London — Britain King Charles III has unveiled the first official portrait of him since his coronation, and it's receiving mixed reviews.
The painting by British artist Jonathan Yeo shows the king appearing to emerge from a red, fiery background. A butterfly appears as if it is about to land on his right shoulder.
Yeo, who has painted portraits of other high-profile people including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, was commissioned for his latest royal work in 2020 to celebrate the then Prince of Wales's 50th anniversary as a member of the Drapers' Company .
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The painting was designed with the architecture of Drapers' Hall in mind. The portrait will hang in the Great Hall in London, home of the historic livery companythat dates back to the 14th century.
Charles is depicted in the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he is the regimental colonel.
“Like the butterfly I painted as it floats over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the role of the subject in our public lives has changed. I do my best to capture the life experiences reflected in the face of each individual nannies are etched,” Yeo said of his work. “In this case, my aim was also to reference the traditions of royal portraiture, but in a way that reflects a 21st century monarchy and, above all, to convey the deep humanity of the subject. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to capture such an extraordinary and unique individual, especially at the historic moment when he became king.”
Yeo told CBS News partner network BBC News that Charles saw the painting in a “half-finished state” and was “initially slightly surprised by the strong color, but otherwise seemed to smile approvingly.”
Queen Camilla is said to have seen the portrait for the first time and said: “Yes, you have it.”
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Yeo told the BBC that the late Queen Elizabeth II even stopped by King Charles's final sitting for the painting and said her son's likeness was well captured.
However, many reviews from outside the royal family, which have circulated on social media since the revelation, have been less generous.
While a fan suggested about the royal official in the comments below the post Instagram page that the portrait reflected Charles rising with “clarity and grace” above “enduring battles that resemble troubled waters,” many others seemed to struggle to get past the striking red tones.
One user said: “It looks like he's bathed in blood,” while another said: “Without sounding rude, this is the worst royal portrait I've ever seen.”
A third user suggested that a different color might have worked better.
“I would have loved this if it was a color other than red,” the user said. “He really captured the essence of him in his face, but the harshness of the red doesn't match the softness of his expression.”
