Queen 1.19 (G)

Limited edition screenprint (of only 12) with gold ink on Fabriano paper.

Novak has been painting this image of the Queen for over 15 years. Those paintings, and the associated screen-printed works, have taken on a new meaning with her passing. Some people are seeing them as a tribute to her life understandably… Here’s what the artist wrote back when this piece was created.

“Many of the subjects I paint are iconic, and some also controversial or polarising – none more so than Queen Elizabeth. But she’s a strong, enduring (and beautiful) lady!

There’s also a nice juxtaposition with my ‘Digital Dilemma’ theme. People of her generation have seen phenomenal changes in society – including the birth of digital technology. This portrait of her looking out at the world through a tech lens has its own sense of irony, which at a young age she could not have foreseen.”