Saturday, May 18, 2024

 MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

Artist behind King Charles III's controversial portrait shares why he used the color red

KATIE KINDELAN
Thu, May 16, 2024

The artist behind the new portrait of King Charles III is sharing insight into some of his more controversial artistic choices, like the use of the color red.

Jonathan Yeo, a U.K.-based artist, painted the portrait of Charles -- unveiled Tuesday at Buckingham Palace -- over the course of three years.

The portrait, which stands over 6 feet tall, features a striking red background and shows Charles wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975, according to the palace.

According to a new description of the portrait shared on Yeo's website, the artist chose the "vivid" red background, in part, to bring a "contemporary jolt" to the painting.

"The vivid colour of the glazes in the background echo the uniform's bright red tunic, not only resonating with the royal heritage found in many historical portraits but also injecting a dynamic, contemporary jolt into the genre with its uniformly powerful hue / providing a modern contrast to more traditional depictions," the description reads.

PHOTO: Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the unveiling of artist Jonathan Yeo's portrait of the King, in the blue drawing room at Buckingham Palace, in London, May 14, 2024. (Aaron Chown/AP)

In his own words, Yeo said the red is also designed to help Charles' military uniform fade into the background.

"As a portrait artist, you get this unique opportunity to spend time with and get to know a subject, so I wanted to minimize the visual distractions and allow people to connect with the human being underneath," Yeo said in a statement on his website.

The butterfly located above Charles' shoulder in the painting is described as being representative of not only the king's transformation to monarch, but also his passion for environmental causes.

"The Monarch butterfly is believed to have been named after an English King (William of Orange) due to its distinctive color," Yeo's website reads. "And this migratory species is already one of the most affected by climate change because of alterations in spring temperatures."

The unexpectedly modern painting and it's bold red tone drew mixed reactions online quickly after its unveiling, at which both Charles and Yeo were present.

"I think this is beautiful and such a break from the traditional portraits," one commenter wrote on Buckingham Palace's Instagram post about the portrait.

"I'm sorry but his portrait looks like he's in hell," wrote another commenter.

PHOTO: A handout image released on May 14, 2024, shows a portrait of Britain's King Charles by artist Jonathan Yeo. (His Majesty King Charles III by Jonathan Yeo via Reuters)

Others in the comments section saw a little of both sides, with one person writing, "I would have loved this if it was any other color than red. He really captured the essence of him in the face, but the harshness of the red doesn't match the softness of his expression."

King Charles gives Prince William a military title with close ties to Prince Harry

And still others commented that they would have expected even more of a more nature-based portrait for Charles.

"Given his love of nature and preservation, I am surprised there was not a natural landscape portrayed behind him," wrote one commenter.

The portrait of Charles is his first official portrait since his coronation last year.

PHOTO: Artist Jonathan Yeo, left, and Britain's King Charles III at the unveiling of artist Yeo's portrait of the King, in the blue drawing room at Buckingham Palace, in London, May 14, 2024. (Aaron Chown/AP)

The painting was first commissioned in 2020, when Charles was the Prince of Wales, a title that has since been passed to his eldest son Prince William, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

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"I do my best to capture the life experiences etched into any individual sitter's face," Yeo said in a statement shared Tuesday by the palace. "In this case, my aim was also to make reference to the traditions of Royal portraiture but in a way that reflects a 21st Century Monarchy and, above all else, to communicate the subject's deep humanity. I'm unimaginably grateful for the opportunity to capture such an extraordinary and unique person, especially at the historic moment of becoming King."

Yeo painted the portrait in his London studio in between four sittings with Charles from 2021 to 2023, according to the palace.

The painting will be on display for one month beginning May 16 at the Philip Mould Gallery in London. Then the painting will go on to hang in Draper's Hall, an historic building in London that was originally owned by King Henry VIII.



"The Masque of the Red Death", originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy", is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague, known as the Red Death, by hiding in his abbey.
Genre: Short story
Characters: Prospero
Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Web results


The Masque of the Red Death - Poe's Works | Edgar Allan Poe ...


https://www.poemuseum.org › the-masque-of-the-red-death


The red death had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal -- the madness and the ...


Image result for e a poe the masque of the red death movie
The Masque of the Red Death is a 1964 horror film directed by Roger Corman and starring Vincent Price. The story follows a prince who terrorizes a plague-ridden peasantry while merrymaking in a lonely castle with his jaded courtiers.
Directed by: Roger Corman
Actor: Vincent Price
Genre: Horror


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Archaeologists Found 10,000 Treasures That Suggest They Dug Up an Ancient Roman Pit Stop

Tim Newcomb
Fri, May 17, 2024 

Ancient Roman ‘Service Station’ Discovered in UKpiola666 - Getty Images

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An archaeologically rich area of England’s Cotswold region yielded another find during a highway construction project.

Some of the over 10,000 artifacts located date back more than 12,000 years.

A deposit of Roman-era artifacts is one of the highlights of the discovery.

In a modern-day effort to expand England’s A417 highway through a three-mile stretch in Gloucestershire County, archaeologists found something far from modern: an ancient trove of Roman-era treasures and artifacts dating from the Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age.

Experts believe the 85-acre area in the Cotswolds was likely a Roman “service station” with an ancient past.

“We knew that the area had clear archaeological potential, but the results of our fieldwork have exceeded all expectations,” Alex Thomson, Oxford Cotswold Archaeology project manager, said in a statement. “We have been treated to some excellent archaeology that tells a fascinating story about this corner of the Cotswolds across thousands of years.”

And he means up to 12,000 years. The trove of over 10,000 artifacts—when put together, they total over 220 pounds—found on the site dates includes prehistoric flint tools, pottery, countless coins, and jewelry. There were also items from World War II.

The team originally uncovered an Iron Age “banjo enclosure”—likely a settlement that served as a hub for significant activities, such as feasting. The site was akin to a Roman “service station,” Thomson told the BBC, and likely explains why there is such a range of artifacts found.

“We think that our settlement was being used to help with people that were traveling along the road and probably something to do with horses,” he said. “We have a nice Roman building that may have been used as stabling or potentially as somewhere where you could stay the night and have your horses looked after.”

One of the key discoveries was a Roman Cupid figurine, an example of “emotive everyday items from thousands of years ago that give a unique window into life across the ages,” Thomson said. “It wouldn’t have been cheap. It’s a really unusual and special find.”

Other noteworthy finds include a range of brooches (likely from people working in the area) and a Roman nail cleaner featuring a disc-shaped bone bead. “The Romans were very clean people,” Thomson told the BBC. “So, you quite often find nail cleaners, small cosmetic sets, and things like that.”

With the find unearthed, the exploration continues. “Our detailed archaeological excavations,” Jim Keyte, National Highways’ Archaeology project manager for the A417, said in a statement, “have revealed substantial new knowledge about how our ancestors lived and used this landscape. We are now beginning the detailed analysis and interpretation of the finds.”
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Archaeologists believe they've found site of Revolutionary War barracks in Virginia
Associated Press
Thu, May 16, 2024 








Colonial Williamsburg American Revolution Barracks
This image provided by Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, shows a lead musket ball was excavated in the summer of 2023 by archaeologists at Colonial Williamsburg, a living history museum in Virginia. The ball was found at the site of what was believed to be a military barracks during the American Revolution. The museum announced the site’s discovery on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. 
(Brendan Sostak/Colonial Williamsburg Foundation via AP)

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Archaeologists in Virginia have uncovered what is believed to be the remains of a military barracks from the Revolutionary War, including chimney bricks and musket balls indented with soldiers' teeth.

The site is on the property of Colonial Williamsburg, a living history museum that tells the story of the capital of Britain's Virginia colony in the 18th century.

Maps and documents from the time reference a barracks built between 1776 and 1777 for the Continental army as it fought the British, the museum said in a statement this week. The structure was designed to accommodate up to 2,000 soldiers and 100 horses.


The American Revolution began in 1775. The barracks are thought to have been destroyed in 1781 by troops in the army of British Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis. His forces were on their way to the pivotal Battle of Yorktown, where the British suffered great losses and surrendered. The war officially ended in 1783.

Archaeological evidence of continental barracks in Virginia is rare, according to Colonial Williamsburg. This site is particularly valuable because it was used only as a barracks. Plus, a significant portion of the land has been largely undisturbed.

The site was discovered during an archaeological dig required ahead of the construction of a proposed regional sports complex. Its planned footprint has since been shifted to preserve the roughly 3 to 4 acre (1.2 to 1.6 hectare) barracks site.

An initial excavation last summer revealed chimney bases and uncovered a military buckle and lead shot for muskets. Soldiers chewed on the balls because of their sweet taste.

Only a small percentage of the site has been excavated. The museum tells the story of Colonial Williamsburg through interpreters and more than 400 restored or reconstructed buildings. It plans to use the site to tell the story of Williamsburg's military involvement in the American Revolution and the daily lives of soldiers.

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