A portrait of mathematician and broadcaster Professor Hannah Fry commissioned by the Royal Society, the world’s oldest scientific academy, has been unveiled on the final episode of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2025, painted by the series winner, Chloe Barnes.
The portrait was commissioned by the Royal Society as part of a year-long celebration of the 80th anniversary of the first women elected to its Fellowship, Kathleen Lonsdale FRS and Marjory Stephenson FRS.
Hannah Fry was awarded the Royal Society’s David Attenborough Award and Lecture 2024 in recognition of her significant work in public engagement with science and for her prolific role in popularising mathematics.
Made by award-winning monoprint artist Chloe Barnes, the portrait is a monotype, printed on Arches Huile paper. Incorporating traditional oil painting techniques, the monotype has been finished with glazing and soft pastel. Chloe Barnes was crowned the winner of series 12 of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year after impressing the judges with her distinctive style and technical skill.
This is the first monotype to join the Royal Society’s historic collection of original portraits, with other techniques including a linocut of developmental psychologist Professor Uta Frith by the author Mark Haddon and a terracotta bust of scientist Dame Miriam Rothschild by sculptor Marcus Cornish. It joins the society’s most recent commissions including Sir David Attenborough by Jonathan Yeo and Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell by Stephen Shankland. It is also the Royal Society’s first commission of a female sitter by a female artist.
Chloe Barnes said: “Through multiple sittings, I really enjoyed building a connection with Hannah to develop her portrait. It’s been an honour to paint a leading figure in science who is making the industry more accessible and empowering the next generation of young women to enter STEM. With innovation at the forefront of the Royal Society, I am also grateful to showcase my process and be the first female artist to produce a portrait of a living female scientist at the society!”
Professor Sheila Rowan, Vice President of the Royal Society, said: “For too long, women have been underrepresented in science. If we want to inspire more young girls to see themselves as scientists of the future, we need to do more to celebrate the great female role models working in STEM today. Hannah Fry is an exceptional role model who has a master ability to make the wonders of maths engaging and accessible to audiences of all ages. That’s why we are delighted that Chloe Barnes’ portrait of Hannah Fry will be added to the Royal Society’s portrait collection.”
Keith Moore, Head of Library at the Royal Society, said: “The Society commissions portraits of contemporary female scientists with the intention of increasing the diversity within our displayed collections. Chloe Barnes’s portrait of Professor Fry will make an immediate impact on our visitors and inspire more people to engage with science. We hope that the picture will become as enduringly popular as its celebrated sitter.”
Attendees of Hannah Fry’s now sold-out David Attenborough Lecture on 9 December will get an exclusive first look at the portrait on display.
After this, the portrait can be viewed from 15-19 December 2025 from 3pm to 5pm GMT. Visitors can view the portrait outside of these times by appointment by emailing library@royalsociety.org. Entry to the Royal Society is free but sign in may be required.
Visitors can also view the portrait at the Royal Society’s public events, including the Summer Science Exhibition during the first week of July and Open House London in September. Find more information about viewing the portrait.
Image credit: Hannah Fry, 2025 © Chloe Barnes
