Francis Holl, the artist's father 

Frank Holl painted this portrait of his father, Francis Holl, using oil on canvas, at an unknown date. It now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in London, an institution dedicated to celebrating British identity through images of its prominent citizens. The painting is part of a broader nineteenth-century trend towards realism in art, depicting its subject with an unvarnished honesty that challenged traditional artistic conventions. Holl was a member of the Royal Academy, a British institution with a history of upholding conservative artistic values. However, he was also known for his socially conscious paintings, often depicting the struggles of the working class. So, how do we reconcile these competing impulses in his work? The keys are in the archives, in exhibition reviews, correspondence, and institutional records. These can help us understand the complex social and artistic landscape in which Holl operated, and to fully understand this portrait and its place within it.