That Mayotte Magnus trained first as a painter is not surprising, nor is it that she has a keen interest in the personalities of her sitters combined with intelligent perception. For her photographs reveal so. These skills are evident in the eighty portraits held by the National Portrait Gallery.
Mayotte’s harmonious compositions, which demonstrate an understanding of light, composition and form, often belie complex narratives. In constructing many of the photographs, furniture has been shifted, clothing suggested, emblems and symbols moved inside of the frame, so that everything we can see combines to give the portrait meaning.

— Clare Freestone, Associate Curator of Photographs, National Portrait Gallery, London

Portraits of Artists by Mayotte Magnus

Eileen AGAR, interior designer, British 1975
Anthea ALLEY, sculptor, British, 1972
Lindsay ANDERSON, film director, British, 1972
Kenneth ARMITAGE, sculptor, British, 1977
Dame Peggy ASHCROFT, actress, British, 1977
Laura ASHLEY, dress & furniture designer, 1977
Gillian AYRES, painter, 1972, 1976, 1990
Barbro BACKSTROM, sculptor, Swedish, 1986
Nicola BAILEY, children’s books illustrator, British, 1976
Dame Janet BAKER, opera singer, British, 1977
Jenny BARRACLOUGH, film director, British, 1977
Glenys BARTON, ceramicist, British, 1989
Peter BLAKE, pop artist, British, 1972
Sandra BLOW, painter, British, 1972
Pierre BOULEZ, conductor and composer, French, 1977
BOYD & EVANS, painters/photographers, British, 1979
Arthur BOYD, painter, Australian, 1973
Helen BRADLEY, children’s book illustrator, British, 1977
Tony BRAZDIZ, sculptor, British, 1972
Ralph BROWN, painter, British, 1972
Anthony CARO, sculptor, British, 1972
Chillingirian Quartet, musicians, British, 1979
Bernard COHEN, painter, British, 1972
Fleur COWLES, illustrator, American, 1975
Alan DAVY, painter, British, 1973
Dame Judi Dench, actress, British, 1977
John EMANUEL, painter, British, 1978
Erté, theatre designer, Russian, 1975
Paul FEILER, painter, British, 1973, 1977, 1990
Barry FLANAGAN, sculptor, British, 1972, 1973
Jean-Pierre FOLON, painter, Belgian, 1977
Elizabeth FRINK, sculptor, British, 1973, 1976
Terry FROST, painter, British, 1973

Tessa FUCHS, ceramist, British, 1977
Fay GODWIN, photographer, British, 1977
Sidonie GOOSSENS, harpist, British, 1977
Anthony GREEN, painter, British, 1973
Sir Charles GROVES, conductor, British, 1977
Nigel HALL, painter, British, 1972
Jacquetta HAWKES, anthropologist, British, 1975
Barbara HEPWORTH, sculptor, British, 1973
Patrick HERON, painter, British, 1971, 1973, 1976
Roger HILTON, painter, British, 1973
David HOCKNEY, painter, British, 1972
Howard HODGKIN, painter, British, 1972
Patrick HUGHES, painter, British, 1976, 1977, 1991
Glenda JACKSON, actress, British, 1977
Tess JAREY, painter, British, 1973
Paul JENKINS, painter, American, 1986
Alan JONES, painter, British, 1976
Philip KING, sculptor, British, 1972
Stephan KNAPP, ceramist, Polish, 1976
Jan LATHAM-KOENIG, conductor, British, 1980
Nicola LEFANU, composer, British, 1977
Liliane LIJN, kinetic artist, British, 1972
Ken LOACH, film director, British, 1973
Andrew LOGAN, pop artist, British, 1975
Peter LOGAN, pop artist, British, 1973
Elisabeth LUTYENS, composer, 1976, 1981
Gillian LYNNE, choreographer, British, 1977
John MACFARLANE, theatre designer, British, 1980
Sir Charles MACKERRAS, conductor, British, 1977
Elizabeth Maconchy, composer, British, 1977
Ann MADEN, painter, British, 1973
Leopoldo MALLER, artist, Argentinian, 1973
Marcel MARCEAU, mime, French, 1975
Bernard MEADOWS, sculptor, British, 1972
Yehudi MENUHIN, violinist, British, 1977
Fernando MONTES, painter, Bolivian, 1972, 1980
Henry MOORE, sculptor, British, 1973
Rudolf NUREYEV, Ballet dancer, Russian, 1975
Eduardo PAOLOZZI, sculptor, British, 1972, 1976
Joseph PAPP, theatre director, American, 1978
Molly PARKIN, writer, showbiz personality, British, 1973, 1976, 1977
Siân PHILLIPS, actress, British, 1977
Tom PHILLIPS, painter, British, 1976
John PIPER, painter, British, 1972
Katherine PLEYDELL-BOUVERIE, ceramist, British, 1977
Lady PLOWDEN, TV director, British, 1976
Angela POPE, film director, British, 1977
Patrick PROCKTOR, painter, British, 1973
William PYE, sculptor of fountains, British, 1972
Mary QUANT, fashion designer, British, 1976
Bill REDGRAVE, sculptor, British, 1971, 1972
Bridget RILEY, painter, British, 1973, 1978
Gennadi ROJDESTVENSKI, conductor, Russian, 1978
Arthur RUBINSTEIN, pianist, Polish-American, 1976
Christopher SEAMAN, conductor, British, 1977
Lynn SEYMOUR, ballet dancer, British, 1973
Ntozake SHANGE, playwright and director, American, 1978
David SCHILLING, hatmaker, British, 1980
Antoinette SIBLEY, ballet dancer, British, 1977
Penny SLINGER, painter & pop artist, British, 1977
Yolanda SONNABEND, theatre designer, British, 1977
Pierre SOULAGES, painter, French, 1973
Janet SUZMAN, actress, British, 1977
Wendy TAYLOR, sculptor, British, 1975
Joe TILSON, sculptor, British, 1973
Feliks TOPOLSKI, painter, British, 1973
Keith VAUGHAN, painter, British, 1973
John WELLS, painter, 1973
Zao WOKI, painter, Chinese, 1973
Nil YALTER, painter and video artist, Turkish, 1974