Portrait of Allen Ginsberg by Gordon Stuart

1995. Stuart, Gordon. Water color portrait of the poet, executed in Swansea, Wales, in 1995, signed and dated in the upper right corner. 18-1/2 inches x 14-3/4 inches. Matted and framed. This is one of a series of portraits commissioned from Stuart as the official artist of the U.K. Year of Literature, hosted in Swansea. Ginsberg's visit culminated in a National Poetry Day reading at the Royal Albert Hall marking the thirtieth anniversary of his first appearance there. It was his last visit to the U.K. Stuart, born in Toronto frequently exhibited at the Royal Academy, was shown widely in the U.K., and honored with numerous awards. Five of his works, including his 1953 portrait of Dylan Thomas, are in the National Portrait Gallery, others are in the National Portrait Gallery of Canada, the National Library of Wales, and many other public and private collections. Other writers who sat for him included Margaret Atwood, Seamus Heaney and R.S. Thomas.