
“It looks like the work of a few seconds. But while this striking image may appear to be a photograph at first glance, it has actually taken weeks of painstaking work. Right down to the creases in his forehead and the highlights in his hair, it would take a very sharp eye to spot that this head shot of a man is in fact an oil painting. Artist Jan Mikulka painted the amazingly realistic portrait in a bid to mimic the effects of a photography in canvas form. Visitors to the National Portrait Gallery’s BP Portrait Award have been so stunned by its life-like qualities that it was voted the best in the exhibition.” w/ photo





