Tuesday
London
Dearest,
Rather a rushed letter today I’m afraid for I have never been so late as I am with it. Sorry, love. I went to the Royal Academy this morning and was rather late getting back here for it was raining and bitterly cold so, as I had gone without my mack yesterday, I had to shelter for a time. I got frozen to the marrow and hope I won’t catch cold as a result of it. My bones ached with the cold.
I had no violent reactions to the R.A. except that I was a bit disappointed in the etchings, though by the time I reached them I’d had rather a surfeit of art, I think, for I had spent a solid three hours there. Among the outstanding things, I thought, were: Gunn’s ‘Pauline In The Yellow Dress’, which had been singled out by several of the critics; Kennington’s aerial studies which are official paintings for the war archives and which show a peculiarly ethereal and startling beauty such as you would expect, once having seen them, in the rare atmosphere of high altitude; and, of course, Dame Laura’s official water colours of various aspects of wartime life. She’s marvelous on a big canvas. There are two portraits of the Queen, which look as though the artist has chosen full figure in the very centre of a fairly small canvas because he’s afraid to show just how much she is putting on weight! And she certainly is developing several chins.
I’ll go again, of course, when it’s cold and wet and this time I think I’ll begin at the etchings. Incidentally, the one which has sold best is a quite tiny plate of Jenny Wren – beautifully done and covered with about 30 little red daubs showing the number of prints which have been bought. I felt this was one of the things one should see and I don’t feel the morning was wasted by any means.
As it is just possible that Prince may use my open letter to the women of Merseyside before he lets me know about it, will you keep an eye on the ‘Echo’ for me, please? Of course, he’s likely to scrap it for they must be fed to the teeth with Second Front stuff now.
Sorry I forgot the sweet coupons. Here they are today! And will you please send the negatives in your next letter without fail? Now, I’ll answer your letter next time I write, which will not be tomorrow as we are on stand-by. Bye for now, sweetheart, and all my love to you.
Ever your own,
Arthur X
May 161944