Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-11-14
Queen Victoria and a Philadelphia
Painter.
Reco!lections of Thomas Sully.

AAAH"HHAt[A-1ae Va AeHaA1 I'll
In 1881 l went again to England,
and while there painted a portrait or
Queen Victoria, on a commission
from the st. Georges Society OF Phila-
delphia. After / mad almost despaired
of being able To obtain a sitting, my
friend, Francis Edgerton, secured
Lord PalmerstOn'5 influence in my
behalf. | called carly one day on the
latter; lac had just turned Out OF his
bed, and was slipping his morning cof-
lee. "~E.Verything Is arranged he
said; 'Ihe Queen Will sit to-day at
ten" ] found him a delightful per-
son, who reminded me very much of
Henry Clay in his manners. a paint
ing r0OTa was arranged for my accOni-
mediation in Buckingham palace. l
told the men who were laying the car
pets that they had fixed the Don up
quite enough, but they said, "Oh no,
the Queen Is particular" In order to
reach the painting room l had to pass
through a Don called the Kings
closet, and l saw lying upon the
Queens desk books which showed
that she did not read nonsense.
Among these books were Cummings
discoursas. | received the impression
at that time that she was a Unitarian.
The Queen came to the sittingS with
her Secretary, the Baroness Lctzen.
She vas very af1able, like a weiI-bred
Philadelphia or Boston lady, and used
to talk about different things. | saw
that she relished American freedom
very much; she had not had such Il
treat for q long time. l told her |
would get my daughter to sit with the
regalia-if there would be no iinprO-
prOpriety-in order 10 save her the
trouble. "Oh, no improperly, replied
Victoria, but don't spare me; if l
can be Of service | will sit" After
that my daughter sat with the RECALLS,
which weighed thirty or forty pounds.
The earnings had 10 be tied with q
loop, a. / had not allowed her / to
be pierced. One day the Queen sent
word that she would come in if my
daughter would remain where She
was. But, of course, blanche stepped
down, AID the two girls, who were
almost the same age, chatted together
quite familiarity. The Queen wrote
her name for me in this manner:
For Mr.. SulIy,
VICTORIA REGINA.
she also gave my daughter IA meIal
and her signature. Her mouth was
always & little open, probably owing
t. q shortuess of the uppef-lip- and
thus l painted it. But the upper-lip
of the face was very fine, and her eyes
were beautiful, although prOtuberant.
The picture painted for the st.
Georges Society has been placed in
the Philadelphia Academy of Fine
Arts. l gave a copy Of it to the This
tie Society Of Charleston, in aekno@l-
edgment of their kindness to me, aud
the original study OF the head is in my
studio. A lawyer i'm LondOn by the
name of Langley asked me, "Were
you not awestrack when you painted
that picture?u 'tNo," L replied, 81
have painted a number OF ladies of as
high responsibility as the Queen
"Why," he said, "an English painter
would have been overcome When
] was in london at another time, 1
was told the Queen had inquired after
me; but as she did not send for me to
come to her, some of my friends we're
astonished by my not presenting my
self at Court, where, however, /
should have run the risk of meeting
with a rebuff from some person in at
tendance. One day, / was told, the
Baroness Betzen, her secretary, held
up the Qaeen's handkerchief-which
had been found COMMUNICATING.
''This is the Queens sign-manual.5s
The company laughed TO see it full of
holes, butfVietoria said that she liked
handkerclieis which were well worn
nraA soft na fhnrv .rrrvr. fhaD nIne.nnf -
''sop" her eyes with. Leslie told me
that once the Queen came to witness
the progress OF the frescoing ia Buck
ingham Palace, which was being done
by himself and Eastlake. As the
company we're going up the walk, the
little Prince Of Wales fell and scratched
his arm on the gravel. The attend
anis rushed TO his assistance, but Vie
toria said, "When you stop Believing
like a calf you shall be attended to-"