The herald., 1897-01-24


paid the artist; 1t involved three years
of incredibly hard work.
Mr.. Prinsep landed at Bombay about
Christmas, 1876, arriving at Delhi just
as the camp was being formed. He went
here and there with the viceroy, Lord
Lytton, and remained at Delhi about
a month.
The great picture measures 27 feet by
13 feet and contrains $50 portraits;
wherefore had native princes of various
sorts and temperament to be visited and
PARTED at their own remote residences.
The powers that were seemed to think
the whole thing a surprisingly simple
matter-just few sketches, taken dur
ing the great Durbar itself, and then a
quiet time in the studio.
Now, about the necessary individual
sittings. II was to have painted Scindia
first, but he begged to be excused, so
Holkar was my first victim. He got
tired Of sitting and yawned, whereupon
all the court standing around snapped
their fingers to keep the devil from
jumping d,owN his highness' throat"
Mr.. Prinsep soon grew accustomed to
Indian ways. When he got into this same
Mahajarah's presence he dashed for
ward to help a clumsy servant to un-
pack the necessary impedimenta, but
was restrained by the British resident.
who pointed out that the most micros-
copic approach to manual Nbor" was
considered low and degrading. The art
ist took and profited by the hint "Af-
forwards" he tells me, Il grew so great
a parsonage that If spot of paint got on
my finger-tip would lean back languid-
ly while an attendant wiped it Off" Hol-
kar on one occasion grew especially i'm
patient and manifested it iA>dnmistak-
able fashion. Said MIR. Prinsep earnest
ly: IF the great God took five and twen-
ty years to make you as beautiful a 8 you
are (Holkar was over 50), how can you
expect me to paint you in as many min
utes?" Which mastery and diplomatic
poser Immediately restored the
princes equanimity.
Apparently the native rulers of India
werei bursting witht loyalty at this time.
"One venerable gentbeman-Nabha-h
a man grindingGod Save the Queen on
a hand organ as we -anteredl his tent.
Jheend had a band of bagpipes and gave
us GOD Bless the Prince of Wales. His
'pipers were sooty black but wore pink
leggings in order that they might in
some slight degree resemble the High
land originals"
Some of the rajahs were not exactly
complaisant, and others were difficult
of access. Occasionally Mr.. Prinsep
couldn't wait to complete sketch, SO he
would take away with him the princes
uniform-in many cases a very costly
dress indeed One native potentate-
Scindia-fatly refused to part with his
coat. Mr. Prinsep then took aside the
rajah's son, and threatened that If the
garment was not forthcoming he would
be compelled to complete the painting
of the costume from that worn by his
cook! After the next sitting, as the art
ist was leaving the palace the Mahara-
iah's som came running after him with
the much desired coat and pugaree.
They are sui generis, these rajahs.
sOne, the rajah of Bhoondi. would not
seat in a. room in which a European had
been, and he always 1ndulged in wash
latter shaking hands with one. The
wives Of another were never visible, no,
Snot even to q doctor when they lay dy-
Ing, The doctor was told he must feel
the pulse Of one Of the servant women
sands prescribe for the Rance thereafter.
Again, Jeswant Sing of Rutlam, the
head 81 the rajpoots of Malwa, had an
enormous and most elaborate pugaree,
which he said was invented by his
grandfather, and took him two hours
to tie. mo more idea of time than
setting hen," commented Mr.. Prinsep,
sadly, on one rajah's unpnctuality.
Mr. Prirsep never passed such try
ing year. 1t was all trying-mainly to
get his composed dIoggerel verses at the
request of the Charun, or Court Bard, at
Oodeypore-anything for conciliation
He witnessed elephant and buffalo
fights. was thrown from his pony in the
Liddlar valley over a wooden bridge and
into q swift stream and waited five
weekssin Kashnir for three sittings
from the rajah and his son. Yet, in
spite Of various trials and troubles. he
had an eye for humor He noticed at
Benares that the oars of the high-class
boats consisted of bits Of board nailed
to broom handles, which leaves US Won
,derng what the low-class craft were
like, and his grocer at Simla had large
sign over the door, Licensed to sell
wonders"
Now and then one Of the native
princes would manifest some real inter-
est in the great projected picture. Thus:
"Tukaji Rao Holkar requested me to
paint him fat, as he was at the assem-
bFage Che had been ILL. and not as he
was at the moment of being sketched."
He rather prided himself on his bulk
did Tukaji, of whom it was said that he
could eat a whole wild boar at sitting.
Well, we must get on. The next
stage is a command from the queen,
which necessitated the conveyance to
Windsor of all the sketches for the
great picture. These went in a van
forty kit-kats and more than as many
smaller sketches. They were ranged all
around, against chairs and things in the
white drawing room, overlooking into
the adjoining green room. Mr.. Prinsep
himself acted as cicerone, and his inter-
view with her majesty lasted nearly an
hour.
At length, three years after the ac-
ceptance of the commission, the I'm
perial Assenblage at DELHI was an ac-
complished factor, rather, picture. 1t
was painted in three sections of nine feet
each, and blotted out everything else in
Mr.. Prinseps splerdidly spacious stu
dio. The oak frame cost $500 and
weighed two or three tons. The artist
painted another picture each year he
was engaged on the big painting, just
to keep up the tradition of the academy.
In due time Mr.. Prinsep exhibited
"The Imperial Assemblage" to the Acad-
emy exhibition of 1880. He had been
made an A. r. A. the previous year.
Soon afterwards the huge canvas was
dispatched to Buckingham palace, where
it may now be seen in the princess cor
ridor; the mere removal from Burling-
ton house cost SIPS.
Mr.. Prinsep's hobby if he has one at
all, is literary work. He has written two
novels and two plays. Both of his dra-
matte pieces were accepted and pro-
duced-Cousin Dick and Monsieur LIE
Due, both produced by John Hare.
AS Mr. Prinsep lived next door to the
late Lord Leighton, and saw him every
day for thirty-one years, it may be as
sumed that he was very intimate with
the great president of the academy.
That lifelong intimacy is matter of ar