The Tale of the Portrait Award Catalogue 2026 - and two major mishaps

This is about the debacle of The Portrait Award Catalogue 2026 - and why I do not have a copy.

Portrait Award Catalogue 2026 - as advertised on the NPG website

Every year I usually get the catalogue of The Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery. I use it when writing my review of the exhibition. You'll note no review to date....

However this year there have been two major mishaps

1. The Printing Error
2. The "ready to ship" date.

The Printing Error

This year, 2026, the catalogue, sponsored by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, was found to have a serious error in the original printed version.

Now printing errors in museum publications are not unheard of

• many are relatively minor (eg a name spelt incorrectly) and 
• they are normally corrected in the next print - 
• and an errata slip put in the edition with the error.

My guess as to why the original catalogue was NOT released at all is that it the error is too significant/important - and this most likely reason is it involves the sponsor's name.

The name that keeps changing. It started as "Herbert Smith Freehills" - and last year it became "Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer".

That's important enough to stop the release of a catalogue.

The alternative might be that the colours were badly wrong. Except, as somebody who used to be responsible for producing marketing material for my professional qualification, I know that sort of error gets caught very easily at the proofs stage. So long as you have somebody competent doing the job and piping up as soon as they spot a problem. 

Approving proofs is the signal to "go to print". 

When I did it, my publications lady did all the checking - but the proofs were signed off by me after I had checked them carefully too. It's much too expensive to get wrong hence all mistakes have to be spotted!

So I can only assume that whoever was responsible for collating, drafting, designing and checking - and double checking and authorising - the catalogue proofs did not do their job properly.

That's a very expensive mistake. That's because once you have approved the proofs, you are agreeing liability for the costs of the print run. Which means NPG will be charged for that error and in effect will have paid for the catalogue twice.

For the record, I did ask what the print error - but was nobody knew and/or was prepared to say.

The "Ready to Ship" date

I was thinking of going into the NPG today to pick up a catalogue. However I wasn't optimistic it would be there (I know how long print runs take - particularly if a job is contracted out to Asian printers as many are - ships take a long time to dock!) so checked the website first.

That's when I found the page related to the Portrait Award Catalogue for sale in the shop.

Which states

Expected to ship from 29 July 2026.

That's seven weeks late - given the exhibition opened to the public on 25th June.

Which leads us to the next issue.....

Details of the Portrait Award Catalogue

The cost of the mistake

The RA Summer Exhibition and AI: Submission to Display to Sale

I think I've uncovered a bit of a problem relating to the legislation and regulations which apply to all info provided to buyers in art exhibitions (who have protected rights) - from Submission to Display to Sale.

Earlier this week, I wrote about how the Royal West of England Academy allows AI into its Annual Exhibition

There have been a lot of comments on the post on Facebook as a result - which you can see here. Mainly this has been confined to whether or not AI should be eligible or only serves to undermine the original work of artists.

What I didn't realise at the time, is that the RWA were not the first.

The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition and AI

This year's Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition indicated in its Frequently Asked Questions that it was OK to use AI as part of an artwork

Can I enter an AI work?

If your work is generated, partially or entirely, using artificial intelligence, then you must declare it on your artwork form by adding ‘AI’ to the medium field.

Extract from RA Summer Exhibition 2026 - FAQs

In other words, the RWA appears to have just copied what the RA did!

Omission of fact / poor descriptions of art for sale

So I went to look at all the artworks - to find the clearly displayed "AI" in the medium field

I found 59 entries were listed in "all the artworks" when I searched the database for "AI".

I didn't sample everyone. But of all the ones I looked at in detail, not one declared the AI as having contributed to the image or the artwork.

So the RA may know that AI contribute to the artwork - but they aren't sharing that information with the general public.

I then did another sample - of all those that were available to buy online. 

• This time I got 54 entries.
• I looked at a few more - and still could not find any exhibit which openly declared that AI was used in its creation.

AI Findings: Submission to Display to Sale

• The Royal Academy of Art required all artists to declare AI on their form If your work is generated, partially or entirely, using artificial intelligence, then you must declare it on your artwork form by adding ‘AI’ to the medium field.
• The Royal Academy of Art appears to have chosen NOT to disclose the use of AI in any of the information provided to the buying public.
• it's not listed in the catalogue under the medium
• it's not listed on the Sales website for any of the artworks which were triggered by the search term "AI"

I wonder why.

I'm also wondering if anybody asked the RA Solicitors for their advice as to what needs to be disclosed within the context of the range of legislation and regulations which are pertinent eg see "How to sell art" on my website Art Business Info for Artists

• Trading Law and Regulations - see my Trading Law & Regulations for Artists (mainly UK) page
• the various regulations relating to selling online and consumer rights - see my E-Commerce for Artists page

One of the requirements of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is that

Every contract to supply goods by description is to be treated as including a term that the goods will match the description.

In other words, when describing the medium for an artwork, if AI was used then AI needs to be highlighted.

• I am sure this requirement is essentially what is behind the RA requirement for the artist to spell out AI in the medium box if relevant. 
• So why has that info not translated through to the description of the artwork for the purposes of sale to the public (ie the people protected by the Consumer Rights Act 2015!)?
• My conclusion is that we appear to have "a left hand and a right hand within the RA who are not talking to one another"!

Clearly, use of AI is new and mistakes may be made at the outset. 

However I personally would expect that an organisation like the Royal Academy of Art which has, over time, been absolutely exemplary in its highlighting of changes in legislation (eg re VAT registration for overseas artists; new money laundering regulations for art etc) and spelling out what that means for artists entering the Summer Exhibition SHOULD have picked this up and dealt with it better. 

I have frequently highlighted RA advice contained in its T&Cs and FAQs to other art societies as "this is the way to do it" (whatever "it" was)

I'm now expecting that all mistakes made this year will be corrected for 2027.

I also expect to see next year that the same standard of exemplary guidance produced by the RA in the past will now be also applied to EVERY ASPECT OF AI where people (i.e. ALL THE BUYERS!) have a "need to know" 

In other words - that next year all relevant legislation and regulations will be covered by all necessary parts of the T&Cs and FAQs and any other guidance the RA sees fit to issue.

Review of Portrait Award 2026 (Part 1): What's changed and what's not

This is my review of the HSFK Portrait Award 2026 Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery - sponsored by Herbert Smith Freehill Kramer - and its Awards Ceremony. (I refer to it as The Portrait Award).

• It covers:
• how you can see The Portrait Award Exhibition - in person or online
• what's changed, what's not and what needs to!
• the importance of metrics and profile
• the hang
• discernible themes within the exhibition
• what I like - and what I'm less enthusiastic about will be mentioned in passing - with more to come in my "10 Portraits I liked the best"

At the end are notes about

• Why I write about the HSFK Portrait Award - a short note about my personal history with this exhibition (since 2007)
• followed by all the blog posts I've written about it in the last 19 years ( I haven't counted - but it's a lot!)

How to see the Portrait Award Exhibition

The Portrait Award Exhibition can be seen

• at the National Portrait Gallery in London
• in Gallery 2 (the very far end of the second floor - via the escalator near the entrance or the lifts)
• 25 June - 7 October 2026

You will be able to buy a catalogue - just not yet. The catalogue is being reprinted due to (I understand) an error in the catalogue - and yesterday they didn't yet have a date for its delivery. Although I understand they've worked out a system for you to place an order. (I used to produce publications when in charge of promoting my professional institute's qualification - and I know full well that proofreading is a task which is absolutely critical - and unfortunately always given the time and attention it needs! Let's hope this is the first and last time this happens!)

The exhibition then travels to

• Derby Museum and Art Gallery (21 November 2026 - 21 February 2027)
• The Gallery at the Arc, Winchester (5 March - 9 June 2027)

You can also see it online in the Visitor's Choice Section where you can also vote for your favourite portrait.

The Portrait Award Exhibition - the Metrics

You may wonder why I've started with this - but it's actually VERY VERY important to the future of this competition.

How the numbers have changed - a lot!

The norm for the number of pieces hung was between 50-55 for a very long time - up until 2017 - and then the numbers started to dip.

I'm pleased to say that this year we're back in the normal range again for the number of selected portraits - with 51 portraits hung this year.

Last year it was only 46 so we have a bonus 5 portraits this year! 

I'm left wondering if very clear guidelines were given to Judges that this 50-55 range is the one to aim for.

This year the 51 were selected for the exhibition were chosen from 

• 1,474 submissions entered by artists from 63 countries. 
• (Compared to 46 selected from 1,314 entries from 61 countries in 2025)

I think a chart is in order. If you look at one (below) that I did to compare the number of submissions and number of countries between 2004 and 2019, I think you'll see why. The number of submissions compares to the PRE-2007 PERIOD.

Comparison of 1474 submissions from 63 countries in 2026
with the period prior to Covid/renovation

However I think maybe a separate post to discuss why this might be a better idea.

For now, we just need to remember:

• the number of countries is OK and comparable to pre Covid/renovation
• however the number of entries has DROPPED very significantly (i.e. more than 1,000 entries lower than pre-Covid) - and that is maybe also why the number selected also dropped below 50 for a while.

In principle, the quality of the exhibition depends on the quality of the artists applying - and how many do.

I really do think NPG Management and the Press Team need to apply their efforts in a much more focused away in order to reinstate the type of profile that was being acclaimed on Tuesday night - i.e. "THE most prestigious portrait award in the world" - given the number of its international entries. 

Words are easy - delivering on them is more difficult. The numbers simple don't support the assertion.

For example, how come Alastair Sooke (Chief Art Critic, Daily Telegraph) wrote The best art exhibitions to see this June (25 June 2026) and failed to include the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award?

Yet again, I'll make the point that this annual exhibition desperately needs to be rechristened as "The Portrait Award 2026" - sponsored by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer.  Otherwise the word "portrait" gets completely swamped in comparison to (say) the BP Portrait Award..

I am possibly the only person in the world who spans this competition for that complete period - and has the numbers - in terms of keeping an eye on performance measures for this competition re. effectiveness and prestige. I'd be happy to advise - I used to do this for a job!

The Hang

The Hang grew on me. It's actually very intelligent in terms of how it draws together themes without shoving them in your face.

Royal West of England Academy allows AI into its Annual Exhibition

The deadline for entries to the Annual Open Exhibition of the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) closed at midnight yesterday.

I'm wondering how many entries they got this year.

That's because they have this year allowed people to submit AI entries.

I gather a lot of artists have been very upset about this - as one might expect given that, by definition, AI means an artwork cannot be the original work of the artist.

Some ventured to comment on the error of the RWA's ways - and promptly got banned from commenting on their Instagram account!

I notice social media posts about the RWA Open latterly have had no scope whatsoever for comments.

I then went back though Instagram looking at other posts inviting entries for the RWA Open and not one of those I looked at had comments.

I rather think they may regret the notion of inviting AI artwork.

Should any other art society think it might be a good idea to be cutting edge and introduce AI as an option for acceptable media, I'd highly recommend you look at the RWA Exhibition when it opens

The 173rd Annual Open Exhibition at the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) in Bristol will run from 12 September 2026 to 3 January 2027. It showcases over 500 contemporary works—including painting, sculpture, and photography—across historic galleries, with all featured art available for purchase. Google AI

Plus maybe have a look at some of the other posts about this 

For any other society anticipating doing similar, consider for a moment how you can possibly have a rule which states that this is all the artist's own original artwork - AND that the society allows AI to play a part.

By definition, the latter is NOT "all the artist's own work"!

It's a complete nonsense!

What I liked at the Society of Women Artists 165th Annual Exhibition

I was mentally sending good wishes to the Society of Women Artists who had their 165th Annual Exhibition at the Mall Galleries last week. That was because last week was ridiculously hot weather wise in London (c.35°C / 95°F) for most of the week)!

Anybody who went would have actually enjoyed a very pleasant air conditioned gallery - with refreshments on tap!

However I was busy with other prebooked / prior commitments for the first half of the week. 

Then my brain started to fry because my 18" thick brick walled home had heated up! I was struggling to keep the temperature inside below 30°C - while my brain fried.... despite having all the windows closed and all the blinds down!

The incentive to go out - where it was even hotter - was minimal!

Which is by way of explanation as to why no visit on Tuesday and why no review.

I am eventually going to work out who painted this....

However, I did get there on Saturday afternoon, when it was a few degrees cooler, and managed to photograph the artwork in all the Galleries just before it closed.

Interestingly one comment I saw about the exhibition online was "better than the RA Summer Exhibition" and - having visited that particular exhibition with my sister (who was over from Australia) on Tuesday - I can confirm that comment was very far from fanciful in nature.

You can see my albums of photos of the exhibition on my Making A Mark Facebook Page

• West Gallery
• East Gallery 
• North Gallery

10 things I liked about the SWA Annual Exhibition 2026

• I thought a lot of the art was very much better than a lot of the open entries and some of the RA artwork in the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts. Below was one of the standout pieces. 
• What I noticed in particular was there was a very strong entry by the open artists. You really need to raise your game to get selected nowadays!

"Suffer the little children" by Penny Hardy
(mild steel)
who uses her sculpture to raise money for UNICEF

• The hang was excellent - and one of the best I've seen in the Mall Galleries this year so far. Parts of the hang were definitely superior. It came across as very considered.