The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-09

/ started in on a more expensive style Of
/ living. He took a house at a Old Bond
street which he fitted up handsomely.
/ he charged 80 guineas for a head. so
/ for the half-length and 12O for the full
/ figure- In 1894 he took a house in Pic
cadilly and three years later he again
moved, this time to Greek street. Soho.
/ For thirty years his work went on un-
/ lnteTTuptedly, his fame increasing and
his prices advancing to formidable fig
ures In 1914 he was charging 100
SuineaS for head and 400 for a full
I length; but although receiving these
large sums, he was never free from
financial cares; the money. that came in
seemed to flow out in some extraor-
binary way that has never been quite
accounted for. There had been. some
little scandal, rumOr having connected
the painters name with that Of the
Princess of Wales. He had executed
her portrsit at Montague house. where
he had remained as a guest for. some
| time; q committee was appointed to
examine the charges, and their pro-
ceecings were known as Lne delicate
Investigations, by which, however.
Lawrence was fully exonerated. In 1914
/ the prince regent commanded him TO
paint serie,; Of the princes, generals.
statesmen and 6iplOmatists of the allied
armies, which now fill the Waterloo
chamber at WinGsor castle. and in
April 1914, Lawrence was knighted by
the regent
1t is interesting to note that the
American Academy of Fine Arts, which
mad been established in New York in
1910, two years later elected Sir Thomas
Lawrence an honorary member. in re-
turn for which he presented il with a
portrait OF West, the American presi-
dent of the English Royal academy.
| Other honOrs, perhaps Of a more sub
Stantlal nature, followed, for the king
OF France sent him in 1925 the cross of
the Legion Of Honor, end he was elect
/ ed 10 the acadS MES OF Florence. Ven
ice, Rome, Bologna, Denmark and
Vienna 1t was not until 1919 that Law
renee went 20 Rome then the Mecca Of
the artists, and here he studied for the
first time the works Of the great mas
ters in the galleries. On his return to
London in March, 1920, West having
died earlier in the month. he found
he Rad been elected as his successor as
president Of the Royal academy. He
lived for ten years TO enjoy this dis
tinction, dying suddenly on the eth of
January, 1880, from Ossification of the
heart. and was buried in st. PauPs
cathedral, by the side Of Sir Joshua
Reynolds.
LawFence's best-Temembered works
are portraits of women and children.
whom he drew and painted with a del
icacy and grace which few men have
excelled. One Of his finest is Of Lady
Cover, with her little daughter. which
now hangs at Stafford house. This,
with many others, is widely known
through engravings. He was an init
mate friend of Mrs. Sidd0ns, the great
actress, whose portrait he painted sew
era1 times. and of her niece, Fanny
Kemble, whom he also painted, and
which is one Of his best canvases. Al
though throughout his life Lawrence
showed the lack Of preliminary train
ing in an academic way. and one may
pick flaws now and then in his draw
ing, he was singularly gifted and was a
workman of a high order. with a de-
lightful appreciation of color and an
abiding sense Of grace and beauty. He
remains one of the notable group of
the early EnglishTnen whose like Great
Britain has not yet produced since his
death.