British portraitist Jonathan Yeo, who drew attention in May when he painted the crown red, has this year painted a portrait of Sir David Attenborough to mark the biologist’s 40th anniversary of his association with the Royal Society. Yeo replaced King Charles III’s fiery red uniform and background with a bright turquoise background to depict the scientist and broadcaster in his natural look.
Attenborough, 98, is celebrated for decades of film and literary explorations of the world’s natural wonders. BBC TV Debut Zoo Exploration (1954–1963) projects that received international recognition, e.g. Blue Planet (2001), Planet Earth (2006), and 10 parts Life (2009) documentary series, Attenborough has gained global acclaim and attention for his passion for the animal kingdom and for raising awareness of the dire impact humans have on the ecology.
Sitting in a rumpled armchair, legs crossed, fingers interlaced, a gentle smile on his face and eyes sparkling as he gazes graciously at the viewer, Attenborough aptly suggests the compassionate, fatherly manner in which he tells educational stories and acts as a benevolent advocate for the well-being of the planet. Young is undoubtedly a skilled portraitist, but the blurred background wash is rather distracting, detracting from the essence and likeness of his celebrity.
The artist told BBC News He chose the color for the scientist to indicate that he was “probably walking out of one of the many habitats he has photographed during his career.”
While the online response to this latest portrait has been much more balanced than Young’s first high-profile commission, I do find it a little odd that a portrait of King Charles III includes a butterfly, while Attenborough, despite his lifelong commitment to the natural world, sits alone. I think he should at least have a little companion to keep him company forever – perhaps a bird on his shoulder, or at least one of the dozens of animal or plant species that have been named after him.
On the other hand, perhaps it was Young’s intention all along to depict Attenborough as if he had emerged from a bloom of blue-green algae.
Green? David Attenborough’s? Groundbreaking …
