While agreeing with the majority opinion (which in younger days would have been reason enough to DISAGREE ;) ) I don't think the words "should be" have a valid place in art critque. (Does one absolute fighting another negate them both?)

I know what you meant Nathaniel, and I suspect your "should be" did NOT in fact mean "must be" (did it?), but that is what is too often meant when people trot out those two iron-plated words ...

David,

You're right. I certainly didn't mean "must be". We're talking about whether or not we like the portrait of Elizabeth and why, so I'm just giving my personal preferences. It's difficult to state these things clearly. I read somewhere that "talking about art is like dancing about mathematics".

Also, I don't consider myself qualified to give an "art critique". You won't see me post anything in the critique forum, but I thought I'd say something here, since we're just being asked what we think of the painting.

Nathan

I feel a little guilty about this but I can't resist knocking Lucian Freud's work...

Here is a drawing by him...and I think the title should be:

"DON'T DRINK AND DRAW!"

OR!

"Don't drink and write humor"

I consider Lucian Freud a good, perhaps one of the best painters of today. Perhaps it's good to think about how intolerant many people are towards realistic art, let's not make the same mistake towards Lucien Freud. The portrait of the queen is not one of his best. I think it's not a good painting by Freud's standards. But he made some impressive works of art.

Thanks Karin, for showing us that beautiful drawing by Freud.

Peter

An old saying, but a true one, isn't it? :) Thanks for another definition of "beautiful."

Wow, I just re-read this thread..........

I work the graveyard shift (11pm-7am) while in school, so I sometimes have to go 24 hours without sleep. It shows in some of my more regrettable posts!


Nathan

I think it is unfair to judge an artist by only one or two works....it is helpful to see a whole body of work. So here is some more of Lucien's work...

and more...

and...