The portrait will be on display to the public until next month and will eventually hang in Drapers Hall, the city's historic merchants' guild and charity home.
King Charles III on Tuesday unveiled his first completed official portrait since his coronation. It is a striking red depiction of the British monarch in uniform.
The 230cm x 165.5cm (7.5ft x 5.4ft) oil on canvas painting by Jonathan Yeo depicts Prince Charles' wife Camilla in 2014 and his father Prince Philip in 2008. is drawing.
The photo shows the 75-year-old head of state wearing the red ceremonial uniform of the Welsh Guards against a red background, with a butterfly hovering over his shoulder.
Yeo, 53, was commissioned for the work in 2020, when Charles was still Prince of Wales, to mark his 50th anniversary as a member of Drapers Company.
The portrait will be on display to the public until next month and will eventually hang in Drapers Hall, the city's historic merchants' guild and charity home.
The size of the canvas – approximately 8.5 x 6.5 feet when framed – was carefully considered to fit within the context of the architecture of Draper’s Hall and the painting that would ultimately hang alongside it.
Prince Charles, who became king in September 2022 after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, met with Yeo four times from June 2021 to November 2023. Yeo was also able to work on portraits at his home in London, working from drawings and photographs he had taken. Studio between sittings.
He is currently undergoing treatment for cancer and has only recently resumed public duties.
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Speaking before the unveiling at Buckingham Palace, Yeo said: “Like the butterfly I painted on his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject's role in our public life has changed.” Told.
“I try my best to capture the life experiences and humanity etched into each of my sitters' faces, and I hope that's what I've achieved with this portrait. Such a unique It was a huge professional challenge to try to portray His Majesty the King in this role, which I really enjoyed and for which I am extremely grateful,'' he added in a statement.
Yeo's previous notable subjects include the first portraits of Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Fans of the royal family had mixed reactions to the portrait on Facebook, with one person writing: “Sorry but his portrait looks like he's in hell.” Another added that this was the worst royal portrait she had ever seen.
Some people expressed their support: The red represents the Welsh Guards, and in 1975 he was appointed Colonel of the Regiment. ”
Still, the majority of comments said the color red seemed to represent blood, with some mentioning bloodshed in the colonies. “It's not hateful or anything, but when you look at the uniforms and those colors, it seems like a visual representation of the genocide committed by the colonizers.”
Additional information source: AFP
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