gblue jacket, white shirt, pink tie and hand in pocket. This the pose chosen by King Charles and the artist Alastair Barford for the first portrait of the monarch, who ascended the throne last September, following the death of his mother Elizabeth. But there is one detail that has surprised the English art critics: on his wrist, Carlo wears a particular, and apparently not very regal, bracelet.
The indigenous bracelet of King Charles
Received as a gift a few weeks ago by Domingo Peas, leader of an Amazonian tribe, the bracelet was immediately seen as a symbol of Monarch’s personal fight against climate change and for sustainability. It was therefore chosen to infuse a note of authenticity to the portrait of the sovereign.
The artist studied thanks to Queen Elizabeth
This is not an official portrait, but the first work commissioned for the sovereign. And the choice of Alastair Barford, 35, is not accidental: the painter studied thanks to a scholarship from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trusts, an English charity that assists artists and craftsmen in their careers and of which the queen had been a patron. In 2015, Barford had, in fact, already completed a portrait of Elizabeth II, which will now be exhibited together with that of his son Carlo.
King Charles receives Amazon indigenous leader Domingo Peas (right), Buckingham Palace, February 17, 2023 (IPA)
Painting King Charles? «A huge challenge»
Barford revealed that he completed Carlo’s image in just two weeks. But the king did not pose for the painterwho instead worked on photos and sketches that he was able to complete during the same reception held last February at Buckingham Palace and which was attended by Domingo Peas. «It was an honor and a great responsibility» Barford said. «Reconciling the idea I had of the king with the visual material I collected was a real challenge».
The most intimate face of King Charles
Barford also explained why he wanted to portray the King in a suit and tie, and not in his ceremonial attire, as one would expect for a royalist portrait: «I wanted to capture a personal and intimate image of His Majesty» he said. «His friendliness and his sensitivity, the empathy that emerges in his interactions with everyone he meets. It was important for me to portray his kindest and most compassionate expression».
A portrait for the Coronation on May 6th
The portrait immediately secured a place in history. It was, in fact, commissioned by the prestigious publishing house Illustrated London Newsthe most recent of a series that began in 1842 and then repeated for every Coronation and Jubilee. It will appear on the cover of Illustrated Coronation Editiona special magazine focusing on the events of the Coronation of King Charles, to be released on 30 March in Great Britain.
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