The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in London is facing accusations of nepotism over a current exhibition by donor Zoë Law. Legends showcases Law’s portraits of ‘individuals from the worlds of art, fashion, business and entertainment’. Law’s portrait of English musician Noel Gallagher has also been acquired by the gallery for its permanent collection.
Law shared the Law Family Charitable Foundation with her former husband, the hedge fund manager Andrew Law. The foundation is listed as a major donor toward the NPG’s £40million revamp, the Guardian reports. Zoë is no longer a trustee of the foundation, after resigning in June 2024 amid her divorce proceedings.
The renovation project was the most comprehensive in the gallery’s history, overseen by former director Nicholas Cullinan, who is now director of the British Museum. The gallery reopened in 2023 after closing its doors for three years. Other donors to the redevelopment included the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The NPG’S policy, published on its website, states: ‘The UK Bribery Act 2010 requires the institution to ensure that the receipt of a donation is not related to some inappropriate advantage that be afforded to the donor, such as the award of a contract.’
In a statement, the NPG said: ‘We followed our processes as outlined in our grants and donations policy, which are designed to ensure due diligence via an appropriately documented process. The gallery’s ethics committee were consulted and agreed the donation from The Law Family Charitable Foundation.’
This story was amended on 23 January, after the National Portrait Gallery contacted ArtReview. The previous version erroneously stated that the Gallery’s ethics committee had not made aware of the decision to exhibit Law’s work.
