Peter Farrant has donated a portrait to the Tynwald Library which depicts him wearing his robe of office as Vicar General of the Isle of Man, a position he held from 1974 to 1995.
Commissioned by Mr Farrant, an eminent retired advocate, the pastel drawing is by renowned local artist Svetlana Cameron whose portraits of former Speakers of the House of Keys Tony Brown OBE and David Cannan, and of former President of Tynwald Clare Christian OBE hang in the Legislative Buildings.
Mr Farrant presented the portrait to the President of Tynwald Steve Rodan MLC in a short ceremony during which members heard Mr Rodan extend his sincere thanks to him for donating such a ‘gracious gift’, a personal portrait which would now be on public display in the Tynwald Library.
Mr Rodan went on to refer to Mr Farrant’s earlier generosity: donations of portraits of his grandfather William Farrant MHK and of his great-great-grandfather, also called William and an MHK.
In closing Mr Rodan said that the setting chosen to display Mr Farrant’s portrait was especially fitting given the former Vicar General’s distinguished legal career and the Tynwald Library now housing the Isle of Man Law Society library collection.
Mr Farrant said that he was delighted with the portrait, referring to Mrs Cameron as ‘a complete professional’ and ‘very skilled’ in her art.
Mrs Cameron said that while working on the portrait she had been ‘genuinely impressed’ with the life and career of Mr Farrant and of his ‘levels of enthusiasm, optimism and youthful energy’ and commended his ‘philanthropic gesture’.
She added that she had been pleased to continue her association with Tynwald, an institution whose traditions served as inspiration for her internationally acclaimed ceremonial portraiture which she would be taking to ‘a new level’ after being commissioned to paint the portrait of the 31st incumbent of the post of Master Gunner of St James’s Park, Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman, GBE, KCB, whom she met when he was a Tynwald Day guest in 2016.
Mrs Cameron has also accepted a commission to paint the portrait of another subject with connections to Tynwald: the former leader of the Roman Catholic Church in the Isle of Man, Canon Philip Gillespie, a self-confessed ‘keen follower of Tynwald proceedings’ – now Rector of the Pontifical Beda College in Rome.
Photo - Peter Farrant is pictured with the portrait in the Tynwald Library with the President of Tynwald Steve Rodan MLC, the Speaker of the House of Keys Juan Watterson SHK and Svetlana Cameron. Photo Paul Dougherty, Tynwald Seneschal.
