As Luxembourg prepares for a historic royal handover, artist Jacques Schneider unveils vibrant pop art portraits of the Grand Ducal family. His work blends tradition with modernity, celebrating the nation’s heritage through bold colors and symbolism.
As Luxembourg awaits the coronation of a new Grand Duke, local artist Jacques Schneider is planning to jazz up the occasion with a splash of pop art.
A set of new "monarchical" paintings are among the works on show at a retrospective on Schneider's 20 years in the art industry that opened on Thursday in Berchem, a small town in the south of the Grand Duchy.
Among them is a black-and-white portrait of the current Grand Duke, Henri, in a military uniform.
Behind him is the blue shadow of his father, Jean, and to the side are a pair of vertical stripes -- one blue and one orange.
The colors are a reference to the House of Orange-Nassau from which the royal families of both Luxembourg and The Netherlands descend.
Henri, 70, will abdicate in favor of his eldest son Guillaume, 43, after a quarter of a century on the throne on October 3.
French President Emmanuel Macron, his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the Belgian royal couple are among the guests expected to attend a ceremony marking the handover in the capital city.
Henri has long been a model for Schneider's work. But Guillaume is also featured in the exhibition.
A blue-hued painting shows him in a blue suit, with a yellow tie flanked by his wife, Stephanie, sporting a green dress.
Schneider, 40, said he persuaded the couple to pose for him during a meeting in 2024.
"We met at the palace around a small table, and there the prince took out a card listing all the places where he had seen my paintings. I was very flattered," he told AFP.
Bald, with a long, well-trimmed, ginger beard, the artist said he considers it "incredible" to have been given carte blanche by the family for his royal portraits.
Yet he does not expect all public administrations in the small nation of less than 700,000 people to replace Henri's official portrait with his rendition of Guillaume when the Grand Duke in waiting takes over.
"Everyone will do what they want," he said with a smile.
By Matthieu DEMEESTERE / AFP
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