Benjamin Jones
London – from Great Britain King Charles III has revealed the first completed official portrait of him since his coronation, and it is receiving mixed reviews.
The painting by British artist Jonathan Yeo shows the king appearing to emerge from a fiery red background. A butterfly seems about to land on his right shoulder.
Yeo, who has done portraits of other important people including former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, was commissioned for his last royal job in 2020 to celebrate the then-Prince of Wales’s 50th year as a member of the Drapers’ Company.
Aaron Chown/Pool via REUTERS
The painting was designed with the architecture of Drapers’ Hall in mind. The portrait will hang in the great hall of London that houses the historic livery companywhich dates back to the 14th century.
Charles is pictured wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he is Colonel of the Regiment.
“Like the butterfly I painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject’s role in our public life has transformed. I do my best to capture the life experiences etched on any model’s face,” Yeo said of his work. “In this case, my aim was also to reference the traditions of royal portraiture, but in a way that reflected a 21st century monarchy and, above all, to communicate the deep humanity of the subject. capturing such an extraordinary and unique person, especially at the historic moment of becoming king.”
Yeo told CBS News’ sister network BBC News that Charles saw the “half-baked” painting and was “initially a little surprised by the strong color, but otherwise he seemed to be smiling approvingly.”
Queen Camilla reportedly saw the portrait for the first time and commented: “Yes, you’ve got it.”
Aaron Chown/Pool via REUTERS
Yeo told the BBC that the late Queen Elizabeth II even appeared at King Charles’ last painting session and said her son’s image was captured well.
Much of the criticism from outside the royal family, however, which has proliferated on social media since it was revealed, has been less generous.
Although a fan suggested in the comments below the post on the royal family’s official website Instagram page While the portrait reflected Charles rising above “enduring battles resembling murky waters” with “clarity and grace”, many others seemed to struggle to overcome the striking red hues.
One user said: “It looks like he’s bathing in blood,” while another said: “Without sounding rude, this is the worst real portrait I’ve ever seen.”
A third user suggested that a different color might work better.
“I would have loved it if it was any other color than red,” the user said. “He really captured his essence in his face, but the harshness of the red doesn’t match the softness of his expression.”
