My Favourite Painting: Mary Plazas
'There is compassion, awe, humility, a knowing yet a questioning in the glistening eyes. It moves me, it inspires me beyond the need to know.’
My Favourite Painting
My Favourite painting series, from Country Life
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5614495 Christ at Prayer, 1585-87 (oil on canvas) by Greco, El (Domenico Theotocopuli) (1541-1614); 61x46 cm; Narodni Galerie, Prague, Czech Republic; Greek, out of copyright. Credit: Bridgeman Images -
Peace, 1896, by William Strutt (1825–1915), 34¼in by 51¼in, Brecon Cathedral, Powys. Credit: Photograph by Daniel Gould / Country Life My Favourite Painting: The Archbishop of Wales
'The Christian faith is, for some, too idealistic or naïve, but for those who understand Strutt’s inspiration, the painting is a metaphor for the Kingdom of God.'
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Graffiti on his studio wall, 1927–65, by Alberto Giacometti (1901–66). The studio was at 46, rue Hippolyte-Maindron, Montparnasse, Paris, but has now been reconstructed at the Giacometti Institute, 5, Rue Victor Schoelcher. Credit: Corbis/VCG via Getty. My Favourite Painting: Michael Peppiatt
'I visited in January 1966 with a scrawled introduction from Francis Bacon, but felt too intimidated to knock on his door. Later, I learnt Giacometti had just died. This lost opportunity haunted me.'
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Comtesse d’Haussonville, 1845, by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780–1867), 52in by 36¼in. Credit: The Frick Collection, New YorK. My Favourite Painting: Sir Peter Osborne
'There’s that extraordinary gaze of hers, how confident and proud – she was, after all, born a princess – but, at the same time, how alluring and seductive, her eyes following you as you walk past her.'
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‘Skaters on a Frozen River with Horses and Figures by a Tent and Other Figures by a Horse and cart on a Track’ by Andries Vermeulen (1763–1814). Picture date unknown; 20½in by 26in, private collection. Credit: Andrew Sydenham/Country Life My Favourite Painting: Tim Breitmeyer
The head of the CLA chooses a wintry scene by Vermeulen.
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‘The Old King, 1916–36’, by Georges Rouault (1871–1958), 30¼in by 21¼in, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, USA. Credit: ADAP, Paris and DACS, London, 2019 / Totnes Photographic My Favourite Painting: Rodney Peppé
The children's author on a key work by Georges Rouault which entranced him before he knew anything of its creator.
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The Flower Seller, 1942, by Diego Rivera (1886–1957), 48in by 48in, private collection. Credit: Bridgeman Images My Favourite Painting: Cassandra Goud
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3597139 Five Bathers, 1885-87 (oil on canvas) by Cezanne, Paul (1839-1906); 65.3x65.3 cm; Kunstmuseum, Basel, Switzerland; (add.info.: Cinq baigneuses;); French, out of copyright. Credit: www.bridgemanimages.com My Favourite Painting: Sir Nicholas Serota
'The subject looks back to Botticelli, Titian and Ingres and forward to Picasso’s Demoiselles, but the visceral power is closer to relief sculpture.'
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Finale, 1887–88, by Sir John Lavery (1856–1941), 34in by 44in, private collection. Credit: Courtesy of Richard Green Gallery, London My Favourite Painting: Aileen Ribeiro
'Does Finale mean the last notes of the music or the end of an affair?'
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Study of Feet and Hands, c.1818-19 (oil on canvas) by Gericault, Theodore (1791-1824); 52x64 cm. Musee Fabre, Montpellier, France My Favourite Painting: Caro Howell
'There’s something tender and protective about the way the severed arm cradles the dismembered foot.'
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Orangutan - Ruskin Spear - Height 90cm/35.5inches - Width 69.5cm/27.5 Inches. Owner is Mark Coreth, the painting is affectionately known as "Fred" to his familly. Credit: Andrew Sydenham/Country Life My Favourite Painting: Mark Coreth
'As a wildlife sculptor, I feel a huge affinity to my wild world and a closeness to Fred for that reason, too, although he’s evidently not swinging through the trees.’
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Queen Elizabeth II (‘Lightness of Being’), 2007, by Chris Levine (b.1960), 45¼in by 45in, lenticular print on lightbox, National Portrait Gallery, London. Credit: Chris Levine My Favourite Painting: Anya Hindmarch
'It’s such a fresh depiction of The Queen and deservedly has become iconic. To see an image of her with her eyes closed would once have been unheard of.'
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Hambletonian, Rubbing Down, 1799–1800, by George Stubbs (1724–1806), 6ft 10½in by 12ft ½in, National Trust, Mount Stewart, Co Down. ©National Trust Images/John Millar/Bridgeman Credit: National Trust Images/John Millar/Bridgeman My Favourite Painting: Hilary McGrady
Hilary McGrady, director-general of the National Trust, chooses a painting she first encountered in childhood.
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Credit: Bequeathed by Sir Alexander Maitland with life interest to Colonel Peter Dunphie. Presented by Colonel Dunphie 1997. Desmond Banks/Rory Lindsay Photography My Favourite Painting: Johnnie Boden
Catalogue clothing entrepreneur Johnnie Boden chooses a fascinating still life.
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Richard George Archibald Lucian Hungerford Crewe-Milnes, Earl of Madeley, 1914, by Philip de László (1869–1937), 26in diameter, West Horsley Place, Surrey. Credit: West Horsley Place, Surrey My favourite painting: Bamber Gascoigne
'The house is full of images of him. However, the story ends sadly – he died at the age of 11, in 1922.'
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Clementine Churchill, at the launching of HMS Indomitable, 1940 – 1955, by Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965), 30in by 25in, Chartwell House, Kent. ©Churchill Heritage Ltd Credit: ©Churchill Heritage Ltd - no reuse My Favourite Painting: Rupert Soames, grandson of Winston Churchill
Rupert Soames chooses one of Winston Churchill's paintings: a joyous portrait of his grandmother by his grandfather.
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Interior Looking out on the Exterior, Strandgade 30 by Hammershøi Credit: ©The David Collection/Perneille Klemp My Favourite Painting: Maria Speake
Architectural designer and salvage pioneer Maria Speake chooses an image that speaks to her Danish roots.
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XCF372 Baptism of Christ, 1450 (egg tempera on panel) by Francesca, Piero della, (c.1415-92); 167x116 cm; National Gallery, London, UK; Italian, out of copyright. Credit: www.bridgemanimages.com My favourite painting: Lady Sarah Chatto
‘I find the colours and the drawing of the Italian landscape inspirational and each time I stand and contemplate this painting, I discover something new about it.’
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Self-portrait at 28, 1500, by Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528), 26½in by 19in, Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Germany. Credit: Bridgeman My Favourite Painting: Pierre Lagrange
Huntsman's owner Pierre Lagrange picks Dürer's 'Self-portrait at 28'.
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Credit: System My favourite painting: Michael Hall
Michael Hall chooses Tiepolo's An Allegory with Venus and Time.
