BP Portraits 2015

The National Portrait Gallery has released its shortlist for the BP Portrait Award 2015, worth £30,000 to the winner plus a £5,000 commission. Shown is Eliza by Michael Gaskell. Borja Buces Renard was shortlisted for My Mother and My Brother on a Sunday Evening and Matan Ben-Cnaan for Annabelle and Guy (CLICK to view the latter). I love the quiet elegance of Eliza, which depicts the artist's 14-year-old niece growing into a woman; but the top prize rarely goes to paintings of pretty girls. So my money is on the impressive Israeli entry with its complex shadows in a dry landscape. CLICK to see all three shortlisted paintings.