AN exhibition dedicated solely to portraits is currently running at Dudley Museum.

The largest of the 51  paintings on display is a full sized portrait of Lord Northesk - the third in command of the fleet at the battle of Trafalgar - by local artist Thomas Phillips.

Mr Phillips was a highly accomplished portraitist and a large number of his works can be found in the National Portrait Gallery.

The museum has included four of his paintings in the Face to Face exhibition, and a range of his watercolour sketches are on display in the corridor approaching the gallery.

Famous pieces in the collection include an oil painting of Mr and Mrs Bamfylde by JJ Zoffany, the renowned 18th century portraitist of the great and the good as well as a lithograph of a dancer by Henri Matisse.

Living artists who are exhibiting include the highly regarded local trio Brian Fletcher, David George and Keith Turley, who have submitted paintings which represent in turn, themselves, a fellow artist and exhibition curator Adrian Durkin.

Councillor Hilary Bills, cabinet member for environment and culture, said: “This exhibition spans 200 years of art and walking through the doors is a real feast for the eyes.

“I recommend people to pop along to Dudley Museum and Art Gallery to experience this exhibition and see if they recognise any of the portraits on display.”

The exhibition runs until June 27.

Admission is free.