Picture Gallery of Alan Carr Linford Paintings

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Exhibition of new acquisitions of paintings by
Alan Carr Linford RWS

Born in 1926, Alan Carr Linford studied at the Royal College of Art 1943-1947. The Prix de Rome came to him in 1947. He gained associate membership of the Royal Society of Painter Etchers when he was 20, and he was elected an associate of the Royal Watercolour Society when he was 23 in 1949. This was preceded by several prestigious scholarships.

It was the portrait painter Sir Edward Halliday who took the young artist under his wing and showed a portfolio of his work to Princess Elizabeth (as The Queen then was) and the Duke of Edinburgh at Clarence House. The drawings were views of the Thames and the Royal couple were so pleased with what they saw that they acquired four, commissioned ten, and brought six. This patronage launched Carr Linford's career and many commissions followed, including twenty-four river paintings for the Royal Yacht Britannia and further paintings of Windsor, which hang in the private apartments at Windsor castle. A painting of Birkhall commissioned for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was recently exhibited at The Queen's Gallery.

I quote Adrian Bury, Hon RWS, in his appreciation of Carr Linford from The Studio: "How many artists have been supported in their efforts by Royal interest. How much the nation owes in a cultural sense to our ruling house." This is not always generally realised.

The Sultan of Oman commissioned a series of huge paintings of Oman and the artist rose to the challenge with great aplomb. Commissions came from all over the world followed by three one-man exhibitions at the Mistral Gallery in Dover Street, London.

For many years the artist's happy hunting ground has been in the neighbourhood of the Thames where skilful attention to detail and the portrayal of light on water is captured in Morning Light from Albert Bridge seen below.

Carr Linford's work deserves the honours he has won and the patronage he receives. The world is his oyster, he loves his work, and this is reflected in the warmth and diversity of his paintings.