Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
- Artist: Francis Owen ('Frank') Salisbury
- Date: 1945
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 40 1/4 in. x 49 7/8 in. (1022 mm x 1267 mm)
- Portrays: Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
In this portrait, “Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein,” the field marshal is captured in mid‑action: he points decisively at a map of the Normandy beaches that led the D‑Day landings. The map shows the insignia of his 21st Army Group and its successor in Germany, hinting at the campaign’s scope. He wears a flying jacket, typical of his rank, and a hat sits snug on his head. Behind him is a simple background, letting the map and Montgomery’s confident gesture take center stage.
The oil on canvas was completed in 1945 by Francis Owen “Frank” Salisbury. The artist had never flown before; he travelled from London to Berlin to sit with Montgomery, who personally commissioned the work. This makes the portrait both a visual record and a personal testimony of one of Britain’s most celebrated commanders.
See it in person
Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
