A new depiction of the Duke of Rothesay was unveiled in Scotland’s national portrait gallery yesterday.
The work, which is painted in oil on linen, was created by artist Victoria Crowe at Prince Charles’ Royal Deeside retreat Birkhall earlier this year.
This is the first portrait of the Duke of Rothesay to enter the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) collection, in Edinburgh,
Ms Crowe’s works have been widely commended and her previous works feature in a number of public and private collections.
She said: “His Royal Highness was extremely relaxed and generous during the sittings and we talked about painting, the Royal Drawing School and shared interests, as well as attitudes to conservation and ecology.
“The more we spoke the more I realised the importance of Birkhall and the sanctuary it had provided. So, the landscape element of the painting became very specific.
“I felt that so much of his thinking was rooted in a deep love of the natural world – and indelibly linked with a philosophy of respect and sustainability.
“I was not painting a symbol of power or establishment but an engaging, thoughtful and sympathetic human being. Because of time constraints, I had to paint as directly as possible, no time for many sketches”.
The first major exhibition of the artist’s portraits, Victoria Crowe: Beyond Likeness, is now on show at the gallery and is one of the key attractions at this year’s Edinburgh Art Festival programme.
The event opens this week and runs until August 26, with the exhibition itself running until November 18.
Christopher Baker, director of European and Scottish Art and Portraiture at the National Galleries of Scotland, said: “We are delighted with this new portrait for the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland.
“It is a deeply thoughtful and sensitive portrayal of His Royal Highness and encompasses all the subtlety, insight and delight in painterly effects that Victoria Crowe’s work is rightly renowned for.
“It also perfectly complements the experience of seeing her impressive exhibition currently at the Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. ”
