Portrait of Margaret, The Lady Thatcher 1999

Nelson Shanks painted this portrait of Margaret Thatcher, sometime before his death in 2015, I don't know exactly when or with what. It looks like oil. I'm drawn to the way Shanks builds up the textures of Thatcher's robe, all that heavy green velvet trimmed with gold. It's like he's laying down these juicy, tangible strokes that are all about the feel of the material. Look at how the light catches those folds and creases! The paint is thick in places, almost sculptural, and then thin and transparent in others, creating a real sense of depth. The artist has taken a very direct approach to this image of the figure of Thatcher. Shanks presents us with a play of surfaces, between the hard metal of the jeweled necklace, the smoothness of her skin, and the depth of that robe. Each brushstroke feels like a deliberate mark, contributing to the overall presence of the Iron Lady. It reminds me of some of Lucien Freud's portraits, in how unflinchingly the artist has described their subject. It leaves you with questions, rather than answers.