Masterpiece London 2013 and Ivor Braka Ltd are presenting a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II & The Duke of Edinburgh by distinguished photographer Thomas Struth.  The large-scale portrait was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee and formed part of The Queen: Art and Image exhibition showing landmark images of the Queen throughout her sixty year reign. The work shows The Queen and Prince Philip seated together in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle and was taken on 7 April 2011. Exhibited by International art dealer and collector Ivor Braka, the spectacular image will be on display throughout the fair and will present an excellent opportunity for collectors and visitors alike to view the impressive photograph.

Nazy Vassegh, CEO ‘We are thrilled that Ivor Braka Ltd has kindly agreed to show this wonderful work at Masterpiece fair this year, further strengthening the event’s appeal to all collectors, from antiquities through to the very best in contemporary art.” His engagement with photography dates from 1976. Working at first in black and white and subsequently in color, Struth’s mature style is characterised by formal precision and an approach that is essentially straightforward, avoiding narrative or artificial effects. His principal motifs include buildings, street scenes, visitors to churches and museums, landscapes, nature studies and portraits.  He recently had a major touring retrospective in the USA which travelled to venues including the Dallas Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 

Geoffrey Diner Gallery (Washington DC) will unveil a highly important work by Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), at Masterpiece London this June. ‘Puzzle portrait’ painted in 1978 in oil and magna on canvas. The picture was purchased directly from Roy Lichtenstein in 1983 and will be sold together with two hand signed letters from the artist to the collector detailing the sale and its inclusion in one touring exhibition in 1983. The painting will be offered for sale by Geoffrey Diner Stand B29.

In parallel to Lichtenstein’s work inspired by Pop culture, he began incorporating styles from artists of the past. Specific examples of his work engage with historical styles and parodies including impressionism, futurism and surrealism as well as individual paintings by artists such as Picasso. Elements of Picasso and cubism are evident in ‘Puzzle portrait’, heralding Lichtenstein’s fascination with subject: art about art.

‘A lot of people think that the 60’s are the benchmark for Lichtenstein’s work, as this is when he established his Pop Art signature style and when he replicated the Ben Day Dot system. But during the 70’s he delivered works referring back to art history which led to his major series of Surrealist-Pop paintings. ‘Puzzle portrait’ has never been on the market before, and as a follow up to the Tate Modern retrospective exhibition of Lichtenstein’s work, we look forward to offering London an unseen Lichtenstein for sale at Masterpiece,’ Geoffrey Diner, Director at Geoffrey Diner Gallery.

NOTE: Masterpiece London is open to the public on June 27th to July 3rd.