“I have painted dictators, monarchs and politicians for five years using press photographs as a starting point. Dictators especially love to decorate themselves with ribbons and medals which symbolise righteous authority and ongoing legitimacy,” Bradford said.
According to the artist, the picture ridicules the pomposity of the men by turning their ribbons and medals into smears and splurges of paint.
“Traditional portraiture places great importance upon facial definition, I try not to overwork or illustrate dictators’ faces rendering them both visually ambiguous and in consequence unknowable,” Bradford said.
It is possible to register your vote online to elect this painting as the winner by visiting this website:Â www.threadneedlefigurativeprize.com/voting
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