A portrait of Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar was unveiled in the MCC Museum at Lord’s just before the start of the third Test between India and England in London on Thursday (July 10).

The portrait, by artist Stuart Pearson Wright, will remain at the MCC Museum until later this year when it will be relocated to the Pavilion.

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Stroke of art

The picture in the portrait was taken from a photograph 18 years ago in Tendulkar’s home in Mumbai. The abstract background reportedly illustrates Tendulkar’s timelessness, unrestricted by any era.

Pearson Wright has previously painted portraits of Kapil Dev, Bishan Singh Bedi, and Dilip Vengsarkar. Unlike the previous paintings, which were full-length, the portrait of Tendulkar is a larger-than-life image of his head and shoulders.

The final piece was rendered in oil on abraded aluminium. The abstract background was chosen to depict Tendulkar’s timeless presence, free from the constraints of era or location.

Oldest sporting museum

The Lord’s Portrait Programme, now three decades old in its current form, traces its roots to the Victorian period when MCC first began collecting cricket- art and artefacts.

The MCC Museum, established in the 1950s, holds the distinction of being the oldest sporting museum in Europe.

Its Long Room Gallery remains one of the most iconic gallery spaces in sport. At present, the Club houses about 3,000 pictures, of which nearly 300 are portraits.

Besides Tendulkar, the MCC  museum also has portraits of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Kapil Dev, Bishan Singh Bedi and Dilip Vengsarkar, among Indians.

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‘Life feels complete’

Speaking at the unveiling, Tendulkar said: “It’s a huge honour. In 1983, when India won the World Cup, it was my first introduction to Lord’s. I saw our captain, Kapil Dev, lift the trophy. That moment sparked my cricketing journey. Today, with my portrait going up inside the Pavilion, life feels like it’s come full circle.”

“When I reflect on my career, it brings a smile to my face. This is truly special,” added the cricket stalwart.

Pearson Wright said: “It was clear that MCC didn’t want this portrait to be in the same format as the previous Indian cricket portraits I made, so a fresh approach was taken with this one. I decided on a composition which focused more on Sachin’s head and also using a heroic larger-than-lifesize scale to give the painting a sense of gravitas and power.”

He added: “I have often painted a portrait with an abstract background, often a plain colour, rather than paint a rendition of an interior or exterior space. This is largely to give focus to the subject’s features and to minimise a context which might define the subject in some way.”

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Iconic bell ceremony

After his portrait was unveiled, Tendulkar also rang the Lord’s bell to announce the start of the India vs England third Test, thus adding another feather in his hat.

Introduced in 2007, the ringing of the bell at Lord’s is a revered tradition, reserved for legends who’ve shaped the game.

With Sunil Gavaskar, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid having rung the bell before, Tendulkar continues the Indian legacy at cricket’s most iconic venue.

The iconic Lord’s stadium in London is hosting the third Test of the ongoing five-match series between India and England. Incidentally, the series is being renamed after him — the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.