New Portrait of King Charles: People Have A Lot of Thoughts

[appalachiablue]

BBC, May 14, 2024. The first painted portrait of Charles III since his coronation has been unveiled at Buckingham Palace.

The vast oil on canvas shows a larger-than-life King Charles in the uniform of the Welsh Guards. The vivid red work, measuring about 8ft 6in by 6ft 6in, is by Jonathan Yeo, who has also painted Tony Blair, Sir David Attenborough and Malala Yousafzai.

Queen Camilla is said to have looked at the painting and told Yeo: "Yes, you've got him." In the new portrait, the King is depicted, sword in hand, with a butterfly landing on his shoulder.

Unveilings are always a little nerve-wracking, both for the sitter and the artist, but particularly when one of them is a King. Yeo jokes: "If this was seen as treasonous, I could literally pay for it with my head, which would be an appropriate way for a portrait painter to die - to have their head removed!"

In reality, Yeo isn't going to lose his head of course - no executions for a badly received portrait of a monarch, in modern times anyway... More + Ptg. Close Up,
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68981200

CNN,
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/15/style/video/king-charles-portrait-unveiled-jonathan-yeo-cprog-digvid

[Siwsan]

1. Well, it certainly is unique. He's wearing a Welsh Guard uniform so that's a plus.

I think a blue background in that same style would have been much nicer.

His face is very well done.

[appalachiablue]

5. Good points, agree that blue for background would have been

much better, and some green as noted. Red for the Welsh is good, yes. Thanks for replying.

The portrait is interesting, a good likeness
but the mass of red is overwhelming. Like El Greco's cardinal mixed with a Francis Bacon work or something.

[Siwsan]

10. I wonder if the Queen's will be the same style

I saw Charles, once, in person. He actually has a very pleasant face. He does not photograph well so portraits might be a better representation.

Also saw Queen Elizabeth, at a distance of about 2 feet, twice. This was back when it seemed like all of the photographs of her had her looking very 'dignified'. In person she was very attractive. She had the most beautiful skin and brilliant blue eyes. She was smiling and laughing as she interacted with the crowds. Those are some of my favorite memories.

[appalachiablue]

13. That's interesting about Charles, better in person. Years ago

as a student I saw Queen Elizabeth at an outdoor event in Cambridge. She looked very well with those good features and so dignified. In the US at a work event for the BBC, Lady Jane Wellesley was there. A very pretty young woman who dated Charles briefly.

In a costume museum in Bath, I saw a day dress of Princess Margaret on display that was so small it looked like it was for a child. Those ladies are small, the Queen Mum too.

In NY, 1940s my mother and grandmother saw the Duke of Windsor in a motorcade. That was before his unsavory relationships with Hitler and other Nazis were widely known.

[CrispyQ]

2. It's odd.

His uniform is lost in all that red & his head almost floats. Draw a few horns on him...

Not a fan.

[appalachiablue]

6. I hear you, a poor job trying for El Greco meets Francis Bacon maybe..

[appalachiablue]

9. Like a poster for a horror film some have said!

[Think. Again.]

3. When did official portraits...

...switch over to abstracts instead?

[appalachiablue]

7. Really. The artist certainly 'broke with the past' and met some

distinction of going way out on this work. Charles is a traditionalist, in his formal role which makes the effort even stranger.

Other Royal portraits featured in the article are well done and conventional, naturally.

Eta, the detail of the uniform is interesting from the ptg. closeup in the article.

> 'Yeo says he wanted the painting to be distinctive and a break with the past. He was aiming for something personal.'

[Think. Again.]

11. Maybe I'm wrong, but..

...I thought portraits were supposed to glorify the subject, not the artist.

[Demobrat]

4. The floating, disembodied head looks like

something that would haunt you. In dim light it must be spooky as heck.

[appalachiablue]

8. Yes! Eek.Like a poster for a horror, slasher film some said!!

[ArkansasDemocrat1]

12. This is gonna be so ripe a target for satire

All hail the Red King!