King Charles, the artist

HM King Charles III. Overlooking Wadi Akram. 35 /100, courtesy of Kevis House Gallery

King Charles, it turns out, is a very competent artist. And, as you might imagine, his favourite medium is watercolour and his subject, landscape (well he was never going to be a conceptualist, let’s face it).

A series of 16 of his paintings – made when he was Prince of Wales, between 1992 and 2000 – were made into lithograph prints, in a limited edition of 100, by the late Stanley Jones at the Curwen Studio, with proceeds going to the Prince of Wales Charitable Fund. They were signed ‘Charles’, in pencil, by the royal hand.

 There are several portrayals of Balmoral, as you’d imagine, and Sandringham, and Windsor Castle, but also a few from his foreign travels, including the image above, painted in the Wadi Province of Saudi Arabia. Charles never sold the originals: they are either in the Royal Collection, or were given as gifts to foreign monarchs or statesmen.

12 of the prints are currently being exhibited at Kevis House Gallery in Petworth, West Sussex, to celebrate the Coronation (until May 25). The above example – displaying fine draughtsmanship, skilful application of layered perspective, and an atmospheric rendering of light – sells at £6,950.

Gallerists Lucy and Richard Hodgson used to run the Works on Paper Fair, in London, and met Charles once when he paid a visit. “It turns out that he has a very deep knowledge of and interest in the subject,” says Richard, who hosted a private view of the show last night (May 2). So did the King find time from his Coronation preparations to attend the opening? “Sadly, we didn’t get a sudden, unexpected, royal appearance.”