Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled ETA: Other Famous Portraits below

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had an art outing early Friday – for the unveiling of her official portrait.

And they were not alone. Kate's parents and siblings also made the breakfast trip to the National Portrait Gallery – the Duchess's first official outing since she handed out awards at a sports honors evening in December.

Her reaction to her portrait? "I thought it was brilliant," Kate, who showed no sign of a baby bump in her burgundy Whistles dress, said at the reception.

She also thanked artist Paul Emsley, a Glasgow-born, South African-raised painter, while William pronounced the canvas – which happens to be located in the same gallery as a rendering of a naked David Beckham (it will soon be moved elsewhere) – "absolutely beautiful"

Kate sat for Emsley in two sittings last May and June, both at his studio in Bradford-upon-Avon, southwest England, and at Kensington Palace. Working from photographs he took, he spent 3½ months to create the painting.



He says Kate wanted "to convey her natural self as opposed to her official self. I was always aware of the fact that we would use the hair very much as a kind of a frame for the face, and not too much jewelry apart from the earring, to try to create something of her natural warmth, her natural serenity without too much busyness in the portrait."

He told PEOPLE, "If you are working with someone who has whose face is just a lovely face, it's harder to find something in the portrait that gives it some sort of gravitas. In this case I've tried to do that with the smile and the dimples and the shadows around the face."

Director of the National Portrait Gallery Sandy Nairne, called the painting "very direct, simple. Modern contemporary portrait." As for the subject, "She was really positive about it," and, as he told PEOPLE, "She seemed very well, terrific."

Message edited 1/11/2013 1:45:26 PM.

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

Ummmm- that is NOT a good picture of her.
Wow- they could have done SOOOO much better for her official portrait if you ask me.

Message edited 1/11/2013 8:52:50 AM.

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

I don't like. I think it makes her look much older than she is.

Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

She looks old. Would have been better with a smile.

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

I really think it's a terrible portrait of her. I would cry if it were me. Poor Kate, I hope she likes it for her sake. Do you think she had a glimpse of this before everyone else?

Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

I wish he painted her with a smile vs a smirk. This portrait looks very morbid.

Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

I know she watned her natural self but this just makes her look so old. He went overboard with the finer details.

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

Why did he put such bags under her eyes?

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

I don't like this at all. She looks a lot older and just not a good, natural picture of her.

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

Terrible portrait. She is a beautiful woman, and this makes her look so much older than she is. I wish she was smiling.

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

Posted by Hofstra26

Posted by NervousNell

Ummmm- that is NOT a good picture of her.
Wow- they could have done SOOOO much better for her official portrait if you ask me.

ITA. She looks so old. I don't like it.

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

The artist mustn't have liked her very much because he's exaggerated all the lines and puffiness she has naturally. Don't make her look air brushed but it looks like she had a particularly rough night out in the painting. Odd.

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

I just saw this on FB and was coming here to post.

I think it's terrible. He's aged her to 50 years old. She looks so...gray.

Not good.

Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

That is a terrible image of her! I can't believe they use it! If that was me I'd be really upset!

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

There should be a re"paint" day.. 3.5

months to paint this? really and it looks like

this...oh poor Kate.

Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

She looks so much older! It's really terrible. Her hair is gorgeous though.

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

I feel so badly for her. It is so unflattering and she had to say she was thrilled. The portrait ages her so much. I have never seen her with those bags under her eyes. He got her hair right, but it looks duller than every other image I have seen.

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

What a terrible portrait.
She looks old and like a poster child for plastic surgery gone wrong.

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

I agree with everyone else, this portrait does her beauty absolutely NO justice. If someone can make Kate look like this, I would never want to see him paint me, lol

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

This is a horrible angle-just like a passport photo angle. She is a stunning woman; a classic beauty but this does not capture that at all.

Re: Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled ETA: Other Famous Portraits below

Diana


The Queen


Camilla

Kate's Official Portrait Unveiled

Wow, it's pretty bad compared to what she really looks like!