DLA019-0255  Transcription  

‘Sir Alfred Gilbert. In Gratitude and Affection’, [reprinted from] The Times, 9 July 1932

A NATIONAL TESTIMONIAL

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES

Sir,—The memorial to Queen Alexandra having been unveiled by his Majesty the King, and “Eros” with his Fountain replaced in position, our thoughts turn in sympathy and admiration to the inspired sculptor from whose hand they came.

With “Eros” Alfred Gilbert, at near the outset of his career, won the love of London: and some of us now recall how, in that spirit of self-forgetting liberality which has always been his innate characteristic and his bane—through expending far more money on the production of a work than he was to receive for it—he cast upon his life that shadow which for long years darkened it, and was the main source of the disappointments that conduced to his self-imposed exile. And now, as his progress nears its end and when the memory of the saddened past has been relieved through his having been summoned back to England, this first great work of his youth has again challenged the attention of the public. Many will believe that it is equalled, as in sentiment it is overshadowed, by the Memorial to Queen Alexandra now inviting our judgement and our applause; showing how a man’s creative powers may continue to rise at the very end.

At such a moment we cannot doubt that all lovers of the arts would wish to requite the poet-artist, who has endowed his creations with such noble expression, and that many of the people of London, and of the British public generally, will seize an opportunity for giving effect to their appreciation and their sympathy. This may be done by taking part in a National Testimonial to Sir Alfred Gilbert. Their response would be not only a tribute to his genius; it would surely rejoice him with a compliment he so richly deserves.

Sir Alfred Gilbert has been welcomed back by the Royal Academy and by the Arts Club—the brotherly tribute of his fellow artists. The King has honoured him with the knightly accolade—the reward of the Royal favour. Now, surely, it is the turn of his fellow-citizens and countrymen to acknowledge their debt of gratitude and affection in the manner which we venture here to propose.

An account will be opened in the names of Trustees who will administer the fund on Sir Alfred’s behalf; meanwhile, donations should be sent to the Manager, Barclay’s [sic] Bank, Kensington High-street, W. (Gilbert Testimonial), who has kindly consented to receive them.

We are, &c.,

GWENDOLEN NORFOLK

VIOLET RUTLAND

RUTAND

D’ABERNON

HOWARD DE WALDEN

BUCKMASTER

NORTHBOURNE

MAUD CUNARD

LUCY HOUSTON

PHILIP SASSOON

DAVID MURRAY

ARTHUR ASQUITH

JOHN MASEFIELD

RUDYARD KIPLING

SIGISMUND GOETZE

F.H. GREEN

M.H. SPIELMANN

Editorial Note:

De László donated £3 to the Fund, see DLA019-0256, letter from de László’s secretary to The Manager, Barclays Bank, 31 August 1932.

SMDL

17/07/2018