A new portrait of the Princess of Wales commissioned by England’s Tatler magazine aimed to show Catherine Middleton’s “dignity, elegance, and grace.” But, judging by online remarks, the canvas widely missed the mark.
The painting, by British-Zambian artist Hannah Uzor, features on the cover of the July issue of Tatler magazine. It aims to honor the “strength and dignity” of the princess, according to a statement from the publication
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.
The portrait shows Kate in the $5,000 floor-length Jenny Packham cape dress she wore to a state banquet for the president of South Africa at Buckingham Palace in 2023, along with the 1913 Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot tiara.
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.”
“Intentionally bad,” swiped one commenter on Tatler’s post with the cover of the July 2024 issue that sports the portrait, which is the work of Zambia-born artist Hannah Uzor. “Woke agenda,” cried another, adding, “Terrible portrait. Talent should matter.”
Others noted that in view of the Princess’s medical condition, what they consider a poor likeness of her can only cause further harm. “She has been through hell battling cancer!” wrote one commenter. “It is incredible that no one proofed this horrible painting before it was published!”
Kate Mansey, royal editor at The Times of London, was also non-plus.
“I’m not quite sure what to say about this one, except, hmm…” she wrote on X.
The backlash follows a similar discussion surrounding the first official portrait of King Charles III since his coronation, which was revealed earlier this month.
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, with one person likening it to a “poster for a horror film.”
Commenters on a post by the popular Instagrammer Diet Prada had some fun at the painting’s expense. “I think this is a middle school artist masterpiece,” deadpanned one, while another referred to an artist who took up painting much later in life and is known partly for his portraits of world leaders: “I think George W. Bush did an amazing job.”
Peoplesmind
