It’s Charles’ first official portrait since the coronation, but that’s not what’s got people talking.
Since pictures of it were released, social media has erupted with responses to the work, and news media around the world has been reporting on the backlash.
How have people reacted?
The comment section of the royal family’s Instagram account is littered with reactions to the “terrifying” painting.
“It looks like he’s in hell,” suggested one follower. Another user declared it the “worst official portrait I have ever seen”.
There’s a slew of memes and visual gags. Someone declared it Karma (Diana’s Version) - others placed it next to a carbonite-frozen Han Solo in Star Wars.
It’s even been compared to the famous “everything is fine” meme of a cartoon dog in a burning room - a timely reference given the state of the world right now.
Not everyone hated it. Some have called it “beautiful” and “a break from the traditional portraits”.
Yeo himself called it “a privilege and pleasure to have been commissioned by The Drapers’ Company to paint this portrait of His Majesty the King”.
Is the portrait that bad?
In the scheme of portraits of and by public figures, it’s really not that bad.
A striking work, the torturous scarlet brushstrokes could even be read as rather apt during a time when the royal family has been facing crisis after crisis.
Stoking reactions and discussion is what the royal family does; they’re a public entity and vehicle for entertainment.
And in an era of mass user-generated content, images of them are a cultural object and form part of a wider conversation and mood.
The painting seems eerie and unsettling, but perhaps that’s the point.
