Kate Middleton Portrait Gets Comical Makeovers: But Will The Queen Be Amused?
When Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge’s portrait was unveiled last Friday, it received harsh criticism in some quarters.
Even though Kate declared the portrait — currently hanging in London’s National Portrait Gallery — as “amazing” while husband Prince William called it “absolutely beautiful,” some critics had far less complimentary words.
Many thought the oil painting made the pregnant, recently turned 31-year-old look older, while others said the portrait by Scottish artist Paul Emsley made Kate look like she was grimacing rather than smiling.
Robin Simon, editor of the British Art Journal dubbed it, “ghastly … rotten … an out and out disaster.”
“It’s only saving grace is that it’s not by Rolf Harris,” was the verdict of David Lee, editor of The Jackdaw.
Waldemar Januszczak, art critic for the Sunday Times, told BBC News:
“I have been waiting for it, like everybody else, with great expectation because the Duchess of Cambridge is someone who we know likes art … But I think she’s been let down really by the picture. In the end it’s yet another pretty ordinary painting of a royal of the sort that we’ve been really churning out for the last few hundred years in Britain.”
Even more damningly, renowned art history critic Brian Sewell judged the official portrait as ‘sickening.’
Now it appears some British subjects have taken matters into their hands.
Using Photoshop and a fair amount of tongue-in-cheek, a slew of spoof makeovers of the portrait by members of the public have now surfaced, the Daily Mail reports.
In one, Kate is given The Twilight Saga treatment and called the “Grandmother of the Vampires.” In another, a superimposed image of the Ghostbuster villain Vigo is substituted for the duchess’ face.
In another Kate is super-sized — a lot — while one image transposes the face of fictional idiot character Mr Bean, played by British actor and comedian, Rowan Atkinson, Daily News And Analysis notes.
The ‘comedy’ pictures are have now reportedly gone viral online, but whatever will Kate, Prince William and the Queen think of it all?
You can see more the portrait ‘makeovers ‘ here but here’s a selection below. Thoughts?
