Mayfly King

Current Opinion, a U. S. magazine purporting to publish an accurate monthly news review, reproduced in its July issue the portrait of King George V which was exhibited by its creator, Charles Sims, at the Royal Academy, London, in May (TIME, May 12).

The Sims portrait shows Britain's monarch in full regalia, with sceptre and sword, seated on his throne. It idealizes and refines the not-unlined face. It gives His Majesty dainty, tapering legs. It makes the fingers, actually the short, muscular digits of a sport-loving country gentleman, appear long and willowy.

All reliable critics adjudged Mr. Sims' effort as one of the most questionable in the entire Academy. They felt sure that Mr. Sims had obtained, at most, only one sitting of his regal subject, had fallen back perforce on lay models for the body of the work.

Some critics said: "A mayfly king."

"Bedecked and beribboned like a magnum of champagne."

"With toe nimbly pointed, as for the pirouette or gavotte."

In the face of such criticism (well-nigh unanimous), Current Opinion ignorantly entitled its reproduction: "The Most Human Royal Portrait Within Living Memory" (a phrase quoted from the critic of the Illustrated London News).