- Kate Middleton's portrait was revealed
- It drew lots of criticism online
- The public is divided on it
After a bold move that's got everyone talking, the latest portrait of Catherine, Princess of Wales, has ignited a whirlwind of controversy and captivated royal watchers worldwide. Gracing the cover of 'Tatler' magazine's July issue, this artwork, crafted by the talented British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor, aims to showcase the princess's "strength and dignity."
But not everyone's buying it!
The Art of Controversy
It depicts Catherine during her appearance at the first state banquet of King Charles III’s reign, and Uzor said she studied photographs of the princess in the process of creating the work.
"When you can’t meet the sitter in person, you have to look at everything you can find and piece together the subtle human moments revealed in different photographs: do they have a particular way of standing or holding their head or hands? Do they have a recurrent gesture?," she said in the statement.
Uzor, who poured over photographs to capture the essence of the princess, said, "All my portraits are made up of layers of a personality."
Yet, some critics are less than impressed, slamming the portrait as "disrespectful" representation of the future British Queen. It's clear not everybody appreciated the portrayal of the princess.
"This is dreadful - somehow, I’m not sure the artist is a fan of the Princess - it looks like a bad GCSE project," reads one comment under a post from Tatler on X.
"This looks nothing like the Princess of Wales. It’s so awful, it’s disrespectful," reads another.
The reactions are in
"I agree with the sentiments of strength and dignity but the portrait lacks any resemblance to the Princess of Wales," said another.
However, some did praise the work, with one calling the painting "beautiful."
"Am I the only person who likes this? It’s art, not a photo," wrote another commenter. And it wasn’t just social media users who reacted to the painting. Alastair Sooke, chief art critic at UK newspaper 'The Daily Telegraph', said in an article that the painting was "intolerably bad" and "shows no flicker of resemblance to its subject."
"Has there been a flatter, more lifeless royal portrait in living memory?" Sooke wrote. "Beneath a Lego-like helmet of unmodulated, monotonously brown ‘hair,’ this Princess of Wales has as much charisma as a naff figurine atop a wedding cake.”
From "bad GCSE project" to "nothing like the Princess of Wales," social media users didn't hold back their punches. Despite the backlash, a few voices of support emerged, appreciating the artistic endeavor and reminding us, "It’s art, not a photo."
Interestingly, this isn't the first royal portrait to cause a stir. King Charles III's recent official portrait also faced its share of criticism, with some likening it to a "poster for a horror film."
The 8.5 by 6.5-foot painting by British artist Jonathan Yeo depicts the monarch wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, sword in hand, against a fiery red background that appears to almost swallow him whole, as a butterfly looks like it’s about to land on his shoulder.
While the King is reportedly happy with the portrait, others criticized the lurid red brushstrokes...
Also interesting:
She takes a step back
So, what's the final verdict?
Art is subjective, and while the latest portrait of Catherine, Princess of Wales, might not be everyone's cup of tea, it's certainly got us talking! Whether you love it or loathe it, there's no denying it's made a bold statement in the world of royal portraiture.
