The first official painting of the Duchess of Cambridge has been unveiled to mixed reviews from critics. The portrait, created by artist Paul Emsley, was commissioned by London's National Portrait Gallery, where the duchess serves as patron.
Emsley used a technique of building thin layers of oil and glazes on canvas, working from photographs and two sittings with the duchess in May and June 2012. The 31-year-old duchess, whose pregnancy was announced last month, expressed a desire to be portrayed as her natural self.
Art critic Waldemar Januszczak of the Sunday Times expressed disappointment, calling it "yet another pretty ordinary painting of a royal." However, Alastair Adams, president of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, praised the work for showing the duchess's natural side, describing it as "very human" and "straightforward."
Emsley, who has also painted Nelson Mandela and V.S. Naipaul, said he aimed to capture the duchess's smile and hair, altering the eye colour to match her blouse and background. The painting took three-and-a-half months to complete and was presented to the gallery's trustees in November.
