Show PEERS PEER'S MUTILA MUTILATION TIO l lI 4 I OF OWN ON PORTRAIT AIT AITS Ii AROUSES S AST ARTISTS ARTISTS' 11 I Aesthetic Circles in Old World Agog Over ver Act of of 1 Lord Lev By Dy FORBES FORnES W. W uns 0 Universal Service Ser Staff Corr Correspondent LONDON LONDO-l. Nov 13 Deliberate Deliberate mutilation mull mull- mut- mut lation of ot f a portrait of Lord famous peer painted by Augustus John Jphn f one of ot the best known painters In t the o ii world has caused a sensation in aft art circles Lord himself is guilty s of the mutilation characterized by John Johnas t as the grossest and most deliberate i grat gratuitous insult I have ever received I He Insists that apart from any per per- Bonal reasons the mutilation of a work 1 of art is unjustifiable even If it the mu- mu v. v happens t to be the owner of ot tho thc kit picture a as Lord The portrait was ordered by the peer from John the former taking a great 1 Interest In the progress made by the tha theartist t artist and devoting much time to the sittings CREATES SENSATION Delivered at a price of nearly the picture according to Lord Lever- Lever hulme was too large for tor the place he wished it to be placed He decided on ona a surgical operation Ho Ito cut the head J t toft off oft the and left canvas canyas the mutilated v remainder in the frame At the same JIb 1 b time he attached a label in his own writing Remainder of ot a portrait i dr painted by Augustus John art colony is ablaze with gossip of what wha John considers the t M greatest Insult ever offered him The incident created a furore in Paris and J t t other European art centers John Insists insists insists in- in that even though the peer purchased purchased pur- pur J chased the picture the copyright ht still sUlI r remains with the artist and that it Is Isa j 0 a crime to destroy art under any circumstances cir cir- 1 On the other band hand Lord insists that his position in the e matter is quite correct r IU Ills HIS VIEW hI h- h I bought and paid for the portrait and it was waa my roy own property including including ing the copyright he said I am therefore entitled to do what I like with it The head was the portion 1 1 I wanted the whole picture was too big I f q I for tor my purpose and so I cut out the really Important part The mutilation would never have been discovered but for the injudiciousness injudicious- injudicious ness of ot Lord housekeeper The picture was delivered to the peers peer's country seat Riverton bungalow In l Lancashire The h during Lord absence sent the remainder of the portrait back to the artistI artist t I 1 returned from a holiday hollday and found 1 the tho canvas in my studio John ex ex- I was Intensely surprised I 1 r Immediately wrote Lord demanding an explanation J. J Lord friendly and conciliatory con- con dilatory explained the mistake the mistake the mistake being the return of ot the muti- muti 1 bated picture He concluded by saying I 1 am sure you have no wish to annoy tJ me as I 1 have no wish to annoy you The artist maintains that the letter 1 j from did not state whether the latter liked the portrait or had any criticism to make 5 Apart from any personal reasons T explained the artist the mutilation is I unjustifiable It is solely a question of cr the dignity of ot arti art I i 1 not bitter the affair but butI am over I am not satisfied with the f tion l The whole of London's artist Quarter quarter quarter ter Is behind the painter in his protest pro- pro test The affair is creating an Intense intense In- In if- if tense interest in society circles and t the newspapers and periodicals are devoting de- de voting columns to the merits of the W. W case Observers assert that John will t I eventually press the case in order to j establish a a. precedent i T |