LADY ASTOR’S PICTURE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 October 1924, Page 3

LADY ASTOR’S PICTURE.

CREATES CONTROVERSY. A battle is being waged over the suitability of Air. Charles Sim’s picture of the introduction of Lady. Astor to the House of Commons ,as a decoration of the House. It will remain -where it is for the present to give the members an opportunity to make up their minds on the artistic value (says The Times). . Meanwhile, Lord Astor has made a statement on the. picture’s history. He says that, acting 011 suggestions made to him in' 1 May, 1923, he approached those responsible and inquired whether, in view of the , historic character of the scene and of . the fact that other incidents connected with the , growth of Parliament had been recorded on the walls of the House, a picture of the first women ALP. being introducted into the House of Commons would he acceptable. The First Commissioner of Works, after consultation with others, not only as to the relative importance- of the event, hut also to the proposed painter and the position in which the painting should he placed, accepted the gift. Air. Sims, R.A., was accordingly commissioned to paint the scene. There has been no attempt to “slip” the picture in, or to make any mystery of it, or to glorify any personalities. Lord Balfour and other Al.P.’s helned the artist by giving him sittings, and photographs of the American Ambassador (who was in the Distinguished Strangers’ Gallery) were obtained in order to make the scene as historicallv accurate as possible. Ladv Astor, f ar from having tried to foist upon Parliament a picture of herself, had nothing to do with the matter, and was. when originally fold of the proposal, rather against it.