Alison Watt : A Portrait Without Likeness: a conversation with the art of Allan Ramsay

In a series of new paintings, renowned artist, Alison Watt, offers her response to 18th-century Scottish artist Allan Ramsay's wonderful painting of his wife.

A unique insight into the ways in which one of today''s leading artists is inspired by great works of the past. In 16 emphatically modern new paintings, renowned artist, Alison Watt, responds to the remarkable delicacy of the female portraits by eighteenth-century Scottish portraitist, Allan Ramsay. Watt''s new works are particularly inspired by Ramsay''s much-loved portrait of his wife, along with less familiar portraits and drawings. Watt shines a light on enigmatic details in Ramsay''s work and has created paintings which hover between the genres of still life and portraiture. In conversation with curator Julie Lawson, Watt discusses how painters look at paintings, explains why Ramsay inspired her, and provides unique insight into her own creative process. Andrew O''Hagan responds to Watt''s paintings with a new work of short fiction and art historian Tom Normand''s commentary explores further layers of depth to our understanding of both artists.