Portrait of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge [SEP] collection
Portrait of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
Portrait of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is the first official portrait of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery, London on 11 January 2013. Paul Emsley was commissioned to paint the Duchess after being selected from a shortlist by Catherine herself. Catherine had announced the National Portrait Gallery as one of her official patronages in January 2012. Emsley took 15 weeks to complete the painting, which was presented to the trustees of the gallery in November 2012. The Duchess,
contrary to considerable criticism in the art world, highly praised the portrait after viewing it initially in a private family gathering.
Description.
"Portrait of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge" is the first official portrait of the Duchess. Emsley, originally of South Africa and a 2007 recipient of the BP Portrait Award, had previously painted portraits of Nelson Mandela and Naipaul. In a video interview for "The Daily Telegraph", Emsley suggested that beginning he was thrilled to receive the commission. "Slowly" he says he