BB is packed with DRF stuff this week, so it'll take a couple of days to go through it, but let's start with the painting.
BB has compiled a lot of trivia partly from the artist and partly from the book about the painting.
When Kluge started the painting, there were eleven members of the DRF to be included. Then all of a sudden there were fourteen.
And this is the initial draft of the painting, before Kluge had to modify it to accomodate Vincent, Josephine and Athena.
https://app.box.com/s/n7mkwhzvvoqzqeplvjck
Even though his style is very realistic the DRF were never meant to be depicted as they look in real life, but rather as Kluge percieved them. "And they have allowed me to get close".
Christian is standing next to a figure, which symbolise Gorm the Old, the first official king of Denmark, and Christian's direct ancestor. "The painting depicts the DRF as a symbol, as it has been, as it is, and as it will be.
Christian is placed in the centre because it will be about him in the future. The repsonsibillity he carry can be seen on him, perhaps he is already weighed down by it. And his toy, a mounted king depicts Gorm the Old. In that way the history stretches back to the old king 1.100 years ago and all the way until today".
Another merciless detail Kluge has included in his painting is QMII's hands. Her red nailpolish has started to peel off a little. Her engagement ring which she always wear is there, as well as her Rolex watch, which she (according to herself) always wear loose.
Kluge first made a draft which was approved by QMII and then got to work, with the odd modifications and added children duting the process.
I think I can sense between the lines that Kluge isn't entirely pleased with Isabella. She's a lively girl and he explains: "In the final painting Isabella is sitting with a ragdoll. That's because I started to paint her, when she was a little girl. If I were to paint her today, it would be with something else than a doll".
In the background of the painting Kluge has included himself and his wife, wearing their wedding clothes, and also what they wore at a dinner at Christiansborg in 2008. Mrs. Kluge is seen in the painting as being heavily pregnant.
About the models, Kluge explains: "Frederik and Mary have each been to my studio in Korsør (a town) twice and so have Joachim and Marie and also Prince Henrik. But I have also met the royals at Amalienborg and at Fredensborg where I had an atelier and where I painted the Queen's face while she was posing. The children have not posed for me but I have been with Christian and Isabella and played with them in order to get an impression of how they are as children. The same thing applies to little Henrik. Only Felix and Nikolai have been painted after photographs".
There have also been a number of modifications in regards to what the DRF wore.
QMII selected the red suit she wearing (and apparantly he didn't argue) and from that the outfits worn by the rest were adjusted/alligned.
Prince Henrik's jacket was initially purple, but was changed to green.
Christian wore a striped shirt initially but that was changed to white and a jacket was added.
Nikolai and Felix were directed in how to pose with the LEGO bricks and photographs were taken to be worked from. The bricks are red to match QMII's outfit.
They were initially to have been playing with a broken LEGO figure, but then Kluge heard his step daughter exclaim to a younger halfsister: "You are lucky you haven't been taken apart". Kluge: "That remark went straight to the heart and indeed because the boys come from a divorced family I didn't want them to occupy themselves with something that was broken. Instead they are now building something together, a tower". The reason why they are both wearing blue shirts is due to the light.
BB checked with an auction expert and according to him, the painting would fetch some 1-2 million DKK today at an auction. 1 $ = 5.5 DKK, 1 € = 7.5 DKK, 1 £ = 9 DKK.
Oh, yes, poor Isabella. I hadn't looked closely at her, but her depiction reminds me of Linda Blair in "The Exorcist".
