia Paul, Portrait, Eyes Lowered, 2019