"Nothing quite divides opinion like a royal portrait", and the latest attempt to depict our reigning monarch King Charles III is "no exception".Â
The striking portrait by Jonathan Yeo was unveiled at Buckingham Palace yesterday, said The Arts Newspaper, and shows Charles "bathed in red", and wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, sword in hand and with an "eco-friendly" Monarch butterfly landing on his shoulder.
'Yes, you've got him' Royal portraits have traditionally played an important role in "signifying power and projecting an image", said the BBC, with one of the most memorable being Henry VIII painted by Hans Holbein. But our relationship with royalty has shifted since the days of the Tudor dynasty, said Yeo.
While "we know they're real people with quirks and personality traits", "on the other hand, we still want to buy into the mysticism and the fairy tale that they're different from us, that there's a bit of magic there". This portrait was an attempt to "figure out how to do both at once", he told the broadcaster. This one appears to have had the royal seal of approval though. Queen Camilla is said to have seen the painting before its unveiling and told Yeo: "Yes, you've got him."
'One of the spookier paintings I have ever laid eyes on' Despite the many "poignant" details of the royal portrait, some members of the public are "sceptical", said The Mirror. One social media user commented that the painting had a "sinister look" about it, while another wrote: "What in the fiery depths of hell is this monstrosity?"
"Is the likeness convincing?" wondered Alastair Sooke, The Telegraph's chief art critic. To me, the King resembles both his father, Prince Philip, and George W Bush in this painting.Â
Art may be subjective, said Danielle Cohen in The Cut, "but I am finding it hard to subject myself to this new portrait of King Charles", which is one of the "spookier paintings I have ever laid eyes on". Plus with hit Netflix show "The Crown" still fresh in the public's mind, "does this guy really think now is a good time to remind us of our associations between himself and blood?"
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