Official Portraits of the Duke and/or Duchess of Cambridge and Family

[Duke-of-Earl]

Well my motto is , if the Daily Mail's art 'critic' doesn't like it then it must be pretty good. The reviews I've been reading online have been pretty positive,

[Marika86]

Kate Middleton portrait: Duchess of Cambridge's first ever portrait is unveilled - hellomagazine.com

Kate Middleton, enceinte, découvre avec William son portrait ''pourri'' !

[princess jones]

her portrait looks amazing! i love it. her hair looks lovely
as described by th duchess "it's brilliant"

[GracieGiraffe]

Originally Posted by princess jones

her portrait looks amazing! i love it. her hair looks lovely
as described by th duchess "it's brilliant"

Kate is gracious as always. I personally think it's horrible. It makes her look old and tired, and does not begin to do her justice. Compare the photos of her with the portrait.

This guy is a modern day Goya, without the talent.

[Dman]

Well, not everyone will like the portrait. To me, the painting looks like a dream and her eyes are only focused on you.

It's just her first official portrait. There will be many more she will sit for. Some of her future military regiments will want a portrait done of her to hang up at their bases. I'm sure one will be done on her and William and their children at some point. There are many more portraits to come from the Duchess of Cambridge.

I also love that the Middletons were there for the unveiling as well. The couple have a loving and supportive family.

[Duke-of-Earl]

I personally love the fact the artist didn't go for a 'glamour' portrait and did something a little off the wall. Brilliant in my opinion.

[Catharina]

I don't really like these photorealistic paintings that much. Any Russian painter you see on squares and marketplaces could do a similar job. IMO if you want photorealistic, take a picture.

That said I think the painting is just what they ordered, it is realistic un-photoshopped image of a woman, a real person and not some semi-godly creature some people want to make of her. I think it is the real her and brilliant because of that.

Some people say her face looks fuller than it actually is but I think that is because she has a fuller face because of her pregnancy. Some people just have rose-tinted specs on and refuse to take them off for some reason. Royals are just people.

[soapstar]

^She sat for the portrait in May and June, so she wasn't pregnant.

I wasn't too keen on the portrait at first - I though it made her look older and didn't do justice to the actual picture it was based on, but I've warmed to it. Still not in love with it, but it's not as bad as I first thought.

What's weird is that the portrait looks much better in that NPG video, so I'm wondering if photos are distorting the portrait? I would love to see it in person, to get a better idea of what it looks like.

[camelot23ca]

Reading the comments here first I was prepared for a disaster but I like the portrait. It's different, but there's something eye catching about it to me.

Opinions on art are so subjective, but if I were Kate I'd be pleased with the results.

[AdmirerUS]

Originally Posted by PrincePatrick

To be fair, she wanted to appear as her natural self, and he enjoys the landscape of a face, with the way light and shadow play on the features. I'm sure if you were sitting 3-4 feet away from her, without the glare of flashes interacting with high-quality makeup you might pick up a little more of her age and wisdom. I just hope her feelings aren't hurt by that prick at the Daily Mail. I suppose everyone has a right to like or dislike the portrait, but to declare such a bold opinion (such as it looking nothing like the Duchess, which obviously it bears a great deal of resemblance to her), while sitting in a position such as his, is a little distasteful.

I do agree about the landscape of the face and Paul Emsley. Animal painter indeed! From Emsley's POV her most interesting feature was her mouth (yes I know he said her eyes) because it is her most complex feature at this age. She has all those small dimples when she smiles!

I can understand why Catherine picked Emsley for the short list as well. Any quick look at his portraits of others makes you understand why an art major would want to be painted by him! Given a few wrinkles, his subjects come to life! But the DOC has no wrinkles yet.

Personally, I think a 3/4 or full length style portraitist would have been better at capturing the energy of a young woman in her first official portrait. Maybe next time!

[casualfan]

Originally Posted by cepe

I've just seen a photo taken of the portrait and it's at a slight angle and it does look better. I think that one of the problems is that the images we are seeing have used flash and its changing the tones of the painting

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsRoyal/sta.../photo/1/large

Thank you for the link. Th portrait looks much better from here.

My big thing with it: it makes DoC look a lot older.

[lancchick]

Truly awful painting. He made sure to emphasize the bags under her eyes. Kate's pursed lips is nothing even close to a smile or pleased look. The darkness of the painting in general makes it looks like she's in mourning. It doesn't have to be a glamour portrait to look inspiring and pleasing. Total fail.

[CrownPrincess5]

When I first saw the painting I thought it looked a little scary. The artist really enhanced her wrinkles and the bags under her eyes. It's definitely not easy to paint like that but it could've been better.

[Duke-of-Earl]

Kate Middleton: 'Rotten' first official portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge by artist Paul Emsley is unveiled | Mail Online

Britain's most prolific royal portrait artist, Richard Stone, praised Emsley's painting for capturing Kate's warmth and openness.

Stone, who has painted most members of the Royal Family during the past three decades, said: 'I liked it, very much so. So often with official portraits they can be rather stiff and starchy, but this has a lovely informality about it, and a warmth to it.

Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator with a deep interest in the arts, praised the painting as 'a thing of beauty.'

He added: 'One of the tests of a great portrait is does that portrait capture the character of the sitter and it passes that triumphantly.

'The painting conveys her strength of character and the smile communicates to the nation beyond.'

It has already generated huge interest, with dozens of photographers, cameramen and reporters crowding around the painting and its artist this morning.

The Daily Mail made sure to bury the positive comments at the bottom of the article.

[carlota]

i don't like the painting and also think like many others that it ages her. it's not the wrinkles that are disturbing but the bags under the eyes that kate doesn't seem to have as of yet. it's a shame, for a first portrait. it's kind of diplomatic of kate to say its "brilliant". bless her.

[someonelikeyou]

The first official royal portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge was unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery today.

Artist Paul Emsley was unhand to reveal his work the Duchess, as well as her husband William and members of the Middleton family.

Catherine sat for the portrait in May and June of 2012.

[soapstar]

Originally Posted by cepe

I've just seen a photo taken of the portrait and it's at a slight angle and it does look better. I think that one of the problems is that the images we are seeing have used flash and its changing the tones of the painting

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsRoyal/sta.../photo/1/large

It does look better from that angle. I think you're right about the camera flash changing the portrait because I found another photo that's at an angle, and the portrait looks brighter and much more flattering.

http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/pc/K...D6OxBAuh0l.jpg

[julliette]

well, I think it definitely made her look much older than she is. There is something in the eyes... not just the bags, something else, I don't know what it is but makes it look weird... but in overall I like the result...
It's certainly not a brilliant portrait, IMO, but it's also not a bad one

[MichelleQ2]

I think the portrait looks more attractive when you stand back and look at it with a little distance and the frame.

http://www.people.com/people/package...663765,00.html

[cepe]

I knew it reminded me of someone - Liz Hurley. right age, right pink lipstick.