A rarely seen portrait of a young Roald Dahl painted during his time in the RAF in World War II is going on show in a new exhibition in London.
The painting, by artist Matthew Smith, shows the author in his uniform and was done after he returned to the UK following a plane crash in the Libyan desert which left him unfit for combat.
Dahl, whose books have sold millions of copies around the world, tracked down Smith at his home and convinced him to paint the portrait at a time when he was living as a recluse having lost two sons on active service in the air force.
He also worked in Washington D.C. during the war where he was persuaded to write about his experiences in Libya - a move that kick-started a career that saw him publish dozens of books including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Twits and Danny the Champion of the World.
The painting will hang in the National Portrait Gallery in central London as part of an exhibition of work by Smith and the sculptor Frank Dobson.
"During the 20th century, pioneering artists such as Matthew Smith and Frank Dobson developed portraiture in new ways," said Paul Moorhouse, curator of 20th century portraits at the gallery.
"Emphasising qualities of colour, light and texture, their portraits are wonderfully sensuous, expressive objects in themselves.
"This display provides an opportunity to compare these artists' remarkable achievements."
The exhibition, Colour, Light, Texture: Portraits by Matthew Smith and Frank Dobson, will run until April 6.
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