King Charles III unveiled his first officially painted portrait on Tuesday his coronation Just over a year ago – a striking oil painting shows him gazing head-on against a background of mottled red, pink and fuchsia tones.
The painting, created by renowned portrait artist Jonathan Yeo, was unveiled at Buckingham Palace, the palace said. social media. video It shows the king tugging on a ribbon tied to the fabric covering the towering work, seemingly giving him a small surprise when it falls.
Mr Young has painted the likes of David Attenborough, Idris Elba and activist Malala Yousafzai, Start portrait In June 2021, the king was still the Prince of Wales. It depicts him wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he is a regimental colonel, with a butterfly hovering over his shoulder.
Like the butterfly, the king’s “role in our public life has changed,” Young said in a statement released by the palace on Tuesday. “I tried my best to capture the lived experience and humanity etched on the face of each person painted, and I hope that’s what I achieved in this portrait,” he said. He noted that the attempt to capture the King ” Both as a great professional” It’s a challenge that I thoroughly enjoy and am very grateful for. “
The 7.5ft x 5.5ft portrait was commissioned by the Worshipful Company of Drapers, a medieval guild of wool and cloth merchants that is now a charity. It will hang in Drapers’ Hall, the group’s aristocratic residence in London’s financial district, which houses a gallery of monarchs from King George III to Queen Victoria.
The unveiling ceremony comes just weeks after the king announced his decision. Return to Public Responsibilitiesnearly three months after he revealed he has cancerIt brings significant relief to a country anxious about yet another painful change in the British royal family.
Mr. Yang previously told The Times He did not learn of the king’s illness until after he had completed the painting, which depicts his subject in vivid colors with a pensive yet commanding gaze. Mr Young also painted the king’s wife, Queen Camilla, and his father, Prince Philip. Other subjects include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, actors Dennis Hopper and Nicole Kidman and media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The best portraits capture visual characteristics that remain relevant even as a person ages, he said.
Speaking about the King, Mr Young told The Times he noticed physical changes during the four times they sat together – during which time the King was undergoing a physical transformation.
“The age and experience suit him,” Mr Young told The Times. “His behavior did change when he became king.”
