On portraits of humans and other animals

or rather how the humanity of painters slips out when they paint accidental animals

As a photographer whose lens tends to gravitate towards human beings, it’s somewhat ridiculous that I have never been to the National Portrait Gallery (Trafalgar Square, London for non UK readers).

Something had always put me off, going inside, I’d convinced myself that they unlike the National Gallery that they charged an entrance fee, it is in fact, l…