THREE POSE PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22667, 18 June 1948, Page 5

THREE POSE PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN

LONDON, May 20.

Sensation of the Royal Academy’s summer show is the portrait by a littleknown artist, John Merton, aged 35, of a beautiful woman.

The sitter was Mrs. Daphne Wall, aged 35, of Eaton Square. She is seen in the portrait in three poses (“because she has such a mobile face,” explained the artist, "that one head would not have done justice to her beauty"). When the hanging committee marked it “doubtful,” the president of the academy, Sir Alfred Munnings threatened: “Accept it, or I will resign. It is one of the most remarkable pictures we have received this year.” Mr. Wall commissioned the portrait seven years ago —before the artist went into the Army. It represents 1200 hours’ work for Mr. Merton and six week-end sittings, each of two hours, for Mrs. Wall.

Mrs. Wall was not able to share the triumph of the opening of the exhibition. At the time she was in the country recuperating from measles. Thieves read of this, smashed a hole in the glass of her front door and were reaching for the lock when her mother and sister came running to see what the noise was about, and scared them off. Mr. Merton is spending most of his time rejecting offers. Nothing will induce Mrs. Wall to sell the picture, which is to hang in her dining room.