The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-18
PAINTING AN EMPRESS.
Miss kussner's Experience at the
Court of Russia.


Court of Russia.
Frank s. Arnett. in Ainslee's Magazine.
Amalia Kuessner Coudert, the miniature
list, thus describes her visit to the Czarina:
LAS 1 was driven to the winter palace l
noticed that a policeman stood i'm the CEN
ter of every street crossing and that all of
them saluted me as / passed / did not UNI
derstand this at the time. but later 1
learned that these wonderful men knew
every citizen and every stranger in St.
Petersburg, that all of them were fully
informed as TO who 1 was, exactly why /
was going to the palace, at what hour l
was expected. and when l would leave, and
that If l had not left at the time announced
inquiries would have been made 1 have
been told. indeed, that this system is so
perfect throughout the empire that there
Is not a night when the Car could not
learn at moments notice, if he wished,
where any one of his millions of subjects is
sleeping. Thus the police know also, when
the Car drives in the streets of St. Peters
burg, at exactly what minute he will pass
given corner. While at work on his min
lature / one day expressed by regret that |
had never seen him taking his drive lie
SAID tnat he would pass my hotel at 2:lO
the next afternoon. 1t somewhat oddly
happened that at that time my attention
was distracted for an instant, and when l
went 10 the window he had just passed like
a whirlwind. On the following day, after
he had again named the hour, L was more
successful, and as he disappeared | looked
at my watch and found it just fraction of
minute past the time, sufficient, indeed,
only for him to have driven by. When
next we met l expressed my surprise at the
possibility of such exact scheduling of ones
movements. That he replied with a
somewhat sad smile is the first thing we
are taught-punctuality.
" i found the Winter Palace a huge gran
lite pile facing the River Neva. You can
imagine it's immensely from the fact that
six thousand people live there when the
Gar makes ii his residence. AT the en-
trance an usher awaited me, clad in a
gorgeous uniform, the detail chiefly i'm
pressing me being the absolute magnfi-
cence of the great plumeS in his hat. He
led me through a vast hall filled night and
day with armed soldiers that form the
Cars favOrite regiment, and of which the
Empress is herself a colonel. As / entered
all rose and stood at salute, the clatter of
their scabbards always alarming me until
after several visits
My first portrait was that of the En-
press, but in proceeding TO her apartments
passed those of the Car. guarding
whose door l noticed three fierce-loOking
COssacks, armed TO the teeth. At last we
reached the private door of the Czarina.
and against it leaned a giant turbaned
Nubian in native costume a dangerous
looking pOniard thrust behind his sash |
afterward learned that he never merely
stands in front of the door. but invariably
leans against il, and that he or fellow
Nubian maintains that position night and
day. He was the most gigantic human be-
ing | ever saw. Despite all this formalty,
l found TO sign of it once inside the pri-
Nate apartments of the royal family. The
Empress received me in the simplest
sweetest manner, with the utmost kindness
and cordialty.'
Il mentioned to Miss Kussner a we'll
known portrait of the Czarina. in which
some splendid furs, falling away. reveal
her graceful neck Ornamented with one of
her famous pearl necklaces. the head bear
ing demi-crOwn. but in which what most
impresses one is the sadness of the down
cast eyes.
. Yes, that is her natural expression
she replied, but really she is not sad. She
is very, very beautiful, with the most
youthful experimental. of course. she
nine; but actually she has all the manner
of charming, shy girl of sixteen. When
ever / spoke to her she dropped her eyes
and blushed exquisitely. So /, too painted
her with her eyes cast dOwn-it was so
characteristic and 1 also feared 1 should
never catch them for "A sufficient length
of time in any other position. She gave
me twelve or fifteen sittings and l found
her most difficult. Not because she was
irritable, or hard to pose, but simply be-
cause her expression is so constantly chang
ing The slightest thOughtfulness, an en-
trance, the sound of a voice in the dis
lance almost. | might say, the passing of
a breath of air. causes instant aItera-
ton her face showing happiness. eXpec-
fancy, uncertainty, merriment. or sorrow,
in the most wonderful manner / have
ever known on a human cOuntenance. The
charm of her face is indefinable. She is
Strikingly tall. even for a woman, but that
does not affect the impression she gives
one of graceful girlhOOd. And she can be
merry. despite the misleading sadness of
her face, and frequently she is witty.
There, Is she not a charming queen