Evening star., 1928-05-13
SKIRT MODE
AROUSES ARTISTS
6ainsborough and Romney
Tradition Ended, Says Brit
ish Academy Member.
BY LEMUEL r. PARTON.

:. .Srecisl Dispatch 90 The Star.
NEW YORK. May l2,--Academic
painters the world over are launching
= bitter attacks against the short skirt
not because 1t has esthetic as we'll
as other shortcomings hut because 1t
is Just about putting full length por-
trait painting out of business.
As the Spring exhibition of the salons
of America gets under way here, with
ont 3 single full--length portrait on
view, Sir Francis Bernard DickSe2,
president OF the British Royal Academy.
loads the cable with denunciatton
of modern wonlen's dress. which. he
says, puts an end to the stately tradition
of Gainsborough and Romney. Sir
Francis is one of Great Britain's lead
ing academicians. and has painted fuli-
length portraits of the Duchess OF
buckingham, the Duchess OF West
minister. the MarchionesS Camden. the
Hon Mrs. Ernest Guinnes and many
other distinguished English women. All
these. portraits were made in the days
of longer skirts Imagine the Duchess
sofs Buckingham having her portrait
painted in a short skirt! According to
Sir Francis it just isn't done. and the
total square footage of artists COM
missions is proportionately reduced.
Cut OF at Knee.
New York's Spring salon shows 400
paintings and drawings by 23S artists
from all parts OF the United States,
with only two or three short skirts on
view, and these only in sitting posture,
with knees usually draped by scarf
or robe. Wherever the subject is shown
standing the picture is cut of just
above the knees.
There is, however. among exhibiting
artists q division of opinion as to
whether a short skirt properly may be
brought within the range of dignified
and esthctically sound portraiture. The
argument seems to be rather sharply
drawn between the academicians and
the radicals, the former supporting Sir
Francis and the latter maintaining
that the artistic composing of detail in
standing figure is not in the least COM
plicated by the short skirt.
Miss Lydia Gibson, whose portrait of
Margaret Larkins' has attracted much
attention. is one of the strongest sup
porterS Of the radical position.
Il made this a three quarter length
portrait in sitting position" she said.
''just because wanted to compose the
picture that way. have nothing what
ever against the short skirt / see no
reason why an artist couldn't paint a
fnll-length portrait OF a woman in a
short skirt. / dont think 1t upsets any
aesthetic proprieties of any SORT" 3
Cites Greek Legend.
The academicians base their case
mainly on the theory that the short
skirt diStlrbS the ideal aesthetic proper
Eons of the human body. as worked out
by Plato. and many other philosophers
and artists clear down TO Sir Francis.
They dnc In long skirts or robes a sweep
Of line fulfilling abstract requirements
OF form and composition. They see in
the short skirt a shocking disturbance
Of these ancient yer1ties. One of them
cited the Grecian legend OF Procustes,
who cut on the legs of his visitors, to
make them 1T into his bed.
They can't do that to our art" he
said. Rather than paint these ugly
t1ree-quarter length portraits, wen Just
stop painting" MI 81 m
The fiapper population does not seem
disturbed BY the news that Sir Francis
and other painters don't like short
skirts.
r. fCopynght. Ip2s1 gf*