The Roar of The Crowd 3 was presented to Paul Taylor, elected Mayor of Watford Borough Council and welcomed into the town’s art collection. The painting will hang for two weeks in the reception of the Town Hall before being permanently housed on the magnificently wood-panelled walls of the Mayor’s parlour.
Elected Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor said, ‘It was a real honour to receive this painting. Barry has a great talent and I’m delighted he’s chosen Watford and used our fantastic football club to help showcase his work. It really captures the essence of the atmosphere at Vicarage Road. I hope residents will be able to pop in to see it.’
Artist Barry Laden MBE said, ‘The Roar of the Crowd 3 is the third in a series focusing on a rare mix of sport and art. Where some people visualise only a flag-waving, chanting mass of supporters, I see a strong arresting picture – a faceless sea of people acting as one. I love the flags and strong colours along with the supporters defined by their team and the joy of their devotion.
‘This painting is probably the most impressionistic of the series and is a homage to Watford FC as my cousins are huge supporters and live locally.’
