Image: Bodelwyddan Castle Art Gallery, Bodelwyddan
The National Portrait Gallery in London has opened the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026, with the free-to-visit exhibition running until 7 October. The gallery says the presentation brings together “the very best in contemporary portraiture,” highlighting artists working across both classical and innovative modern techniques.
The award remains one of the gallery’s key annual fixtures for contemporary portrait painting and related practice, drawing attention to the breadth of current approaches to likeness, identity and representation. In the gallery’s July newsletter, the opening was presented alongside other summer programming, with the Portrait Award now on view following the announcement of the winners last month.
The exhibition is being shown at the National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London, where it joins other portrait-focused displays and events. The gallery’s current emphasis on contemporary work sits alongside a broader programme that also includes historical and photographic material, reinforcing the institution’s long-standing role as a venue for portraiture across media and periods.
The gallery describes the Portrait Award as a free exhibition that features artists using both established and contemporary approaches to portrait making. While the newsletter does not list the individual winning works or artists in this announcement, it underlines the award’s focus on current portrait practice rather than a single stylistic direction.
The opening of the 2026 edition comes as the gallery continues to present 'Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait', which is running until 6 September. That exhibition, according to the gallery, contains a range of portraits tracing Monroe from Norma Jeane to Hollywood icon and explores her agency in image-making and the way she “made the camera come to life.”
Alongside the exhibition, the gallery has scheduled 'Griselda Pollock and Michael Arnold in conversation' for 10 July, from 19.00 to 20.00. Professor, feminist and art historian Griselda Pollock will speak with Michael Arnold, grandson of photographer Eve Arnold, about Eve Arnold’s images of Monroe throughout her career. The event is priced at £15 onsite and £10 online.
The July programme also includes 'Time for tea?' on 23 July 2026, from 14.00 to 16.00, a £40-per-person event that pairs a one-hour gallery tour with cream tea in Larry’s. For visitors aged 16 to 25, the gallery is also promoting CLUB NPG, a new scheme offering digital membership, £5 exhibition tickets and access to exclusive content and experiences.
