Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-16
PORTRAYED BY V0s
Pictures Painted of the Chinese
Empress DoWager.
HER MAJESTY DELIGHTED
Artist Made Knight Commander Of
the Holy Dragon.
WORK OF THE MISSIONARIES
Glowing Tribute by the Late Minister
Denby-Civilizatio Of the
Ancient Kingdom.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald

Special Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
NEW YORK, February Is, 1905.
Mr.. Hubert Vos. the famous Dutch artist,
who Is well known in Chicago and Wash
in3ton. and has done a great dead of por
trait work in both cities, has just returned
from a six months visit to China where
he was called TO paint the emperor and the
empress dowager. The empress has learned
that pictures last longer than monuments,
and. to perpetuate her memory. ordered two
portraits: one representing her as she ap-
peared when she was thirty years of age
and first assumed imperial authority. and
the other being an accurate likeness of her
at her present age. which is nearly seventy
one. She had already been three times
painted by Miss Carl an American artist,
who had Eeen recommended by Mrs Conger
vile of the recent American minister to
Peklng, hut the pictures were not satisfac-
tory, and he1Tcs Mr.. VcS, who spent WIN
ter at the Chinese capital some years ago,
aud had painted several of the princes of
the court, was sent for and given the COM
mission. The emperor finally decided not
TO have his picture painted. Although he
was repeatedly urged to do SO by his i'm
per1al aunt and other members of the
family, and also by his ministers. he per-
s1stently refused to sit. The enpress how
ever, gave Mr.. VoS repeated sittings at the
palace In Picking and at the summer palace
twelve or fifteen miles outside the city.
Good Taste of the Empress.
Mr.. Vos says that she is herself a gifted
artist and has remarkably good taste. She
selected her costumes and her pose and
designed the background of her pictures.
One Of the portraits is very large 1t repre-
sents her imperial majesty at the age of
thirty, seated upon the throne, surrounded
by symbols of power and emblems of her
dynasty, which the Chinese call things
imperial In the background is a glimpse
OF the imperial park-a lake and a bamboo
grove-and on each side of the throne Is a
large vase, which she selected from her
collection She appears in the Manchu
head-dreSs, which is made of false hair
shaped like an open bow, about eighteen
inches wide and ornamented with pearls
and other precious stones and Jade orna-
ments of different colors. Her robe is OF
Imperial yellow silk (Mr. Vos says she never
wears anything but yellow and blue and
lnterwoyts1 in the fabric the familiar
designs which mean good luck and 'Iong
life. The nails upon her fourth and fiji n
fingers are between four and five inches
long, and upon them she wears protectors;
OF gold, beautifully chased. In her hands
she holds a fiat stiff fan painted by the
court painter, who was her teacher. She
paints fans very well herself and has done
some good flowers and trees on kakamonas
as rolling screens are called. Beside her
prosperity. Mr. Nos says that her majesty
IS very fond Of the fragrance of apples.
The second picture is also life-stze. but It
is painted upon much smaller canvas and
is a striking likeness of her majesty as
she appears today. She sits upon a rose
wood throne and the background is a screen
decorated with the dragons that represent
civil authority. with inscription that
reads: Perfect purity. Hsu-Hsi, Her I'M
perial Majesty. the Great Empress Dow
ageT." Beneath this Inscription on the
background are representations OF her three
seals of authority.
In this picture she wears the Manchu
head-dress. similar to that worn In the
other, but her robe is blue instead of yell
low and s covered with exquisite sym
bocal designs embroidered in white Six.
She holds a fan in her hand, similar to that
in the other picture, and shows her nail
protectors. while around her neck is a
string of large pearls. with a pendant OF
two black pear-shaped pearls OF unusual
size and beauty. The frame of the picture
was made by artists of the imperial house
hold after designs by Mr.. Vos The mate
nal is mahogany, beautifully ca we'd, ana
Crnamented with cloisonne panels and ro-
settles.
Her majesty was delighted with both Of
the pictures, and bestowed upon M. Vos
the Order of Knight Commander of the
Double Dragon.