Paisley-born John Byrne had one of the most recognisable faces in Scottish culture. He is often referred to as a ‘Renaissance Man’, combining several careers – author, playwright, theatre designer, director and artist. In his most famous play, The Slab Boys, Byrne drew on his experience as a paint mixer in a Paisley carpet factory. During the 1980s Byrne wrote the cult television series Tutti Frutti, followed by Your Cheatin' Heart, which used country and western music as a backdrop to a comedy of Glasgow life. In this portrait, Byrne’s head is illuminated, as if a Renaissance portrait, so as to almost appear floating against the black backdrop. It was the first photograph McGoverne took during the shoot, before Byrne had taken his coat off.