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Sunday,
the 16th of June 1996...
Nehru, painted by Elizabeth when in 'Constitution
House' between 1951 and 1955
Later on Elizabeth was in the mood to continue the
talk and she remembered, "in London I met Nehru for the
first time." Dagmar asked, "in London?"
Elizabeth continued, "he came to see our exhibition all
by himself. I was on the stairs and saw somebody coming up.
I could see it was not an English man and I recognized him
and called mother. At that time I also asked him to pose for
me. He said, 'alright, I have not much time, but I will give
you half an hour tomorrow morning. In the Dorchester Hotel,
at 9 o'clock.'
So we went there. Everything was arranged. Nehru was
sitting in the room and I started painting him standing
about a meter away from him at my easel. He was more or less
looking down. He was wearing a Gandhi cap and a western
dress. We both stuck to a half an hour, because he had
appointments afterwards. That painting is now in the
National Museum.
- Then
I also made friend with Indira and asked her to pose for me.
She said, 'tomorrow.' So the next day we went again. This
time to her room at the Dorchester Hotel and I did her
portrait. And mother made a photograph of both of us. (Dagmar
had seen that photo the last time she had been with
Elizabeth.) But I don't know now where is that painting of
Indira. I have done another one here in India in her
residence." Dagmar said, "yes, that one I have
seen."
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