The Washington herald., 1912-03-05

ciai picture Of the coronation IN the new
and paiatIal studio OF Mr.. j. H. Bacon.
The historic painting Is to be completed
| In time for the Royal Academy exhibit
ton next May. The canvas upon which
Mr. Bacon Is NJ work Is much larger
than the painting of the late King Ed
wards coronation by Mr.. Edwin Abbey.
measuring IS feet by II feet AT the pres
ent time the figures Of the royal pair are
only vaguely suggested In the new pic
ture. but the portraits Of all the occu-
pants Of the royal gallery are completed.
The Prince OF Wales occupies a fore
most position, wearing the robes OF the
! Order OF the Garter. He, as well as his
brothers, and Princess Mary and the
other royal princesses, have given Mr..
Bacon individual sittings In the attire
they wore in the abbey.
AS the coronation took place in the
south transept OF Westminster Abbey. the
picture does not include the peeress' gal
lery. Still Il Is work OF great magni-
tude and when finished viii depict no
fewer than 400 faces. One OF the largest
figures il that OF Lord Beauchamp. who.
as sword-bearer. occupies prominent
place in the foreground. The artist has
prodlced striking ikenesses of the six
young girls. all daughters OF esrls, who
attended the Queen as handmaidens.
They. OF course, appear IN Queen Mary's
Immediate encourage. their snow-white
dresses making a splendid foil for the pur-
pie train and mantle of the Queen. the
golden robes OF the King. and the gor-
geous raiment OF the representatives OF
foreign powers.
Equally lifelike are the portraits of the
four canopy duchesses OF Portland.
Sutherland. Hamilton. and Montrose. Mr..
Bacon work -reproduces the scene at
the moment when the Archbishop OF Can
terbury. having placed the imperial crown
upon the head OF King George. Is In the
act OF stepping back from the throne;
the Kings figure being iliUmined by n
sunbeam which pierced the, famous rose
window OF the abbey.
The ultimate destination of the man.
moth picture Is Buckingham Palace.
The death of Lord wenIeck ended long
period OF falling health He was a prac-
teal man, with a great capacity for af-
fairs. an agricultural expert. and admin
istrative adept in county matters. and
considerate landlord. His own home farm
at Escrick. in Yorkshire. Is quite model
OF its kind. and he did a great deal to
improve the condition OF the cottages on
his estate. Lord Wenlock sat in the
House Of Commons as a Liberal for a
few weeks in 1880. until he succeeded to
the tnle. In 1880 he replaced Lord Come
mara as governor of Madras. where he
was very popular. He had no pretentions
of being a statesman OF high gifts. but
his policy was sensible and enterprising.
and he made himself greatly beloved by,
the natives.
Lord wenlock accompanied King
George and Queen Mary (then Prince
and Princess OF wales) on their voyage
around the. world in 1901. After the
death OF King Edward he was appointed
vice chamberlain to the present Queen.
The wenlock peerage dates from 1859.
but the Lawleys are an ancient Shrop-
shire family. and became possessed of
Yorkshire in the eighteenth century,
when Sir Robert Lawley married the
heiress of Mr.. Beilby Thompson. of
Escrick. There was family connection
and an intimate friendship between the
Lawleys and the Gladstones. who were
frequent visitors at Escrick Park. The
father and grandfather, of the late peer
were close friends and great favorites OF
Archbishop Harcourt. who was their
neighbor at Rishopthorpe.
The Elizabethan house at Escrick was
rebuilt about a century ago. II contains
some good pictures and a splendid IL
brary, including q number Of books OF
rarity @ich were presents from Thomas
Grenville. There Is also a very fine Ital-
Ian garden. and the park Is large and
well wooded, but quite a level plateau
The beautiful church was rebuilt in 1874
at great cost. and the corner stone was
laid by the late Lord wenlock, who was
then a mere child.
Copyright, 1919. By Court Gossip syndicAts.l