There are good reasons why Antony Williams has an enviable reputation among artists and serious collectors. One is his rigid search after the truth in his portraits, teasing out the character behind the mask, but what strikes the viewer first is the texture of the skin, etched lines where the ageing process is laid bare. Oliver Cromwell told his artist to paint him as he was, warts and all. This is exactly what Williams does; he holds nothing back. His portraits underline the passage of time and mortality. These are paintings with a heightened sense of realism based on intense observation. They are not 'pretty' pictures and have occasionally caused controversy ( his portrait of HM The Queen attracted criticism because he painted her frankly as an ageing lady and not as the young Queen she once was), but they are extraordinary pictures by a serious artist who carves his own path.
Antony Williams was educated at Farnham College of Art and Portsmouth University. He paints almost exclusively in egg tempera. He is the winner of many awards and is a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy, the New English Art Club and others. There have been numerous solo exhibitions principally in London and Madrid, and his work is held in distinguished collections in this country and overseas. He is a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, the New English Art Club and the Pastel Society.
