His Majesty King Charles III is a portrait of King Charles III by Jonathan Yeo.[1] It was painted between June 2021 and November 2023, a period encompassing Charles's accession to the throne, and was the first official portrait of the King since his coronation. It was commissioned by the Worshipful Company of Drapers.[2]
History and description
editMeasuring about 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m) by 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m), the work is in a vivid red and shows Charles in the uniform of the Welsh Guards.[3]
Yeo explained his abundant deployment of the colour red in stating ..."The colour was an early experiment and then I sketched it out and worked on the face, and the face and background worked so well," and then went on to say ...."I just then worked on making sure nothing else interfered with the balance. It was a nice mix of the traditional and the contemporary."
Above his right shoulder is a butterfly, symbolising his accession. Katie Razzall, writing for the BBC, described it as "a vibrant painting".[3] Queen Camilla reportedly told Yeo approvingly: "Yes, you've got him."[3] It was displayed at the Philip Mould Gallery in London from 16 May to 14 June 2024. From the end of August it will be displayed at Drapers Hall.[1]
Virality
editThe portrait has received many mixed and memetic reactions on social media sites such as Twitter for its red colour scheme, which has been compared to "flames, blood, and horror films".[4] This was brought to Yeo's attention by his daughter; he expressed flattery over the reaction.[5]
The work has been compared to Francis Bacon's 1949 painting Head IV.[6]
Vandalism
editProtestors from the Animal Rising collective attached posters depicting Wallace, of Wallace and Gromit, with a caption, to the glass case of the portrait, in June 2024, in protest against the conditions in "assured farms" accredited by the RSPCA, of which the King is a patron.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b Kirka, Danica (14 May 2024). "King Charles III unveils his first official portrait since his coronation". AP News. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
- ^ Friedman, Vanessa (15 May 2024). "A Shock of Red for a Royal Portrait". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ a b c Razzall, Katie (14 May 2024). "King Charles: First official portrait since coronation is unveiled, painted by Jonathan Yeo". BBC News. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ Zhou, Li (17 May 2024). "Blood, flames, and horror movies: The evocative imagery of King Charles's portrait". Vox. Archived from the original on 2 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ Urwin, Rosamund (19 May 2024). "Jonathan Yeo: What the King thinks of my portrait — and why it's so red". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ Niami, Saam (22 May 2024). "In Defense of Jonathan Yeo's King Charles Portrait". Hyperallergic.
- ^ Coughlan, Sean (11 June 2024). "Animal-rights protesters attack portrait of King". BBC. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.