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

[casualfan]

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/status/289674501120217088/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]

Royal Portrait of Duchess of Cambridge Unveiled

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]

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/status/289674501120217088/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/...Portrait+Gallery+commissions+ceD6OxBAuh0l.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.

[URL="http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20395222_20663765,00.html"]http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20395222_20663765,00.html[/URL]

 

[cepe]

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

 

[ladongas]

She's much prettier than that painting shows her to be. I've never seen her lips arranged in such a pursed, disapproving fashion. Her face is inevitably composed in a serene and lovely demeanor (at least in photos), and I can't see why this painting doesn't show that. I won't name names, but some royals don't exhibit such control over their expressions, and they seldom look good in their photos. Oh, well, most of us will probably live long enough to see dozens of official portraits of her, and some will be much better.

 

[EIIR]

Was it the NPG who picked the artist? An art critic on Sky News earlier said that this particular artist prefers to work from photographs, which is why Kate only sat for him on 2 occasions. He felt that in working mainly using photos of the subject, it's never going to be brilliant.

It's not awful, certainly not as awful as this monstrosity, but the nose is all wrong. It does have a soft warmth to it, but it's also is a bit dark, particularly the background.

As the Queen has found over the years sitting for literally hundreds of portraits, even with the best portrait painters of the time, sometimes they just don't hit the mark. This portrait is fairly mediocre for me.

 

[Dman]

I think it was very silly of the Sunday Times Art Critic Waldemar Januszczak to go on Tv and just let out all his anger out on the artist and the painting. It's was as if he wished he could've done the portrait or something. I think it was a lack of respect for the artist.

From what I understand,portrait paintings aren't meant to be totally perfect. The artist brings his/her own technique and art to the painting.

I have seen really bad but artful paintings officially reveiled of The Queen and other members of the royal family and their had been some criticism over the paintings but I think the criticism of Catherine's first portrait is a bit over the top. Trust me when I say, this portrait of Catherine is just one of many more to come.

 

[NGalitzine]

I would give the portrait a B-

 

[someonelikeyou]

The portrait doesn't do her justice. She is so lovely in photographs, but this is just meh.

However, there will be plenty of portraits to come.

Wouldn't you love to know The DOC's real thoughts (good or bad) on the painting?

 

[LadyGabrielle]

Um, what to say...... It looks o.k. I suppose. I was kind of expecting something different. I just think the artist made her look older and I really don't know what to say about her mouth. I think a smile would have made the portrait breathtaking, more natural. This of course is only the first as many have said so hopefully the ones to come will be incredible.

 

[TLLK]

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.

Had the opportunity to view the ITV coverage and I have to agree GG that Kate appears gracious and engaged while speaking with the NPG staff and the artist himself. I saw typical Kate hand gestures and smiles while chatting with the artist.

Interested to discover that the artist worked from several photographs and only one or two actual sittings during the months that he worked on the portrait.

 

[Dman]

Had the opportunity to view the ITV coverage and I have to agree GG that Kate appears gracious and engaged while speaking with the NPG staff and the artist himself. I saw typical Kate hand gestures and smiles while chatting with the artist.

Interested to discover that the artist worked from several photographs and only one or two actual sittings during the months that he worked on the portrait.

I think Artist Rolf Harris only had two sittings with The Queen for his portrait of her too.

 

[camelot23ca]

Are there any royal portraits that have been universally loved, (or even well thought of by a solid majority of the public)? It seems like every time a new portrait is unveiled a bunch of people hate it. It's interesting to me because, as someone who knows pretty much nothing about art, my instinct would be that portraiture would be one of the easier painting forms to get right, so to speak.

 

[soapstar]

Was it the NPG who picked the artist? An art critic on Sky News earlier said that this particular artist prefers to work from photographs, which is why Kate only sat for him on 2 occasions. He felt that in working mainly using photos of the subject, it's never going to be brilliant.

It's not awful, certainly not as awful as this monstrosity, but the nose is all wrong. It does have a soft warmth to it, but it's also is a bit dark, particularly the background.

As the Queen has found over the years sitting for literally hundreds of portraits, even with the best portrait painters of the time, sometimes they just don't hit the mark. This portrait is fairly mediocre for me.

What have they done to poor Frederik? It looks absolutely nothing like him. Yeah, Catherine's portrait isn't awful. It's actually growing on me.

Paul Emsley has responded to all the criticism. He says he tried his best.

BBC News - Kate portrait artist Paul Emsley: 'I tried my best'

 

[hkittybaby]

Although her hair looks perfect, the artist could have done better. I think this portrait makes her look older than she is.

Personally don't like her nose in the portrait.

I prefer the picture itself and again I think the artist could have done much better with such a beautiful picture.

 

[4Pam]

I thought the painting looked nice. It looks a little dark though. I'd like to see a full length portrait in a gown next time.

 

[Dman]

What have they done to poor Frederik? It looks absolutely nothing like him. Yeah, Catherine's portrait isn't awful. It's actually growing on me.

Paul Emsley has responded to all the criticism. He says he tried his best.

BBC News - Kate portrait artist Paul Emsley: 'I tried my best'

Good for him for standing by his work and his technique. At the end of the day, that's all you can do as an artist, try your best. He liked it, Catherine and William liked it and I'm sure the Middletons liked it.

There's many more to come.

 

[ghost_night554]

Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled - The British Royals, Kate Middleton, Prince William : People.com

Video: Home - ITNSource News

 

[suztav]

It's not that bad, however it does have a certain Mona Lisa-like/it's meant to be questionned feel to it.

 

[GracieGiraffe]

Had the opportunity to view the ITV coverage and I have to agree GG that Kate appears gracious and engaged while speaking with the NPG staff and the artist himself. I saw typical Kate hand gestures and smiles while chatting with the artist.

Interested to discover that the artist worked from several photographs and only one or two actual sittings during the months that he worked on the portrait.

I agree, TLLK, I know nothing about art, but that I found surprising.

As for Kate's demeanor; I have two conclusions

1) She herself loved the portrait. I personally thought it awful but I do hope she liked it, and is not feeling dismayed. This suggests to me that she's not that fussy, critical and ego-centric about herself

2) If she did hate it, her demeanor shows how utterly gracious she is. There was no indication of dismay at all.

Either way Kate wins in my book, and I'm not one to gush about her.

 

[Dman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb9emC3IAWA&feature=player_embedded

 

[Duke-of-Earl]

Well what I like is Catherine has the honour of her portrait being in the NPG along with some of the world's greatest. The fact all the 'art critics' the tabloids can dig up don't like it, makes me love it even more.
The arm chair critics can bash all they like because their bashing is the closest they will ever come to the NPG. I'm just sooooo happy the artist didn't just cropped some glossy DM pic from a red carpet appearance and then call it a portrait.

 

[Mariel]

What I dislike in this portrait is the expression of her mouth, which is pursed, and comes close to a look of distaste on her part. Now this is probably one of the expressions Kate has, at times, but it is not her BEST expression. She has other expressions which I would have tried to capture, more uplifting, more truly smiling or else truly serious.

The dark circles under her eyes do make her look tired. Perhaps the artist caught a look of tiredness which is actually there, in some glimpses of Kate, for her life does have stresses. So it is both realistic (which she asked for) and also somewhat unflattering. He could have painted the BEST Kate, someone lighter and brighter. But if the history of our world does become darker, with war and other problems, it might be well to remember this look of tiredness in the eyes of the future Queen.

 

[Tinsel]

I suspect she's being diplomatic and gracious, because really, this one needs to go into a closet at the National Gallery and never be seen again. It reminds of me those age-progressed photographs of people who have been missing a long time. And I doubt she asked the artist to show her how she'd look 20 years in the future.