John Hume: Portrait of Nobel laureate to be unveiled at Westminster

An official portrait of the late Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume is to be unveiled in Westminster on Monday.

The portrait was commissioned by the Speaker’s advisory committee on works of art.

It was painted by Northern Ireland artist Colin Davidson and was based on sketches he made of the founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in 2016.

The portrait will hang in Portcullis House.

Mr Hume was one of the highest-profile politicians in Northern Ireland and played a major role in the peace talks which led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace alongside David Trimble, the then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.

Mr Hume died in Londonderry in 2020 at the age of 83.

The Speaker’s advisory committee on works of art agreed to commission the portrait following a proposal from SDLP MP for Belfast South Claire Hanna.

Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said he was “delighted” to accept the work intro the parliamentary art collection.

He described Mr Hume as “one of the true giants of Northern Irish politics”.

“He was also one of the most important and impactful parliamentarians of his generation, and is greatly missed by colleagues and members, both here in Westminster and in Europe,” he added.

Artist Colin Davidson began working on the portrait, entitled John Hume, in 2022.

“Six years ago I was honoured to spend time with John Hume, drawing and sketching a man who had become a personal hero for me,” he said.

“Over the last year, I have revisited these drawings and created something new – a different portrait painting which, I hope, captures John’s focused vision and strength of character.”

Mr Davidson has painted many significant public figures including politicians, artists, actors and musicians.

He also unveiled his painting of Queen Elizabeth II in 2016.