Sir Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard is not just a powerful screen presence—his iconic turn as the leader of the starship U.S.S. Enterprise is now considered one of the most instantly recognisable TV roles in pop culture. Sir Patrick Stewart, recently sat for a portrait in New York, captured by Fine Art Portrait Photographer Rory Lewis.
Lewis was commissioned to capture Sir Patrick in the style of the Triple Portrait fo Charles I also known as Charles 1st in Three Positions. An oil painting by Flemish artist Sir Anthony van Dyck, showing the king from three viewpoints: left full profile, face on, and right three-quarter profile. Painted in 1635 or 1636, it is currently part of the Royal Collection. The painting was sent to Rome in 1636 to be used as a reference work for the Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini to create a marble bust of Charles I.
The portrait presented quite a challenge, capturing three distinct expressions and merging the portraits together in three imposing positions. Rory directed Sir Patrick to assume a variation of theatrical and serious expressions, keeping each simple and uncomplicated. This made it easier to merge the triple portrait with eye catching depictions, presenting Sir Patrick in a coherent state of mind.
“What emerged from the session was a complex and vigorous character, embodied by energy and animation; a side of Sir Patrick that I thoroughly enjoyed watching unfold in front of my lens.” (Rory Lewis Photographer)
Rory will be issuing 10 limited edition prints of the portrait, each one individually numbered and signed.