Now this is an art attack! Newly unveiled Kate Middleton portrait is given a makeover as pranksters create alternative pictures



It's received a slew of withering criticism with art lovers branding it 'rotten', 'ghastly' and 'ordinary'.

And now some aspiring artists have lent a hand - and some Photoshop skills - to try and improve Kate Middleton's first official portrait - with mixed results.

While the Duchess of Cambridge is 'thrilled' with the results of her oil painting, praising it as 'amazing' , some have been less than generous with their views.

The newly-commissioned portrait of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, by artist Paul Emsley, has come under some fierce criticism

Kate has been given a makeover with the handiwork of the Spanish grandmother who decided to 'restore' a 19th century fresco of Jesus

That put a smile on her face! Mr Bean has been morphed on to the Duchess' portrait - and appears to be sporting a lovely shade of eyeshadow

Some say the painting makes the pregnant 31-year-old look older than she is, while others claim the portrait by artist Paul Emsley makes her look more like she's grimacing than smiling.

'Ghastly ... rotten ... an out and out disaster,' was the view of the editor of the British Art Journal, Robin Simon.

'It’s only saving grace is that it’s not by Rolf Harris,' was the best that David Lee, now editor of The Jackdaw and a former editor of Art Review, could manage.

And renowned critic Brian Sewell described it as ‘sickening’, but the artist has won several prestigious awards including the 1997 BP Portrait Award.

Kate, on her first official outing for almost a month, was far more polite.



Eating for ten, rather than two! The slender Duchess has been given the Fatbooth app treatment, complete with double chin and wobbly jowls

Pranksters took advantage of the 'eerie' atmosphere of the portrait to impose Ghostbuster villain Vigo on the Duchess' head

'It’s just amazing. Absolutely brilliant,' she told artist Emsley, when she met him at the National Portrait Gallery in central London, where the picture will hang.

But some artistic members of the public have rushed to 'improve' the oil painting, which shows the Duchess of Cambridge in a dark blue pussybow blouse.

The wife of Prince William has been given a variety of hysterical looks - which have gone viral.

In one portrait, the picture has been given a makeover with Celia Gimenez work.



Kate's face has been replaced with the 80-year-old grandmother's painting of Jesus - which many said resembled a 'monkey face'.

The well-meaning Spaniard ruined a 19th century fresco of Jesus in her botched attempt at restoring it with some handiwork of her own.

Surprise! After being criticised for making Kate look older than her years, Photoshop has certainly turned back the clock on this spoof portrait

Sadly, the Twilight films have come to a close - but Kate's addition to the vampire story would certainly pull in fans

Kate has been subjected to the smartphone FatBooth app in one picture.

The usually slender Royal is given a pair of huge cheeks, a massive double chin and looks like she's been eating for ten, rather than two.



The dark background, muted colours and the contrast of her pale skin against an atmospheric background has led some to compare her portrait to a Twilight poster.

Some pranksters decided that the 'eerie' nature of the portrait was too creepy for the refined and cheerful mother-to-be, and replaced Kate's face with a picture of Ghostbuster villain Vigo the Carpathian.

Another trickster decided to re-interpret the 'lifelike' nature of the portrait, and stuck a photo of the Duchess as a youngster, pulling a startled face on the picture.

One person decides to create their own version of the much-criticised painting - with hardly better results

One woman decided to offer her version of the official portrait with this crudely drawn stick figure

Never one to shy away from a Twitter conversation, former MP Louise Mensch also couldn't help herself getting in on the joke - she re-Tweeted a crudely-drawn stick figure which joked that it was a version of the official portrait.

And Rowan Atkinson's character Mr Bean was also included in the viral sweeping the internet.

Photoshoppers morphed the slapstick character's gurning expression onto the long curled locks of the Duchess.

While someone else just decided that they could do better than the official, presenting a portrait that would make a seven-year-old proud - but at least they kept within the lines.



Emsley - known for his lifelike drawings - was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery and was chosen by its director Sandy Nairne following a selection process which involved Kate.

Their muse: The Duchess introduces her husband to artist Paul Emsley after viewing his portrait at the National Portrait Gallery Real impact: The painting is much bigger than lifesize - which one art critic called a 'jolly brave' choice

VIDEO Paul Emsley talks about his original painting of Kate



