3233  

UNTRACED

Elena Lupescu^[1], later Princess Elena of Romania 1936

Half-length to the right, full face turned to the viewer, wearing a black velvet off-the -shoulder gown, a double string of South Sea pearls and a large pearl ring on her left hand which is raised to her breast, all against a blue background

Oil on canvas, 59.5 x 48.5 cm (35 ½ x 27 ½ in.)

Inscribed lower right: de László / BUKAREST [sic] 1936 III   

Sitters’ Book II, opp. f. 78: Hélène^[2] Lupescu / 9 III 936

De László had been in Bucharest for almost six weeks when he wrote to Queen Marie [3211] 12 March 1936 that he had promised King Carol II [4220], “to paint a portrait of his friend” ^[3] and mistress Elena Lupescu. The preparatory oil sketch [4709] for this portrait remained in the artist’s studio on his death. The studio inventory describes the present picture as being painted at the sitter’s villa and not as an official commission. De László also painted a study portrait of Elena which remains untraced [3237].

De László referred to Elena as the Red Lady in his diary, when he first visited the sitter the 3 March: “I was very pleasantly surprised – fine features – lovely red hair – very versatile – in her strong intelligence with much experiences – very exquisite expensive taste far more refined then that of the king – she spoke – besides french – English – very well german with me – I regret that she was too much – arranged with cosmetic especially her mouth – I think she would be better without. – but this place here is just the Home of exagarated artificiallity’s – We had tea – two Roumanians came to tea – I think diplomats naturally they play up to her – as it was in the passed with similar Royal families so it is & will be – I must admit I look forward to paint her – she travelled much knows – the world – artists etc – she will be a splendid sitter - & must do something for me too – I feel she too look forward to it – Alas! She had a dressed on which was not to her advantage. How ever her life & passed is – she is simpler then these Royal complicated & comedians.”^[4]

De László visited Elena again the next day; it was his practice to spend time with his sitter so as to learn their character, whenever time permitted. “We entered the House, which was well guarded! – The interieurs arranged with much taste – probably – too much of good thinks in it – it is the atmosphere of either a great actress’s or a great mistress’s – she was no doubt 15 years ago – much better – she too much arranged now - & is getting fat – in – clever cunning she must be so – being able to hold the king since 11. years – the cause – of the kings divorse with Helen – that good Lady.”^[5] 

Sittings began 6 March and again, de László had much to say about the sitter: “the Red jewess appeared in a black velvet dress – with valuable pearls She does her best – to get rid of H.M. as much as she can – as the moment may come when he gets tired of her – Only by daylight I realized how much cosmic covers her face – it is a mask – she has good hands – but bad legs ancles I placed her against my deep Spanish green brocade - & she looks well – with her red hair – against green - & black velvet.”^[6]

The Reverend Alan Don [12684], chaplain to Archbishop Lang [6161], also recorded the artist’s unease with the sitter when they met later that year: “Mr de Laszlo came to lunch. He has recently returned from a tour in the near east during the course of which he painted Queen Marie of Roumania, King Carol and (somewhat to his discomfort) Madem L, the King’s mistress.”^[7]

Elena Lupescu was born in 1899 in Jassy, Moldavia, the daughter of Nicolae and his wife Elise. Her parents were of Jewish origin but her father converted to the Romanian Orthodox church so that he might own his own pharmacy, those of the Jewish faith being forbidden from owning a business. Before conversion his surname was Grünberg or Wolff, however, it is not clear which came first.  

The sitter was not considered a great beauty but was certainly striking with her red hair and green eyes. At eighteen, she married an army lieutenant named Tampeanu, but he divorced her on the grounds of infidelity and she reverted to using her maiden name. She was introduced to Crown Prince Carol by a photographer acquaintance in 1923, and a serious relationship began in 1925.  

Elena exercised a strong and lasting hold over Carol and he gave up his right of succession for her. They left Romania and lived variously in Switzerland, France and Italy. Carol returned to Romania in 1930 in a coup to take the crown from his son Michael [4218] in 1930 and Elena went with him. As King, he spent a fortune for her jewels and installed her in the villa Aleea Vulpache in Bucharest, but she was not allowed to attend official functions. Instead she hosted her own soirées and had a circle of friends which included industrialists and arms manufacturers. It was rumoured that these men helped King Carol to make large sums of money and deposit them abroad. She established good relations with Prince Michael, but Queen Marie [3211] never accepted her and refused to receive her.  

King Carol abdicated in 1940 and they were exiled, travelling to Spain, then to Portugal, and eventually they settled in Mexico City. The high altitude made Elena ill and they moved to Rio de Janeiro where, in 1947, she was diagnosed with pernicious anaemia and Carol married her in a ceremony in their hotel bedroom. She was also given the title Princess Elena of Romania by her husband. However, she recovered and the couple returned to Europe and bought a villa in Estoril, Portugal.  Elena died there thirty years later on 30 June 1977, having survived Carol by 24 years. She was interred beside him in the royal pantheon of the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon. In 2003 their remains were brought back to Romania and Carol was buried in the Cathedral of Curtea de Argeş, the traditional burial ground of Romanian royalty. Elena, not being of royal blood, was buried in the monastery’s cemetery.

LITERATURE:

•De László letters to Queen Marie of Roumania, dated 1 and 12 March 1936, Arhivele Nationale, Bucuresti, fond Regina Maria personale, V4673 & V4674

•Rutter, Owen, Portrait of a Painter, London, 1939, pp. 376-7

•Elsberry, Terence, Marie of Romania, The Intimate Life of a Twentieth Century Queen, Cassel, London, 1973, p. 263

•Moats, Alice-Leone. Lupescu, New York, Henry Holt & Co, 1955, ill.

•Hart-Davis, Duff, in collaboration with Caroline Corbeau-Parsons, De László: His Life and Art, Yale University Press, 2010, pp. 268-269

•Ion, Narcis Dorin, Carol al II-lea al României: un rege controversat [King Carol II of Romania: a Controversial King], vol. 4, Editura Magic Print, Onești, 2021, p. 298, ill.

•DLA125-0006, Philip de László 1936 diary

SMdeL & KF 2014