"RETUENED TO LIFE"

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 10, 11 July 1930, Page 13

"RETUENED TO LIFE"

ITALIAN PICTURES IN LONDON 'Recently in London the Italian pictures which were being lifted into the hold of the ship that is to take them back to Italy "returned to life," says a London exchange. For over three hours a packed audience at tho Princo of Wales Theatre watched famous and beautiful women and girls posing in golden frames. Heralded by Mr. Shane Leslie, who recited a prologue of his own composition, Lady Diana Duff-Cooper was revealed as "Virgin and Child" by an unknown Tuscan artist. She was "poised on a high pedestal, clothed in "plaster" robes of grey, clasping a book in one hand and a tiny baby in tho other. Unfortunately, when to the repeated shouts of "encore" the black curtain was raised, it showed Lady Diana, bereft of book and baby, preparing to descend from her pedestal. Another fine, tableau was that in which Lady Diana Gibb, sister of the Earl of Lovelace, and the Hon. Mrs. Henry Mond represented the two statues of David, ono by Michelangelo and the other by Verroobio. Mrs. Mond was painted bronze and Lady Diana was plastered with- white painu Both wore ■ tunics and tights.'• Montegna's St.-George- was to, have--boon represented by Lady Eleanor Smith: She, however, could -ot attend, and her place was taken by Mrs. Arthur James, a striking figuvj in silver armour and halo. Mrs. Carl Bendix as Botticelli's Birth of Venus, Lady Cynthia Asquith as Vivarini's Madonna, and Lady Moira, Combe as do 'Forli's Angel were otberj notable participants. Many of the dresses for the tableaus j had been wired to get the effect of wind; shadows and draperies were painted on the material. The pattern 1 of rich old brocades was suggested by the viso of gold paint on plain cloth.