The San Francisco call., 1896-08-16
FAMOUS PAINTINGS in JE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY OF ENGLAND

ladies of the courts of James and Charlie
II.
Here is another big portrait of very
small and frightened looking Warren
Hastings. taken from the Government
House in Calcutta. He has very delicate
sensitive features, and is very slender,
little man, with mild and iimld express
| sion: he shrinks into his chair in oil the
simplicity of black knee breeches and
checked waistcoat and a very limp trlll.
Perhaps he looks more diminutive through
the overpowering grandeur OF MS neigh
bor Sir Arthur Onslow, who IS some nine
feet tall, with all the dignity OF velvet
robes ana gold trimmings
On another wall King James II is rem
dered by Sir Godfrey Kueller--pose King
| James two months after the commence
ment of his reign, with his insolent head
held high, in kind of bitter gayety.
Among all the royal personages we find
the King, George Washington, Gilbert Stu
arts portrait, with q dignity OF courage
and nobility of feature remarkable even
in this august assembly.
Horace WalpoIe gives satanic glance
at Philip Stanhope, the epistolary Lord
Chesterfield; there are so many Allen
Ramsays and Hudsons and Raphael
Menys and masterpieces from the hand OF
Sir Peter Lely that we pass them by with
hardly more than glance.
Here are the poor little children OF un-
happy James II and Mary of Modena;
Prince James, the little "Chevalier de st.
George" the "Old Pretender" and his
sister. He is very young prentender at
this time, with his hand on a magnificent
greyhound, and the other little gIoved
fist held out to the diminutive Princess
Louise. his little freSh face very grave. his
head held with high childish self-posses-
sion. Poor little picturesque, tragic
figurel
There is Catherine of Braganza, who
seems to have consoled herself for the neg
lect she suffered from at the court of King
Charles by having her portrait painted
with great spirit and frequency. She is
here represented as Queen Cleopatra in
the act of dissolving pearl. Near her
hangs her rival, the popular "NeH
Gwynne," with her attractive, intelligent,
animated face.
Here all ranks are leveled and we find
Nance OldtieId, the immortal Lady Betty
Modish, smiling with delicate brilliancy
over the head of the Duke OF MARLBOROUGH.
]
And, Betty, give this cheek a little red,
One would not, sure, be frishtful when ones deadl
The young, rosy cheek needed no red
at the time of this portrait; there were no
suggestions then of the grewsome day
when, white as marble, she would be con-
signed to Westminster Abbey all in Brus-
sells lace and gloves as she had COM
manded.
n,.1~ e fo Tod
a young man, before Blenheim and Ouden-
aide and Families, but next to this por-
! trait is an apotheosis commemorating the
surrender of Flanders and Brabant, with
remarkably fat angel, accompanied by
rotund little cupids depositing laurel
crown and flowers on his curling wig.
Henry V III is fine old Flemish portrait.
1t is not hard to see where the highly
original Aubrey Beardsley extracts his
| strange Inspirations. The King wears the
badge and collar of the ''Toison dor"
and the long, thin, bony countenance is
drawn with the marvellous accuracy OF the
| Flemish masters.
1t would be impossible even to mention
the great originals, who smile or frown or
gravely stare from the walls, Addison and
Pope, to Congreve and Gay; Peg Voting
ton from ner paralyLlc psu, anu Que0AS
Elizabeth and Mary. and the two Roberts
OF Essex and Leicester; lords and ladies,
writer's and actors in continuous frieze.
| And outside the bells are ringing for
the wedding of Princess Maud. Trafalgar
square is deserted, save by the statues;
even the beggars have gone up to reap
harvest from the crowds who await the
royal procession; and from the black old
tower of st. Martin in the Fields the bells
sound in memory of Nell Gwynne, who
sleep peacefully beneath the sunken pave
! ment. VAN DYCK BROWN.
| London, July 25.