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Welcome to the portrait special issue of Art of England. David Hockney, he of the landscapes, is quoted as saying, “Faces are the most interesting things we see; other people fascinate me, and the most interesting aspect of other people – the point where we go inside them – is the face. It tells all.” This issue of Art of England celebrates the face, portraiture and those artists who make it their life’s work to capture, not the likeness, but the essence of the sitter. Abraham Lincoln was a famously shabby figure, sporting a stoop,birds’ nest hair, cadaverous body and overblown features, yet his image became iconic during his lifetime. Because, of course, we are all more than our physical features dictate (thank goodness). On seeing a portrait by a certain Mr. S. of the second district, Lincoln announced, “I presume, sir, in painting your beautiful portrait, you took your idea of me from my principles, and not from my person.” Joanna Gray, Editor, Art of England