A right royal Christmas market, with King Charles’ art lithographs drawing crowds in London
King Charles has long taken solace in painting watercolours, and the popularity of his works are soaring after last year’s coronation.
Struggling for that ideal Christmas present for a hard to buy loved one? Looking for an heirloom that also contributes to funding heritage arts skills among the young?
King Charles has just the answer.
The Kings Foundation just launched its Christmas pop up shop in the evocative 1880’s surrounds of Garrison Chapel, Chapel Barracks, just behind Sloane Square in Chelsea. Think soaring ceilings, restored stonework, gorgeous Christmas decorations, Highgrove sparkling wine, honey rum, a soaring dressed Christmas tree and even a couple of fine sculptures of the King and his parents, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.
But it’s the paintings that attracts the art set keen to scrutinise a small selection of His Majesty’s lifetime creative love. Eight of the King’s original water colours adorn the walls. One visitor immediately queries the curator about a propensity for King Charles to draw vertical lines that aren’t exactly perpendicular.
The diplomatic answer: ‘’its cold in the Scottish outdoors’’.
Yet the King, 76, has an avid following of his work which is exclusively of landscapes and scenes which have a very personal meaning, many from Scotland. He is actively involved in choosing which of his paintings will undergo the process to produce limited edition lithographs – restricted to 100, but some are fewer – and the artists proofs – restricted to 20, all personally signed. Over the years the King’s paintings have raised many millions of pounds.
Matt Radford from The Kings Foundation says purchasers may have an eye on the investment value, but more likely they are looking for a royal memorabilia to pass down in the family. Others just like what they see.
One picture, West Side of Highgrove House, shows one of the King’s favourite views of Highgrove Gardens – centring on the cedar butt remains of a 200 year old Cedar of Lebanon tree which had to be felled because of disease. A wooden building was built around the butt to celebrate the tree’s life, but soon a self-sown oak sapling began to grow. King Charles then authorised builders to cut a hole in the building to allow the young sapling some sunlight.
King Charles’ school report, aged eight, indicated that he liked to draw and he was encouraged by his grandmother, the Queen Mother. With instruction from various artistic friends and mentors, John Napper, John Ward, Hugh Casson, Edward Seago, and Derek Hill, the King finds painting to be most therapeutic and relaxing, transporting him, he says, into another dimension.
His works were first exhibited in 1977 alongside those of Queen Victoria, also a watercolourist.
King Charles said a few years ago: “I am under no illusion that my sketches represent great art or a burgeoning talent! On the contrary, they represent, more than anything else, my particular form of ‘photograph album’ and, as such, means a great deal to me.”
Kings Foundation director of retail Scott Simpson said there has been “phenomenal interest” in the King’s work since the coronation. Monies raised from the sale of the lithographs go straight to the foundation’s work helping young people develop skills including in heritage crafts.
Prices for the lithographs start from around $6000.
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