Women In Wartime

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 70, 23 March 1940, Page 3 (Supplement)

Women In Wartime

ARGANISERS of the United \J Artists' Exhibition at the Royal Academy were happily inspired when they decided to determine the popular favourites at the exhibition. Visitors are asked to vote and thus to record which of the many pictures they like the best. To date, Dame Laura Knight's "Golden Girl," a half length nude, and Mr. A. K. Thomson's "The Sister," showing o darkhaired young woman in hospital uniform, have received the most votes, there has been a dead-heat between these two pictures for the past week. It may be of interest to note that more men than women have voted for Dame Laura Knight's painting. Women have voted solidly for the dark-haired sister. The subject for this work, who sat for the painter last year while she was engaged as maternity nurse to his wile, was "given directions for her pose, in writing. Mr. A. E. Thomson is deaf and dumb. , Further analysis of the public's taste in art reveals that in general men seem to be moved in their choice by patriotic and sentimental reasons. They choose Oswald Birley's portrait of the King and Anna Zinkeisen's landscape, "Solitude." Women favour flower paintings. Queen Mary, Patron of the Arts

booking at the fine landscape picture by Beatrice Bland, who is one of "the three Cheyne Walkers (three Chelsea women painters who for years lived in Chevne Walk) I remembered that Queen Mary is another regular Koyal patron of the arts. She likes to have frequent

By a London Lady Correspondent changes of pictures in her rooms and this. I am told, is why she purchases so many new pictures. Such changes, she considers, are really stimulating to K health. At Kastor, Queen Mary hopes thai Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret will visit her in her home in (lloucestershire.'wherc she has been staying since the outbreak of war. As we • all know the Queen Mother is devoted ' to her granddaughters and is intensely interested in their development. So she •■ will l>c delighted to discuss drawing and ' painting with her little granddaughter, ' subjects in which the Princess has shown • marked skill during the past year. So " much so, indeed, that the Queen is now « considering the engagement of a teacher , of repute to give the Princess more 1 advanced lessons. I Examination for Princess Elizabeth r Princess Elizabeth's governesses are , very satisfied with the little girl's prol gress ill all her lessons. The Queen, howl ever, feels that it might be a good thing . if she were to sit for an examination to see what standard of learning she has reached and the idea is likely to be adopted. The Princess, it is suggested, might

tackle a set of papers which have been put before girls of a similar age in public schools during last year. Though Elizabeth has never been to a school and is never likely to attend one, it is fell that she would pass such a test with credit.