The National Portrait Gallery has awarded the first prize in the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026 to Marc Dalessio. The Los Angeles–born artist, who is currently based in southwest France, was awarded the prize for his work Jean-Denis (2025), a portrait of his neighbor painted in natural light over six sittings at his studio.The award, one of the most prestigious portrait painting competitions in the world, attracted 1,474 submissions from artists across 63 countries. Some 51 s...

The National Portrait Gallery has awarded the first prize in the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2026 to Marc Dalessio. The Los Angeles–born artist, who is currently based in southwest France, was awarded the prize for his work Jean-Denis (2025), a portrait of his neighbor painted in natural light over six sittings at his studio.The award, one of the most prestigious portrait painting competitions in the world, attracted 1,474 submissions from artists across 63 countries. Some 51 s...