Tony Blair: The first male prime minister to be painted for his official portrait without a tie

With that in mind, Tony Blair was no doubt grateful to be wearing an open-necked shirt when his image was committed to canvas.

And in so doing he made history - becoming the only modern British prime minister to appear in an official portrait without a tie.

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Pensive premier: The official portrait of Tony Blair, unveiled yesterday after months of anticipation

This was just one of the talking points yesterday when, after months of anticipation, the portrait was unveiled yesterday.

It was painted by former U.S. comic-book illustrator Phil Hale, a prizewinning artist and highly regarded National Portrait Gallery exhibitor.

Mr Hale - who signed a confidentiality agreement with Downing Street when he was commissioned - revealed in emails to the Palace of Westminster that Mr Blair was "tired", and that this was apparent in the initial photos he took.

Similar emails also disclose the artist's initial unhappiness at the head, painted after two sittings at Chequers and Downing Street in May and June last year.

He revealed how he struggled to bring it down to size after admitting it should be smaller.

Just before Christmas he wrote: "I am still revising the head and it is still improving. I have to say again it has to be handled subtly and I really am making a supreme effort to bring it out."

Mr Hale, 44, resisted pressure from the Palace of Westminster to portray Mr Blair wearing a tie.

He argued that the pose was "already suitably formal and dignified".

Yesterday at the official unveiling Mr Hale disclosed:

"Blair himself was very accommodating. I was lucky to see him at Chequers, and lucky that he had more pressing concerns than prettifying himself for a picture. I think we were well-balanced in that sense; he didn't perform and I didn't divine."

He said the work "focuses on reconciling the structural integrity of the image, accepting the real power of image with the nature of the paint itself".

Tory MP Hugo Swire, who chairs the Advisory Committee on Works of Art, hailed the "authoritative and powerful portrait" as one of the most important recent additions to the collection.

It was commissioned by the House of Commons for the parliamentary art collection.

Now it will be hung in Portcullis House, the modern parliamentary building opposite the Palace of Westminster, alongside pictures of other former PMs and leading political figures.

• EVERYTHING WORKS - APART FROM THAT HEAD

A review by David Lee, Editor of art magazine The Jackdaw

This is a stylish, formal portrait by a capable young painter whose portrayal of composer Thomas Adès in the National Portrait Gallery is among the finest recent works in the collection.

Everything about this picture up to the head works satisfactorily, the white of the shirt peeping under the jacket buttons is an especially clever trick to liven the gloom.

It is entirely convincing, if unexciting.

Sadly Blair looks to have assumed the dull, unrevealing look of concentration many adopt when sitting for a portrait.

This kills any work stone dead. It is not revealing of his state of mind though the sombreness and the concentration may perhaps signify disappointment.

Unfortunately the head is so odd there is no averting one's eyes from it.

He seems to be suffering some dreadful brain inflammation.

It is very distracting, as is his hair which more resembles a cheap toupée than the wispy thin grey locks we're all used to.

I can't think of another official portrait where a seeming deformity has so affected the way the picture is viewed.

In order to counteract the large head the Commons will have to hang the picture high up in order for it to be viewed from below. It ought then to look passably normal. Notwithstanding the head, it's a tidy if dull effort.

The problem for portraiture seems to be that we know already too well the appearance of the sitters from television and newspapers. Paintings look somehow fake.

Gone are the days when artists could effortlessly produce a picture that didn't look somehow strange and was entirely convincing in all its facets.