Hywel Pratley explains the Queen's likeness
Hywel Pratley, who is sculpting a statue of the late Queen Elizabeth II, explains the Queen's likeness
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00:00 So Howell, talk to me about the likeness of Her Majesty.
00:05 What age is she intended to be?
00:08 Are you pleased with the likeness?
00:09 I am, I am. I always work, the method that I always use is starting with the profile.
00:15 So when you have a portrait sitter, you look for the proportions and gesture of their profile first
00:25 in order to work out a foundation to build on when you look for the widths in the front.
00:31 And we're very familiar with snaps and coins, and of course I don't have my model,
00:36 but I've got my inspiration wall of all sorts of interesting things.
00:39 Yes, I saw this. This is everything here. Now this is the original marquette that we saw in Oakham in February, wasn't it?
00:44 That's right, yeah. This is the marquette. This is the wax version for me of the bronze resin that's in Oakham at the moment, in Oakham Library.
00:51 Yes. Which was reminding me constantly of where I'm going with the composition.
00:57 But I've got several pictures of the young Queen in profile in front view in three quarters.
01:03 So working from profile first and then moving to the front, it was quite an interesting challenge to get her youth
01:12 and to get a softness of expression while also making sure that she had poise and power and warmth.
01:20 I'm hoping that I've got some of those things. I've got some warmth and some benevolence in her expression.
01:26 Yes. While of course having a recognisable image of the Queen, we know from all those images.
01:32 Yes. The first monarch to be around with so much photography, so there are endless images that I could use.
01:38 And what was a challenge is that she looked so different in each photograph.
01:44 I was really struck by how she could look so different with a different expression and so different from one royal engagement to the next.
01:52 A hat would change her, a crown would change her, a mood would change her.
01:56 So I hope I've got something that people recognise. I'm pleased though. Yeah, I'm very pleased with that.