The People’s Portrait Collection was mounted in 2000 as a millenial exhibition. The idea was to represent ordinary people from all walks of life, and thereby offer a picture of the United Kingdom as it moved from the 20th century into the 21st.

The resulting collection, owned by the Society,  is rich in the diversity of its subjects. Each year a portrait is donated to the collection, usually by a newly elected member. In some instances, members generously paint a portrait specifically for the People’s Portraits. Released from the ‘brief’ of a commission, the artists often choose sitters that they have long wanted to paint. This adds to the unique quality of the collection.