King Frederik X’s first official painted portrait since his accession was unveiled at Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød on the evening of September 25. The nearly 2.5 meter work has split Danish critics and social media users.
DR reports that the king himself unveiled the painting during a dinner in the Great Hall at Frederiksborg Castle. The portrait was made by contemporary artist Cathrine Raben Davidsen, who worked on it for two years. It now hangs alongside portraits of the king’s predecessors.
According to DR, the oil painting is 2.40 meters high. It shows Frederik X in his Danish Navy uniform, standing in Kongsøre Forest. The location has personal significance for the king from his time as a frogman.
Per Frederiksborg Castle, Raben Davidsen is the first woman to paint an official royal portrait for the Great Hall. The room has been dedicated to the Glücksburg dynasty since the late 1800s. The museum houses Denmark’s national portrait gallery.
Critics and the public disagree
DR notes that comments on the royal household’s and the castle’s social media accounts were largely negative. Several users called the painting ugly, said it did not honor the king, and asked what had happened to his nose.
In Politiken, art critic Mathias Kryger gave the work three red hearts under the headline suggesting the king should have chosen another artist. Kryger writes that the king has been given his brother’s narrow nose, and asks whether the figure resembles Prince Joachim more than Frederik.
As stated by Weekendavisen, critic Anne Sophia Hermansen finds the portrait captivating and considers the task solved exemplarily. She argues the king appears more as a human being than as a figure of power.
Art historian Thyge Christian Fønss-Lundberg told B.T. that it is an outstanding work of art in which the painter stayed true to her own style. In Berlingske, royal commentator Jakob Steen Olsen writes that the picture resembles the king without quite resembling him, and shows a more thoughtful, reserved Frederik.
In a video posted on the royal household’s Instagram profile this week, the king said portrait paintings should not please everyone who views them. He added that people must judge the new work for themselves.
The artist completed the painting after more than 50 sketches and several meetings with the king in her studio and in the forest. Billed-Bladet reports that marguerites in the painting are a tribute to Queen Margrethe, and that the king painted some of the flowers himself.
The unveiling took place at a dinner marking the 150th anniversary of the Carlsberg Foundation, attended by the royal couple. From September 28, the public can see the portrait at Frederiksborg Castle, together with an exhibition of sketches and material from the working process.
