STATESMEN OF EMPIRE

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21245, 17 August 1934, Page 19

STATESMEN OF EMPIRE

♦ PORTRAITS OP 1919 LORD WAKEFIELD'S GIFT (rnois ouo own corkkwo.n'L'jcni.: LONDON, July 12. At the time of the opening of the new wing of the National Portrait Gallery by the King (March, 1933), Lord Wakefield presented to the nation a series of portraits by John Sargent and Sir William Orpen, done at the time of the Peace Conference at Versailles, in 1919. Thesa came into Messrs Christie's for sale some years ago and Lord Wakefield secured them. Since a large number of the sitters are still living the trustees of the National Portrait Gallery were unable to accept the gift at once and Lord Wakefield very generously consented to place these portraits in the keeping of a special trust, whose duty it would be to deposit them for the time being in public galleries, and after the sitters' deaths to offer the portraits to j the trustees of the National Portrait Gallery. So far the trustees of the National Portrait Gallery have accepted three of the portraits. These are of Mr W. F. Massey, of Sir Joseph Ward, and of the Earl of Ypres. The two New Zealand statesmen were painted by Sir William Orpen and the portraits are hung in the gali lery devoted to recently-acquired works. Other portraits of the Peace Coaference group have been distributed as follows: — To the Imperial War Museum— H.H. the Maharajah of Bikanej\ Major-General Carton de Wiart, Sir Mauriqe Hankey, Lord Wester Wemyss, Sir Henry Wilson (Orpen): Sir William Birdwqod and Lord Rawlinson (Sargent). Walker Art Gallery, LiverpoQl— The Earl of Derby. Lord Harding* of Penshurst (Orpen). City Art. Gall*™, ManchesterViscount Cecil (Orpen). City Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham—The Marquess ox Rending, Viscount Sumner (Orpen). Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol —The Rt. Hon. J. C. Smuts (Sar* gent).