The BP Portrait Award is now recognized as an international showcase for young artists working in this field and for many of the prize-winners has acted as a springboard to their careers. This work accompanies the 2001 exhibition, and looks back at the previous 10 years of this prestigious award. Portraits illustrated include works by such prominent artists as Peter Edwards, Michael Clark, Ishbel Myerscough and Philip Harris. The introductory essay by Martin Gayford celebrates the achievements of the BP Portrait Award both in terms of the artists as individuals and in the context of contemporary portraiture, and in doing so, firmly establishes the portrait as a respected and popular artform.