The first official portrait (after the coronation) of Charles III was shown in Great Britain. there was a scandal
The presentation of the painting took place on May 14 in the Blue Room of Buckingham Palace in the presence of the king himself. The portrait was painted by British artist Jonathan Yeo.
The canvas is in red tones. There are bloody shadows on the king’s face. Charles III is represented in the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he became colonel in 1975, when he was still prince. He has a sword in his hands. A crimson butterfly flutters over his right shoulder. The artist says that he tried to convey in painting the monarch’s life experiences. The butterfly symbolizes the ascension of Charles III to the throne. Yeo began painting the painting when the British monarch was still Prince of Wales.
When the black veil was removed from the canvas at the presentation and the royal face was revealed, the king himself was stunned. This is not how he imagined himself. But he quickly composed himself and said something ironic to Jonathan Yeo.
The royal portrait caused a scandal in the Western press. There they heard nothing about court etiquette: the image of Charles III was compared to Satan. Members of the royal family posted photos of the painting on social media. The opinions of his subjects were divided.
The majority expressed themselves like this: in the image, the king seemed to have risen from hell. The red background is associated with fiery Gehenna. “The only thing missing is the glowing red eyes and the pitchfork in his hand,” the British noted. “Give him a pair of horns and he will look like Satan in the underworld.” Someone wrote in the comments that Charles III is bathing in blood. There were also those who appreciated the film’s avant-garde and unconventional approach. Someone noticed that it was more logical to depict the king with a meadow, green grass and sheep as a backdrop: Charles III loves nature.
From May 16, the painting will be open to the public at the Philip Mold Art Gallery in London. Jonathan Yeo spoke about the king’s reaction when he saw the unfinished portrait. According to him, Charles III was surprised by the choice of color, but reacted favorably to the image. Camilla, the king’s wife, generally praised the artist. Jonathan Yeo has been working with the royal family for a long time. In 2008 he painted a portrait of Charles III’s father, Prince Philip, and in 2014 he painted Camilla.
Recall that Prince Charles became king on May 6, 2023, taking the name Charles III, his wife Camilla received the status of queen consort. He became monarch after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8, 2022, at age 96. He reigned for more than 70 years.
We asked the famous portrait painter, People’s Artist of Russia, Nikas Safronov, what he thinks about the portrait of Charles III.
– An innovative and avant-garde solution is possible. But not in this case and not now, says Nikas Safronov. -If you know what difficulties the family of Charles III faced: his illness, the illness of his daughter-in-law Kate Middleton, problems with his youngest son Harry, then such a gloomy portrait seems to highlight all the problems and painful ups and downs. Surely the king already has dark thoughts and forebodings, I think he is worried about everything that is happening in his family, in the country and in the world, and then there is this portrait… Like the last nail in the coffin . In the painting he has dead hands; There are white traces on them, like corpse stains. Bloody background… Not a life-affirming image at all. Monarchs, like artists, are very impressionable people. Suspicious.
An official portrait should not be avant-garde. It should express positivity, hope for the future. Charles III had great ancestors who lived long lives. His mother Elizabeth II lived to be 96, his father, Prince Philip, lived to be 99, and his grandmother lived to be 101. Among relatives there are many long-livers. And he had cancer, and now it’s hard for him. I don’t think this work will add strength and health to the king.
By the way, I once painted a portrait of a child who was seriously ill, literally dead. I drew him as a happy angel. And the boy recovered. His parents believed that my portrait helped him survive.
As for the artist Jonathan Yeo, I heard this name for the first time. An unknown artist suddenly became the most talked about figure in the world. It just doesn’t happen, someone is probably promoting it, promoting it.
– What type of portrait would you make of Charles III?
– I would not surprise the public with experiments. If it were Picasso or Salvador Dalí, from whom something provocative would be expected, then an avant-garde solution might be possible. But when a provocation is carried out by an ordinary artist, it is dangerous. He made a classic portrait with the right technique and color combination. He would depict the king against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace, against the backdrop of his long-lived ancestors. We must give him hope for a long life, given his current condition.
