George W. Bush and Britney Spears are far from the only public figures who enjoy painting watercolors. The same goes for Prince Charles – and if you happen to be in London in the next month, you can judge his talents for yourself.
Like Travel + Leisure reports that 79 of the prince’s watercolors are on display at the Garrison Chapel in Chelsea Barracks by February 14. This is not his first exhibition: Hampton Court Palace celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1998 with a showcase of 50 paintings; and the National Gallery of Australia exhibited 30 works for its 70th anniversary in 2018. But the Garrison Chapel exhibition is the largest to date, and it’s also hosted by its own foundation, the Prince’s Foundation, which promotes a sustainable lifestyle around the world.
The Prince of Wales mainly paints natural landscapes, from Scotland to France to Tanzania, and prefers to do so while seeing these vistas himself, rather than working on photographs. In fact, as he wrote for the exhibition, “I started painting entirely because I found photography less than satisfying. Considering how many times her mother, Queen Elizabeth II, has been seen with a camera in her hand, it seems she disagrees.
Charles also explained that he “is under no illusions” that his works are “high art”, but he believes it has improved over time. “Now thinking back to those early sketches I made, I am appalled at how bad they are,” he wrote. His progress can at least in part be attributed to the art lessons he took with Hugh Casson, Derek Hill and other renowned British artists.
The exhibition is free – without notice – and open almost every day until Valentine’s Day. For more details here.
[h/t Travel + Leisure]
