The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-05-23
Very Entertaining Game
of Hide and Seek in the
British Aristocracy to Find
of Countess GLeichen's
Woman of 1914" Who
Carries Only a Vanity Bag

that they can recognize certain srrik-
ing lines Of beauty in the figure a.
belonging To friends Of theirs. AZ first
there were not lacking ladies' who
boldly claimed that they were the
whole thing. In spite OF the strong
evidence that 70 was a composite por
trait. Their tone has changed. how
ever. since Queen Mary went on h
war path
The Countess Gleichen herself as
serted when her work first excited
remark that Il represented n type.
and not a single person. To explsin
this statement away. one OF the un-
blushing ones who wanted to be the
whole thing said:
"Oh. yes. the Countess Teddy tried
90 make n composite statue OF a lot
OF Us. but my figure impressed her
50 much hat she couldn't help max
ing me. Anybody can see that it's
my figure"
The Woman OF 1917 Is a slender
limbed figure standing In n dropping
attitude with her right arm akimbo.
while from her left hand depends a
little vanity bag. her only adjournment
Why the vanity bag? Well. that is
the most original touch about the
whole statue. and nj the same time a
point against which much hostile crit
icism has been directed. This vanity
bag T. said To have annoyed Her
Majesty very much.
NO one can defend n statue OF n
woman wearing only "A vanity bag b.
saying that II u in the same class as
the classic statues OF the nude" Her
Majesty is reported 10 ave said with
keen critical insight.
One sly critic has written that this
statue aims TO represent the ideal
towards which woman's costume Is
tending. Perhaps that was the idea
In Her sajesty's mind. too; but. OF
course. she would not have said such
a thing.
Though the figure" writes an
other critic, as that OF a girl OF
twenty the pose 81 one OF quiet but
provocative ~effrontery. and the face
finely modelled. has an expression
anything but virginia.. 1t typihes
wildly M twentieth century gO-as.
you-pleasc. pleasure-bored. 'been-there-
and-back' young society woman. the
quintessence OF worldliness STEPPED in
standardization"
The figure has the long. lose. slen-
der limbs hat are 50 much admired
In England and that are ~ frequent
~ seer IN English women. owing Ia
the prevailing fashions in bathing
suits. golf suits and other sporting
costumes. n can observe these
things IN real life at least as well as
in this statue.
The statue undoubtedly gives a good
idea Of a certain English upper class
type 81 beauty. but IL tends towards
caricaure. The limbs are too slender
and delicate for young women who
practise sport 80 vigorously. The
head. however. Is more lifelike.
Some admirable examples Of the
tall. slender type OF English woman
rood are the Duchess ~ Westminster
the Countess OF Westmoreland and
Lady Marjorie Manners. who recently
became the Warehouses OF Anglesey
They are all very original and pro
gressivc in their costumes. They
have exhibited themselves as "liv
ing %statuary," and In various kind,
Of spectacles and pageants for the en-
treatment OF a beauty loving public
Queen Mary tried. with Indifferent
success. TO put IN end to sp~ectacles OF
that kind. but whatever kind she
frOwned upon. the tendency was sure
10 break out in some Q direction.
Al the three beauties mentioned
have denied that they are In any way
represented by The statue. Having
been 20 prominent In all sorts Of ar
tiStic entertainments. and being
friends Of the Countess 81 Gleichen,
DO was natural hat people should