When the New Generation Festival decided to commission a portrait for the grand walls of the Palazzo Corsini in Florence, they turned to British painter Jamie Coreth, known for his ability to blend classical poise with contemporary depth. The subject was none other than the Duke of Kent, a patron of the festival whose long and distinguished public life made him a fitting addition to the Palazzo’s storied collection.
Jamie Coreth, HRH Duke of Kent, 2025, oil on linen, 59 x 43¼ in.
For Coreth, the commission was as much a dialogue as a depiction. “As ever with a portrait,” he explains, “my aim was to communicate the experience of sitting with someone in a way that resonates as true to them.” The Duke’s intelligence and thoughtfulness were immediately apparent, and Coreth sought to capture that quiet strength. Among the personal details that shaped the painting, the Duke’s cane held particular meaning: a gift marking his retirement as the Colonel of the Regiment and his connection to the Scots Guards.
The composition, Coreth recalls, found inspiration in unexpected places. “The way he sat reminded me of Sargent’s portraits of J.D. Rockefeller, and I had these paintings in mind as I composed my picture,” he says. Working in the Duke’s drawing room at Kensington Palace, Coreth used the natural light streaming through a window to experiment with poses and create the atmosphere of the piece.
Coreth is no stranger to high-profile commissions. His portfolio includes portraits of the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (now the Prince and Princess of Wales); the Princess Royal; the chief of the Defense Staff, General Sir Nicholas Carter; the Very Reverend Dr. Robert Willis, Dean Emeritus of Canterbury; and Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Kimba Wood. Each portrait, he says, brings its own set of challenges, not least of which is balancing conversation with concentration. “It’s a wasted opportunity not to have interesting conversations,” he notes, while saying he still has to focus on the primary task of painting their portrait.
Coreth is currently developing new concepts that may be the basis for a future exhibition, alongside a number of private commissions. When asked what transforms a portrait from likeness to art, Coreth replied: “The best portraits communicate something that resonates as true to the individual and to the time spent between the sitter and the artist.” It’s this pursuit of authenticity that defines his approach.
Coreth’s work stands out for its honesty and intimacy. His painting of the Duke of Kent doesn’t simply record a face, it captures a presence, a moment of stillness between two people, rendered in light, memory and quiet understanding. —
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