© The estate of Eva Aldbrook

Aldbrook’s pastel portrait of the playwright Arnold Wesker (1932-2016) captures him in the period between the late 1960s and early 1970s when he wore his hair long. Born to Eastern European-Jewish immigrant parents in London’s East End, Wesker’s early work experience included spells as a kitchen porter and pastry cook before he was conscripted into the Royal Air Force in 1950. His works as a dramatist include a trilogy exploring his Jewish origins, including 'Chicken Soup with Barley' (1958) and 'Roots' (1959), and he became celebrated as one of the ‘Angry Young Men’ playwrights in the 1950s, eventually completing 50 plays, as well as works of fiction and non-fiction. He was knighted in 2006.