Sir Aston Webb

Sir Aston Webb was the most prolific and officially celebrated architect of the Edwardian period, responsible for the Victoria Memorial, the refaced Buckingham Palace front, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and Admiralty Arch — projects that shaped the ceremonial face of imperial London. Solomon Joseph Solomon's portrait of 1906 captures Webb at the height of his career, between the completion of Buckingham Palace's refacing and the building of the V&A. Portraits of architects, unlike those of politicians or industrialists, often implicitly reference the sitter's creative output — the subject is defined by what they have made, not merely by rank or office. The National Portrait Gallery's possession of the work reflects the institution's commitment to documenting British cultural achievement across the arts, including architecture.

Solomon's treatment of a creative professional would strike a slightly different balance than his civic portraits, finding in the sitter's face the mark of imaginative intelligence. The relatively dark, formal dress of an Edwardian professional male would contrast with the animated quality Solomon aimed to give the face.