Portrait of Robert McCredie May
Date
2005
Sitter
Lord Robert McCredie May of Oxford (Australian) , Biologist
Creator
Tom Phillips (1937, British) , Painter
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Dimensions
height (painting): 1040mm
width (painting): 800mm
width (painting): 800mm
Description
Head and shoulders of Lord May, full face, wearing a white shirt and multi-coloured diamond patterned tie. This motif is picked up in the background (in mixed shades, including midnight blue and in a painted framing device which uses diamond shapes and chaotic patterning. To the right and slightly above as viewed, a semi-circular shape is a table-tennis bat (the game was played during intervals in sittings).
Robert McCredie May was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1979, he served as its President from 2000 to 2005.
Robert McCredie May was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1979, he served as its President from 2000 to 2005.
Transcription
Tom Phillips MMV
Object history
Commissioned by the Royal Society, 2004.
The first sitting for this work was on 16 September 2004. The completed work was unveiled at the Royal Society’s Anniversary Day, 30 November 2005. [e-mail from the artist and other material on the Royal Society’s provenance file].
The first sitting for this work was on 16 September 2004. The completed work was unveiled at the Royal Society’s Anniversary Day, 30 November 2005. [e-mail from the artist and other material on the Royal Society’s provenance file].
Associated place