Portraits of Crown Princess Mary

[bbb]

thanks for the link to the big portrait i just realized she's putting on or taking off gloves, with her coat laying nearby. it certainly isn't "traditional" but the more i look at it the more i like it. looks very modern in the museum with all the tapestries and full lenght royal portraits.
imo the purple shoes just look stupid with those hose and outfit. match your shoes to your hose not your hat.

 

[kaydura0717]

I think the portrait was beautifally painted and I loved the colors. It seemed to really capture her and her life.

 

[Kelly]

Princess Mary looks beautiful in the portrait although a little too dark for her real tone of skin. Wonder what Fedrick thinks?

 

[Sophus]

I like the portrait very much. But - I don't understand the symbols in it. The room in which Mary stands is the 'Gardensalon' at Fredensborg Palace but where the gilted stucco use to frame a painting by an italian 18-century artist it now frames a mirror - and this mirror shows boats and baroque-buildings which has nothing to do with Fredensborg or Denmark.

Does anybody know if the boats and buíldings are from Australia? Or another place connected to Mary?

I think the portraits shows the princess dressing before an official duty - having a quiet moment in the sun before going out and meet the press...

 

[Kelly]

Biography of the artist Ralph Heimans:
http://www.ralphheimans.com/about.html

 

[Beate]

Ok, just saw Adry's post with the photos. maybe Mary is tragic after all. that purple hat! eeewww!!! it looks like something my eccentric aunt hester would wear.

The hat is simply awful..Yikes.... But- I don't mind the portrait..

 

[Lillia]

I really like this picture! I think it gives her a warm, modern feel and shows her as more than just some kind of 'fairy tale' of people's imagination. The tones that were used are quite nice and very appropriate!

 

[Kelly]

First reactions to Princess Mary's Portrait:
http://danishroyalwatchers.blogspot.com/2006/04/portrait-of-mary-first-reactions.html

 

[Emmily]

I like the portrait very much. But - I don't understand the symbols in it. The room in which Mary stands is the 'Gardensalon' at Fredensborg Palace but where the gilted stucco use to frame a painting by an italian 18-century artist it now frames a mirror - and this mirror shows boats and baroque-buildings which has nothing to do with Fredensborg or Denmark.

Does anybody know if the boats and buíldings are from Australia? Or another place connected to Mary?

I think the portraits shows the princess dressing before an official duty - having a quiet moment in the sun before going out and meet the press...

Yes, I read that the boats and buildings are Constitution Dock in Hobart, Australia. I like the painting verymuch.

 

[pdas1201]

More pics

www.royal-photo.dk

 

[AnaM]

I thought her hat was lovely (look at the detail of the leaves!). And it even matches her shoes!

 

[highpriestess]

While the artist is clearly very talented I dont much care for the painting, mary looks like she is locked up in her golden palace longing to get out, the face is also so very stiff and a little arrogant, she has a nice smile and they should have painted it. JMO

I agree. The tilted head and up-in-the-air chin are very Mary, but it also looks arrogant and cold. Now three portraits now including the first one with the humongus sun glasses, and all three depicted a very cold Mary. I wonder why.

From an artistic standpoint, I think the background this time was painted better than the last portrait. But it does give a bird-in-golden-cage feel to it. The artist also "enhanced" her figure quite a bit. Mary doesn't have that narrow a waist.

The purple hat...yack. Another up-side-down flower pot.

 

[Emmily]

It's funny how we can all see something different in the portrait and this princess. I don't see arrogance at all in how she's painted. She appears thoughtful and serious to me. She's looking at a picture of her birth country, Australia, and seems to be thinking about that past life.

 

[Margrethe II]

The tilted head and up-in-the-air chin are very Mary, but it also looks arrogant and cold. Now three portraits now including the first one with the humongus sun glasses, and all three depicted a very cold Mary.

I couldnt disagree more.

Have you thought that maybe its just good posture on her bahalf, not arrogance?

It is a piece based on reflection. The Crown Princess is staring out the window, adjusting her gloves, getting ready to leave the Palace..she is in a place of thought. The piece captures this sole moment.

As for three...there have only been two official portraits commissioned. What is this other one, you have mentioned?

"MI"

 

[Queen Zenobia]

I love how in the painting one glove is off showing her wedding and engangement ring!

 

[oskana]

I agree. The tilted head and up-in-the-air chin are very Mary, but it also looks arrogant and cold. Now three portraits now including the first one with the humongus sun glasses, and all three depicted a very cold Mary. I wonder why.

From an artistic standpoint, I think the background this time was painted better than the last portrait. But it does give a bird-in-golden-cage feel to it. The artist also "enhanced" her figure quite a bit. Mary doesn't have that narrow a waist.

The purple hat...yack. Another up-side-down flower pot.

agreed with everything. the problem i see with the picture is that its unatural. i was hoping for something natural and warm. i dont see that in the picture. He is a talented artist but i was hoping for something "better"

 

[lise]

I don't like the portiat myself It all seems to dark for me but It's something different which is good. As for the hat I like it but I think it's out of place. Marys outfit is a serious colour and her hat is a happy bright colour it just doesn't work.

 

[crisiñaki]

Don't like the purple hat but the rest of the outfit is OK

 

[Leighnh]

I couldnt disagree more.

It is a piece based on reflection. The Crown Princess is staring out the window, adjusting her gloves, getting ready to leave the Palace..she is in a place of thought. The piece captures this sole moment.

"MI"

I couldn't agree more, and I like it. It is a very reflective and it captures Mary very well.

I do like the purple hat. First we read that Mary does nothing with her hair, then we read the complaints when she does do something with it, like wear a hat/headband whatever... Nice to see some colour after the northern winter.

 

[bastiana]

I like the hat and the shoes!!!

 

[RaniaRocks]

I like the portrait very much, to me is just Mary having a moment for herself, a moment of reflection before (or even maybe after) facing the day, that's a common gesture of Mary when she's thinking, look at Mary's pictures and you guys will see, not arrogant at all, is just Mary thinking and reflecting....

 

[HRH Mims]

I like that portrait. Mary looks like truly princess- with beauty and charm.

 

[pdas1201]

Although everyone has already said what I feel about the portrait of Mary, I still feel I have to add my two cents

I just love the portrait of Mary, although not at first glance, I looked at it several times and noticed the various nuances incorporated into the portrait. The portrait according to me is not just another formal portrait with formal gown and heirloom jewelry, which to me seem to be stuck in a time warp but a tribute to the modern monarchy. Monarchy has changed with times and its about time that their portraits changed as well to present the modern times.

I love the fact that it shows Mary in a modern attire and not a floor length evening gown, reminiscent of the old world. We are living in the 21st century and the portrait keeps that in mind.

Regarding her pose, I don't see arrogance but a faraway look of a person whose life has changed tremendously. As said before, a pensive look.

 

[JessRulz]

Mary's portrait was featured in an article in today's The Herald Sun (australian newspaper). In the article it said that while Mary is posing in the Garden Room of Fredensbourg Palace, the artist, Ralph Heimans, painted a "hazy vision of Hobart's Constitution Dock" in the mirror behind her, representing her past and her present.

The pictures of Mary and Frederik today were really nice, and it looks as though Mary is really happy with the painting!

 

[Australian]

I really like the portrait, I think it's an excellent peice of artwork. Oh and a poster said something about how Mary looked back at the painting while leaving "to get one more look at herself" or something along those lines, So what is it now? she can't look back? Oh the scrutiny lol. She was probably just seeing something she missed thats all

 

[galuhcandrakirana]

If you look at Mary's posed official photographs (like in fashion magazines and the court's website) she tends to have a serious expression. or more of a half smile than a full-on cheerful one. I guess that is her preference...

Well in my opinion not on this one, on this potrait she looks more as cold than just a serious expression.

 

[Maxie]

I really like the portrait, even the dark colours. Mary really looks great on it. Very regal and with a very pensive look, as pdas1201 mentioned before. I like the idea of a modern Mary in a very historical background. Well done!

(But that purple hat. My oh my!)

 

[Sophus]

I like the portrait very much - I'm an arthistorian with a dissertation in royal danish portraits, and this is a portrait that combines both tradition and modern time. I like the fact that Mary is standing in the Gardensalon at Fredensborg - the very room where Laurits Tuxen painted the danish royal family in 1883-1886.

But - I don't understand the great size of the portrait as it do not match the pendant of Frederik in the museum (by danish artist Vibeke Tøjner) at all... If they are ment to hang together I think it is quite strange that one of the portraits is so much smaller that the other.

 

[Queen Zenobia]

I have to say that I like the potrait and it symbolism and characterisation. What I don't like is the sad, lonely feeling it evokes in me, and the fact that Mary is almost swallowed up by her surroundings.

 

[JessRulz]

Mary wore the purple hat with the flowers back in December 2004 to the Philips Nordic Prize for Science
Here's a link to pdas1201's post with pics from the event:
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/148621-post94.html

I think that the hat looked better with the grey outfit than what she wore today, the colours went together more.

On the portrait, I think that it's a very nice portrait, and that the artist captured Mary in the way he invisioned to capture her: preparing to leave the palace on route to a royal engagement