What does Taylor Wessing have in common with Schweppes? I found out on Saturday when I went to the National Portrait Gallery.
It is a brisk 1 1/2 hour walk along Kensington High Street, the south sides of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, the north side of Green Park and along Piccadilly to Leicester Square and the NPG. Unfortunately it was raining for most of the way which was character building as I’d left my gamp at home. Most visitors were going to an exhibition of portraits by Picasso so the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize was not crowded. TW have been sponsoring this annual exhibition since 2008. They are an international law firm with their roots going back to 1782, becoming Taylor Wessing after a series of mergers in 2002. And the Schweppes connection? Sch you-know-who sponsored this prize for three years from 2003.
The judges whittled down some 14,000 entries to the sixty hanging at the NPG. A disproportionately large number were taken in Africa, including the winner. I wonder if that is a bias by the judging panel or if it reflects the whole entry? Contrarily I found those photographs that look like paintings the most satisfactory. The exhibition continues until 26th February and is a Cheap Lane recommendation; £4 if you are over sixty and decline to make a voluntary donation.
Less appealing is the Portrait Restaurant at the top of the building with good views across Trafalgar Square to south London. The two-course pre-theatre menu available until 6.30 is well priced at £19.50. The Sunday lunch menu at £32 for three courses whether you want them or not seems a bit of a rip-off.
