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Reeves Replaces Portraits of Male Former Prime Ministers with Art Commemorating Lockdown and Social Distancing

by Will Jones
12 February 2025 11:23 AM

Rachel Reeves has introduced artworks commemorating lockdown and social distancing in No 11 to replace portraits of her male predecessors and British monarchs as part of her clampdown on male art. The Telegraph has the story.

The Chancellor has removed portraits depicting her famed male predecessors David Lloyd George and Benjamin Disraeli, who both led the Treasury before leading the country.

Portraits of British monarchs have also disappeared from No 11’s walls since Labour won the election.

Instead, the hallways are graced with abstract depictions of ‘social distancing’ and Covid anxiety.

The changes follow a commitment from the Chancellor to remove artworks featuring male sitters and those created by male artists.

It also comes as part of an artistic purge in Downing Street which has seen Sir Keir Starmer rid No 10 of portraits depicting Elizabeth I, Sir Walter Raleigh, Margaret Thatcher and William Shakespeare.

All works are part of the Government Art Collection, typically used to project British soft power during official visits.

Incoming ministers are entitled to use the collection to decorate their offices.

From the collection of 15,000 works, Ms Reeves has selected a piece titled ‘Covid Anxiety 5 (Mask Disorder)’ for display.

The work by Donna Coleman features an abstract human head formed by a red squiggle, and appears alongside another work titled ‘Misunderstood’, featuring a charcoal swirl fronted by a black square.

The artist has said that the paintings explore “how social media affects people’s wellbeing”.

Also chosen for No 11 are the pieces ‘Portrait of a Woman (Invisible Virus) numbers 46 and 47’, part of a ‘Quarantine Collage’ by artist Lisa Fielding-Smith. The images, which are among the replacements for the more traditional portraiture, are formed of cut-outs from women’s magazines.

A portrait of Lloyd George by Sir William Orpen, a high society painter, was taken down following Labour’s election win. The Liberal statesman served as chancellor from 1908 to 1915, and Prime Minister from 1916 to 1922.

A marble bust of Disraeli by Charles Bell Birch was also removed. The Jewish Conservative peer also served as Chancellor several times, and headed British imperial policy as Prime Minister twice, first in 1868 and then from 1874 to 1880.

She does seem to be a little bit barmy. And sexist, obviously.

Worth reading in full.

Tags: ArtsDowning StreetLabourMisandryPrime MinisterRachel ReevesSexism

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