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King Charles recently unveiled the first official portrait of himself since his coronation. Created by British artist Jonathan Yeo, the larger-than-life artwork measures about 8.5 by 6.5 feet. But after its presentation, this unorthodox take on royal portraiture quickly caused a stir, sparking mixed reviews from art critics and dividing members of the public.
In the painting, the monarch seems to stare head-on as he poses against a backdrop of bright red brushstrokes. His face is the only part of the painting that is not clouded by the crimson hues. Though Yeo is no stranger to the public eye—he is considered one of the most sought-after artists of the genre with a long list of A-list sitters he has worked with include Sir David Attenborough, Malala Yousafzai, and Nicole Kidman—none of the painter’s previous pieces have caused controversy the way his King Charles portrait has. The red hues, in particular, seem to have caught the most attention, be it positive or negative.
After jointly revealing the image on Instagram, commenters shared what the colors looked like to them. “It looks like he’s bathing in blood,” wrote one user. Another added, “I’m sorry but his portrait looks like he’s in hell.” CNN royal historian Kate Williams quoted someone who compared it to a poster for a horror film. Vanessa Friedman, chief fashion critic of The New York Times, writes, “It turns out that red is a trigger color for almost everyone—especially given the somewhat meta endeavor that is royal portraiture: a representation of a representation, made for posterity.”
Hoping to offer some insight into his choice of color, Yeo added an explainer on his site: “The vivid color of the glazes in the background echo the uniform’s bright red tunic, not only resonating with the royal heritage found in many historical portraits but also injecting a dynamic, contemporary jolt into the genre with its uniformly powerful hue / providing a modern contrast to more traditional depictions.”
Yeo began the portrait in June 2021, when Charles was still Prince of Wales. The painting depicts the monarch wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, sword in hand, and a butterfly landing on his shoulder—a nod both to the king’s commitment to environmental causes and the symbolism of the rebirth of a recently ascended monarch. “Much like the butterfly I’ve painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject’s role in our public life has transformed,” said Yeo in a statement released by Buckingham Palace.
However, the butterfly metaphor—which Yeo said was suggested by Charles himself—was also received tepidly. “There’s no insight into the king’s personality here, just a weird allegory about a monarch butterfly that Yeo says is a symbol of his metamorphosis from prince to king,” writes The Guardian’s Jonathan Jones, who gave the portrait one star out of five.
Ultimately, King Charles and his wife Camilla seem to be happy with the portrait. BBC reports that the queen looked at the painting and told Yeo, “Yes, you’ve got him,” while the king smiled approvingly after looking at it half-finished—although he too, was mildly surprised by the vibrant color.
The portrait is currently on public display at the Philip Mould Gallery in London until June 14, 2024.
The first portrait of King Charles since his coronation, painted by artist Jonathan Yeo, was unveiled.
Today, The King unveiled a new portrait by @RealJonathanYeo at Buckingham Palace. The painting – commissioned by The Draper’s Company – is the first official portrait to be completed since His Majesty’s Coronation. It will hang in Draper’s Hall in London. pic.twitter.com/yVAK2PQslz
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 14, 2024
After the big reveal, the painting immediately received mixed reactions online.
The artist said of the experience of painting The King:
“When I started this project, His Majesty The King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and much like the butterfly I've painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject's role in… pic.twitter.com/U289q8AlMh
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 14, 2024
While some people loved it and the interesting choices the artist made…
Am I alone in thinking the King Charles portrait is actually pretty rad? It's fascinating, strange, & much more metal than any official royal portrait of a wildly uninteresting anachronism of a human being has a right to be. pic.twitter.com/DjV6890a7M
— Tony Tost (@tonytost) May 16, 2024
I don't care what anyones says. This portrait of King Charles III is fantastic, and it's also a far, far better portrayal than he'll ever deserve. It's such a strange combination of artistic choices that absolutely work. pic.twitter.com/45tzLOxqMl
— Charlotte Clymer (@cmclymer) May 17, 2024
My first reaction was “wtf”
But honestly, I’m digging King Charles’ portrait. The facial expression Yeo captured is incredible.
It’s weird. I love weird. pic.twitter.com/CxGWsK3yD4
— Meredith (@Mere_Constant) May 16, 2024
…others have been more critical and sarcastic of the depiction, particularly of the use of red brushstrokes.
The unveiling of Charles’s portrait is going well on instagram pic.twitter.com/uXhDlhFuYa
— Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) May 15, 2024
Got the King Charles Deep Dish pic.twitter.com/WH0QrgJICT
— (@EmmaTolkin) May 15, 2024
They Han Solo'd King Charles! pic.twitter.com/heEEgVeHfh
— Shane Morgan (@MrShaneMorgan) May 14, 2024
I unironically love the new King Charles portrait because of how evil it looks. Archdemon of hell ass portrait pic.twitter.com/40OpcWZgZM
— Zi Xu (@ziqqix) May 14, 2024
King Charles new portrait seems to have depicted him burning in hell, or it seems like it anyway. pic.twitter.com/skZwQguC6U
— BladeoftheSun (@BladeoftheS) May 14, 2024
the bloodied horses that rampaged through london 2 weeks ago and the king charles slaughterhouse floor portrait are related. I don't know how yet but they are pic.twitter.com/8a36FCAgTT
— Holly (@SparrowLucero) May 16, 2024
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