Art News

Alex Katz Paints First Portrait of Anna Wintour-On View at Portrait Gallery in May

LONDON.- A new portrait of Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief of American VOGUE, by artist Alex Katz will be on display for the first time at the National Portrait Gallery in May 2010. The new portrait of Wintour will be accompanied by the display “Alex Katz: Portraits” from 15 May – 21 September 2010. One of the most significant artists of his generation, this will also be the first time that there has been a display at the Gallery dedicated to the work of Alex Katz. In this new portrait “Anna Wintour” is depicted without her signature sunglasses against a yellow background, a new departure for Alex Katz. Completed in late 2009, Wintour visited Katz in his New York studio where he worked on studies from life for the final painting. This was the first time that Wintour had sat for a painting, and the decision to paint her without her sunglasses came after Katz observed her in ‘The September Issue’ and noticed she had “lovely eyes”. He