DEBATED PICTURE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 103, 28 October 1925, Page 5

DEBATED PICTURE

SIMS PORTRAIT OF THE KING

SENT TO AMERICA FOR SALE,

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COI'I'IUQHT.)

(AUSTRALIAN-NEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.)

(Received 28th October, 9 a.m.)

LONDON, 27th October

Surprise has been caused in art circles by tho announcement that Charles Sims's portrait of tho King has been removed from the Royal Academy and sent to America for sale. There is an echo of the wide divergence of opinion which occurred when the picture was hung in Iho Academy last year. Mr. Sims replied «to the criticism then to the effect,that his idea was to make an accurate representation of tho King, which had not been done for many years. Ho declared that most of the portraits showed him as a young man, with a brown beard, though ho was no longer young. Ho said tho features in llio picture exhibited the qualities of kingship, with tho weight of responsibility flue to such a position. He contended that if he had painted tho King with a smile, ho would havo removed tho dignity of the portrait.

Critics say that the removal of the portrait is the result of divergence of opinion in the Academy Council. Some condemn and others defend, the latter pointing out that the only objection to be inken is that the legs in the portrait are too thin.

The president of the Academy says that Mr. Sims was not asked to withdraw the picture, and did so voluntarily, rather than allow the controversy to continue. He points out in defence of Mr. Sims that the artist who is painting Royalty^has no opportunity to demand as many sittings as he can in other cases.