Kate’s Official Portrait
I love to collect portrait images on my Pinterest boards. There are so many interesting ways to compose the subject within the space that can create different moods. I love all the inventive ideas to imagine posing the subject. Dark, heavily shadowed lighting, soft sunlight through a window, subjects closely cropped into the picture plane or far away have differing results. Some portraits suggest hints of detail that “feel” like the person, with deliberate lines to softly describe a personality. I absolutely love historical portraits with all the satins and jewels and glittering costumes of their day.
It seems that Kate Middleton’s official portrait has caused quite a stir in Great Britain. I had seen a photo of the quiet portrait in the newspaper and was unsure what I really thought about it. It certainly did look like her, but I was unsure the mood captured who she appears to be as a person. She seems very open, vibrant, sincere and fun loving.
I just found an interesting BBC article online and saw the picture again. There is a close-up cropped view of the portrait that glows of her sparkling blue eyes and luminous skin, but the full portrait I feel dilutes this image. The dark background is moody and interesting, but the blouse she is wearing is dull navy and looks like she may have borrowed it from the queen. Now I love the queen, but her style describes who she is in a different way, right?
One time I excitedly discovered some navy patent square toed pumps from my mom’s closet that I felt looked cool and retro for a family party. I felt so good until I overheard my older cousin (who I am NOT close to) remark rudely…”did she borrow those from her mom?”. Yes, yes I did, actually. Thank you for letting me know I did not carry off the attempt successfully. (I hope she reads this)
As an American, I must say all the glittering ancestral portraits in Europe fascinate me with their finely honed details. On a wonderful trip to Eastern Europe two years ago we happened upon Lobkovicz Castle, in Prague. There was a huge room filled with ancestral portraits of their family a treasure trove of people from the past peering across the room toward the others. I must admit I absolutely love all the fancy pomp and circumstance. All that fine pretty detail trumps the mountain of technology we are inundated with today.
So I guess I would have liked to see more. More vibrancy, more of a feeling of glittering royalty, something almost playful but serene. Considering the historical significance of this depiction and imagining the countless royal portraits it is following… what do you think about Kate’s official portrait?
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
