In 1956, there was a lot of buzz and anticipation around Queen Elizabeth II's first visit to Nigeria.
Then, it had been a few years since the young queen ascended the throne and made a highly anticipated visit to the West African country, which is not yet a republic.
Prior to her arrival, the famous Nigerian artist, Ben Inounu, received a royal commission to memorialize her visit with a statue, making him the first African artist to make an official portrait of a member of the royal family.
Inono began work on the sculpture the following year, during which he visited Buckingham Palace in London several times for sessions with the Queen.
The management of the Royal Collection, which oversees the art collection of the British royal family, noted that "in 1957, Queen Elizabeth II sat down with Inono for a large bronze sculpture."
Queen Elizabeth has sat for the Inonu sculpture 12 times, including eight at Buckingham Palace, according to the Ben Inunu Foundation website.
The remainder of the sessions were organized in the private studio of Sir William Red Dick, an Inono Fellow of the Royal Society of British Artists.
During this time, Inono finished "a bust of the queen and a schematic model of the sculpture," according to the foundation.
