Happy Jubilee Ma’am: Artists give Queen 97 works

Emin portrait and Hockney’s iPad cake go on show next year
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14 December 2012

Britain's leading artists have presented the Queen with a remarkable collection of their work to mark her Diamond Jubilee.

David Hockney, Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry are among 93 members of the Royal Academy of Arts to contribute to the gift, which includes Emin’s portrait of the Queen.

Other works include a birthday cake-style drawing by David Hockney on his iPad and two images of the Olympic park — one by Dame Zaha Hadid, of the aquatics centre she designed, and the other an engraving by Anne Desmet of shadows cast by the Olympic stadium during its construction.

John Maine has contributed perhaps the most personal piece — a crayon drawing of the Cosmati Pavement in Westminster Abbey — the spot where the Queen was crowned in 1953.

The 97 works will be held on behalf of the Queen by the Royal Collection and they will go on public display next summer. Other contributions were received from Antony Gormley, Sir Anthony Caro, Anish Kapoor and Michael Manser, who gave the Queen a picture and drawing of the royal suite at Heathrow Airport that he designed in 1988.

RA president, Christopher Le Brun said he was delighted and honoured to have been able to present “a unique portfolio of works by current Royal Academicians” to the Queen to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee.

He said: “The near 100 works document the breadth and depth of the membership, with all categories included: painters, including engravers, printmakers and draughtsmen, sculptors and architects.

“After an outstanding year for the Royal Academy, the Diamond Jubilee gift represents a key highlight of 2012, and we are looking forward to the public display of the works in 2013.”

The Queen is patron of the RA, which was founded by George III in 1768. It has presented gifts to the Queen on two previous significant occasions — to mark the Coronation in 1953 and the Silver Jubilee in 1977.

Charles Saumarez Smith, the academy’s chief executive, said: “We are delighted to be giving this portfolio of works to the Queen. We are proud of our royal heritage and feel privileged to be able to mark this historic occasion.”

Jane Roberts, a librarian and curator at the Royal Collection, said: “The generous gift from the Royal Academicians to celebrate The Queen’s Jubilee is yet another highlight in this wonderful celebratory year.

“It is hugely exciting to be adding this magnificent body of contemporary graphic art to the Royal Collection.

“Our preparations for the exhibition in London next year are already well under way, and we look forward to working with the Royal Academy on that important project.”

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