Testino was nicknamed the “John Singer Sargent of our times” by Terence Pepper, photography curator at The National Portrait Gallery in London.[5] The Gallery’s 2002 Portraits exhibition attracted more visitors than any other show in the museum’s history at the time. Charles Saumarez Smith, then director of the NPG, compared Testino to court artists and portraitists from Holbein to Reynolds. “There is a strong relationship between Mario’s work and the general tradition of portrait artists. Just like court artists in the past, he works to a tight timetable and significant commercial constraints.”[6]
One of Testino’s most memorable sittings to this day is his series with Diana, Princess of Wales. Commissioned for Vanity Fair in 1997, he said: “One of my greatest experiences in life was photographing Princess Diana. It’s not only that the experience itself was amazing, but she opened a door for me because I then started photographing the royal families of Europe extensively…this brings out my love for tradition, for a way of showing family and the longevity of people”[4]. He has photographed many royals including The Prince of Wales, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the King and Queen of Jordan and King and Queen of the Netherlands, among others.