7804

Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark 1922

Standing full length slightly to the left, head turned to the right, wearing full dress uniform as General of the Greek Infantry with cape, the collar of the Danish Order of the Elephant, the blue Grand Cordon and the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Saviour of Greece, and on his right, the Grand Cross of the Order of the Elephant; holding a ceremonial sword in his left hand, his right at his waist holding his gloves, a monocle to his right eye

Oil on canvas, 270 x 150 cm (106 ½ x 59 in.)

Inscribed upper left: de László. 1922. III. Cannes.

Laib L10990(807) / C29(31) Man, full length, standing

NPG Album 1921-23, p. 18

Sitters’ Book II, f. 29: Christopher / Prince of Greece Cannes 22 March 1922.

Collection of His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Greece

The years after the First World War were extremely busy for de László as he worked to re-establish his painting career. After two years of internment, he was cleared by the National Revocation Committee in June 1919 and released from house arrest. His health broke down in the winter of 1921/22 and he and Lucy travelled to the South of France so that he could recover. In typical style de László carried on working and painted five portraits: the present picture, the sitter’s wife [7809], his wife’s daughter-in-law Mrs William B. Leeds Jr., née Princess Xenia of Russia [1224], his niece Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark [11684] and King Gustav V of Sweden [8017], while staying at Prince Christopher’s villa in Cannes. All of the pictures, save for that of Princess Xenia, were included in the artist’s exhibition at Knoedler’s, Paris, in April, and the sitter and his wife attended the opening reception.^[1] The portrait was given by the sitter’s stepson, William B. Leeds, Jr., to King Paul I of Greece, who hung it at the Royal Palace in Athens.

De László first painted Prince Christopher in 1919 [7802]. He made a full-length preparatory oil sketch for the present portrait [7806] and a preparatory drawing [11740].

For biographical notes on the sitter, see [7802].

PROVENANCE:

William B. Leeds, stepson of the sitter;

Given by him to King Paul I of Greece;

By descent

EXHIBITED:

•M. Knoedler & Co., Paris, June 1922

LITERATURE:

•Grèce, Prince Christophe de, Ma Famille Côté Cours, Éditions Lacurne, Paris, 2021, ill. cover

•DLA092-0095, “Portrait Painter Holds Reception” The New York Herald, Paris, 7 June 1922

•DLA092-0067, “Exposition Laszlo,” Le Gaulois, 12 June 1922

KF 2017