Forty-five portraits which “represent every woman” cover the bronze doors at the entrance to the National Gallery in London (National Portrait Gallery, NPG).

Hand drawn by British artist Tracey Emin and cast in bronze, ‘The Doors’ were unveiled ahead of the opening of the three-year, £52m refurbishment of the National Gallery.

As a whole, the female portraits offset the sculptures on the museum’s facade depicting prominent male figures in history.

The brass reliefs on the door leaves are a hymn to women, known and unknown, from different walks of life – mothers, daughters, sisters and friends.

More specifically, the leaves on the doors are the artist’s reaction to the lack of presence of women in historical art collections.

‘The Doors’ is contrasted with the stone busts carved into the facade of the building depicting 18 biographers, historians and prominent artists, including Horace Walpole, Hans Holbein the Younger, Sir Anthony van Dyck and Sir Joshua Reynolds.

“Historically, women are vastly underrepresented. I didn’t want to portray specific or recognizable figures. I had a feeling that the doors of the National Portrait Gallery should represent every womanevery age and every culture throughout the years,” said Tracey Emin, speaking about the project.

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“As a mental model I used myself but the result is many different women, some that exist in my mind and some that may exist in today and now. It is up to the viewer to distinguish between what they feel and what they see. I want people to stand in front of the doors of the National Gallery and say “she looks like my mother, she looks like my best friend, she looks like my daughter” he added.