Arthur Scargill
- Artist: William Bowyer
- Date: 1984
- Medium: oil on board
- Dimensions: 27 in. x 27 7/8 in. (686 mm x 708 mm)
- Portrays: Arthur Scargill
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
In this portrait, William Bowyer captures Arthur Scargill mid‑speech, his hand in motion as he addresses an audience during the 1984–85 miners’ strike. The canvas is oil on board, a square frame measuring about 27 inches on each side, giving the figure a solid, almost sculptural presence. Bowyer’s brushwork shows clear strokes of oil that convey energy and immediacy.
Scargill, born in 1938, was President of the National Union of Mineworkers and a key figure during the strike that reshaped Britain’s coal industry. The artist himself had spent two years working in mines during World War II, which lent him an intimate feel for the subject. This painting thus blends portraiture with a snapshot of a pivotal moment in British labor history.
See it in person
Arthur Scargill is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
