An incredible portrait of Sir David Attenborough has been unveiled at the BBC's Natural History Unit in Bristol. The painting, courtesy of artist David Cobley, celebrates his extraordinary broadcasting and captures his passionate sense of wonder and engagement with the natural world. The 7ft x 5.5ft artwork is hung in the events area at Bridgewater House.
The portrait was commissioned by former BBC Chairman Sir David Clementi in 2019 and captures Sir Attenborough’s character, evoking some of his great broadcast moments as well as referencing his work to raise awareness of climate change. It comes after Sir Attenborough's presents brand new natural history series Wild Isles on BBC One and iPlayer.
This beautiful painting also includes Sir Attenborough’s landmark programmes. The talented artist Cobley is one of the UK’s leading portrait painters and was elected a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters in 1997. He has painted portraits of Ken Dodd (now in the National Portrait Gallery), The Princess Royal, as well as leading academics, actors, scientists, politicians, writers, members of the armed forces and business leaders.
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He was also shortlisted for the BP Portrait Award in 1989. The iconic presenter began his work at the BBC in 1952 as a television trainee, developing his expertise in this still relatively new medium and eventually starting to produce the natural history series that are his passion- and the rest is history.
Talking about his recent portrait, David said: “I can’t think of anyone else I’d like to have painted more than Sir David Attenborough. What he’s done is to remind all of us of the extraordinary world we live in.
"Just as artists try and show things from a different point of view, Sir David has shown us life from a plant’s perspective, from the miniature eye of an ant, from a polar bear on a drifting ice floe. I think he is really the most significant voice of our times and I am honoured to try and capture something of his life in paint.”
Will you be visiting to see the new portrait? Let us know in the comments.
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