Dorian Radu

Sir Ian McKellen himself offered to review the painting, defining it as “a remarkable job capturing my likeness with accuracy and liveliness”. The portrait shows Sir Ian McKellen on a royal blue chair, embellished with theatre specific elements, such as the comedy and tragedy masks (bottom right) and the king chess piece (top left of the chair), a reference to Sir Ian’s role in the Player Kings theatre play, which took place at the Noël Coward Theatre in 2024.

Dorian Radu is a London-based artist specialised in portrait commissions. He painted notable figures including Philip Mould OBE, Sir Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Ray Winstone and Prince Nicholas of Romania, amongst others. After winning the Gold Memorial Bowl, Dorian has been inducted into the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers, operating under the patronage of HM King Charles III. His work also appeared in the Sky Arts’ Portrait Artist of the Year and Portrait Artist of the Week TV shows.