Collections

Portcullis House Rooftops

Artist: Walker, Frances, CBE RSA RSW D.Litt Hon FECA · b. 1930Printer: Peacock Visual Arts · b. 2001

Portcullis House Rooftops

Part of a series of six prints commissioned by the House of Commons to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and capture images of Portcullis House.…

Part of a series of six prints commissioned by the House of Commons to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and capture images of Portcullis House. Frances Walker’s view of the Portcullis House roofline shows 2 of the 14 vast bronze chimneys which are air ducts drawing fresh air into the building. In contrast to the chimneys is the fragile structure of the London Eye, and a small glimpse of one of the red brick chimney’s of the adjoining Norman Shaw building, which provided the architectural inspiration for the Portcullis House roofline. Each artist received a fee of £1,750 for the Commission and undertook a residency in Portcullis House when they were able to observe, sketch and photograph. Working with this source material the artists developed the artwork for their prints. A proof was produced and agreed by the Works of Art Committee before the artists produced an edition of prints. The House of Commons receives two copies of each print into its Collection, the artist’s proof and the first print of the edition. The rest of the edition remains with the artists for general sale either as sets or individually.

Excerpt from letter from artist to RSA Collections Curator, 12/09/2013: “I recently donated all my working studies etc. for my Portcullis House Jubilee print to the Parliamentary Art Collection and understand they may now be catalogued and photographed and available on the Parliamentary website – as a resource explaining the commission to the public and as additions to temporary exhibitions in Parliament.” (Original letter in artist’s file, copy in file ‘Acquisitions: Prints’)

http://www.parliament.uk/about/art-in-parliament/news/francis-walker/