Royal And Celebrity Wedding Portraits

Royal And Celebrity Wedding Portraits: with today’s digital technology it is heartening to learn that the custom of having a wedding portrait has not yet died. HRH Queen Elizabeth II sits, on average, for two artists a year – (this increased in the year of her royal wedding). So, how are artists selected? Why has this tradition continued? How has this tradition survived in the world of modern technology?

(Related link: commissioning your own wedding portraits .)

Traditional Royal And Celebrity Wedding Portraits:

Throughout all the European Royal Houses there have been associations with artists. Some received such favor they were officially appointed to the Royal Courts, although achieving this recognition was by no means an easy feat. Painting, until the early 1800’s, was the only medium in which to record the likeness of the royal families. Some of the trend setters would have been:

- Diego Velasquez (Spanish, 1599 – 1660)
- Van Dyck (Flemish 1599 – 1641)
- Francisco Goya (Spanish,1746 – 1828), “Father of Modern Art”
- Franz Winterhalter (German, 1806 – 1873)
- Walter Sickert (English 1860 – 1942)
- Sir James Gunn (British, 1893 – 1964)

Portraits were formal, usually in official dress/full regalia. The standard backdrop was a curtain and column. Wedding portraits are unusual as there is more than one subject in the painting.

Modern Royal And Celebrity Wedding Portraits:

Today royal artists have a far more difficult task. They are competing with photography, videography and the digital world. The image, whether formal or informal, for public or private viewing, official or unofficial, is a minefield for these artists. The boundaries are increasing blurred. Some artists who have been brave enough to tackle royal subjects, although not royal weddings, are:

- Lucian Freud (German born British painter, 1922 – date)
- Chris Levene and his infamous hologram of Queen Elizabeth II
- John Wonnacott and his 12 foot family picture commissioned for the late Queen Elizabeth I’s 80th birthday

The latest controversial royal artist to come on the radar is Rolf Harris, more commonly known for this cartoons, songs and didgeridoo playing.

Costs Of Royal And Celebrity Wedding Portraits:

Most are priceless. However, costs would be based on some or all of the following:

- rarity of royal and celebrity wedding portraits coming onto the market
- collectors value
- medium (oil, watercolor, pastel)
- size of the portrait
- age of the subject when the portrait was done
- backdrop to the portrait
- notoriety of the artist
- quality of the artistry
- condition of the painting
- quality of the framework

Royal and Celebrity Wedding Portraits

Modern technology is certainly taking over, particularly with computerization and the ability to manipulate images. Many artists dispense with numerous sittings and paint from photographs. Arguably the light, angle and expressions always remain constant. For those who are celebrities a painting is arguably a worthwhile investment. However, for the majority who are anonymous it is arguably a luxury, as the subject matter would have little if no commercial value.