On the second anniversary of their coronation, Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla recently unveiled new state portraits at the National Gallery in London. Reports suggested that the occasion was heavy with tradition but influenced by contemporary sensibilities. Charles cloaked in state and decorated with naval medals stood somberly alongside the Imperial State Crown and Camilla’s royal portrait featured her wearing her coronation gown and the Robe of Estate.
As per the official website of the royal family, the British royal tradition of state portraiture dates back to the early 1600s, with the earliest example being King James VI and I’s coronation portrait by Paul van Somer, housed at Windsor Castle. These grand, full-length portraits, featuring symbols of monarchy like the crow, orb, and sceptre serve as definitive images. They are commissioned to mark coronations. While coronation robes are common, it has been seen that some monarchs such as Edward VII and George V chose military attire. The most recent pre-Charles III example is Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 portrait by Herbet James Gunn depicting her in coronation robes. While the UK’s tradition of portraiture is directly linked to royal power, portraiture practices are found in republics such as the US and India. Yet as times change, so do the brushstrokes in terms of style, politics and inherent philosophy.
The UK: Power, legacy, symbolism
Portraiture has always been at the heart of Britain’s royal image-making. According to the National Portrait Gallery’s website, from Hans Hobein’s famous portrait of Henry VIII to Lucian Freud’s contentious portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in 2011, these paintings have contributed in constructing public memory and institutional continuity. The said painting of Queen Elizabeth II was hailed by The Guardian as the finest royal portrait for 150 years. However, others thought it made the Queen look like a rugby prop forward or one of her corgis. The new portraits of King and Queen by artists Peter Kuhfeld and painter Paul S Benney, respectively, were reportedly unveiled with ‘applause’ on May 6. As per a BBC report, Khufled, who has been familiar with Charles for over 40 years, decided to paint him in the ceremonial robe he donned in the first half of the coronation service. The paintings will be put on show briefly in the central hall of the National Gallery before being transferred to Buckingham Palace.
The US: Democracy on canvas
In America, presidential portraiture is a post-presidency tradition, with works of art usually commissioned by the White House Historical Association. They are officially rolled out ordinarily during the next president’s tenure and exhibited in the East Room or Cross Hall of the White House.
While portraits have been an important part of the American presidency, it has been seen that over the years it became more of a ritual full of symbolism. Barack Obama’s 2018 portrait broke certain conventions. In a 2018 article ‘The Politicization of Presidential Portraits’ in McGill Journal of Political Science, it was pointed out that since Senator William Bingham commissioned the 1796 painting of George Washington, which later served as a model for the image of Washington on the one dollar bill, the tradition has persisted through the last 200 years, but has faded into the background as a symbolic, yet boring, gesture. Portraiture in America tends to reflect the political mood. Recently, the White House State Floor in Washington DC ushered a new change with an artwork. It replaced former President Barack Obama’s portrait with a painting on canvas illustrating the iconic aftermath of President Donald Trump‘s 2024 assassination attempt.
India: Tradition at Rashtrapati Bhavan
Under Rashtrapati Bhavan’s high ceilings and elegant chandeliers, India’s Presidential Portrait Gallery presents a vignette of the country’s part. It’s a moving picture story of sorts of leadership, legacy and symbolism that stretches along from the corridors of power behind the president’s study to the heavily originated banquet hall to the Mughal Garden abutting Damodar room. Life-size paintings and bronze busts of all presidents adorn the place. These paintings commissioned as works of a long tradition are designed by some of India’s best artists, such as Vasudeo Kamath, Gulam Rasool Santosh and Sanjay Bhattacharya.
President Pranab Mukherjee’s portrait painted in 2014 by Kamath shows him sitting in his study surrounded by a golden light. With individual symbolism, there are portraits of APJ Abdul Kalam with a Prithvi missile, or Zail Singh in royal robes. Fictional landscapes have also found a place, such as Svetoslav Roerich’s portrait of Sarvepalli Radhakrishna breaking realism with creative expression. Last year in March, the tradition was carried forward with the release of former president Ram Nath Kovind’s portrait by President Droupadi Murmu.
As per the official website of Rashtrapati Bhavan, there is a room called Damodar (previously known as the Upper Loggia and West Garden Loggia) that lies between the banquet hall and the Ashok Mandap, overlooking the grand staircase on one side and the Mughal Gardens on the other. This room displays life-size portraits of former Presidents Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Pratibha Patil, Pranab Mukherjee and Ram Nath Kovind.