Bryan Organ

Charles, Prince of Wales (b.1948) is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip and heir to the British throne.

This painting was the National Portrait Gallery’s first official commission in 1980. Bryan Organ worked closely with John Hayes, director of the Gallery, on both this portrait and the later one of Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. John Hayes described these paintings as a ‘breakthrough in royal portraiture’, as they showed a sharp contrast to the Gallery’s collection of more traditional portraits of kings and queens. Without the adornments of crowns and elegant finery, these paintings offered a "subtle celebration of the modesty of a modern prince" and monarchy (Tristram Hunt - extract from Face to Face: The Gallery Supporters’ Magazine, Issue 16 – Spring 2006).

The Art Book, Phaidon Press, 1994