THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF PORTRAIT PAINTERS. GRAFTON GALLERIES.
There are over two hundred and fifty portraits to be seen at the thirty-eighth exhibition of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, now running at the Grafton Galleries. An exhibition of this sort, where all the subjects are more or less of the same kind, is bound to be somewhat monotonous, especially if the persons painted are unknown to one., The President, Sir William Orpen, shows two portraits, an unfinished canvas of the late ill-fated Captain Loewenstein and Professor de Lee. The unfinished portrait is a very vigorous affair, and though without any accessory adornments, it immediately catches the eye. Lady Shannon has lent an interesting portrait, by her late husband, of Queen Victoria. Unlike many royal portraits, it is almost homely, and it stands out amid its sur- roundings. Sir John Lavery has set his Lord Melchett in a very well painted interior, while another of his works shows The Dentist at work with all the accoutrements of his pro- fession, including the victim. Mr. Augustus John's Dorelia is delightful. So skilfully is the whole work planned that the great height of the figure and the curious clothing remain sub- sidiary ; one is simply aware of a perfect ensemble. Compare it with Mr. Dugdale's Mona, where the height of the figure attracts the whole attention. Another pleasing work is Mr. W. F. Webster's Peggy, daughter of Harold Earnshaw. The light handling and the fresh colour are well in keeping with the youthfulness of the subject, and the pose is pleasantly natural. Miss Anna Zinkeisens' My Dog Joe, and Miss Tatham's The Bandaged Thumb both please, from a pictorial point of view. Mr. Somerville's The Hon. Lily Montagu, Mr. Oswald Birley's Lt.-Col. Ralph Donaldson-Hudson, and Mr. Harold Knight's Ruby all deserve mention.
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