AS one of the nation's most distinguished journalists, James Naughtie is expert at framing a question.
Now his image has been framed itself, with a newly commissioned portrait of Naughtie, by the artist Brendan Kelly, unveiled at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
It has left the writer, journalist and broadcaster "humbled."
In the oil-on-canvass painting, Naughtie is pictured in his study at his Edinburgh home, "the room where I spend most of my time, when I am writing, and in the evenings."
The journalist visited the artist several times in his studio, and Kelly also visited Naughtie's home, and in all the process took about 18 months to create the painting, which is inspired by Matisse and Van Gogh.
Naughtie said: "It is quite a thing to have an artist coming into your home, you realise that the artist can see behind your eyes.
"When you're looking eyeball to eyeball with an artist who is trying to capture something of the truth about you, it is quite a thing."
On being part of Scotland's national art collection, the broadcaster said: "It is slightly terrifying being in the national collection.
"It is a huge honour, I am very touched by it, and it is quite the thing to think of: you are here, and you will remain there.
"It is a humbling thing to be in this place. This is the city I regard as home, so I feel suitably humbled."
The painting, the first portrait of Naughtie to enter the nation’s art collection, was commissioned with the support of the Friends of the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) and is now on show.
Naughtie was born in Aberdeenshire and educated at the University of Aberdeen and then Syracuse University in New York.
His career as a journalist began in 1975 at the Aberdeen Press & Journal.
Naughtie moved into radio and television in 1988 and from 1994 to 2015 he was one of the main presenters of Radio 4's Today Programme.
He is now a Special Correspondent for BBC News, and Books Editor.
Brendan Kelly, based in London, was born in Edinburgh in 1970 and studied at the Slade School.
A number of UK collections hold Kelly’s work, including The National Portrait Gallery in London.
Naughtie added: “Brendan Kelly has been meticulous, insightful and generous, and we have become friends.
"His use of colour is dazzling, and I feel privileged not just to be a permanent resident of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery."
Kelly said he had tried to capture both Naughtie's genial nature, and his seriousness, in the picture.
He added: "Although a lot of people mainly know Jim through his work as a radio broadcaster, he is interested in and involved with many things such as literature, history, politics and music.
"In the portrait I wanted to capture the sense of his broad interests, as well as his gregarious personality and his lively mind, but these can be difficult to sum up in an image."
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