Art Teacher Defends Prince William’s Son Prince George Over Drawing Backlash
Prince William’s son, Prince George, is a budding artist, but not everyone is impressed with the young royal’s work.
The prince, who is second in line to the British throne, recently showed off his talents in a special issue of Country Life magazine edited by his father. The publication includes a detailed drawing of a kingfisher by the 13-year-old.
While many people praised George’s skill at drawing, a few people felt the sketch might not have been entirely his own work. They pointed out that the bird was similar to one shown in a lesson from The Virtual Instructor, which teaches students “how to use Prismacolor Colored Pencils on smooth Bristol paper to create a vibrant, detailed drawing of a kingfisher bird.”
Artist Matt Fussell, who founded the online art program, addressed the similarities in an interview with USA Today.
“While I can’t say for certain whether Prince George used my lesson, the similarities are certainly exciting to see,” he says, adding he would be “absolutely thrilled” if George had used one of his online classes to hone his skills.
“It’s incredibly rewarding as a teacher to see someone take what they’ve learned and create something they’re proud of,” he added. “And whether he followed my lesson or not, I think he’s done a wonderful job, and I hope he continues exploring his artistic abilities.”
Critics, however, were dismayed that the royal family had presented the drawing as George’s original work rather than acknowledging that it was a copy.
“There’s nothing shameful in borrowing from a master to develop technique, it’s the oldest teaching device in the book,” one person commented on Reddit. “What if shady is the palace not being willing to disclose that when the proof is easily trackable.”
“Putting it [in] a magazine without crediting the original artist or their tutorial is more than disingenuous,” another argued. “William is bragging about how his children don’t use screens and pretending it’s an entirely original drawing, when it’s something created from an online tutorial. The child didn’t do anything wrong, it’s William lying yet again and changing the facts to suit what he wants people to believe.”
Others, however, defended George.
“For a 13-year-old, as someone who has taught children art, this is really quite good,” art teacher Barry Whitehouse said in an Instagram video. “It does show a lot of talent, and it shows a lot of time and patience. However, what has surprised me is the amount of backlash this child’s artwork has received online from adult artists saying things like, ‘There are plenty of better artists out there, but they never get seen,’ or, ‘It’s amazing what you can afford when you’re royalty. Of course you can get the best tuition and the best materials.’ We’re talking about a child.
Whitehouse also pointed out that George is not the only member of the royal family with an interest in art. His grandfather, King Charles, paints watercolors, and his mother, Kate Middleton, studied art at school.
“We have a king who paints. If you’ve seen King Charles’ watercolors, they’re not bad at all. Princess Catherine, quite a talented performer, piano player, and artist herself. And now we have Prince George also painting and drawing and creating. Think of the potential here of support for the arts from quite a top level,” he said. “Let’s leave the snarky bitterness towards a child’s art. Whether he’s the prince or a pauper, it doesn’t matter. Let’s support the arts.”
