The portrait of Raleigh appears to have been restored and created by an unknown artist. It depicts him wearing chainmail, with a neutral expression on his face.
Raleigh was a colonialist who attempted to establish a British settlement in North Carolina, only to ultimately fail in doing so because of sour relations with Native Americans.
The paintings have been replaced either side of a fireplace in Downing Street by two of Rego’s works – Study for Crivelli’s Garden and Study for Crivelli’s Garden (The Visitation). Crivelli’s Garden is one of Rego’s best-known works, and the National Gallery said last year that its focus was on “strong and courageous women”.
Study for Crivelli’s Garden is an acrylic painting produced between 1990 and 1991, which shows a woman praying as a second woman appears to wield a weapon behind her.
It was painted for display in the National Gallery’s restaurant and depicts a number of scenes from stories and myths in the Bible, with female characters featuring prominently throughout.
Study for Crivelli’s Garden (The Visitation) is a retelling of the Visitation in the Bible, in which the Virgin Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus , visited Elizabeth, her cousin, who was pregnant with John the Baptist. Elizabeth can be seen grabbing Mary’s upper hand with one hand as she uses the other to cover her mouth.
