Detail of the face
About this painting, theosophical researcher Marina Cesar Sisson wrote:
« In early March 1875, HPB wrote
General Lippitt that she would be sending him a self-portrait of John King, in
which he appeared "on his balcony, in Summer-land"
(HPB Speaks I, 57). In bright colors over white satin, the
painting shows centrally the head and part of the trunk of a black-bearded man
wearing a turban and white garments.
He is standing on a balcony
surrounded by foliage and a large flower garland. In the background, to the
right, there are some pale human figures and, to the left, a building which
reminds us of a castle by a lakeshore. In the picture, John King is holding a
large book with signs on its cover, while the symbols of Solomon and a swastika
are shown on the column of the balcony. It is important to note that these two
symbols are also present on the TS logo and in HPB’s crest.
Gomes informs us about the
picture that:
"This picture is preserved
at the headquarters of the Theosophical Society at Adyar, India. The colors are
still remarkably bright for its age; only in one place has the satin become discoloured.
It was brought over to London in June 1893 by W.Q. Judge, then general
secretary of the American Section of the society, as a present from General
Lippitt to Annie Besant". (Gomes 1987, 211)
Olcott was there at the time and
described how the portrait was made in a letter to General Lippitt (HPB
Speaks I, 78). Madame Blavatsky purchased a piece of fine white satin in
the appropriate size: 1 yard square (0,91m²). This was placed over a board,
together with brushes, paints and water. The material was covered with a cloth
and left overnight in the room dedicated to the "spirits".
By morning, the whole upper part
of the portrait and John King’s face had been outlined and there was some
coloring around the human figures in the background. Next, John King asked HPB
to begin painting a flower garland around the picture, as if it were a frame.
Madame Blavatsky, however, did not work very fast. She said: "I work
very slow when he does not help me or do it himself." (HPB Speaks I,
57) Thus John King became impatient with her work and dismissed her. When he
called her back, HPB found the whole upper foliage and the marble balcony
already outlined and she began working on the foliage and, hence, limited
herself to painting this part of the picture. Olcott wrote:
"John doing everything else
himself – piecemeal, sometimes by day and sometimes by night. I was in the
house most of this time and on more than one occasion sat near her [HPB] while
painting, and with her stepped out for a few minutes while the spirit artist
drew some portion of the picture, beneath the cloth that was spread over its
face. The Greek and Hebrew words and the cabalistic signs were put in last of
all." (HPB Speaks I, 78)
By early April the painting had
been sent to General Lippitt with a request that he never part from the
portrait, and not let "too many persons touch it, not even approach it
too close." (HPB Speaks I, 65). Madame Blavatsky remarked on
Lippitt’s reaction to the painting:
"I am glad you like Johny’s
picture, but you must not call him a Turk, for he is a noble dear sprite and
loves you much. It is nobody’s fault, if you did not see him till now, as he
is in reality, and always thought him to be like the old Jewish
half-materialised phyz. you were generally treated to at the Holmes. In London only,
he appears as he is; but bearing still on his dear countenance some likeness to
his respective mediums, for it is hard for him to change completely the
particles drawn by him from various vital powers." (HPB Speaks I,
65)
An interesting note is HPB’s
remark that "In London only, he appears as he is". At a séance
with medium Williams held in London in March 1873, a portrait of John King was
also outlined, and it is quite similar to that made for Lippitt, except for the
flowers and the background around the main figure (Cooper, 145). This
indicates that John King’s self-portrait must have reproduced very well the
image that he wanted to show of himself to the public.
On sending the portrait to
Lippitt, Madame Blavatsky also said:
"John asks you to give your
attention to the flying figure of the spirit above – "mother and
child". Says you will recognise her. I do not. Johny wants you to try
and understand all the symbols and masonic signs." (HPB Speaks I,
64). »
(Source)
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