| Show X tJ HOW V NOTED WAR X Y S X COMMEMORATED CO COI I IEl ON O I CANVAS MODERN IH KHAKI HARDLY Hl V LENDS LANDS TO PICTURESQUE T ONDON DO July The Thc 24 The difficulties of JJ LO painting panting a war wu- picture oven en when the tho h wa way to the field of battle Is la mado I ia easy find and and royalty consents to pose are described by Prof Prot Herbert Oliver OH In a paper read before the Imperial Arts league The pain painter Is describing his hie picture Where Belgium Greeted Britain Brit Deit aln ain which Is one of or th striking features fea lea tures of ot this years year's Royal Roal Academy ex ox- ox The picture shows King AlBert Al- Al Al Albert 1 bert of ot Belgium Del and King George GeorGc of or orE E England nd h meeting at t a cro cross road road s-road In Belgium Just behind the firing Hn lineIn line In February there thereS was S great difficulty difficulty culty In obtaining leave to go to the front says says ns tho the painter and It was wasi i only because my object was as approved ed f by his majesty that the war office made It po possible for me I had asked permission permission per per- mission to visit the localities where King In Ing Geor George e met President Poincare General Joffre and King ling Albert and to have ve Introductions to men on tho the English English Eng Eng- lish French and Tind nd B Belgian staffs who were cro present at those meetings and could tu furnish mo me with correct details detail No hopes had been held out cut that either cither King Ge George or King Albert could sit I Ifor for their their portraits I n J T I Jai III Arranged But tho the arm army authorities came to tom tomy tomy m my rescue with unexpected d enthusiasm and on reaching reaching ln France I learned to tom tomy tomy m my surprise that arran arrangements were being made for tor me to have an Interview Interview Interview Inter Inter- view with King KipS Albert o the next day Prince Al Alexander r of or Tock took me mo to see tho the king who said that as he un- un derst oct King George wished me to paint this picture ho would of or course courso be be- glad to sit for tor me When In the courso course of ot conversation convers L asked his majesty who speaks En English Eng Eng- lUsh lish slowly but well If It he liked King Alberts Albert's Book ho said Well ell It Is ver very kind but there thero Is Ii really too much about me In it H it for tor I have hae only done one what others rs have done It lt was arranged that I should re return return re- re turn the next cia day clay at 9 o'clock In the morning At lunch I met Major Du flu Roy de do B Blicquy who was as In attendance on King Icing Albert when ho met ling King George and having taken mo me to tho spot ho showed mo me exactly what happened and gave orders to the tho guards that I was to tobe tobe tobe be allowed to paint there thero unmolested no I. I I Gracious That night unfortunately while I Iwas Iwas Iwas was attempting to keep the glare from the windows of tho the Intelligence department department department depart depart- ment out of or my room room tho log of ot the chair on which I was standing broke and In falling I cracked two ribs Nevertheless Nev Nev- I started at daybreak for tor tho the kings king's headquarters My Iy driver took tooka a 8 wrong turning and consequently I Iwas Iwas Iwas was late but Prince Alexander ex explained explained ex- ex matters to the king and as my shattered chattered state made painting difficult difficult cult It was arranged that I should como come back two days later Meanwhile I was able to make studies of ot General Frenchs French's car and his chauffeur who had bad driven the king and on my return I finished my studies of King Icing Albert and his suite Before going to the headquarters of ot the tho ho Fourth arm army where here the tho king o of England met Poincare anI and Joffre I was Introduced to General Huguet and as I had 0 been n 1 warned that the French Staff u regarded m my whole business as preposterous preposterous preposterous I apologized for the Incongruity of Intruding the tho arts of peace Into the arena of ot war and apparently satisfied the general x Joffre Sitting It is Impossible without violating hospitality to Sa say much about my visit to the Fourth arm army I learned much of ot the Inner workings of ot things and tho the staff was ver very kind in helping me to get set what I wanted In a day or 01 two I rushed off orr to French l' l Headquarters to meet meat General Joffre who granted me mo two sittings Tho The general who occupies occupies occupies pies a a. small nearly empty emPt room Is a 8 calm blond man going gray with Hh mild mUd blue eyes the tho short nose nose of or a fighter an immensely strong Jaw and tho the large largo ear of or sagacity My IY return to England was delayed by a blockade and I could not get bet to work at my picture until March 1 so eo that what I had finished had hal to go into the Royal academy In an unfinished tate state Both the k king nG and the tho Prince of or Wales ales gave ave me sittings after sending In da day but the Royal Roal academy who have hao been most kind In helping my 01 project allowed me to complete completo m my work after It had been heen hung Historical Truth It has been beon remarked b by some that the Belgian roads at that time of year ear were moro more muddy mudd than the road in my picture but as a matter of ur fact I carefully carefully care care- fully funy Inquired Into that and found that the car was hardly splashed as a cold northwest wind had dried up the mud I should like to add that when tho the voluptuous expression of or a painters painter's art artIs artis Is 19 banished as Is the thc case In most modern modern modern mod mod- ern meetings where motor and khaki tako take the place of or prancing steeds and gor gorgeous trappings the chief Interest interest- given of ot course courso a well-balanced well composition com corn position must must be the tho truthfulness of or orthe the portraits portraIt Th The days have lave gone when catching at the tho mantle of ot the great Fleming one could venture x without af affectation affectation at- at to portray King George descending descending de de- de- de from tram an Olympian car car King Albert as Mars and the Prince of Wales Vales is ts Eros accompanied by Venus In puttees puttees puttees put put- tees and a staff officers officer's cap r t t 1 LArE T ATE photograph raph h o r King Albert of Belgium um I i I and his s consort Queen Elizabeth An inter Inter- interesting InterI I r I 1 i esting r word picture of the Belgian monarch was wasI wasby N given b by hy i J. J Prof I rf of Herbert Oliver Olivcr in telling how he 1 k 1 I I obtained sittings sItting's B from the tho king 7 to record on cani canas canvas can can- Y t i i I vas as the tho meeting of King George of Great Britain t and King Albert on the front in France Professor Professor Pro Pro- I I I fessor Olivers Oliver's s 's painting was hung bung in in this years year's t i p I It I academy at t London and and won muth much b comment tt tb c r f- f fr y fp f T V- V v v 4 f j a t t In 4 1 S 1 A kt f j tI J c i J dp j 1 j s y J Ko J R i I t l r Y P i. i f V si I TH H l K c i yi Ii S 7 6 tk A y t tr r I |
