The National Portrait Gallery has unveiled a newly commissioned portrait of Sir Elton John, David Furnish and their sons, Zachary and Elijah, photographed by American artist Catherine Opie. It marks the first time a portrait of the Furnish-John family has gone on public display — and the first to enter a national collection.
I arrived at Elton and David’s house three days before Christmas. I met the boys and the dogs and after a great lunch together I made this family portrait of them in their library. It is truly an honour to photograph Elton, David, Zachary, and Elijah. For me it represents the humanity of what family can be.
Catherine Opie, Artist
The work now hangs in Room 30, the Mary Weston Gallery, as part of the Gallery’s contemporary Collection display. Its unveiling coincides with the opening of Catherine Opie: To Be Seen, which features interventions throughout the NPG’s Collection galleries. Following the exhibition, the portrait will enter the Gallery’s Permanent Collection.
“The National Portrait Gallery’s Collection exists to share portraits of the people who have shaped the history and culture of the UK, from the Tudor times to today. The people on our walls, and the stories we tell about them, are a source of inspiration for the millions of people who come through our doors, and particularly the many young people who visit every year. I am delighted to welcome this important portrait of the Furnish-John family by Catherine Opie into our Collection. It celebrates not only Sir Elton John’s extraordinary achievements in music but also the vital humanitarian and philanthropic work that he and David have undertaken in recent decades, and the family they have built together.”
Victoria Siddall, Director of the National Portrait Gallery
Made possible through the support of iArtis, the commission celebrates Sir Elton John’s life and career, as well as his enduring commitment to LGBTQ+ visibility and representation.
John and Furnish, who met in the early 1990s, entered a civil partnership in 2005 and married in 2014. They welcomed their sons in 2010 and 2013. As one of the most celebrated musicians of the past half-century, John has sold over 327 million records worldwide, with a catalogue spanning from Your Song to Cold Heart (PNAU Remix). Beyond music, the couple have been steadfast advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, with Furnish serving as Chair of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which has raised more than $650 million for global HIV/AIDS programmes.
Opie photographed the family at their home in Old Windsor, positioning them in the library alongside their Labradors, Joseph and Jacob. The composition draws on her seminal Domestic series (1998), which tenderly portrayed queer families within everyday interiors. Here, celebrity is reframed through the language of domesticity — bookshelves, pets, proximity — foregrounding intimacy over spectacle.
For over three decades, Opie has documented overlooked narratives within contemporary culture, frequently centring LGBTQ+ communities. The commission brings together artist and sitters in a long-standing relationship: Opie’s work is held in The Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection, one of the world’s most significant private photography collections.
“To have our family photographed by Catherine Opie and on display at the National Portrait Gallery is a huge honour. We are huge admirers of her work and proud to have her beautiful and poignant images in our collection.”
Sir Elton John and David Furnish
With this acquisition, the National Portrait Gallery expands its representation of contemporary family life — and formalises a portrait of queer domesticity within Britain’s national story.
The V&A announces a new, long-term collaboration with Sir Elton John and David Furnish to revolutionise public access to photography 17th April 2029 – Read Here
