Caroline Coon on Painting Pauline Boty | Seeing Each Other at Pallant House Gallery

Artist Caroline Coon reflects on her 1992 portrait 'Pauline Boty: Grand Passion', included in the Seeing Each Other exhibition at Pallant House Gallery.

Drawing inspiration from Lorenzo Lotto’s 1533 portrait of Lucretia, Coon subverts the ancient myth of shame and sacrifice, portraying Boty instead as an artist of autonomy and joy.

Through her insights, Coon discusses the women’s liberation movement, the erasure and rediscovery of women artists, and the continuing importance of exhibitions that reunite women with their rightful place in art history.

This video is part of a special series of interviews with artists featured in the Seeing Each Other: Portraits of Artists exhibition, offering personal insights into the creative relationships that feature in their works.

About the Exhibition:
This major exhibition brings together over 150 works that explore artistic relationships, identity, and mutual influence in modern and contemporary British art. Spanning 125 years, it showcases paintings, prints, drawings, photography, sculpture, and installations that capture the distinctive gaze between creative peers.

Featuring over 80 artists including Lucian Freud, Lubaina Himid, David Hockney, Lee Miller, Eric Ravilious, Paula Rego and many more, the exhibition unveils friendships and emulation, as well as homages to earlier artists, through intimate portrayals.

From rare portraits of celebrated figures to new commissions, discover connections that have shaped British art and new perspectives on artistic circles, from the Bloomsbury Group to the Young British Artists.

‘Seeing Each Other: Portraits of Artists’ is open at Pallant House Gallery until 2 November 2025.