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

११ जानेवारी, २०१३

"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.

५४ टिप्पण्या:

rhhardin म्हणाले...: She looks nice enough to me.; ११/१/१३, ६:४१ PM
Synova म्हणाले...: 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.; ११/१/१३, ६:४२ PM
Humperdink म्हणाले...: Reminds me of a modern day Mona Lisa. (ugh); ११/१/१३, ६:४४ PM
अनामित म्हणाले...: ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.; ११/१/१३, ६:५३ PM
Ann Althouse म्हणाले...: "They made her look older, fatter, and pinched, so yeah, middle aged."

It will stand the test of time.; ११/१/१३, ६:५९ PM
Amartel म्हणाले...: 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!; ११/१/१३, ७:१० PM
Sydney म्हणाले...: 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.; ११/१/१३, ७:१४ PM
mccullough म्हणाले...: I like the topless photo better.; ११/१/१३, ७:१७ PM
Nomennovum म्हणाले...: "It will stand the test of time."

Indeed it will. Too bad for the Dutchess.; ११/१/१३, ७:२० PM
Ambrose म्हणाले...: looks fine to me; ११/१/१३, ७:२६ PM
Ambrose म्हणाले...: ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.; ११/१/१३, ७:२६ PM
edutcher म्हणाले...: 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.; ११/१/१३, ७:३६ PM
अनामित म्हणाले...: 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.; ११/१/१३, ७:३९ PM
अनामित म्हणाले...: 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.; ११/१/१३, ७:४० PM
ricpic म्हणाले...: Calling Master Hogarth!; ११/१/१३, ७:४२ PM
Ruth Anne Adams म्हणाले...: She's lovely, but she's no Countess of Grantham.; ११/१/१३, ७:४५ PM
ddh म्हणाले...: The Portrait of Dorian Gray?; ११/१/१३, ७:४९ PM
Hagar म्हणाले...: Look at the bright side; it will be a long time before she has to sit for a portrait again.; ११/१/१३, ८:०३ PM
Brew Master म्हणाले...: 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.; ११/१/१३, ८:०४ PM
rehajm म्हणाले...: Gainsborough-style. As Ann says, it will fit in nicely...; ११/१/१३, ८:०५ PM
Brew Master म्हणाले...: 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?; ११/१/१३, ८:०९ PM
Lyle म्हणाले...: It's different. I like the eyes too.; ११/१/१३, ८:१२ PM
Palladian म्हणाले...: In which one can see what photography has done to the art & craft of portrait painting.; ११/१/१३, ८:१३ PM
Sam L. म्हणाले...: Tempest, this is Teapot. Teapot, this is Tempest. I think you will get on well with each other.; ११/१/१३, ८:२५ PM
Levi Starks म्हणाले...: Perhaps the artists other job is doing age progression photos for the police, and just couldn't get out of the groove; ११/१/१३, ८:३० PM
edutcher म्हणाले...: 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.; ११/१/१३, ८:५९ PM
Lem Vibe Bandit म्हणाले...: It will stand the test of time.

It was a ruse to stiff the powerful English painters union.; ११/१/१३, ९:०२ PM
Palladian म्हणाले...: The funniest element of the whole thing is that people still call some woman "The Duchess", and they're serious!; ११/१/१३, ९:१० PM
wildswan म्हणाले...: 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.); ११/१/१३, ९:५५ PM
Ann Althouse म्हणाले...: "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.; ११/१/१३, १०:०५ PM
Freeman Hunt म्हणाले...: It's an insult. They should fire him, destroy it, and have it redone.; ११/१/१३, १०:४४ PM
Freeman Hunt म्हणाले...: 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.; ११/१/१३, १०:४८ PM
Palladian म्हणाले...: 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.; ११/१/१३, ११:०० PM
Palladian म्हणाले...: The worst presidential portrait is Lyndon Johnson's.; ११/१/१३, ११:०३ PM
kentuckyliz म्हणाले...: I like it. I don't see the problem.; ११/१/१३, ११:१९ PM
Clyde म्हणाले...: Either the painting doesn't do her justice or she has a damn good makeup artist.; ११/१/१३, ११:३४ PM
Freeman Hunt म्हणाले...: 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.; ११/१/१३, ११:३८ PM
sabeth.chu म्हणाले...: ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.; १२/१/१३, १२:३२ AM
Darrell म्हणाले...: Just install a brass plate saying "Kate at 48."; १२/१/१३, १२:५० AM
Jim Howard म्हणाले...: I honestly don't know who 'Kate' is, but I'd hit it.; १२/१/१३, १:३४ AM
Jim Howard म्हणाले...: I honestly don't know who 'Kate' is, but I'd hit it.; १२/१/१३, १:३५ AM
MayBee म्हणाले...: 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.; १२/१/१३, २:२९ AM
Darrell म्हणाले...: ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.; १२/१/१३, ३:०२ AM
Darrell म्हणाले...: Amazingly, none of the gorillas he painted ever had a complaint; १२/१/१३, ३:२५ AM
Mitch H. म्हणाले...: 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.; १२/१/१३, ५:३५ AM
Eric the Fruit Bat म्हणाले...: The portrait appears to be of a woman possessing an upper lip so it's a success in that regard.; १२/१/१३, ६:४७ AM
Nomennovum म्हणाले...: 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.; १२/१/१३, ६:५० AM
Astro म्हणाले...: 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.; १२/१/१३, ७:२३ AM
cubanbob म्हणाले...: If that portrait represents what Kate will look like at fifty, Wills should consider himself lucky.; १२/१/१३, ८:४० AM
madAsHell म्हणाले...: 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.; १२/१/१३, ८:४० AM
gerry म्हणाले...: Th0se people need to get over themselves.; १२/१/१३, ८:४२ AM
Astro म्हणाले...: 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.; १२/१/१३, ९:२९ AM
sabeth.chu म्हणाले...: 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?; १३/१/१३, ३:३४ AM
sabeth.chu म्हणाले...: or:
the duchess has visited arkham; १३/१/१३, ४:०४ AM