Original Oil Portrait
Tom Coates RP NEAC PS RBA RWS HonRWA - Oil on Canvas “Portrait of a Judge" (Half-Length, Seated)
A striking British portrait in oil – confident, classical, and collectible
Key Details
Artist: Tom Coates RP NEAC PS RBA RWS HonRWA
Title: “Portrait of a Judge (Half-Length, Seated)”
Production Technique: Original painting
Medium: Oil
Support: Canvas
Signature: Inscribed verso “Tom Coates” (not signed frontally)
Dimensions: Image: 76 × 61 cm (29.9 × 24.0 in)
Framing: Hand made wooden frame in Silver in Black
Condition: Very Good– framed and ready to hang
Provenance: From a private collection
Date / Period: Undated (late 20th–early 21st century)
Description
This evocative oil on canvas depicts a half-length seated judge in ceremonial robe, captured in a moment of quiet authority. With its strong draughtsmanship and classical restraint, the work evokes both narrative and presence — ideal for collectors of British portraiture or interiors seeking character and gravitas.
About the Artist
Tom Coates (1941–2023) was one of the UK’s most respected figurative painters, renowned for his command of oil, pastel, and watercolour. Educated at Bournville and Birmingham Colleges of Art and at the Royal Academy Schools under Peter Greenham, he received numerous awards throughout a distinguished career. Coates served as Past President of the New English Art Club (NEAC), the Pastel Society (PS), and the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA); he was also a Member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RP) and the Royal Watercolour Society (RWS), and an Honorary Member of the Royal West of England Academy (HonRWA).
Notable accolades include the Gold Medal d’Honneur from the French Pastel Society (1984), the De Laszlo Medal (RBA, 1984), First Prize in the Sunday Times Watercolour Competition (1988), the Prince of Wales Drawing Award (2000), and the Ondaatje Gold Medal for Portraiture (2007). His work features in private and royal collections and has been shown at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, the New Grafton Gallery, and other major venues. He was commissioned to paint the ceremonial procession for Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s 90th birthday in 1990 and joined the England cricket team as official artist on their South Africa tour in 2000.
Provenance & Notes
From a private collection. Keywords: oil portrait, British art, Tom Coates, NEAC, judicial painting, collectible, framed, original artwork.
