ART lovers can come face to face with some of the country's greatest achievers in an exhibition that opened this week.

Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens is presenting Claim to Fame, which features pictures from the National Portrait Gallery, in London.

Leaders and artists, scientists and inventors, sporting heroes and explorers are brought together in the exhibition, which has brought some of the portrait gallery's most fascinating pictures to the region for the first time.

National Portrait Gallery director Sandy Nairne said: "Claim to Fame offers the chance for the Portrait Gallery to be truly national, sharing works from a collection which belongs to us all.

"Great portraits allow questions of identity and celebrity to be widely debated, this exhibition will continue that process."

From Henry VIII to David Beckham, Claim to Fame explores image and identity through some of the country's finest portraits.

Including works by international artists such as Thomas Gainsborough, Andy Warhol and David Bailey, the exhibition celebrates the variety of human experience and endeavour over the past 400 years, in paintings, prints and photographs.

Those on show include Robbie Williams, Richard Branson, Florence Nightingale, Diana, Princess of Wales, Elizabeth Taylor, Horatio Nelson and Bobby Charlton.

Tyne and Wear joint museums committee chairman Barney Rice said: "We are thrilled to be playing a part in this scheme, which provides funding for national museums to deliver education programmes and community projects in partnership with museums in the regions."

Visitors will also be able to take part in a range of activities, including the opportunity to see Harry Potter and Shrek in the Saturday morning film shows or to hear more about portraiture in a series of talks.

The exhibition runs until March 7.

Published: 22./01.2004