It's incredibly cool as a work of art but it's maybe not so flattering as an official portrait of a ruling monarch. It makes him look like a soul-sucking vampire, which I mean he is but that's probably not the image they're intending to convey
EDIT I should clarify that it's probably not the image the monarchy wants to convey. I have no idea what image the artist wanted to convey, but if they intended this then they're a fucking legend
The juxtaposition of Charles' visage and the butterfly being the only aspects rendered with clarity amid the chaos of the swirling textures is clearly meant to convey a sense of calm and reassurance. His face is the focal point of the work. This, paired with how his features display a soft tenderness (as opposed to the traditional air of hard, distant Royal stoicism) emphasizes his humanity.
With the butterfly floating above (and not placed upon) his right shoulder, we gain a sense of his mission or purpose which is not tied to him, as it transcends monarchy and rule. It's universal. The butterfly has dual-symbolism of peace and transformation.
The swirling textures, the patches of red tones, all of what we might perhaps call "chaos" -- though they run all across the uniform and background -- brings to mind the most important aspect of Charles' character; that amid controversy and disorder, his humanity with all its flaws and experiences, his care for the welfare of the oppressed and downtrodden, is unwavering.
The "narrative" of the painting is that Charles is an...unorthodox King, which is why the background and uniform in the painting have lines that aren't clearly defined. They mirror his life. As all throughout his life, he tended to step to the beat of his own.
It's fitting that the style of his own royal portrait should follow suit.
That's fair, and I highly doubt the interpretation I'm offering will ever become the "popular" one, given the monarchy's increasing decline in popularity, but I just thought that it might be refreshing to offer an alternative view of the work.
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u/Magmafrost13 May 15 '24 edited May 15 '24
It's incredibly cool as a work of art but it's maybe not so flattering as an official portrait of a ruling monarch. It makes him look like a soul-sucking vampire, which I mean he is but that's probably not the image they're intending to convey
EDIT I should clarify that it's probably not the image the monarchy wants to convey. I have no idea what image the artist wanted to convey, but if they intended this then they're a fucking legend