MRS. ALEC TWEEDIE
After a painting by Herbert Schmalz, 1894
CHAPTER XIII
ABOUT PAINTERS
IT has been rather amusing to sit to various artists; they have such different ways of working. When Herbert Schmalz did my portrait (1894) he was busy upon those enormous religious canvases of his which afterwards toured round England and Australia as a one-man show, and which are so well known in reproductions.
He was painting “John Oliver Hobbes” at the same time, and she and I went to the studio on alternate days. Although we were hardly alike, the names of Craigie and Tweedie had something of the same sound, and quite confused the little servant, who always announced me as Mrs. Craigie, and John Oliver Hobbes as Mrs. Tweedie. Those were pleasant sittings, and perhaps I went ten or twelve times for the picture. Herbert Schmalz is a careful, painstaking artist, who is prone to alter scheme or colour, and do the work all over again unless it pleases him. At that time Sir Frederick Leighton often came to the studio, which almost adjoined his own.
Leighton was one of the most courtly, charming men I ever knew. Short of stature, he still had a magnificent presence, and his grey head was grand. No President of the Royal Academy ever looked finer at the top of the stairs on soirée night than this splendid draughtsman. The Academy Soirée in his day was a grand function. His personality attracted all that was best. I never liked his painting, but always loved his drawing.
The portrait painted by Mr. Schmalz[6] was one day standing in my hall a year or two later, when a new servant—new servants are luxuries I do not often indulge in—asked if the picture was going away.