Portraits of Ruth Negga and Stephen Rea unveiled at National Gallery

Portraits of Irish actors Ruth Negga and Stephen Rea have been unveiled at the National Gallery of Ireland.

The works, created by David Booth and David Stephenson respectively, are now on public display as part of the national portrait collection.

The portrait of Ruth Negga, entitled Ruth, is an oil painting on board by Dublin-based artist David Booth. The work was commissioned following Booth's win at the 2022 Portrait Prize (then known as the Zurich Portrait Prize) for his painting Salvatore.

Artist David Booth said: "It's truly an honour to have this portrait of Ruth unveiled at the National Gallery of Ireland. My aim from the outset was for her gaze to confront the viewer directly, establishing a powerful sense of presence and immediacy. Our collaboration throughout the process was one of friendship and openness, which shaped the portrait deeply. I hope the portrait brings viewers close, offering a sense of her warmth, resilience, and unmistakable presence."

For the portrait of Negga, Booth photographed the actor in the courtyard of the National Gallery of Ireland, choosing the setting for its filtered light. He aimed to depict the actor looking directly at the viewer, using the first photograph from the session as the basis for the final painting.

Ruth Negga added: "It has been a total and complete privilege to be the sitter for David's work. Thank you to both David and the National Gallery of Ireland. Luckily for me he appears to have infused my portrait with his own qualities of grace, tenderness and that thing that I believe is crucial to art; a sense of the mysterious. Thank you for this extraordinary honour."

Stephen Rea’s portrait is a black-and-white photograph by Wicklow-based artist and filmmaker David Stephenson. Stephenson won the 2023 Portrait Prize for his work Ann and Ollie, Main Street, Wexford.

Artist David Stephenson said: "Stephen is great company. We met in his lovely country house, his sanctuary. There's an old wall with sparse winter ivy in his garden which I thought would make an interesting background. I love the idea of interiority in a portrait. The human face reveals so much but can also hide a lot. There’s an interesting contradiction with Stephen between his public and private personas. I think this black and white portrait is a private moment caught between the two."

Stephen Rea added: "The decision by the National Gallery of Ireland to include my photograph, created by the wonderful David Stephenson, in its permanent collection, is a huge and totally unexpected compliment. I am overwhelmed."

Both portraits are now on view in the Portrait Gallery at the National Gallery of Ireland.