Poignant study of Sir Bob Geldof at BP Portrait Award exhibition

A portrait of Sir Bob Geldof is among the faces to be seen at this year’s BP Portrait Award exhibition.

The Boomtown Rats singer and campaigner was painted by Nathalie Beauvillain Scott after she met him at a music festival where he was performing.

His personal tragedies include the deaths of former wife Paula Yates and daughter Peaches, and the artist, 44, said her picture shows him “as the person rather than as a rock star. The emptiness next to him represents the losses he has experienced, loss being an inevitable part of life.”

It is one of 55 portraits chosen for exhibition from 2,748 entries from 92 countries. Other notable faces include American model Shaun Ross.

The winner of the £30,000 first prize will be announced at a ceremony tonight from a shortlist of three — Israeli artist Matan Ben-Cnaan, 35, Michael Gaskell, 51, of Leicester, and Borja Buces Renard, 36, from Madrid.

The BP Portraits are on show from Thursday until September 20, admission free.

Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout