"... This portrait of media tycoon, Rupert Murdoch, reflects Jonathan Yeo's confluent style of photographic realism and the painterly touch. Both working with his medium, and remaining precise to his subject, Yeo creates a stunning depth of character in his portraits. Here, he crops the painting at an unusual point, narrowing our focus on the face of his subject. Known for his domination of his larger than life business empire, Murdoch isn't often given the opportunity to speak back against his opponents. Here, Yeo focuses on Murdoch's eyes, instigating a critical rapport between viewer and subject. ..."

Biography

Yeo did not go to art college but instead taught himself to paint in his early 20s while being treated for cancer. His first portrait commission was in 1993 to paint Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, founder of the Anti-Apartheid movement. In the late 90s and early noughties, he undertook a number of high profile portrait commissions and other figurative works both in the UK and internationally. In 2001 he was commissioned to paint Tony Blair, Charles Kennedy and William Hague during the election campaign. The triptych caused some controversy among MPs when it was unveiled as the portraits were on vastly different sized canvases - proportionate to each party's share of the votes.