Brandt is acknowledged as a very proficient portraitist.

In fact, his first picture and his last picture were both portraits.

His best known is probably that of Francis Bacon on Primrose Hill taken during dusk on the side of the hill. As ever, Brandt knew exactly where he wanted that shot taken even before setting out with his subject.

The only portrait that Brandt was known to have wanted to take but missed taking was that of Alfred Hitchcock.

He also missed out on taking the portrait of Samuel Beckett as a result of an argument with the great writer about where his portrait should be taken. Beckett's preference was for an anonymous hotel room in Paris.

Not surprisingly, Brandt declined to do the shoot and was on the first train back to London.

In this section we bring you a hopefully growing gallery of the illustrious artists, writers and politicians that Brandt photographed over his lifetime. We have a lot of portraits!