Pure fluff: Have you all seen Kate Middleton's official portrait?

[TwinFoxes]

The Duchess of Cambridge has a new official portrait. In my opinion, it's horrid. If it were me, the artist would find himself in the Tower of London. :) Thoughts?

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/11/world/europe/duchess-of-cambridge-first-portrait/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

ETA: here's another shot. I think her eyes look like they have bags and wrinkles underneath them.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/duchess-of-cambridges-official-portrait-unveiled/2013/01/11/f85bf0a8-816e-4458-ac02-91007f8af759_video.html

[crayonblue]

What???!!! She is so beautiful and that picture is so not.

[georgiegirl]

That's pretty bad. She's so beautiful in photos. I'd be pissed, but what could she really say. At least that's not how she will be remembered.

[Twin Mom]

I think it's a terrible likeness. Eww.

[Beckylove]

Is there some sort of conspiracy to make her look ridiculous?

She looks old in that portrait and her cheeks look plain ol weird.

I remember how she also looked crazy on some official Olympic coin. Seems suspicious...

[liz]

Not very flattering... it should have been redone. Why would they approve it??

[♥ms.pacman♥]

oh my goodness, that looks HORRIBLE. she looks 20 years older and her face looks so chubby (and she is SKINNY!).

[elbenn]

Hmm, I don't think it's that bad. I think paintings just have a different look than photographs. For reference, here's Diana's official portrait. http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw07291/Diana-Princess-of-Wales

[MamaSnoo]

I think she looks awfully old and her skin is a little grey, but some of it may be the way the painting is photographed. If you click through the slide show, some of the photos of the painting do not look nearly as bad. FE, I think the in last photo in the slide show, the painting looks ok, but in the first one, it is really awful.

[TwinFoxes]

I think her nose looks awful. And I agree she looks quite old.

I think that painting of Diana looks just like she did when she was younger.

Photo of Diana when she was engaged:
http://fashionista.com/2010/11/yes-kate-is-wearing-dianas-ring/

She changed her look a lot...there was speculation she had a nose job. I don't know how she'd get away with it though.

[okinawama]

Eeek, not flattering at all! It's so dark, and her eyes look so...I don't know...vacant I guess. Having said that, I'd hate to be the artist on something like that (not that I have a single artistic bone in my body!), Kate is so loved and beautiful that I think that it would be hard to produce a piece that satisfied people.

[Reader]

I thought she looked old, also. I would have been disappointed, but I read she loved it.

[arivecchi]

Dreadful!

[citymama]

It's not terrible but it is bizarre. The hamster cheeks are ridiculous and it doesn't do her any favors (she doesn't need any). But I like that it has get smiling openly rather than some kind of prim, formal look. Can't the Duchess order it redone?

[Kymberley]

I think she looks awfully old and her skin is a little grey, but some of it may be the way the painting is photographed. If you click through the slide show, some of the photos of the painting do not look nearly as bad. FE, I think the in last photo in the slide show, the painting looks ok, but in the first one, it is really awful.

I agree with you. I think the coloring of the first pic is wrong. It has to be. It just looks...off. But the rest of the photos of the painting look much better with better lighting.

[jgenie]

I'm not a fan either.

OT: Welcome back crayonblue!!! I did a double take when I saw your username. I missed you and hope you're back to stay!!

[MamaSnoo]

OT: Welcome back crayonblue!!! I did a double take when I saw your username. I missed you and hope you're back to stay!!

:yeahthat:

I did not even read through who had posted til I saw your comment. Welcome back!! :waving4:

[crl]

That is unflattering.

Catherine

[maestramommy]

UGH!! That picture does not do her justice AT ALL!! What's with that weirdo expression on her face?? she's got the most radiant smile, where is it??

[Multimama]

I think the painting looks fine in all but the first of the pictures in that CNN link. Click through the others, it's much brighter and she really doesn't look ancient or unattractive.

[TwoBees]

I think it's awful, and it makes her look much older than she is. :(

[sunshine873]

I feel the same way as others. The portrait makes her look old (which she doesn't) and chubby (which she definitely isn't.). Yeah, she said she loves it, but what is she supposed to say? It's not in her character to make a fuss, and it would be so "unroyal" to be anything other than gracious. But someone definitely should have sent that painter back to the drawing board (pun intended.)

[Multimama]

This article is funny: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/12/world/europe/kate-middleton-portrait-draws-complaints.html?_r=0

Someone said the painting made the Duchess look undead. :rotflmao:

[Twoboos]

oh my goodness, that looks HORRIBLE. she looks 20 years older and her face looks so chubby (and she is SKINNY!).

:yeahthat: This exactly!! It's awful.

[AnnieW625]

I think she looks way too middle aged. At least Diana while looking a tad matronly for being what 20 her face still looks like she is 20.

[elektra]

UGH!! That picture does not do her justice AT ALL!! What's with that weirdo expression on her face?? she's got the most radiant smile, where is it??

:yeahthat: and the cheeks???

[maybeebaby08]

I don't like the painting, it's very unflattering. I like the references to the undead and Twilight look.

[crayonblue]

I'm not a fan either.

OT: Welcome back crayonblue!!! I did a double take when I saw your username. I missed you and hope you're back to stay!!


:yeahthat:

I did not even read through who had posted til I saw your comment. Welcome back!! :waving4:

Aww, thanks! jgenie, your signature makes me smile. :)

[Green_Tea]

The Duchess is so beautiful. That painting looks like something that should be painted on velvet and sold at an "art show" in a cheap hotel ballroom.

As a PP suggested, to the Tower with the painter! Off with his head!

[lhafer]

Actually that first link is a bad picture of the painting. I've seen some others - the painting is pretty amazing. She wanted her "natural" self, which is why she doesn't have an open mouth smile. It's how her face is most of the time (off camera).

But if you actually look a really good photograph of the painting - her eyes are amazingly done, and her hair looks so incredibly real.

[elliput]

I think she looks way too middle aged. At least Diana while looking a tad matronly for being what 20 her face still looks like she is 20.

The Duchess is 31, so she is almost there.

Personally, I like the realism of the portrait and that she doesn't look like a photoshopped version of herself, which is what we are used to seeing as a normal representation of women. If you look at the picture of her speaking with the artist, you can see the slight bags under her eyes and the definition of the cheeks. He did exactly what she asked for
"The Duchess explained that she would like to be portrayed naturally -- her natural self -- as opposed to her official self," he said in a video posted on the gallery's website.