Althouse: "The Duchess explained that she would like to be portrayed naturally — her natural self

১১ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

"The Duchess explained that she would like to be portrayed naturally — her natural self — as opposed to her official self."

So says the artist of the official painting that is apparently horrifying people.

৫৪টি মন্তব্য:

rhhardin বলেছেন...: She looks nice enough to me.; ১১/১/১৩, ৬:৪১ PM
Synova বলেছেন...: I didn't see any of the things the writer was complaining about... looking middle aged or "jowly" or fat or unhealthy.

But the portrait is *dark*. The colors are subdued besides.

If I were inclined to be snarky about it, I'd have mentioned Velvet Elvis.; ১১/১/১৩, ৬:৪২ PM
Humperdink বলেছেন...: Reminds me of a modern day Mona Lisa. (ugh); ১১/১/১৩, ৬:৪৪ PM
নামহীন বলেছেন...: এই মন্তব্যটি লেখক দ্বারা সরানো হয়েছে।; ১১/১/১৩, ৬:৫৩ PM
Ann Althouse বলেছেন...: "They made her look older, fatter, and pinched, so yeah, middle aged."

It will stand the test of time.; ১১/১/১৩, ৬:৫৯ PM
Amartel বলেছেন...: The writer is going so far over the top. "Jowly?" Unwashed hair, fat, looks like she smokes??!?!
No way.
Creating controversy where there needn't be any.
Maybe this is just what there is when the celebrity veil is lifted, and if so, it's quite pretty. IMAO!; ১১/১/১৩, ৭:১০ PM
Sydney বলেছেন...: She looks much prettier in her photographs, even those that are just candid shots by the paparazzi. Generally, a painted portrait - if well done- enhances nature and makes the sitter prettier than life. I suppose it is very difficult to capture true beauty on canvas, though.; ১১/১/১৩, ৭:১৪ PM
mccullough বলেছেন...: I like the topless photo better.; ১১/১/১৩, ৭:১৭ PM
Nomennovum বলেছেন...: "It will stand the test of time."

Indeed it will. Too bad for the Dutchess.; ১১/১/১৩, ৭:২০ PM
Ambrose বলেছেন...: looks fine to me; ১১/১/১৩, ৭:২৬ PM
Ambrose বলেছেন...: এই মন্তব্যটি লেখক দ্বারা সরানো হয়েছে।; ১১/১/১৩, ৭:২৬ PM
edutcher বলেছেন...: I love the eyes. she looks pretty good to me.

I'm sure the official art establishment wanted her looking like the Duchess Flotilla of Uppinghamshire.

ambienisevil said...

They made her look older, fatter, and pinched, so yeah, middle aged.

Listen, muchacho, if she looks that good at 50, I can't see her complaining.; ১১/১/১৩, ৭:৩৬ PM
নামহীন বলেছেন...: It makes her look post-menopausal. When she hits 51, this can become her official portrait. She can then ask the same artist to paint as she REALLY looked when she was younger at 31.; ১১/১/১৩, ৭:৩৯ PM
নামহীন বলেছেন...: It makes her look post-menopausal. When she hits 51, this can become her official portrait. She can then ask the same artist to paint as she REALLY looked when she was younger at 31.; ১১/১/১৩, ৭:৪০ PM
ricpic বলেছেন...: Calling Master Hogarth!; ১১/১/১৩, ৭:৪২ PM
Ruth Anne Adams বলেছেন...: She's lovely, but she's no Countess of Grantham.; ১১/১/১৩, ৭:৪৫ PM
ddh বলেছেন...: The Portrait of Dorian Gray?; ১১/১/১৩, ৭:৪৯ PM
Hagar বলেছেন...: Look at the bright side; it will be a long time before she has to sit for a portrait again.; ১১/১/১৩, ৮:০৩ PM
Brew Master বলেছেন...: I think it is an examplary painting, and I salute her for her wish to not be sanitized.

It is one of the greatest tragedies, in my view, that people are unable to accept who and what they are. That others deride them for the strength of character that it takes to be truthful about oneself is a failing of modern society.; ১১/১/১৩, ৮:০৪ PM
rehajm বলেছেন...: Gainsborough-style. As Ann says, it will fit in nicely...; ১১/১/১৩, ৮:০৫ PM
Brew Master বলেছেন...: Honestly, reading that whole article, and the craptastic comments.....

I feel like I come from a different planet or something. I have so little in common with people who think that the painting is hideous, revolting, or whatever. I mean, in the scheme of things that matter, where does this lie?; ১১/১/১৩, ৮:০৯ PM
Lyle বলেছেন...: It's different. I like the eyes too.; ১১/১/১৩, ৮:১২ PM
Palladian বলেছেন...: In which one can see what photography has done to the art & craft of portrait painting.; ১১/১/১৩, ৮:১৩ PM
Sam L. বলেছেন...: Tempest, this is Teapot. Teapot, this is Tempest. I think you will get on well with each other.; ১১/১/১৩, ৮:২৫ PM
Levi Starks বলেছেন...: Perhaps the artists other job is doing age progression photos for the police, and just couldn't get out of the groove; ১১/১/১৩, ৮:৩০ PM
edutcher বলেছেন...: Palladian said...

In which one can see what photography has done to the art & craft of portrait painting.

I see your point, but I still think it brings out her features and something of the inner woman quite nicely.

YMMV

That said, I once worked with a woman who had a beautifully Neapolitan face and complexion and I suggested she have her portrait painted for the reasons to which you allude.; ১১/১/১৩, ৮:৫৯ PM
The rule of Lemnity বলেছেন...: It will stand the test of time.

It was a ruse to stiff the powerful English painters union.; ১১/১/১৩, ৯:০২ PM
Palladian বলেছেন...: The funniest element of the whole thing is that people still call some woman "The Duchess", and they're serious!; ১১/১/১৩, ৯:১০ PM
wildswan বলেছেন...: Philip Laszlo, early in the Twentieth Century painted portraits that made a lot of his sitters look like morons but he was enormously popular and painted Royalty. Look at Princess Victoria Alexandra or Elizabeth, Empress of Austria as he did them. Maybe it's a subtle undermining like Goya. (I think the painting of Kate Middleton is terrible. It's like a zombie apocalypse thing where this nice person is changing before your eyes into one of THEM.); ১১/১/১৩, ৯:৫৫ PM
Ann Althouse বলেছেন...: "In which one can see what photography has done to the art & craft of portrait painting."

Yeah, no one posing for a portrait could hold a smile like that. That's why it's so notable that the Mona Lisa is almost smiling.; ১১/১/১৩, ১০:০৫ PM
Freeman Hunt বলেছেন...: It's an insult. They should fire him, destroy it, and have it redone.; ১১/১/১৩, ১০:৪৪ PM
Freeman Hunt বলেছেন...: Is she allowed to slap his face with a glove? How does this royalty business work? If she's allowed, she should do it. He may as well have spit in her face.; ১১/১/১৩, ১০:৪৮ PM
Palladian বলেছেন...: This topic reminds me of the official portraits of US Presidents- the last really good one (I mean good both in terms of its merit as both a painting and a likeness) was Anders Zorn's portrait of Taft.; ১১/১/১৩, ১১:০০ PM
Palladian বলেছেন...: The worst presidential portrait is Lyndon Johnson's.; ১১/১/১৩, ১১:০৩ PM
kentuckyliz বলেছেন...: I like it. I don't see the problem.; ১১/১/১৩, ১১:১৯ PM
Clyde বলেছেন...: Either the painting doesn't do her justice or she has a damn good makeup artist.; ১১/১/১৩, ১১:৩৪ PM
Freeman Hunt বলেছেন...: I browsed his online gallery. I think he captures men and flowers very well, but his likenesses of females are all very much like this portrait. Interesting.; ১১/১/১৩, ১১:৩৮ PM
sabeth.chu বলেছেন...: এই মন্তব্যটি লেখক দ্বারা সরানো হয়েছে।; ১২/১/১৩, ১২:৩২ AM
Darrell বলেছেন...: Just install a brass plate saying "Kate at 48."; ১২/১/১৩, ১২:৫০ AM
Jim Howard বলেছেন...: I honestly don't know who 'Kate' is, but I'd hit it.; ১২/১/১৩, ১:৩৪ AM
Jim Howard বলেছেন...: I honestly don't know who 'Kate' is, but I'd hit it.; ১২/১/১৩, ১:৩৫ AM
MayBee বলেছেন...: It's the mouth area that is so unlike hers.
It's so boring too. Imagine, it has to hang in the National Portrait Gallery and compete over the centuries with the glorious Tudor portraits.; ১২/১/১৩, ২:২৯ AM
Darrell বলেছেন...: এই মন্তব্যটি লেখক দ্বারা সরানো হয়েছে।; ১২/১/১৩, ৩:০২ AM
Darrell বলেছেন...: Amazingly, none of the gorillas he painted ever had a complaint; ১২/১/১৩, ৩:২৫ AM
Mitch H. বলেছেন...: Perhaps she aspires to be post-menopausal, middle-aged, not considered as a sexual object, but rather a maternal one. Given all the crap she's gotten so far about topless bathing and pestering her about pregnancy, I could see why she'd want to jump forward through all that rubbish and let someone else brush off paparazzi.; ১২/১/১৩, ৫:৩৫ AM
Eric the Fruit Bat বলেছেন...: The portrait appears to be of a woman possessing an upper lip so it's a success in that regard.; ১২/১/১৩, ৬:৪৭ AM
Nomennovum বলেছেন...: This painting ranks up there with the woman who messed up the fresco of Jesus in that Spanish church as a scandal of the modern era. (Didn't she later seek to profit from her deed?) We are a civilization of vandals, descending into barbarism.; ১২/১/১৩, ৬:৫০ AM
Astro বলেছেন...: The non-smile smile is the problem, imho. It's a smile like she just smelled the artist's stale coffee breath when the artist said hello but she's still trying to smile and be polite.; ১২/১/১৩, ৭:২৩ AM
cubanbob বলেছেন...: If that portrait represents what Kate will look like at fifty, Wills should consider himself lucky.; ১২/১/১৩, ৮:৪০ AM
madAsHell বলেছেন...: I'm not too impressed with the painting, but I've always been impressed with the joy/life/spirit in her eyes. The painter did manage to capture the eyes.; ১২/১/১৩, ৮:৪০ AM
gerry বলেছেন...: Th0se people need to get over themselves.; ১২/১/১৩, ৮:৪২ AM
Astro বলেছেন...: Actually a lot of women hold their looks up to the age of 50; that is to say, women who are out in public a lot and know how to dress appropriately and do their hair and makeup well. It's after 50 when being post-menopausal and other affects of aging really take their toll.

The Prof. is 62 today (Happy Birthday!) and still looks good in the photos she posts [I'd hit it, as they say on the interweb]. But I think she is one of the luckier ones for her age.; ১২/১/১৩, ৯:২৯ AM
sabeth.chu বলেছেন...: she looks like spiderwoman.
if you close your eyes for a moment, and then look at the painting again, then may be the mouth will be open and you can see her fangs.
is the painter a closet woman hater?; ১৩/১/১৩, ৩:৩৪ AM
sabeth.chu বলেছেন...: or:
the duchess has visited arkham; ১৩/১/১৩, ৪:০৪ AM