| Creator Name | Flora Marguerite Lion (1878-1958).
Flora Marguerite Lion was an English portrait painter. Lion had a long and successful career and was known for her portraits of society figures, landscapes and murals. Lion was born in London to an English father and a French mother. She studied art at the St. John's Wood Art School in 1894 before receiving further training at the Royal Academy of Arts Schools between 1895 and 1899. Lion then attended the Académie Julian in Paris throughout 1899 and 1900. From 1900 onwards she exhibited at the Royal Academy, London.
In 1915 she married Ralph Amato. During the First World War Lion was commissioned by the Ministry of Information to paint factory scenes on the home front. Some of her paintings ar ein the collection of the Imperial War Museum (IWM).
Among Lion's later commissions were a group portrait of a young Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Duchess of York flanked by two cousins; a portrait of the wife of the Spanish ambassador, for which she received the Silver Medal, 1921, from the Société des Artistes Français; the suffragette Flora Drummond (1936); and, for a second time in 1940, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, by then queen-consort to King George VI.
During her career Lion had at least four solo exhibitions; one at the Alpine Club in 1923, another at Barbizon House in 1929, at the Fine Art Society during 1937 and finally at Knoedler's Gallery in 1940. Ten portraits by Lion are in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London. Lion received the Gold Medal from the Société des Artistes Français in 1949. |
| Administrative History | The paintings was originally presented to the Savage Cub, London by Lady Jessie Wood (wife of Sir Henry Wood). |
| Custodial History | Originally hung in Door 6 of the Hall, and later hung in Staircase 9. |