Selected Portraits, 1985 to Present
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Youth Portraits
Information Self-Portrait2019 Conte on paper16 × 20" A contemplative conte drawing in which the artist wrestles with his identity in the digital age, tracing the impact of the information overload on the inner life.
Dame Judi Sketch2016 Conte and pastel on paper16 × 20" Made during a sitting with Dame Judi Dench, who immediately put the artist at ease with her graciousness and impish wit. A spontaneous and deeply felt portrait study in conte and pastel.
Jeffrey Archer2015 Oil on canvas18 × 18" 'This is my wife Mary's favourite picture of me and hangs in her study at our home in Mallorca. Alexander is, without question, one of our great portraitists, and deserves all the recognition and success he's had.' Lord Jeffrey Archer
Nigel Hawthorne as George III (seated)1993 Oil on canvas24 × 36" Painted during rehearsals where Newley sat mesmerised as Hawthorne, in character as the mad King, flailed and howled in his ripped nightshirt...
Joan Collins1993Acrylic on Canvas24 × 36"Dame Joan Collins OBE — one of Newley's most celebrated early portraits, establishing his reputation for capturing the charisma and presence of the great figures of stage and screen.
Head of Oliver Stone1996 Oil on canvas20 × 20" Newley met Stone at a cocktail party at producer Ray Stark's house in Hollywood, and Stone subsequently sat for the artist after admiring his portrait of Billy Wilder. A vivid study of one of America's most provocative and politically charged directors.
Self-Portrait as Leonardo's Warrior2009Oil on linen30 × 40"Suited up as a Renaissance knight, Newley merges the classical and contemporary — armoured in readiness to answer a higher call. One of the most powerful images in his ongoing series of self-portraits as mythological hero.
Ed Ruscha2008Oil on linen30 × 40"A pioneer of American pop art, Ruscha has ranged freely across painting, printmaking, drawing, photography and film. Newley captured him in a mood of intense concentration at his cavernous studio in Culver City, California.
Annette Tapert2006Pastel and conte on paper8 × 10"A small pastel and conté portrait of the charismatic writer on interior design and fashion, captured in her New York penthouse on a crisp autumn day as her gaze soared out dreamily over Central Park.
Head of Lincoln2004Oil on canvas36 × 48"Germinating ever since Lincoln seized Newley's imagination as a boy, this monumental study was brought to fruition by a chance encounter with Leonard Volk's great portrait bust of the young Lincoln. Now the central attraction at The Lincoln Heritage Museum in Lincoln, Illinois.
William Goldman2004Oil on linen 21 × 28"Painted in Goldman's Library of Congress-style penthouse at New York's Carlyle Hotel, this portrait shows the legendary screenwriter hunched in close-up, looking straight at the artist with penetrating intelligence.
Self-Portrait in Kangol Cap2002Oil on canvas16 × 26"Painted just before leaving his Harlem studio, with extreme toplight casting the eyes in shadow. The picture sums up the impact of 9/11 and everything the artist was going through at the time.
John Barry2002Oil on linen24 × 36"Painted in the study of his Long Island home, where five Oscars shared wall space with portraits of his heroes — Sibelius, Beethoven, and Vaughan Williams. The film composer who gave Goldfinger its golden menace spoke of his credo: "Make 'em laugh, make 'em cry, and thrill 'em." In the painting, his poised awareness dissolves the world around him, and silence waits for the touch of melody.
Self-Portrait with Feet on the Ground2001Acrylic on Canvas24 × 48"Shows the artist in his Harlem studio working through the challenge of self-portraiture — the starting point of a series taking the studio and the nude as their subject.
Scrooge1999 Pastel on Paper16 × 20" A pastel study evoking Scrooge's wintry character through the textured fractal richness of pastel over rough paper — one of several Scrooge studies exploring Newley's lifelong fascination with Dickens's great miser.
Anthony Newley as Ebenezer Scrooge1998Oil on linen48 × 72"Painted at the Lyric Theatre in London, where Newley's father struck wonderful poses in full costume before curtain-up. Sawdust and sand were mixed into the underpainting to mimic the crusty temperament of Scrooge.
Billy Wilder1998Oil on linen20 × 26"Painted after a chance party meeting in London where Wilder and Newley debated the art of placing the camera in a scene. One of the first Hollywood legends to sit for the artist, opening a celebrated series of Hollywood portraits.
Dominick Dunne1996 Oil on linen24 × 36" Painted during the O.J. Simpson trial which Dunne famously covered for Vanity Fair magazine. A portrait of fearless, penetrating reportage.
Katy1989Acrylic on board18 × 24"When Newley came to paint his sister, he felt he was at the foot of a mountain in terms of naturalistic portrait technique — the learning curve was steep, and the painting took almost a year.
