A PORTRAIT of the retired Michael MHK David Cannan has been unveiled in the House of Keys chamber.

Mr Cannan, who served as the Speaker of the House of Keys between 2000 and 2001, has become the 11th Speaker to be honoured in this way.

The official portrait was created by Russian artist and Isle of Man resident Svetlana Cameron and took two and a half months to complete.

She was commissioned by the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald following a successful exhibition at the Sayle Gallery in May and after her work was selected to be part of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters exhibition in London earlier this year.

The painting depicts Mr Cannan in his Speaker's robe and wig and features volumes of the Statutes of the Isle of Man and Manx Law Reports. It also shows a section of Speed's Map – the map of the Isle of Man published by cartographer John Speed in 1605. 

Speaking about the commission Svetlana said: "It was a great honour to have been invited to paint an official portrait for the Manx parliament and Mr Cannan was a delight to work with.

"The project required much research and time spent in the House of Keys chamber and I was delighted to have had this unique opportunity to learn about Tynwald, its procedures and history.

"It has proved a deeply satisfying commission to have created a portrait that I should like to think not only has a contemporary relevance but will also hold the interest of many future generations of viewers."

Mr Cannan was joined by members of his family, the current Speaker of the House of Keys Steve Rodan MHK and other Members of the House of Keys for the official unveiling of the portrait.

He said he was "extremely impressed" with the painting and praised Svetlana for her "outstanding talent". 

The tradition of hanging Speaker's portraits in the House of Keys chamber started in the late 1800s.

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