THE well-worn features of former Glasgow Lord Provost Pat Lally have weathered many a political storm over the years. But last night his face finally got the recognition he always hoped for, when artist Peter Howson described his looks as ''beautiful''.
Howson was captivated during sittings for Mr Lally's now completed official Lord Provost portrait, which cost the council #9900 and will hang in the City Chambers.
The Scottish artist, whose works have pride of place in the homes of pop stars such as Madonna, David Bowie, and Michael Jackson, said: ''People say he's ugly, but I found him quite a handsome man. He has a beautiful face, the more so, the more you paint it.''
The former Bosnia war artist also revealed he painted Mr Lally with a backdrop of Glasgow at night with a red sky because it ''matched his red face''.
A rather embarrassed Mr Lally, who has still to see the finished work, brushed aside suggestions his face held such appeal.
''I am a great admirer of anything Peter Howson does: anything he paints I think is beautiful. As to the subject matter of this painting, I would not care to comment.''
But he added: ''Peter Howson has a wonderful ability to identify beauty. However, this painting does not make me look as much like Robert Redford as I hoped it would.''
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