Expressionist artist Stephen B. Whatley has captured The Queen at the State Opening of Parliament to mark Her Majesty’s 90th birthday.
HM The Queen’s Speech, by Stephen B. Whatley shows The Queen at the opening of Parliament
Entitled ‘The Queen’s Speech 2016’, Stephen chose to paint Her Majesty at The State Opening of Parliament, realising there has not been a painting made of this grand State occasion.
Her Majesty wears the Imperial State Crown (learn more about the Imperial State Crown here) as she reads out the government’s plans for the session.
Whatley has painted a number of Royal portraits in the past, including Prince William and Kate Middleton after their engagement, Prince Harry, and was commissioned by the Royal Collection to paint Buckingham Palace in the late 1990s for the Summer Opening. His style is vivid, full of colour and instantly recognisable.
The artist made charcoal drawings and notes, live, from the TV broadcast on 18th May, and then drew on his memory of meeting the Monarch when he was presented to Her Majesty and The Duke of Edinburgh at the Tower of London in 2004.
Stephen says he ‘remembers her glowing with a gently humility and kindness’ from the occasion, since he had depicted the Crown Jewels over a decade ago, as he was commissioned to paint 30 oil paintings for the Tower Hill tube station underpass, now a permanent exhibit in London.
Stephen B. Whatley describes his work as ‘passionately keeping painting alive’ in the art world, and works in intense bursts to complete his work. Prayer features heavily before he picks up the paintbrush, and he uses feeling as much as sight when painting.
Take a look at some of his other Royal works below, or visit Stephen’s site here.
