This is the first look at an official portrait of Pippa Middleton, Kate Middleton’s socialite sister.
The picture, which depicts Pippa looking relaxed with her family cocker spaniel Zulu, was painted by George H. Lewis, a New York-based English-born artist at Middleton’s family home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, 50 miles west of central London.
Portrait of Pippa Middleton by George Lewis
Pippa, 32, captured the global imagination as maid of honor at the Royal Wedding of her older sister Kate Middleton to Prince William in April 2011. Subsequently she has dabbled in journalism, most notably at Vanity Fair where she is a contributing editor and pursued her love of extreme sports. Currently she is dating wealthy hedge fund manager James Matthews.
Two years ago Lewis painted Pippa with her dog Zulu after they first met at a wedding. Lewis’s other portraits include “Madame Secretary” actress Tea Leoni and former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. He mixes genre, form and subject to dizzying effect with his art ranging from the Pippa portrait to a religious painting-photograph depicting the Fall of Man.
Lewis’s collectors include Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and explorer Bear Grylls, and he is gaining traction as a leading portrait artist but he possesses a broader vision. As Heat Street discovered, he wants his art to “lay the groundwork for a better world to come,” whether that world encompasses the Middletons or the Middle East.
What lies behind a good portrait?
Whether it’s capturing heads of state, captains of industry, certain celebrities or children in unheard-of villages, my interest lies in capturing the essence of the human being and discovering the unquantifiable soul.
Tell us how the portrait of Pippa Middleton originated?
Pippa and I first met when we sat next to each other at a mutual friend’s wedding.She liked my art and it [the portrait] came up in conversation. I spent a whole morning with her at her house in the country. She’s a lot of fun and it was great to do. It was lovely to capture that private moment with her dog Zulu.
You’ve also painted Tea Leoni.
We became friends as her family was a neighbor of ours in Manhattan. She had me on the set of “Madam Secretary” to do the portrait. She is someone who cares about humanity and has a global perspective. Her continuous involvement in UNICEF-USA is a testament to her sense of social justice.
Portrait of Tea Leoni by George Lewis
Is There a Unifying Theme Behind Your Art?
My work is trying to jolt people into a new expanded awareness. The world has questions and we have outgrown the answers that have been given to us. Healing occurs when we all see what we have in common, and that is what I attempt to fulfill in my work, be it photography or painting. This sense of togetherness I attempt to show by capturing intimate moments in the lives of human beings. I deal with race, ethnicity, religion, gender, heritage, and sexuality. Very little is off limits…I have tried to explore the spectrum of human experience, from spending time in the desert with the Al Rashidi tribe to photographing ladies of “a certain age” in Palm Beach, Florida. For me it’s about how we become more aware of who we are. The word “gestalt” is important to me. It describes the theory that what we have in the world is the result of everything coming together in a collective. After spent time in more than 80 countries, I have learned that what we have in common is far more powerful than what divides us.
The Deluge by George Lewis
What prompted this global mission of yours?
I grew up in somewhat of a privileged yet socially restricted life in England. The religious, gender and cultural uniformity didn’t satisfy my thirst for color and excitement. From an early age I longed to broaden my horizons. It started with me going to university in Italy, near Venice, “the gateway to the Orient”. Then I started to move east and south. I lived in various places in the Middle East for a number of years and tried to breathe in as much culture as possible. And last year, I finally made my personal journey along the Silk Route…recently, I have started exploring the Far East and the Americas, and my work has become much more of a global conversation.
What relationship do you have to the contemporary art world?
I am a contemporary artist, because I am alive. I’m somewhat of an outsider. Searching outside a box is no longer necessary because there is no longer any box. The quest to find a healing collective identity has put me on the outskirts of the traditional contemporary art world, and I’m okay with that. I call myself an artist but many people see me as a philosopher, thinker and healer. Perception is everything. The job of the artist is to lay the groundwork for a better world to come.
How do you achieve that?
I’m on the board of a number of interfaith organizations. I create safe space for dialogue. The art is a vehicle to get to something bigger than ourselves, something that is connecting us all. Here the “gestalt” shows us that the whole is greater than the collective parts. I also organize salons- the scope of such projects is small, but I hope to further develop the idea and expand this artistic conversation on faith, gender, and humanity at large. I think this kind of talk is essential to breaking down barriers, healing, and ultimately, peaceful and fruitful coexistence.
Portrait of President Obasanjo Of Nigeria by George Lewis
You are unashamedly eclectic in form, profile and subject?
Why stop at just one thing? I think that’s yesterday’s artist. I do video and sculpture as well as paint and photograph. Michelangelo defined himself throughout his life as a sculptor, and yet he is most famous for the Sistine Chapel painting. The job of the artist for eons has always been to play the role of healer and connector. It was only in the 20th century where the definitional narrowing of what an artist does or has to be has happened. Art should represent truth seeking, integration, curiosity and empathy, and as an artist I embrace this undertaking. To bring into consciousness what is often hidden is the true mission of the artist. We can’t change anything without being aware.
