QUEEN'S KINDNESS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 64, 9 December 1930, Page 5

QUEEN'S KINDNESS

Help for Artist

The Queen’s kindness in helping Mr. David Jagger when he was painting her portrait for the Academy his recently been disclosed. . , The painting of this picture involved a visit by the Queen to Mr. Jagger s studio at Oakley Street, Chelsea, S.W., and consultations with the King, who gave some valuable..advice on the choosing or the most appropriate cloak for the porftrait.' Mr. Jaggers told recently how the picture was painted in spite of the great demands on the time of the Queen. He S!l “To paint the portrait I visited Buckingham Palace for a week, going there .every morning. The Queen sat for me every day. , “All my studies and notes were made in Buckingham Palace, and then, later, I painted the big picture in my studio from the material I had gathered. Though I had only’a week actually at the Palace, I did all the necessary preliminary work in that time. , . “It took me three months to paint the full picture. That is really very slow working, but I was determined to put my very best into the picture, and to spare no pains. . , “The Queen came to my studio for a lost sitting just before the portrait was completed. That was about the end of March. Not a soul knew she was coming. “Throughout the Queen was most charming. and gave me every possible help. “Who chose the blue cloak which her Majesty is-wearing? Well, I. made a few colour sketches before starting the picture, and offered the Queen a variety of colours. I was very glad when she chose the bluc-and-silver colour scheme. She has blue eyes, so the colours are particularly happily chosen. “As a matter of fact, I think the blue cloak was really the King’s choice. His judgment in such matters is an experienced one. He was shown the different colour schemes, and gave his opinion upon them. A cloak such os the one painted was actually worn by the Queen during the sit--1 The Queen was an extraordinarily good sitter.' On one occasion she sat for one and three-quarter hours without a rest in a practically motionless post. That is surely a record even for a professional model. No artist could wish for a better sitter than the Queen.”