His Majesty King Charles III (portrait) explained

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

Measuring about 8feet by 6feet, 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 color red in stating ..."The color 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". Queen Camilla reportedly told Yeo approvingly: "Yes, you've got him." 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

The 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

Protestors 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]

Notes and References

1. News: Kirka . Danica . King Charles III unveils his first official portrait since his coronation . 11 June 2024 . AP News . 14 May 2024 . en . 11 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240611163052/https://apnews.com/article/king-charles-iii-britain-portrait-jonathan-yeo-a588c5548bb8b902bd2e3539334991a6 . live .
2. News: Friedman . Vanessa . 15 May 2024 . A Shock of Red for a Royal Portrait . 13 June 2024 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331 . 10 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240610152839/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/15/style/king-charles-iii-portrait-jonathan-yeo-red.html . live .
3. Web site: Razzall . Katie . King Charles: First official portrait since coronation is unveiled, painted by Jonathan Yeo . . 15 May 2024 . 14 May 2024 . 14 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240514233520/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-68981200 . live .
4. Web site: Zhou . Li . 17 May 2024 . Blood, flames, and horror movies: The evocative imagery of King Charles's portrait . 13 June 2024 . Vox . en-US . 2 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240602004804/https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2024/5/17/24159374/king-charles-portrait-colonialism . live .
5. Web site: Urwin . Rosamund . 19 May 2024 . Jonathan Yeo: What the King thinks of my portrait — and why it's so red . 13 June 2024 . . en . 12 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240612160656/https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/jonathan-yeo-what-the-king-thinks-of-my-portrait-and-why-its-so-red-g69dnkbjb . live .
6. Web site: In Defense of Jonathan Yeo's King Charles Portrait. Saam. Niami. 22 May 2024. Hyperallergic.
7. News: Coughlan . Sean . Animal-rights protesters attack portrait of King . 11 June 2024 . BBC . 11 June 2024 . 11 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240611142418/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cydd9ye77rmo . live .