THE QUEEN'S GIFT TO MR. PEABODY.

West Coast Times, Issue 288, 25 August 1866, Page 3

THE QUEEN'S GIFT TO MR. PEABODY.

A facsimile of the Queen's gift to Mr George Peabody, the great American and English philanthropist, is on view in Old Bond street.

Jn .the present, stagfe of the work Bnty thfe -water-color, from ivhibh the bhafnei on gold is afterwards 1:0 be. dbhb, jsjiow shown. _ This, heny ever, gives .a |air ; idea. of what the effect of the whole ivili be iivhen finished. But the -word " miniature" scarely represents what the importance, as regards the size -of the likeness wiU be, for, though only halfrlengths the t>aintinj» % is 14 inches long by hearly 10 inches wide. For the first time her Majesty sat in the only robes of state she has worn since the death of the Prince Consort=^-the costume in which she Was dressed at thfe opening 6f" Parliament. This tvag a. black Silk dress and a^ long black velvet train, bbth trihimed with erinihei Over her Mary Stuart cap is the demi -crown, W.hile the Koh-i-nbbr ,and one rich, jewelled cross presented by Prince Albert, fprm her only ornaments. To complete this portrait her Majesty gave Mr Tilt several long sittings, and has now expressed tiei' unqualihea approval of the water-coior shown at Mr Dickinson's. This, however, is but the commencement of the process. The portrait is jib' be done in enamel by Mr Tilts on a panel of pure gold. In these enamel paintings, to bring out all the brilliancy of their colours, they hdve to be burnt in a furnace at least five and generally six times. The heat tb which, they are subjected is so intense as to be only abort of that which ■would fuse gold, and the most exquisite care is necessary neither to let the picture heat too soon, nor, above all, cool too rapidly, as in either case the enamel would crack. So large an enamel portrait h&s never been attempted in this country. It has, therefore, been found necessary to build a small heating furnace specially for the execution of the work. It will take about six weeks to complete all the processes, when the picture will be mounted in a frame of pure gold, surmounted with the crown enamelled on the same metal in colors. Altogether it will form a gift worthy both of her Majesty and of the gentleman to whom she presents it. After being submitted to the Queen on its completion it will be forwarded to Mr Peabody, who intends to deposit it where it may be best seen in a large institution which he has founded inBoston, his native town.