ROYAL PORTRAIT

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 139, 10 December 1930, Page 15

ROYAL PORTRAIT

QUEEN AT ARTIST'S STUDIO

The Queen's kindness in helping Mr. David Jaggor when lie was painting her portrait for the Academy has recently been disclosed, states n London writer. The painting of this picture involved a visit, by the Queen to Mr. Jaggcr's studio at Oakley street, Chelsea, S.W., and consultations with the King, who gave some valuable advice on the choosing of the most appropriate cloak for the portrait. Mr. Jaggcr told recently how the picture was painted in spite of the great demands on the time of the Queen. He said:—"To paint the portrait I visited Buckingham Palace for a week, going there every morning. The Queen sat for mo every day. All my studies and notes were made in Buckingham Palace, and then, later, I painted the big picture in my studio from the material I had gathered. Though I had only a week actually at the Palace, I did all the necessary preliminary work in that time. It took me three months1 to paint the full picture. That is really very slow working, but I was determined to put my very best into the picture and to spare no pains. The Queen came to my studio for a last sitting just before the portrait was completed. That was about the end of March. Not a soul knew she was coming. "''.Throughout, ;the Queen, was most

charming, and gave me every possible help. Who chose the blue cloak which Her Majesty is wearing? Well, I made a feiv colour sketches before starting tho picture, and offered the Queen a variety of colours. I was very glad when she chose the blue-and-silvcr colour scheme. She has blue eyes, so tho colours are particularly happily chosen. As a matter of fact, I think the blue cloak was really tho King's choice. His judgment in such matters is an experienced one. He was shown the different colour schemes, and gave his opinion upon them. A cloak such as tho one painted was actually worn by the Queen during the sittings. "The Queen was an extraordinarily good sitter. On one occasion she sat for one- and three-quarter hours without a rest in a practically motionless pose. That is surely a record oven for a professional model. No artist could wish for a better sitter than the Queen."