The King has a new portrait

[YaMuvva]

Maybe it’s because I know nothing about art but my initials thoughts are…”Huh”

From the artist:
"It was a privilege and pleasure to have been commissioned by The Drapers' Company to paint this portrait of His Majesty The King, the first to be unveiled since his Coronation. When I started this project, His Majesty The King was still His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, and much like the butterfly I've painted hovering over his shoulder, this portrait has evolved as the subject's role in our public life has transformed. I do my best to capture the life experiences and humanity etched into any individual sitter's face, and I hope that is what I have achieved in this portrait. To try and capture that for His Majesty The King, who occupies such a unique role, was both a tremendous professional challenge, and one which I thoroughly enjoyed and am immensely grateful for."

The official explanation was that the butterfly represents a metamorphosis, Charles the Prince becoming King.

This is absolutely the best description I have heard. I love your description and I love the portrait.

Am I able to use your description when I discuss this painting please

I look at it and my immediate thought was “bathed in the blood of his enemies” which I am not sure is quite what they were after!

With all the red I am afraid I have lost that this is meant to be a king. To me the man in the portrait feels lost, like the colour and the anger and fury have overwhelmed what should have been the most vibrant subject.

Which is in contrast to his face and hands which feel calm and relaxed. You could read that as stoicism in the face of challenge, but how it makes me feel is that the king this artist wants us to see is a bit of a psychopath.

I think it's genuinely a great work of art and very flattering to Charles. Graham Smith of Republic has made a few changes though ....

@TheFirmBiscuit

The modifications you’ve made there are highly disrespectful the artist, and quite likely illegal.

Ain’t you tired?

Not me it's Graham Smith you need to direct your ire at - I'm just reporting.

You are correct - he says it would be 'just his luck' (i.e. bad luck) to be reincarnated as a tampon, after joking that he would like to live in Camilla's trousers (to be with her all the time).

Reporting? 🤣

No wine is a great pickup.

This was my initial thought too. Not sure about the butterfly...

Well Graham has gone from holding up blank pieces of paper to bastardising the art of an incredibly talented man to get his point across. I suppose that's meant to be mental growth on his part. His supporters must be so proud.

Here's the post I'm sure the Met Police will welcome your crime report. I've met Graham briefly at a UK festival where he was debating with Camilla Tominey battled gamely with moderate Olly Dugmore, and an occasionally unhinged Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, all rather wonderful and Britain at it's best.

https://twitter.com/GrahamSmith_/status/1790422651950838164/photo/1

Unless I'm missing something, the alterations made to the painting seem very moderate - a 'not my King' and a couple of pictures representing Charles's life of luxury, all in the background. I wouldn't call them disrespectful to the artist - it's not as though he's scribbled on a moustache and a giant cock and balls.

When you release art into the wild be prepared to let a hundred flowers bloom. The original piece remains unchanged. Indeed the late Queen was a global icon and meme and she prospered even though the Sex Pistols took her image for their infamous single.

It's amazing, isn't it, how often the tampon story is trotted out and completely wrongly interpreted from clear words. And from an intercepted conversation sold to the press. Harry is no doubt horrified that his pa continues to have this slur thrown at him, courtesy of an early form of phone hacking.

It's actually quite sweet and most artists I have met are bohemiam enough to love their work getting out there. I imagine if there was a Georgian Ye Mumsnet or some such some would have got the vapours at this.

Bastarding is a good word for it. I would be livid if something I created was appropriated this way.

Do you paint ?

Oh do you have a nice son in law that’s an artist?

I wasn't talking about the image of the King, I was talking about an artist's painting. Obviously actual images of the famous are used in all manner of ways by supporters and detractors alike. This is defacing, twisting and pisstaking the art/technique of a civilian, not the royal. I'll stand by my first impression that Graham has no original ideas of his own.

No, I write music and sing.

Obviously the painting has been altered, but you could hardly find a less obtrusive way of altering a painting; Graham has matched the colour scheme and avoided touching the image of the King. It's hardly in the league of

I've hung out with quite a few artists in my time though I'm not one myself and most have been pretty out there by societal norms and interesting folks to be with. It's a great painting I genuinely think it is - this one I'm not so sure.

I’m laughing at the idea that Graham Smith is helping Jonathan Yeo get his work “out there”. His trending on multiple continents right now.