GENERAL DAME SHARON NESMITH COMMISSION

Caroline was commissioned by the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to paint a portrait of its first female general, General Dame Sharon Nesmith DCB ADC; this painting was unveiled at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on Friday 27th September.

Widely recognised throughout the military for her achievements, General Sharon has recently been promoted to Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (2nd in command of the UK Armed Forces) and has been appointed a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of Bath (DCB). The unveiling of General Sharon’s portrait feels significant at a time when it has now been over 100 years of women in the Army and importantly since 2018 with the widening of roles available to include Combat as well as the more traditional roles in Intelligence, Signals and Administration.

General Sharon is a huge inspiration to Servicewomen; her successes, borne in embodying authenticity and compassionate leadership, all whilst being a mother, demonstrate the value of change.

General Dame Sharon Nesmith DCB ADC is the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff and  in that pivotal role deputises for the Chief of the Defence Staff and has responsibility for running the armed forces aspects of defence business. The General commissioned from the Royal Military Academy into the Royal Corps of Signals in 1992, spending  the majority of her early years serving in Germany, the Balkans and Iraq. Her service has been marked over those years by seismic change in the way the military has levelled the playing field for female officers and soldiers and General Sharon has been a beacon throughout that change. 

“It was an absolute honour to be commissioned by the British Army to paint General Sharon Nesmith. She is someone who I have the utmost respect for  as a woman in the military and as a mother. It has been a real pleasure to get to  know Sharon over the course of our sittings, and I hope this portrait gives  viewers an insight into the person behind the accolades. The challenge for me  as an artist was keeping up with General Sharon’s constant promotions; I kept  having to repaint her adornments to make sure I had included all of her many  and well-deserved achievements!”

– Caroline de Peyrecave

"It has been an absolute pleasure to have my portrait painted by Caroline de Peyrecave. Her talent and professionalism are clear to see from the artwork that is being displayed at Sandhurst this week. It has struck me throughout this process of how far the Army and wider Defence has adapted throughout my time in service, and I am very pleased to see a more inclusive and positive environment for individuals to serve their country. I hope to revisit the Nesmith room in Sandhurst regularly and continue to see Caroline’s work for years to come."

– General Dame Sharon Nesmith DCB ADC