Art: Greater than Rembrandt

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Greater than Rembrandt

Sir Charles Higham, rich British British advertising expert, arrived in Manhattan last week in the interests of the India Tea Growers to stimulate tea-drinking in the U.S. To the ship reporter who met him, he amiably talked about painting, discussed the work of Alfred E. Orr, young U.S. painter, whom he financed. "Orr looks like a greater man than Rembrandt," Sir Charles remarked; said that he had rented for the painter the studio of the late John Singer Sargent, No. 31 Tite Street, Chelsea; told how Mr. Orr derived the inspiration for his greatest masterpiece, a painting of "the typical British war mother grieving for her lost sons":

"Orr and his wife were on a ferry from Margate when Orr noticed a young woman. . . . Orr stared at her; his wife was looking the other way. . . . The woman was leaning on the rail gazing sorrowfully into the water. . . . Orr called his wife's attention to her and said:

" 'What a wonderful face to represent the British War Mothers.'

"Orr approached the woman and asked her to pose for a painting, asked her what made her look so sad. The woman replied:

" 'I've forgotten my margate rock' [a species of rock candy]."

"While she posed for him, Mr. Orr offered her no candy of any kind. The result is the simulacrum of immortal sorrow of the British War Mothers."