6619

Study portrait

Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark, née Princess Alice of Battenberg 1922

Head and shoulders only, wearing a white stole and pearl earrings

Oil on board, 90.2 x 69.9 cm (35 ½ x 27 ½ in.)

Inscribed lower right: de László / 1922 August / London

Laib L10974(812) / C10(36)  

NPG Album 1921-23, p. 33

Sitters’ Book II, opp. f. 32: In remembrance of a charming / day at the studio Aug.14th 1922 / Alice. / Princess Andrew of Greece

Studio Inventory, p. 27 (148): H.R.H. Princess Alice of Greece. Painted in London for the artist’s pleasure.

Private Collection

De László painted many members of the Battenberg family and the Greek Royal family. He had painted a formal portrait of Princess Alice in Germany in 1907 [6615] and one of her husband, Prince Andrew, in 1913 in London [6622]. In 1928, to celebrate Prince and Princess Andrew’s silver wedding anniversary, their family decided to commission sketches of the heads of their daughters Margarita and Theodora, from the artist [8195] [7851].

As was quite often his practice, de László painted a further study portrait of Princess Alice [6620], which he presented to the sitter. The present portrait remained in the artist’s studio until his death, when it was given to one of the artist’s sons. There is a letter from the sitter, written to the artist’s wife Lucy in 1950, attached to the backboard.

According to the Royal historian Hugo Vickers, Princess Alice’s sister “went to inspect some de László sketches of her made in London at the time of Dickie’s [Lord Louis Mountbatten] wedding. The contrast between the relaxed Alice in the sketches and the worn look on her sister’s face at the end of 1922, less than six months later, gave Louise a shock. ‘I am so glad they were done while Alice was still looking her very best last summer,’ Louise wrote to her lady-in-waiting Nona Kerr [111228]. ‘At least now there will be something really like Alice to have for always.’^[1] Louis Mountbatten and his wife Edwina were also painted at the time of their wedding in 1924 [3510] & [3178].

According to Biddy Craig-Brown, a niece of the artist, this was one of the artist’s favourite studies, and was very true to life. It hung in the dining room of de László’s home at 3 Fitzjohn’s Avenue where Princess Alice was a regular visitor.

For biographical notes on the sitter, see [6615].

PROVENANCE:

In the possession of the artist on his death;

Paul de Laszlo, his third son;

Christopher de Laszlo, son of Paul;

By descent

EXHIBITED:

•The French Gallery, London, A Series of Portraits and Studies by Philip A. de László, M.V.O., June 1923, no. 54

•Doll & Richards Galleries, Boston, Portraits by Philip A. de László, M.V.O., 1-10 October 1925, no. 2

•M. Knoedler & Co., New York, Exhibition of Portraits by Philip A. de Laszlo, M.V.O., 19-31 October 1925, no. 6

•The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., Special Exhibition of Portraits by Philip A. de László, M.V.O., 5- 27 December 1925, no. 4

•The Baltimore Museum of Art, Special Exhibition of Portraits by Philip A. de László, M.V.O., 31 December 1925-10 January 1926, no. 4

•Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, Fifty-Fourth Autumn Exhibition, 1926, no. 291

•Municipal Art Gallery, Oldham, Spring Exhibition of Pictures, 1927, no. 241

•Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery, 1929, no. 3

•Ferens Art Gallery, Kingston-upon-Hull, Autumn Exhibition of Modern Paintings, From 6 October 1929, no. 136

•Guildford Art Society, Guildford, Fifth Annual Exhibition, 1930, no. 459

•Hotel Jean Charpentier, Paris, Exposition P. A. de László, June 1931, no. 10

•Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, 86th Annual Exhibition, October 1931-February 1932, no. 79

•M. Knoedler & Co., London, Royal Portraits by Philip A. de László, M.V.O., 27 November-8 December, 1934, no. 1

•[Location unknown], World Refugee Year Exhibition of Treasures, no. 275

LITERATURE:

•The Illustrated London News, 1 December 1934, p. 868, ill.

•Rutter, Owen, Portrait of a Painter, London, 1939, p .246

•Duff, David, Hessian Tapestry, Frederick Muller Ltd., London, 1967, ill. opp. p. 321

•Vickers, Hugo, Alice, Princess Andrew of Greece, London, 2000, pp. 178, 179, 187-8, 197, 198

•DLA 1930 parcel, Vecko Journalen, 1930, p. 24, ill.

KF 2016