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diff --git a/40410.txt b/40410.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 120a495..0000000 --- a/40410.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11961 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Dickens and His Illustrators, by Frederic G. Kitton - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Dickens and His Illustrators - 2nd. Ed. - -Author: Frederic G. Kitton - -Illustrator: Various - -Release Date: August 4, 2012 [EBook #40410] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DICKENS AND HIS ILLUSTRATORS *** - - - - -Produced by Pat McCoy, Chris Curnow and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive). - - - - - - TRANSCRIBER NOTES: - - Underscores at the start and end of a word indicate that the - word appears in italics in the original. Example: _SECOND - EDITION_ - - Equal signs at the start and end of a word indicate that the - word appears as bold in the original. Example: =SECOND - EDITION= - - Footnotes have been moved to immediately below the paragraph - in which the reference appears. - - Additional Transcriber Notes can be found at the end of this - project. - - - - -DICKENS - -AND HIS ILLUSTRATORS - - - - -[Illustration: "And so as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us every one!" - -Charles Dickens] - - - - -PLATE I - -CHARLES DICKENS - -From a scarce Lithograph by - -SOL. EYTINGE, JUNR. - - -This Portrait was published during the Novelist's last visit to America -(1867-68), by Fields, Osgood & Co., of Boston, their advertisement -describing it as "an Authentic Portrait of Charles Dickens, drawn on -stone by S. Eytinge, Jr., whose Illustrations of Dickens's Novels have -been so popular." The late Mr. J. R. Osgood did not recall any actual -sitting for the Portrait, but remembers that Eytinge often saw Dickens -while making the drawing. The impression from which the present -reproduction was made is particularly interesting on account of the -quotation from "A Christmas Carol" in the autograph of Dickens. - -_Lent by Mr. Stuart M. Samuel._ - - - - - DICKENS - - AND HIS ILLUSTRATORS - - CRUIKSHANK, SEYMOUR, BUSS, "PHIZ," CATTERMOLE - LEECH, DOYLE, STANFIELD, MACLISE, TENNIEL - FRANK STONE, LANDSEER, PALMER, TOPHAM - MARCUS STONE, AND LUKE FILDES - - BY - - FREDERIC G. KITTON - AUTHOR OF "CHARLES DICKENS BY PEN AND PENCIL," ETC. - - WITH TWENTY-TWO PORTRAITS AND FACSIMILES OF - SEVENTY ORIGINAL DRAWINGS NOW REPRODUCED - FOR THE FIRST TIME - - - _SECOND EDITION_ - - - LONDON - GEORGE REDWAY - 1899 - - - - - TO - - CHARLES DICKENS'S DAUGHTER - - KATE PERUGINI - - THESE NOTES UPON THE ILLUSTRATIONS - TO HER FATHER'S WRITINGS - - _are respectfully dedicated_ - - BY THE AUTHOR - - - - -PREFACE - - -In the matter of pictorial embellishment, the writings of Charles -Dickens may be regarded as occupying a unique position. The original -issues alone present a remarkable array of illustrations; and when we -remember the innumerable engravings specially prepared for subsequent -editions, as well as for independent publication, we are fain to confess -that, in this respect at least, the works of "Boz" take precedence of -those of any other novelist. These designs, too, are of particular -interest, inasmuch as they are representative of nearly every branch of -the art of the book-illustrator; both the pencil of the draughtsman and -the needle of the etcher have been requisitioned, while the brush of the -painter has depicted for us many striking scenes culled from the pages -of Dickens. - -The evolution of a successful picture, as exhibited by means of -preparatory sketches, is eminently instructive to the student of Art. -The present volume should therefore appeal not merely to the Dickens -Collector, but to all who appreciate the artistic value of tentative -studies wrought for a special purpose. The absolute _facsimiles_, here -given for the first time, enable us to obtain an insight into the -methods adopted by the designers in developing their conceptions, those -methods being further manifested by the aid of correspondence which, -happily, is still extant. - -Referring to Dickens's intercourse with his Illustrators, Forster -significantly observes that the artists certainly had not an easy time -with him. The Novelist's requirements were exacting even beyond what is -ordinary between author and illustrator; for he was apt (as he himself -admitted) "to build up temples in his mind not always makeable with -hands." While resenting the notion that Dickens ever received from any -artist "the inspiration he was always striving to give," his biographer -assures us that, so far as the illustrations are concerned, he had -rarely anything but disappointments,--a declaration which apparently -substantiates the statement (made on good authority) that the Novelist -would have preferred his books to remain unadorned by the artist's -pencil. That the vast majority of his readers approved of such -embellishment cannot be questioned, for the genius of Cruikshank and -"Phiz" has done much to impart reality to the persons imagined by -Dickens. We are perhaps even more indebted to the excellent -illustrations than to the Author's descriptions for the ability to -realise the outward presentments of Pickwick, Fagin, Micawber, and a -host of other characters, simply because the material eye absorbs -impressions more readily than the mental eye. - -That Dickens's association with his Illustrators was something more than -mere coadjutorship is evidenced both in Forster's "Life" and in the -published "Letters." From these sources we derive much information -tending to prove the existence of a warm friendship subsisting between -Author and Artists; indeed, the latter (with two or three exceptions) -were privileged to enjoy the close personal intimacy of Dickens and his -family circle. Recalling the fact that the Novelist not unfrequently -availed himself of the traits and idiosyncrasies of his familiars, it -seems somewhat strange that in the whole range of his creations we fail -to discover a single attempt at the portraiture of an artist; for those -_dilettanti_ wielders of the brush, Miss La Creevy and Henry Gowan, can -scarcely be included under that denomination. - -During the earlier part of this century the illustrators of books -seldom, if ever, resorted to the use of the living model. Such experts -as Cruikshank, Seymour, "Phiz," Maclise, Doyle, and Leech were no -exceptions to this rule; but at the beginning of the sixties there arose -a new "school" of designers and draughtsmen, prominent among them being -Leighton, Millais, Walker, and Sandys. Those popular Royal Academicians, -Mr. Marcus Stone and Mr. Luke Fildes (the illustrators respectively of -"Our Mutual Friend" and "Edwin Drood"), are almost the only surviving -members of that confraternity; they, however, speedily relinquished -black-and-white Art in order to devote their attention to the more -fascinating pursuit of painting. While admitting the technical -superiority of many of the illustrations in the later editions of -Dickens's works (such as those by Frederick Barnard and Charles Green), -the collector and bibliophile claim for the designs in the original -issue an interest which is lacking in subsequent editions; that is to -say, they possess the charm of association--a charm that far outweighs -possible artistic defects and conventions; for, be it remembered, these -designs were produced under the direct influence and authorisation of -Dickens, and by artists who worked hand in hand with the great romancer -himself. - -It is averred that "Phiz," who rightly retains the _premier_ position -among Dickens's Illustrators, placed very little value upon his -tentative drawings, which, as soon as they had served their purpose, -were either thrown upon the fire or given away incontinently to those -who had the foresight to ask for them. Fortunately, the recipients were -discriminating enough to treasure these pencillings, many of them having -since been transferred to the portfolios of collectors. For the -privilege of reproducing interesting examples I am indebted to Her Grace -the Duchess of St. Albans, Mr. J. F. Dexter, Mr. M. H. Spielmann, Mr. -W. H. Lever, Messrs. Robson & Co., the Committee of Nottingham Castle -Museum, and others. I am especially grateful to Mr. Augustin Daly, of -New York, for so generously permitting me to photograph the famous -"Pickwick" drawings by Seymour, together with a hitherto unpublished -portrait of that artist. The portrait of Dickens forming the -frontispiece to this volume is reproduced from a unique impression of a -very scarce lithograph in the possession of Mr. Stuart M. Samuel. - -In order to give an effect of continuity to my Notes, I have lightly -sketched the career of each Artist, introducing in chronological -sequence the facts relating to his designs for Dickens. In several -cases, the proof-sheets of these chapters have been revised by the -representatives of the Artists to whom they refer, and for valued aid in -this direction my cordial thanks are due to the Rev. A. J. Buss, Mr. -Field Stanfield, Mr. A. H. Palmer, and Mr. F. W. W. Topham. Those of -Dickens's Illustrators who are still with us have furnished me with much -information, and have kindly expressed their approval of what I have -written concerning them. I therefore avail myself of this opportunity of -tendering my sincere thanks, for assistance thus rendered, to Mr. Marcus -Stone, R.A., Mr. Luke Fildes, R.A., Mr. W. P. Frith, R.A., and Sir John -Tenniel, R.I., whose mark of approbation naturally imparts a special -value to the present record. I am still further indebted to Mr. Stone -and Mr. Fildes for the loan of a number of their original drawings and -sketches for Dickens, which have not hitherto been published. - -Owing to the circumstance that many of the so-called "Extra" -Illustrations are now extremely rare, my list of them could never have -been compiled but for advantages afforded me by collectors, in allowing -me to have access to their Dickensiana. The kind offices of Mr. W. R. -Hughes, Mr. Thomas Wilson, Mr. W. T. Pevier, and Mr. W. T. Spencer are -gratefully acknowledged in this connection, as well as those of Mr. -Dudley Tenney of New York, who has rendered me signal service in respect -of American Illustrations. - -To Forster's "Life of Dickens" and to the published "Letters" I am -naturally beholden for information not otherwise procurable, while -certain interesting details concerning "Phiz's" drawings and etchings -are quoted from Mr. D. C. Thomson's "Life and Labours of Hablot K. -Browne," which is more extended in its general scope than my -previously-issued Memoir of the artist. - -I am privileged to associate the names of Miss Hogarth and Mrs. Perugini -with this account of Charles Dickens and his _collaborateurs_; to the -former I am obliged for permission to print some of the Novelist's -correspondence which has never previously been made public, while the -latter has favoured me with the loan of photographic portraits. Finally, -I must express my indebtedness for much valuable aid to George -Cattermole's daughter, Mrs. Edward Franks, the "cousin" to whom the -Novelist alluded in a letter to her father dated February 26, 1841, and -to whose "clear blue eyes" he desired to be commended. - -F. G. KITTON. - -ST. ALBANS, _September 1898_. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - - PREFACE vii - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xv - GEORGE CRUIKSHANK 1 - ROBERT SEYMOUR 29 - ROBERT W. BUSS 47 - HABLOT K. BROWNE ("PHIZ") 58 - GEORGE CATTERMOLE 121 - ILLUSTRATORS OF THE CHRISTMAS BOOKS 136 - JOHN LEECH 138 - RICHARD DOYLE 149 - CLARKSON STANFIELD, R.A. 153 - DANIEL MACLISE, R.A. 161 - SIR JOHN TENNIEL 172 - FRANK STONE, A.R.A. 175 - SIR EDWIN LANDSEER, R.A. 180 - SAMUEL PALMER 182 - F. W. TOPHAM 189 - MARCUS STONE, R.A. 192 - LUKE FILDES, R.A. 204 - - - APPENDIX - - I. ILLUSTRATORS OF CHEAP EDITIONS 219 - II. CONCERNING "EXTRA ILLUSTRATIONS" 227 - III. DICKENS IN ART 243 - - - INDEX 249 - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - _No. of - Plate._ _Subject._ _Artist._ - - 1. Portrait of CHARLES DICKENS SOL. EYTINGE, Junr. Frontispiece - 2. Portrait of GEORGE CRUIKSHANK BAUGNIET Facing page 1 - 3. "Jemima Evans."--_Sketches by Boz_ G. CRUIKSHANK " 4 - 4. "The Four Miss Willises."--_Sketches - by Boz_ " " 6 - 5. "Thoughts about People."--_Sketches - by Boz_ " " 8 - 6. "The Parish Engine."--_Sketches by Boz_ " " 10 - 7. Studies for Scenes and Characters.--_Sketches - by Boz_ " " 12 - 8. "Mr. Bumble Degraded in the Eyes of the - Paupers."--_Oliver Twist_ " " 14 - 9. "Mr. Claypole as he Appeared when his Master - was Out."--_Oliver Twist_ " " 16 - 10. "Oliver Amazed at the Dodger's Mode of - 'Going to Work.'"--_Oliver Twist_ " " 18 - 11. Studies for Bill Sikes, Nancy, and the - Artful Dodger.--_Oliver Twist_ " " 20 - 12. Studies for Bill Sikes in the Condemned - Cell.--_Oliver Twist_ " " 22 - 13. Study for "Fagin in the Condemned - Cell."--_Oliver Twist_ " " 24 - 14. First Idea for "Fagin in the Condemned - Cell" and other Sketches.--_Oliver - Twist_ " " 26 - 15. Portrait of ROBERT SEYMOUR TAYLOR " 29 - 16. "Mr. Pickwick Addresses the Club."--_The - Pickwick Papers_ R. SEYMOUR " 32 - 17. "The Pugnacious Cabman."--_The Pickwick - Papers_ " " 34 - 18. "Dr. Slammer's Defiance of Jingle."--_The - Pickwick Papers_ " " 36 - 19. First Study for "The Dying Clown."--_The - Pickwick Papers_ " " 38 - 20. "The Runaway Chaise."--_The Pickwick - Papers_ " " 40 - 21. "The Pickwickians in Mr. Wardle's - Kitchen."--_The Pickwick Papers_ " " 42 - 22. Portrait of ROBERT W. BUSS R. W. BUSS " 47 - 23. Unused Design for the Title-Page.--_The - Pickwick Papers_ " " 48 - 24. "The Break-down."--_The Pickwick Papers_ " " 50 - 25. "A Souvenir of Dickens" " " 52 - 26. Dolly Varden.--_Barnaby Rudge_ " " 54 - 27. Florence Dombey and Captain Cuttle.--_Dombey - and Son_ " " 56 - 28. Portraits of HABLOT K. BROWNE and ROBERT - YOUNG From Photographs " 58 - 29. "A Sudden Recognition, Unexpected on - Both Sides."--_Nicholas Nickleby_ H. K. BROWNE " 64 - 30. Studies for the Cheeryble - Brothers.--_Nicholas Nickleby._ " " 68 - 31. Master Humphrey and the Deaf - Gentleman.--_Master Humphrey's Clock_ " " 72 - 32. "The Dombey Family."--_Dombey and Son_ " " 76 - 33. "Paul and Mrs. Pipchin."--_Dombey and Son._ " " 80 - 34. "Mr. Peggotty's Dream comes True."--_David - Copperfield_ " " 84 - 35. "Mr. Chadband 'Improving' a Tough - Subject."--_Bleak House_ " " 92 - 36. Dolly Varden.--_Barnaby Rudge_ H. K. BROWNE " 98 - 37. Miss Haredale.--_Barnaby Rudge_ " " 110 - 38. Portrait of GEORGE CATTERMOLE From a Photograph " 121 - 39. Quilp's Wharf.--_The Old Curiosity - Shop_ G. CATTERMOLE " 124 - 40. The Death-bed of Little Nell (Two - Studies).--_The Old Curiosity Shop_ " " 126 - 41. The Night Watchman and The "Maypole" - Inn.--_Barnaby Rudge_ " " 130 - 42. The Murder at the Warren.--_Barnaby Rudge_ " " 132 - 43. Portrait of JOHN LEECH Sir J. E. MILLAIS, P.R.A " 138 - 44. "Richard and Margaret."--_The Chimes_ J. LEECH " 140 - 45. "John, Dot, and Tilly Slowboy."--_The - Cricket on the Hearth_ " " 142 - 46. "Caleb at Work."--_The Cricket on the - Hearth_ " " 144 - 47. "The Tetterbys."--_The Haunted Man_ " " 146 - {From a Photograph, and} - 48. Portraits of RICHARD DOYLE and - D. MACLISE, R.A. {from the Painting by } " 149 - {E. M. Ward, R.A } - 49. Portraits of CLARKSON STANFIELD, R.A., - and FRANK STONE, A.R.A From Photographs " 153 - 50. "War" and "Peace."--_The Battle of - Life_ C. STANFIELD, R.A " 156 - 51. "The Tower of the Chimes" and "The - Spirit of the Chimes."--_The Chimes_ D. MACLISE, R.A. " 162 - 52. "Milly and the Old Man."--_The Haunted - Man_ F. STONE, A.R.A " 176 - 53. Portraits of SIR JOHN {From a Photograph, and} - TENNIEL, R.I., and SIR {from the Painting by } - EDWIN LANDSEER, R.A {Sir F. GRANT, P.R.A} " 180 - 54. Portraits of F. W. TOPHAM and - SAMUEL PALMER From Photographs " 182 - 55. "The Villa D'Este."--_Pictures - from Italy_ S. PALMER " 186 - 56. Portrait of MARCUS STONE, R.A From a Photograph " 192 - 57. Studies for "Mr. Venus Surrounded - by the Trophies of his Art."--_Our - Mutual Friend_ MARCUS STONE, R.A " 194 - 58. Monsieur Defarge and Doctor - Manette.--_A Tale of Two Cities_ " " 196 - 59. "Black and White."--_American Notes_ " " 198 - 60. "Taking Leave of Joe."--_Great - Expectations_ " " 200 - 61. Portrait of LUKE FILDES, R.A From a Photograph " 204 - 62. Study for the Head of Neville - Landless.--_The Mystery of Edwin - Drood_ L. FILDES, R.A " 206 - 63. Studies for Edwin Drood.--_The - Mystery of Edwin Drood_ " " 208 - 64. Studies for Mr. Jasper.--_The - Mystery of Edwin Drood_ " " 210 - 65. Study for "Good-bye, Rosebud, - Darling."--_The Mystery of Edwin Drood_ " " 212 - 66. Study for Mr. Grewgious.--_The Mystery - of Edwin Drood_ " " 214 - 67. Do. do. do. do. " " 216 - 68. Portraits of ALFRED CROWQUILL - (A. H. Forrester) and FREDERICK - BARNARD, R.I From Photographs " 228 - 69. Portraits of F. W. PAILTHORPE and - CHARLES GREEN, R.I. " " 232 - -_The Frontispiece Portrait of Charles Dickens was photo-engraved by Mr. -E. Gilbert Hester, and the Collotype Plates were prepared and printed by -Mr. James Hyatt._ - - -[Illustration] - -PLATE II - -GEORGE CRUIKSHANK - -From the Lithograph by - -BAUGNIET - -This Portrait is a reproduction of a proof impression, showing the -retouching by Cruikshank himself. - - - - - DICKENS - AND HIS ILLUSTRATORS - - - - -GEORGE CRUIKSHANK - - First Start in Life--Early Productions--"SKETCHES BY - BOZ"--Introduction to Dickens--First and Second Series of the - "Sketches"--Extra Plates--Additional Designs for the Complete - Edition--Portraiture of Artist and Author--Historic Value of - Cruikshank's Illustrations--Some Slight - Inaccuracies--Frontispiece of the First Cheap - Edition--Tentative Sketches and Unused Designs--"OLIVER - TWIST"--Incongruities Detected in a Few of the - Plates--Thackeray's Eulogium--Working Tracings and - Water-Colour _Replicas_--Trial Sketches--A Note from - Cruikshank to Dickens--Sketches of Bill Sikes in the - Condemned Cell--How the Design for "Fagin in the Condemned - Cell" was Conceived--A Criticism by Ruskin--The Cancelled - Plate--Cruikshank's Claim to the Origin of "Oliver - Twist"--Designs for Dickens's Minor Writings in BENTLEY'S - MISCELLANY--"The Lamplighter's Story"--Cruikshank's Last - Illustration for Dickens--"Frauds on the Fairies"--The - Artist's Remuneration--Death. - - -The name of George Cruikshank, which stands first in the long and -imposing list of Dickens Illustrators, is familiar to every one as that -of a pencil humorist of no common calibre, whose genius as a designer -and whose marvellous skill as an etcher have evoked enthusiastic praise -from John Ruskin and other eminent critics. He undoubtedly inherited his -artistic talent from his father, who was not only an etcher and -engraver, but (as George himself has recorded) "a first-rate -water-colour draughtsman." So experienced an artist was therefore -thoroughly capable of training his sons, George and Isaac Robert, for -the same profession. - -Like most boys, George dreamt of the sea, aspiring to become a second -Captain Cook; but, happily, the death of his father compelled him to -take up seriously the work of designing, in order that he might assist -in maintaining his mother and sister. His first start in life -originated in a publisher seeing some of his sketches, which indicated -such unusual talent that he was immediately engaged to illustrate -children's books, songs, and other cheap literature peculiar to the -period. Then the young artist essayed the more profitable arena of -political caricaturing, distinctly making his mark as a satirist -Realising at this time his imperfections as a draughtsman, he determined -to acquire the art of drawing with correctness, entering the Royal -Academy as a student; but, finding it difficult to work on pedantic -lines, his resolution soon waned, and, after one course of study, he -left the place for a short interval of--forty years! Although he never -became the learned artist, nor was able to draw with academic accuracy, -he wielded his pencil with a facility and vigour that delighted all -beholders, and this deftness, combined with a remarkable sense of humour -and satire, speedily brought him commissions from every quarter. - -It was as a book-illustrator that George Cruikshank undoubtedly -excelled, and some idea of his industry in this direction (during a -period of eighty years of his busy life) may be obtained from G. C. -Reid's comprehensive catalogue of his works, where we find enumerated -more than five thousand illustrations on paper, wood, copper, and steel. -This, however, by no means exhausts the list, for the artist survived -the publication of the catalogue several years, and was "in harness" to -the end of his long career. If the works described by Mr. Reid be -supplemented by the profusion of original sketches and ideas for his -finished designs, the number of Cruikshank's productions may be -estimated at about fifteen thousand! - -Before his introduction to Charles Dickens in 1836, the versatile artist -had adorned several volumes, which, but for his striking illustrations, -would probably have enjoyed but a brief popularity. His etchings and -drawings on wood are invariably executed in an exceedingly delicate -manner, at the same time preserving a breadth of effect unequalled by -any _aquafortiste_ of his day. "Only those who know the difficulties of -etching," observes Mr. P. G. Hamerton, "can appreciate the power that -lies behind his unpretending skill; there is never, in his most -admirable plates, the trace of a vain effort." - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Sketches by Boz, 1833-36.=] - -Dickens's clever descriptions of "every-day life and every-day people" -were originally printed in the _Monthly Magazine_, the _Evening -Chronicle_ and the _Morning Chronicle_, _Bell's Life in London_, and -"The Library of Fiction," and subsequently appeared in a collected form -under the general title of "Sketches by Boz." Early in 1836 Dickens sold -the entire copyright of the "Sketches" to John Macrone, of St. James's -Square, who published a selection therefrom in two duodecimo volumes, -with illustrations by George Cruikshank. It was at this time that -Charles Dickens first met the artist, who was his senior by about a -score of years, and already in the enjoyment of an established -reputation as a book-illustrator. That the youthful author, as well as -his publisher, realised the value of Cruikshank's co-operation is -manifested in the Preface to the "Sketches," where Dickens, after -appropriately comparing the issue of his first book to the launching of -a pilot balloon, observes: "Unlike the generality of pilot balloons -which carry no car, in this one it is very possible for a man to embark, -not only himself, but all his hopes of future fame, and all his chances -of future success. Entertaining no inconsiderable feeling of trepidation -at the idea of making so perilous a voyage in so frail a machine, alone -and unaccompanied, the author was naturally desirous to secure the -assistance and companionship of some well-known individual, who had -frequently contributed to the success, though his well-known reputation -rendered it impossible for him ever to have shared the hazard, of -similar undertakings. To whom, as possessing this requisite in an -eminent degree, could he apply but to George Cruikshank? The application -was readily heard and at once acceded to; this is their first voyage in -company, but it may not be the last." Each of the two volumes contains -eight illustrations, and it may justly be said of these little vignettes -that they are among the artist's most successful efforts with the -needle. Although highly popular from the beginning, the "Sketches" were -now received with even greater fervour, and several editions were -speedily called for. As the late Mr. G. A. Sala contended, the -coadjutorship of so experienced a draughtsman as George Cruikshank, who -knew London and London life "better than the majority of Sunday-school -children know their Catechism," was of real importance to the young -reporter of the _Morning Chronicle_, with whose baptismal name (be it -remembered) his readers and admirers were as yet unacquainted. - -During the following year (1837) Macrone published a Second Series of -the "Sketches" in one volume, uniform in size and character with its -predecessors, and containing ten etchings by Cruikshank; for the second -edition of this extra volume two additional illustrations were done, -viz., "The Last Cab-Driver" and "May-day in the Evening."[1] It was at -this time that Dickens repurchased from Macrone the entire copyright of -the "Sketches," and arranged with Chapman & Hall for a complete edition, -to be issued in shilling monthly parts, octavo size, the first number -appearing in November of that year. The completed work contained all the -Cruikshank plates (except that entitled "The Free and Easy," which, for -some unexplained reason, was cancelled) and the following new subjects: -"The Parish Engine," "The Broker's Man," "Our Next-door Neighbours," -"Early Coaches," "Public Dinners," "The Gin-Shop," "Making a Night of -It," "The Boarding-House," "The Tuggses at Ramsgate," "The Steam -Excursion," "Mrs. Joseph Porter," and "Mr. Watkins Tottle." - - Footnote 1: A set of the twenty-eight etchings, proofs - before letters (First and Second Series), realised L30 at - Sotheby's in 1889. Lithographic _replicas_ of the plates in - the Second Series were published in Calcutta in 1837. - -Cruikshank also produced a design for the pink wrapper enclosing each of -the twenty monthly parts; this was engraved on wood by John Jackson, the -original drawing (adapted from one the artist had previously made for -Macrone) being now in the possession of Mr. William Wright, of Paris. -The subject of the frontispiece is the same as that of the -title-page in the Second Series. The alteration in the size of the -illustrations for this cheap edition necessitated larger plates, so that -the artist was compelled to re-etch his designs. These reproductions, -although on an extended scale, were executed with even a greater degree -of finish, and contain more "colour" than those in the first issue; but -the general treatment of the smaller etchings is more pleasing by reason -of the superior freedom of line therein displayed. As might be -anticipated, a comparison of the two sets of illustrations discloses -certain slight variations, which are especially noticeable in the -following plates: "Greenwich Fair;" musicians and male dancer added on -left. "Election for Beadle;" three more children belonging to Mr. Bung's -family on right, and two more of Mr. Spruggins's family on left, thus -making up the full complement in each case. "The First of May" -(originally entitled "May-day in the Evening"); the drummer on the left, -in the first edition, looks straight before him, while in the octavo -edition he turns his face towards the girl with the parasol. "London -Recreations;" in the larger design the small child on the right is -stooping to reach a ball, which is not shown in the earlier plate. - - -PLATE III - -"JEMIMA EVANS" - -_Facsimile_ of Unused Designs for "Sketches by Boz" by - -GEORGE CRUIKSHANK - -[Illustration] - - -Additional interest is imparted to some of the etchings in "Sketches by -Boz" owing to the introduction by the artist of portraits of Charles -Dickens and himself, there being no less than five delineations of the -face and figure of the youthful "Boz" as he then appeared. In the -title-page of the Second Series (as well as in the reproduction of it in -the octavo edition), the identity of the two individuals waving flags in -the car of the balloon has been pointed out by Cruikshank, who wrote on -the original pencil-sketch, "The parties going up in the balloon are -intended for the author and the artist,"--which may be considered a -necessary explanation, as the likenesses are not very apparent. - -In the plates entitled "Early Coaches," "A Pickpocket in Custody," and -"Making a Night of It," Cruikshank has similarly attempted to portray -his own lineaments and those of Dickens; he was more successful, -however, in the illustration to "Public Dinners," where the presentments -of himself and the novelist, as stewards carrying official wands, are -more life-like. There exist, by the way, several seriously-attempted -portraits of Dickens by Cruikshank, concerning the earliest of which it -is related that author and artist were members of a club of literary men -known during its brief existence as "The Hook and Eye Club," and that at -one of their nightly meetings Dickens was seated in an arm-chair -conversing, when Cruikshank exclaimed, "Sit still, Charley, while I take -your portrait!" This impromptu sketch, now the property of Colonel -Hamilton, has been etched by F. W. Pailthorpe, and a similar drawing is -included in the Cruikshank Collection at South Kensington. Among other -contemporary portrait-studies (executed in pencil and slightly tinted in -colour) is one bearing the following inscription in the artist's -autograph: "Charles Dickens, Author of Sketches by Boz, the Pickwick -Papers, &c., &c., &c.,"--an admission that seems to dispose of -Cruikshank's subsequent claim to the authorship of "Pickwick." - - -PLATE IV - -"THE FOUR MISS WILLISES" - -_Facsimile_ of an Unused Design for "Sketches by Boz" by - -GEORGE CRUIKSHANK - -[Illustration] - - -It has been remarked that Cruikshank was so accurate in the rendering of -details that future antiquaries will rely upon his plates as -authoritative in matters of architecture, costume, &c. For example, in -the etching of "The Last Cab-Driver," he has depicted an obsolete form -of cabriolet, the driver being seated over the right wheel; and in that -of "The Parish Engine" we may discover what kind of public -fire-extinguisher was then in use--a very primitive implement in -comparison with the modern "steamer." In the latter plate, by the way, -we behold the typical beadle of the period, who afterwards figured as -Bumble in "Oliver Twist." _Apropos_ of this etching, Mr. Frederick -Wedmore points out (in _Temple Bar_, April 1878) that it is "an -excellent example of Cruikshank's eye for picturesque line and texture -in some of the commonest objects that met him in his walks: the -brickwork of the house, for instance, prettily indicated, the woodwork -of the outside shutters, and the window, on which various lights -are pleasantly broken. I know no artist," he continues, "so alive as -Cruikshank to the pretty sedateness of Georgian architecture. Then, too, -there is the girl with basket on arm, a figure not quite ungraceful in -line and gesture. She might have been much better if Cruikshank had ever -made himself that accurate draughtsman of the figure which he hardly -essayed to be, and she and all her fellows--it is only fair to -remember--might have been better, again, had the artist who designed her -done his finest work in a happier period of English dress." Mr. Wedmore -alludes to another etching in "Sketches by Boz" as being "perhaps the -best of all in Cruikshank as proof of that sensitive eye for what is -picturesque and characteristic in every-day London. It is called 'The -Streets, Morning,' the design somewhat empty of 'subject,' only a -comfortable sweep who does not go up the chimney, and a wretched boy who -does, are standing at a stall taking coffee, which a woman, with pattens -striking on pavement and head tied up close in a handkerchief, serves to -the scanty comers in the early morning light. A lamp-post rises behind -her; the closed shutters of the baker are opposite; the public-house of -the Rising Sun has not yet opened its doors; at some house-corner -further off a solitary figure lounges homeless; beyond, pleasant light -morning shadows cross the cool grey of the untrodden street; a church -tower and spire rise in the delicate distance, where the turn of the -road hides the further habitations of the sleeping town." - -It may be hypercritical to resent, on the score of inaccuracy, an -occasional oversight on the part of Cruikshank; but it is nevertheless -interesting to note that in the plate entitled "Election for Beadle," -Cruikshank has omitted from the inscription on Spruggins's placard a -reference to "the twins," the introduction of which caused that -candidate to become temporarily a favourite with the electors; in -"Horatio Sparkins," the "dropsical" figure of seven (see label on right) -is followed by a little "1/2d." instead of the diminutive "3/4d." -mentioned in the text; in "The Pawnbroker's Shop" it will be observed -that the words "Money Lent" on the glass door should appear reversed, -so as to be read from the outside; while in the etching illustrating -"Private Theatres," the artist has forgotten to include the "two dirty -men with the corked countenances," who are specially referred to in the -"Sketch." - -The first cheap edition of "Sketches by Boz," issued by Chapman & Hall -in 1850, contained a new frontispiece, drawn on wood by Cruikshank, -representing Mr. Gabriel Parsons being released from the kitchen -chimney,--an incident in "Passage in the Life of Mr. Watkins Tottle." - -George Cruikshank not unfrequently essayed several "trial" designs -before he succeeded in realising to his satisfaction the subject he -aimed at portraying. Some of these are extremely slight pencil -notes--"first ideas," hastily made as soon as conceived--while others -were subjected to greater elaboration, and differing but slightly, -perhaps, from the etchings; on certain drawings are marginal -memoranda--such as studies of heads, expressions, and attitudes--which -are valuable as showing how the finished pictures were evolved. The -majority of the designs are executed in pencil, while a few are drawn -with pen-and-ink; occasionally one may meet with a sketch in which the -effect is broadly washed in with sepia or indian-ink, and, more rarely -still, with a drawing charmingly and delicately wrought in -water-colours. Besides original sketches, the collection at the South -Kensington Museum contains a series of working tracings, by means of -which the artist transferred his subjects to the plates. There are no -less than three different suggestions for the frontispiece of the first -cheap edition of "Sketches by Boz," together with various renderings of -the design for the wrapper of the first complete edition, in which the -word "Boz" in the title constitutes a conspicuous feature, being formed -of the three letters superimposed, while disposed about them are several -of the prominent characters. Probably the most interesting in this -collection is a sheet of slight sketches signed by the artist, although -they are merely tentative jottings for his etchings. One of these -pencillings (an unused subject) represents a man proposing a toast -at a dinner-table, doubtless intended as an illustration for "Public -Dinners"; and here, too, are marginal studies of heads--including one of -a Bill Sikes type--together with a significant note (apparently of a -later date) in the autograph of Cruikshank, which reads thus: "Some of -these suggestions to Chas. Dickens, and which he wrote to in the second -part of 'Sketches by Boz'!" - - -PLATE V - -"THOUGHTS ABOUT PEOPLE" - -_Facsimile_ of an Unused Design for "Sketches by Boz" by - -GEORGE CRUIKSHANK - -[Illustration] - - -A large number of studies for "Sketches by Boz" may also be seen in the -Print Room of the British Museum, many of which are very slight. In some -instances we find the same subject rendered in different ways, and it is -worthy of note that a few of these designs were never etched; among the -most remarkable of the unused sketches is a rough drawing for the -wrapper of the monthly parts (octavo edition), with ostensible portraits -of author and artist introduced. This collection includes "first ideas" -for "Thoughts about People," "Hackney Coaches," "The Broker's Man," &c., -and a careful examination shows that the sketches for the plates -illustrating "Seven Dials" and "The Pickpocket in Custody" are entitled -by the artist "Fight of the Amazons" and "The Hospital Patient" -respectively. In one of the trial sketches for "The Last Cabman," the -horse is represented as having fallen to the ground, the passenger being -violently ejected from the vehicle. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Oliver Twist, 1837-39.=] - -On August 22, 1836, Charles Dickens entered into an agreement with -Richard Bentley to edit a new monthly magazine called _Bentley's -Miscellany_, and to furnish that periodical with a serial tale. George -Cruikshank's services as illustrator were also retained, and his design -for the wrapper inspired Maginn to indite, for "The Bentley Ballads," -the "Song of the Cover," whence this characteristic verse is quoted:-- - - "Bentley, Boz, and Cruikshank stand - Like expectant reelers; - 'Music!' 'Play up!' pipe in hand - Beside the _fluted_ pillars - - "Boz and Cruikshank want to dance,-- - None for frolic riper; - But Bentley makes the first advance, - Because he pays the piper." - -The first number of the _Miscellany_ was issued in January 1837, and in -February appeared the initial chapter of the editor's story, entitled -"Oliver Twist, or, the Parish Boy's Progress," which was continued in -succeeding numbers until its completion in March 1839, with etchings by -Cruikshank. - -The dramatic character of this stirring romance of low London life -afforded the artist unusual scope for the display of his talent; indeed, -his powerful pencil was far more suited to the theme than that of any of -his contemporaries. The principal scenes in the novel proved most -attractive to him, and he fairly revelled in delineating the tragic -episodes associated with the career of Fagin and Sikes. These -twenty-four etchings are on the same scale as those in the first -collected edition of the "Sketches," but they are broader and more -effective in treatment. In October 1838,--that is, about five months -before completion in the _Miscellany_,--the entire story was issued by -Chapman & Hall in three volumes post octavo, and there can be no doubt -that its remarkable success was brought about in no small measure by -Cruikshank's inimitable pictures. Nearly eight years later (in January -1846) a cheaper edition, containing all the illustrations, was commenced -in ten monthly parts, demy octavo, and subsequently published in one -volume by Bradbury & Evans. On the cover for the monthly numbers -Cruikshank has portrayed eleven of the leading incidents in the story, -some of the subjects being entirely new, while others are practically a -repetition of the etched designs. The plates in this edition, having -suffered from previous wear-and-tear, were subjected to a general -touching-up, as a comparison with the earlier issue clearly indicates, -such reparation (carried out by an engraver named Findlay, much to -Cruikshank's annoyance) being especially noticeable in cases where -"tones" have been added to wall-backgrounds and other parts of the -designs. Apart from actual proof impressions, the "Oliver Twist" -etchings are naturally to be found in their best state in _Bentley's -Miscellany_, where they are seen in their pristine beauty. In some of -the plates it will be observed that Cruikshank has introduced "roulette" -(or dotted) work with excellent effect, although, of course, this -disqualifies them as examples of pure etching. The first cheap edition -of "Oliver Twist," issued in 1850 by Chapman & Hall, contains a -frontispiece only by George Cruikshank, representing Mr. Bumble and -Oliver in Mrs. Mann's parlour, as described in the second chapter. - - -PLATE VI - -"THE PARISH ENGINE" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for the First Octavo Edition of -"Sketches by Boz" by - -GEORGE CRUIKSHANK - -[Illustration] - - -It has been said that Cruikshank could not draw a pretty woman. At any -rate, he neglected his opportunity in "Oliver Twist," for he fails in so -depicting Rose Maylie, while his portrayal of Nancy is particularly ugly -and repelling, whereas she certainly possessed physical charms not -unfrequently found in women of her class. Although the artist has -imparted too venerable an appearance to the Artful Dodger, he has seized -in a wonderful manner the characteristics of criminal types in his -rendering of Fagin and Bill Sikes. In many of Cruikshank's etchings the -accessories are very _apropos_, and sometimes not without a touch of -quiet humour. For example, in the plate representing Oliver recovering -from the fever, there is seen over the chimney-piece a picture of the -Good Samaritan, in allusion to Mr. Brownlow's benevolent intentions with -respect to the invalid orphan; while in that depicting Mr. Bumble and -Mrs. Corney taking tea, may be noticed the significant figure of Paul -Pry on the mantelshelf. Some of the designs are marked by slight -incongruities, which, however, do not detract from their interest. In -the etching "Oliver Plucks up a Spirit," it will be observed that the -small round table which the persecuted lad overthrows during his -desperate attack upon Noah Claypole could not possibly assume, by such -accidental means, the inverted position as here shown. In the plate -entitled "The Evidence Destroyed," the lantern (according to the text) -should have been lowered into the dark well, but doubtless the error -was intentional on the part of the artist, in order to secure effect; in -"Mr. Fagin and his Pupil Recovering Nancy," the girl is represented as -being exceedingly robust, whereas she was really "so reduced with -watching and privation as hardly to be recognised as the same Nancy." -Again, in the illustration depicting Sikes attempting to destroy his -dog, we see in the distance the dome of St. Paul's, while, as a matter -of fact, the desperate ruffian had not reached a point so near the -metropolis when he thought of drowning the faithful animal.[2] In "The -Last Chance," where the robber contemplates dropping from the roof of -Fagin's house to escape his pursuers, the rope (described in the -letterpress as being thirty-four feet long) is barely half that length, -and could never have extended to the ground; while the dog, who lay -concealed until his master had tumbled off the parapet, must have been -distinctly visible to all observers if he stood so prominently on the -ridge-tiles as here indicated. The latter etching is one of the most -fascinating of the series, for here Cruikshank has realised every -feature of the dramatic scene,--the harassed expression on the evil face -of the hunted criminal, the squalid tenements half shrouded by -approaching darkness, the excitement of the people crowding the windows -of the opposite houses; indeed, the tragic and repulsive element in the -picture constitutes a remarkable effort on the part of the artist. - - Footnote 2: In a large water-colour _replica_ of this - subject, signed "George Cruikshank, Octr. 14th, 1873, in my - 82nd year," the artist stated that the landscape represented - the old Pentonville fields, north of London. - - -PLATE VII - -STUDIES FOR - -SCENES AND CHARACTERS IN "SKETCHES BY BOZ" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Sketches by GEORGE CRUIKSHANK - -In the centre of the sheet the Artist has written: "Some of these -suggestions to Chas. Dickens, and which he wrote to in the second part -of 'Sketches by Boz.'" - -[Illustration] - - -In considering the story as a whole, it is difficult to say how much of -the powerful impression we are conscious of may be due to the -illustrator. In his famous eulogy on Cruikshank, Thackeray remarked: "We -are not at all disposed to undervalue the works and genius of Mr. -Dickens, and we are sure that he would admit as readily as any man the -wonderful assistance that he has derived from the artist who has given -us portraits of his ideal personages, and made them familiar to all -the world. Once seen, these figures remain impressed on the memory, -which otherwise would have had no hold upon them, and the Jew and -Bumble, and the heroes and heroines of the Boz Sketches, become personal -acquaintances with each of us. O that Hogarth could have illustrated -Fielding in the same way! and fixed down on paper those grand figures of -Parson Adams, and Squire Allworthy, and the great Jonathan Wild." Again, -with more especial reference to the "Oliver Twist" designs, the kindly -"Michael Angelo Titmarsh" wrote: "The sausage scene at Fagin's; Nancy -seizing the boy; that capital piece of humour, Mr. Bumble's courtship, -which is even better in Cruikshank's version than in Boz's exquisite -account of the interview; Sykes's[3] farewell to his dog; and the -Jew--the dreadful Jew--that Cruikshank drew! What a fine touching -picture of melancholy desolation is that of Sykes and the dog! The poor -cur is not too well drawn, the landscape is stiff and formal; but in -this case the faults, if faults they be, of execution rather add to than -diminish the effect of the picture; it has a strange, wild, dreary, -broken-hearted look; we fancy we see the landscape as it must have -appeared to Sykes, when ghastly and with bloodshot eyes he looked at it. -As for the Jew in the dungeon, let us say nothing of it--what can we say -to describe it?" - - Footnote 3: The name of Sikes is frequently thus mis-spelt. - It is odd that Dickens himself first wrote it "Sykes," as may - be seen in the original manuscript of the story. - -The complete set of twenty-four working tracings of the original designs -for "Oliver Twist," some of which exhibit variations from the finished -etchings, realised L140 at Sotheby's in March 1892. Water-colour -_replicas_ of all the subjects were prepared by Cruikshank in 1866 for -Mr. F. W. Cosens, which the artist supplemented by thirteen smaller -drawings and a humorous title-page, the entire series being reproduced -in colour for an _edition de luxe_ of "Oliver Twist," published by -Chapman & Hall in 1894. The Cruikshank Collections in the British and -South Kensington Museums include many of the artist's sketches and -"first ideas" for the "Oliver Twist" plates, as well as a number of the -matured designs. Here are several trial sketches for the monthly wrapper -of the first octavo edition, executed in pencil with slight washes of -sepia added; the original drawings for "Rose Maylie and Oliver" (known -to collectors as the "Fireside" plate, to which reference will presently -be made), and for "Mr. Bumble Degraded in the Eyes of the Paupers" (with -marginal sketches), the title of which is appended in Dickens's -autograph, where, instead of "the eyes," the word "presence" was -originally written. Here, also, we find the first sketch of Noah -Claypole enjoying an oyster-supper, with the following query written by -the artist: "Dr. Dickens, 'Title' wanted--will any of these do? Yours, -G. Ck." The proposed titles are then given, thus: "Mr. Claypole -Astonishing Mr. Bumble and 'the Natives';" "Mr. Claypole Indulging;" -"Mr. Claypole as he Appeared when his Master was Out,"--the latter being -adopted. On the back of a pen-and-ink drawing of "Oliver's Reception by -Fagin and the Boys," Cruikshank suggested a different title, viz., -"Oliver Introduced to the Old Gentleman by Jack Dawkins." A beautiful -little water-colour drawing of the subject, entitled "Oliver Introduced -to the Respectable Old Gentleman," is in the Print Room of the British -Museum, where we may also discover a portrait of Oliver himself--a -profile study of the head as seen in the drawing now referred to. On the -back of a sketch of Mr. Brownlow at the bookstall (for the plate -entitled "Oliver Amazed at the Dodger's Mode of 'Going to Work'") is the -rough draft of an unsigned note in the autograph of Cruikshank, -evidently addressed to Dickens:-- - - "_Thursday Eg., June 15, '37._ - - "MY DEAR SIR,--Can you let me have a subject for the second - Plate? The first is in progress. By the way, would you like - to see the Drawing? I can spare it for an hour or two if you - will send for it." - - -PLATE VIII - -"MR. BUMBLE DEGRADED IN THE EYES OF THE PAUPERS" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Sketch for "Oliver Twist" by GEORGE -CRUIKSHANK - -The Inscription above the Sketch is in the Autograph of Dickens. - -[Illustration] - - -I am enabled to reproduce in _facsimile_ a very interesting sheet of -sketches for prominent characters in "Oliver Twist," containing no -less than five studies of Fagin, including the "first idea" for the -famous etching of the Jew in the condemned cell. Still more noteworthy -are four studies of Bill Sikes in the condemned cell, evidently made -early in the progress of the book, thus seeming to indicate that the -artist conjectured this would be the fate of the burglar instead of the -Jew; or is it possible that the existence of these studies may be -considered as a corroboration of his assertion (in a letter to the -_Times_, presently to be quoted) that he, and not Dickens, must be -credited with the idea of putting either Sikes or Fagin in the cell? - -Concerning Cruikshank's powerful conception of Fagin in the condemned -cell ("the immortal Fagin of 'Oliver Twist,'" as Thackeray styled him), -it is related by Mr. George Hodder (in "Memories of my Time") that when -the great George brought forth this picture, where the Jew is seen -biting his finger-nails and suffering the tortures of remorse and -chagrin, Horace Mayhew took an opportunity of asking him by what mental -process he had conceived such an extraordinary notion; and his answer -was, that he had been labouring at the subject for several days, but had -not succeeded in getting the effect he desired. At length, beginning to -think the task was almost hopeless, he was sitting up in bed one -morning, with his hand covering his chin and the tips of his fingers -between his lips, the whole attitude expressive of disappointment and -despair, when he saw his face in a cheval-glass which stood on the floor -opposite to him. "That's it!" he involuntarily exclaimed; "that's just -the expression I want!" and by this accidental process the picture was -formed in his mind. Many years afterwards Cruikshank declared this -statement to be absurd, and when interrogated by Mr. Austin Dobson, who -met the artist at Mr. Frederick Locker's house in 1877, he said he had -never been perplexed about the matter, but attributed the story to the -fact that, not being satisfied whether the knuckles should be raised or -depressed, he had made studies of his own hand in a glass, and -illustrated his account by putting his hand to his mouth, looking, with -his hooked nose, wonderfully like the character he was speaking of. -Respecting another illustration in the story, where "The Jew and Morris -Bolter begin to Understand each Other," Professor Ruskin observes that -it is "the intensest rendering of vulgarity, absolute and utter," with -which he is acquainted. - -The latter portion of "Oliver Twist" was written in anticipation of the -magazine, in order that the complete story might be promptly launched in -volume form. The illustrations for the final chapters had consequently -to be produced simultaneously and with all possible speed, so that the -artist had no time to submit his designs to Dickens. One of these -plates, viz., "Rose Maylie and Oliver," depicted a scene in the new home -of the Rev. Harry Maylie; he, his wife, and mother, are seated by the -fire, while Oliver stands by Rose Maylie's side. When Dickens first saw -this etching he so strongly disapproved of it that the plate was -forthwith cancelled and another design substituted; but, the book being -then on the eve of publication, it was impossible to prevent a small -number of impressions of this illustration being circulated, and copies -of the work containing the scarce "Fireside" plate are therefore eagerly -sought after by collectors. Dickens, in expressing to Cruikshank his -disapprobation of this etching, undoubtedly realised the delicacy of the -situation, in the possibility of injuring the susceptibilities of the -artist, as the following carefully-worded intimation testifies:-- - -"I returned suddenly to town yesterday afternoon, to look at the latter -pages of 'Oliver Twist' before it was delivered to the booksellers, when -I saw the majority of the plates in the last volume for the first time. - -"With reference to the last one--Rose Maylie and Oliver--without -entering into the question of great haste, or any other cause, which may -have led to its being what it is, I am quite sure there can be little -difference of opinion between us with respect to the result. May I ask -you whether you will object to designing this plate afresh, and doing so -_at once_, in order that as few impressions as possible of the present -one may go forth? - -"I feel confident you know me too well to feel hurt by this enquiry, -and, with equal confidence in you, I have lost no time in preferring -it." - - -PLATE IX - -"MR. CLAYPOLE AS HE APPEARED WHEN HIS MASTER WAS OUT" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Sketch for "Oliver Twist" by - -GEORGE CRUIKSHANK - -The Inscriptions are in the Autograph of the Artist. - -[Illustration] - - -It seems, however, that Cruikshank did not immediately proceed to carry -out the author's wish, but endeavoured to improve the plate by -retouching and adding further tints by means of stippling, &c. In the -South Kensington Collection there is an early proof of the etching in -which the shadow tints are washed in with a brush, and the fact that -these alterations were subsequently carried out is established by the -existence of a unique impression of the plate in its second state. This -proof was probably submitted to Dickens and again rejected, for no -impressions having the stippled additions are known to have been -published. The substituted design, bearing the same title as the -suppressed one, does not much excel it in point of interest, as the -artist himself readily admitted; it represents Rose Maylie and Oliver -standing in front of the tablet put up in the church to the memory of -Oliver's mother, this etching appearing in _Bentley's Miscellany_ and in -all but the earliest copies of the book. The substituted plate (like -many others in the volume) was afterwards considerably "touched up," for -it will be noticed that in the earlier impressions Rose's dress is light -in tone, while subsequently it was changed to black. - -A very circumstantial story relative to Cruikshank's connection with -"Oliver Twist" was published in a Transatlantic journal called _The -Round Table_, and reprinted immediately after Dickens's death in a -biography of the novelist by Dr. Shelton Mackenzie, who avers that he -had been informed that Dickens intended to locate Oliver in Kent, and to -introduce hop-picking and other picturesque features of the county he -knew so well: that the author changed his purpose, and brought the boy -to London: and further, that for such important alterations in the plot -Cruikshank was responsible. But the more remarkable portion of this -narrative is Dr. Mackenzie's account of his visit to Cruikshank in -1847, at the artist's house in Myddleton Terrace, Pentonville, -concerning which he writes:-- - -"I had to wait while he was finishing an etching, for which a printer's -boy was waiting. To while away the time, I gladly complied with his -suggestion that I should look over a portfolio crowded with etchings, -proofs, and drawings, which lay upon the sofa. Among these, carelessly -tied together in a wrap of brown paper, was a series of some twenty-five -to thirty drawings, very carefully finished, through most of which were -carried the now well-known portraits of Fagin, Bill Sikes and his dog, -Nancy, the Artful Dodger, and Master Charles Bates--all well known to -the readers of 'Oliver Twist'--and many others who were not introduced. -There was no mistake about it, and when Cruikshank turned round, his -work finished, I said as much. He told me that it had long been in his -mind to show the life of a London thief by a series of drawings, -engraved by himself, in which, without a single line of letterpress, the -story would be strikingly and clearly told. 'Dickens,' he continued, -'dropped in here one day just as you have done, and, while waiting until -I could speak with him, took up that identical portfolio and ferreted -out that bundle of drawings. When he came to that one which represents -Fagin in the condemned cell, he silently studied it for half-an-hour, -and told me that he was tempted to change the whole plot of his story; -not to carry Oliver Twist through adventures in the country, but to take -him up into the thieves' den in London, show what their life was, and -bring Oliver safely through it without sin or shame. I consented to let -him write up to as many of the designs as he thought would suit his -purpose; and that was the way in which Fagin, Sikes, and Nancy were -created. My drawings suggested them, rather than his strong -individuality suggested my drawings." - - -PLATE X - -"OLIVER AMAZED AT THE DODGER'S MODE OF 'GOING TO WORK'" - -_Facsimile_ of the First Sketch for the Etching by - -GEORGE CRUIKSHANK - -[Illustration] - - -Forster naturally characterises this story as a deliberate untruth, -related with "a minute conscientiousness and particularity of detail -that might have raised the reputation of Sir Benjamin Backbite himself," -and points out that the artist's version, as here narrated, is -completely refuted by Dickens's letter to Cruikshank, which -unquestionably proves that the closing illustrations had not even been -seen by the novelist until the book was ready for publication. -Cruikshank, on reading in the _Times_ a criticism of Forster's -biography, in which this charge against Dickens was commented upon, at -once indited the following letter to that journal, where it appeared on -December 30, 1871:-- - - "_To the Editor of 'The Times._' - - "SIR,--As my name is mentioned in the second notice of Mr. - John Forster's 'Life of Charles Dickens,' in your paper of - the 26th inst., in connection with a statement made by an - American gentleman (Dr. Shelton Mackenzie) respecting the - origin of 'Oliver Twist,' I shall be obliged if you will - allow me to give some explanation upon this subject. For - some time past I have been preparing a work for publication, - in which I intend to give an account of the origin of - 'Oliver Twist,' and I now not only deeply regret the sudden - and unexpected decease of Mr. Charles Dickens, but regret - also that my proposed work was not published during his - life-time. I should not now have brought this matter - forward, but as Dr. Mackenzie states that he got the - information from me, and as Mr. Forster declares his - statement to be a falsehood, to which, in fact, he would - apply a word of three letters, I feel called upon, not only - to defend the Doctor, but myself also from such a gross - imputation. Dr. Mackenzie has confused some circumstances - with respect to Mr. Dickens looking over some drawings and - sketches in my studio, but there is no doubt whatever that I - did tell this gentleman that I was the originator of the - story of 'Oliver Twist,' as I have told very many others who - may have spoken to me on the subject, and which facts I now - beg permission to repeat in the columns of the _Times_, for - the information of Mr. Forster and the public generally. - - "When _Bentley's Miscellany_ was first started, it was - arranged that Charles Dickens should write a serial in it, - and which was to be illustrated by me; and in a conversation - with him as to what the subject should be for the first - serial, I suggested to Mr. Dickens that he should write the - life of a London boy, and strongly advised him to do this, - assuring him that I would furnish him with the subject and - supply him with all the characters, which my large - experience of London life would enable me to do. - - "My idea was to raise a boy from a most humble position up - to a high and respectable one--in fact, to illustrate one of - those cases of common occurrence, where men of humble - origin, by natural ability, industry, honest and honourable - conduct, raise themselves to first-class positions in - Society. And as I wished particularly to bring the habits - and manners of the thieves of London before the public (and - this for a most important purpose, which I shall explain one - of these days), I suggested that the poor boy should fall - among thieves, but that his honesty and natural good - disposition should enable him to pass through this ordeal - without contamination; and after I had fully described the - full-grown thieves (the Bill Sykeses) and their female - companions, also the young thieves (the Artful Dodgers) and - the receivers of stolen goods, Mr. Dickens agreed to act on - my suggestion, and the work was commenced, but we differed - as to what sort of boy the hero should be. Mr. Dickens - wanted rather a queer kind of chap, and, although this was - contrary to my original idea, I complied with his request, - feeling that it would not be right to dictate too much to - the writer of the story, and then appeared 'Oliver Asking - for More;' but it so happened just about this time that an - inquiry was being made in the parish of St. James's, - Westminster, as to the cause of the death of some of the - workhouse children who had been 'farmed out,' and in which - inquiry my late friend Joseph Pettigrew (surgeon to the - Dukes of Kent and Sussex) came forward on the part of the - poor children, and by his interference was mainly the cause - of saving the lives of many of these poor little creatures. - I called the attention of Mr. Dickens to this inquiry, and - said that if he took up this matter, his doing so might - help to save many a poor child from injury and death; and I - earnestly begged of him to let me make Oliver a nice pretty - little boy, and if we so represented him, the public--and - particularly the ladies--would be sure to take a greater - interest in him, and the work would then be a certain - success. Mr. Dickens agreed to that request, and I need not - add here that my prophecy was fulfilled: and if any one will - take the trouble to look at my representations of 'Oliver,' - they will see that the appearance of the boy is altered - after the two first illustrations, and, by a reference to - the records of St. James's parish, and to the date of the - publication of the _Miscellany_, they will see that both - dates tally, and therefore support my statement. - - -PLATE XI - -STUDIES FOR - -BILL SIKES, NANCY, AND THE ARTFUL DODGER - -_Facsimile_ of Original Sketches by - -GEORGE CRUIKSHANK - -_Lent by Messrs. Robson & Co._ - -[Illustration] - - - "I had, a long time previously to this, directed Mr. - Dickens's attention to Field Lane, Holborn Hill, wherein - resided many thieves and receivers of stolen goods, and it - was suggested that one of these receivers, a Jew, should be - introduced into the story; and upon one occasion Mr. Dickens - and Mr. Harrison Ainsworth called upon me at my house in - Myddleton Terrace, Pentonville, and in course of - conversation I then and there described and performed the - character of one of these Jew receivers, whom I had long had - my eye upon; and this was the origin of 'Fagin.' - - "Some time after this, Mr. Ainsworth said to me one day, 'I - was so much struck with your description of that Jew to Mr. - Dickens, that I think you and I could do something - together,' which notion of Mr. Ainsworth's, as most people - are aware, was afterwards carried out in various works. Long - before 'Oliver Twist' was ever thought of, I had, by - permission of the city authorities, made a sketch of one of - the condemned cells in Newgate prison; and as I had a great - object in letting the public see what sort of places these - cells were, and how they were furnished, and also to show a - wretched condemned criminal therein, I thought it desirable - to introduce such a subject into this work; but I had the - greatest difficulty to get Mr. Dickens to allow me to carry - out my wishes in this respect; but I said I must have - either what is called a Christian or what is called a Jew in - a condemned cell, and therefore it must be 'Bill Sikes' or - 'Fagin;' at length he allowed me to exhibit the latter. - - "Without going further into particulars, I think it will be - allowed from what I have stated that I am the originator of - 'Oliver Twist,' and that all the principal characters are - mine; but I was much disappointed by Mr. Dickens not fully - carrying out my first suggestion. - - "I must here mention that nearly all the designs were made - from conversation and mutual suggestion upon each subject, - and that I never saw any manuscript of Mr. Dickens until the - work was nearly finished, and the letter of Mr. Dickens - which Mr. Forster mentions only refers to the last - etching--done in great haste--no proper time being allowed, - and of a subject without any interest; in fact, there was - not anything in the latter part of the manuscript that would - suggest an illustration; but to oblige Mr. Dickens I did my - best to produce another etching, working hard day and night, - but when done, what is it? Why, merely a lady and a boy - standing inside of a church looking at a stone wall! - - "Mr. Dickens named all the characters in this work himself, - but before he had commenced writing the story he told me - that he had heard an omnibus conductor mention some one as - Oliver Twist, which name, he said, he would give the boy, as - he thought it would answer his purpose. I wanted the boy to - have a very different name, such as Frank Foundling or Frank - Steadfast; but I think the word Twist proves to a certain - extent that the boy he was going to employ for his purpose - was a very different sort of boy from the one introduced and - recommended to him by, Sir, your obedient servant, - - "GEORGE CRUIKSHANK. - - "HAMPSTEAD ROAD, _December 29, 1871_." - - -PLATE XII - -STUDIES FOR - -BILL SIKES IN THE CONDEMNED CELL - -_Facsimile_ of Original Sketches by - -GEORGE CRUIKSHANK - -[Illustration] - - -In 1872 Cruikshank issued a pamphlet entitled "The Artist and the -Author, a Statement of Facts," where he positively asserted that not -only was he the actual originator of "Oliver Twist," but also of -many of Harrison Ainsworth's weird romances; that these authors "wrote -up to his suggestions and designs," just as Combe did with regard to -"Dr. Syntax" and Rowlandson's previously-executed illustrations. In -another published letter, dated more than a year prior to that printed -in the _Times_, the artist emphatically declared that the greater part -of the second volume of "Sketches by Boz" was written from his hints and -suggestions, and he significantly added, "I am preparing to publish an -explanation of the reason why I did not illustrate the _whole_ of Mr. -Dickens's writings, and this explanation will not at all redound to his -credit." Indeed, so thoroughly was he imbued with this conviction, that -on April 20, 1874, in responding to a vote of thanks accorded him by the -Mayor of Manchester for an address on Intemperance, he reiterated his -statement relative to the origin of "Oliver Twist." The Mayor having -referred to the artist's designs in Dickens's novels, Cruikshank -intimated that the only work of the novelist he had illustrated was -"Sketches by Boz"; his worship remarked, "You forget 'Oliver Twist,'" -whereupon Cruikshank replied, "That came out of my own brain. I wanted -Dickens to write me a work, but he did not do it in the way I wished. I -assure you I went and made a sketch of the condemned cell many years -before that work was published. I wanted a scene a few hours before -strangulation, and Dickens said he did not like it, and I said he must -have a Jew or a Christian in the cell. Dickens said, 'Do as you like,' -and I put Fagin, the Jew, into the cell. Dickens behaved in an -extraordinary way to me, and I believe it had a little effect on his -mind. He was a most powerful opponent to Teetotalism, and he described -us as 'old hogs.'"[4] - - Footnote 4: This is, doubtless, a reference to an article by - Dickens entitled "Whole Hogs," which appeared in _Household - Words_, August 23, 1851, protesting against the extreme views - of the Temperance party. - -Unfortunately for Cruikshank's claim to the origin of "Oliver Twist," he -allowed more than thirty years to elapse before making it public. When -questioned on this point he would say that ever since these works were -published, and even when they were in progress, he had in private -society, when conversing upon such matters, always explained that the -original ideas and characters of these works emanated from him! Mr. -Harrison Ainsworth has recorded that Dickens was so worried by -Cruikshank putting forward suggestions that he resolved to send him only -printed proofs for illustration. In a letter to Forster (January 1838) -the novelist wrote, alluding to the severity of his labours: "I have not -done the 'Young Gentleman,' nor written the preface to 'Grimaldi,' nor -thought of 'Oliver Twist,' or _even supplied a subject for the plate_," -the latter intimation sufficiently indicating that Dickens was more -directly concerned in the selection of suitable themes for illustration -than Cruikshank would have us believe. The author of "Sketches by Boz" -abundantly testified in those remarkable papers that his eyes, like -Cruikshank's, had penetrated the mysteries of London; indeed, we find in -the "Sketches" all the material for the story of poor Oliver, where it -is more artistically and dramatically treated. It is not improbable, of -course, that from Cruikshank's familiarity with life in the Great City -he was enabled to offer useful hints to the young writer, and even -perhaps to make suggestions respecting particular characters; but this -constitutes a very unimportant share in the production of a literary -work. To what extent the interchange between artist and author was -carried can never be satisfactorily determined; but of this there can be -no doubt, that Cruikshank's habit of exaggeration, combined with his -eagerness in over-estimating the effect of his work, led him (as Mr. -Blanchard Jerrold remarks) "into injudicious statements or -over-statements," which were sometimes provocative of much unpleasant -controversy. It is, however, no exaggeration to say that the pencil of -George Cruikshank was as admirable in its power of delineating character -as was the mighty pen of Charles Dickens, and that in the success and -popularity of "Oliver Twist" they may claim an equal share. - - -PLATE XIII - -"FAGIN IN THE CONDEMNED CELL" - -_Facsimile_ of a Trial Sketch by - -GEORGE CRUIKSHANK - -[Illustration] - - -[Sidenote: =Minor Writings in "Bentley's Miscellany."=] - -Certain humorous pieces written by Dickens for Richard Bentley were also -illustrated by Cruikshank. The first paper, entitled "Public Life of Mr. -Tulrumble, once Mayor of Mudfog" (published in January 1837), contains -an etching of Ned[5] Twigger in the kitchen of Mudfog Hall, and the next -contribution, purporting to be a "Full Report of the Second Meeting of -the Mudfog Association for the Advancement of Everything" (September, -1838) is embellished with a very ludicrous illustration, entitled -"Automaton Police Office and Real Offenders, from the model exhibited -before Section B of the Mudfog Association." This design depicts the -interior of a police-court in which all the officials are automatic--an -ingenious rendering of the idea propounded by Mr. Coppernose to the -President and members of the Association. To the second paper the artist -also supplied a woodcut portrait of "The Tyrant Sowster," of whom he -made no less than six studies before he succeeded in producing a -satisfactory presentment of Mudfog's "active and intelligent" beadle. - - Footnote 5: In the original title on the plate, Ned Twigger's - Christian name is incorrectly given as Tom. - -In his juvenile days Dickens wrote a farce entitled "The Lamplighter," -which, owing to its non-acceptance by the theatrical management for whom -it was composed, he converted into an amusing tale called "The -Lamplighter's Story." This constituted his share in a collection of -light essays and other papers gratuitously supplied by well-known -authors, and issued in volume form under the title of "The Pic Nic -Papers," for the benefit of the widow of Macrone, Dickens's first -publisher. The work, edited by Dickens, was launched by Henry Colborn in -1841, in three volumes, with fourteen illustrations by Cruikshank, -"Phiz," and other artists. The first volume opened with "The -Lamplighter's Story," for which Cruikshank provided an etching entitled -"The Philosopher's Stone," the subject represented being the unexpected -explosion of Tom Grig's crucible. This was the last illustration -executed by the artist for Dickens's writings,[6] and it may be added -that some impressions of the plate were issued in proof state "before -letters," but these are exceedingly rare. Although for many years -afterwards they continued fast friends, it may be (as Mr. Graham Everitt -conjectures) that Cruikshank found it impossible to co-operate any -longer with so exacting an employer of artistic labour as Charles -Dickens, who remonstrated, with some show of reason, that he was the -best judge of what he required pictorially,--an argument, however, which -did not suit the independent spirit of the artist. Of his genius Dickens -was ever a warm admirer, and remarking upon the exclusion of so able a -draughtsman from the honours of the Royal Academy, because, forsooth! -his works were not produced in certain mediums, the novelist pertinently -asks: "Will no Associates be found upon its books one of these days, the -labours of whose oil and brushes will have sunk into the profoundest -obscurity, when many pencil-marks of Mr. Cruikshank and Mr. Leech will -be still fresh in half the houses in the land?" - - Footnote 6: Cruikshank designed the illustrations for the - "Memoirs of Grimaldi," 1838, but this work was merely edited - by Dickens, and therefore does not come within the scope of - the present volume. - -It will be remembered that George Cruikshank published a version of the -Fairy Tales, converting them into stories somewhat resembling Temperance -tracts. Dickens was greatly incensed, and, half-playfully and -half-seriously, protested against such alterations of the beautiful -little romances, this re-writing them "according to Total Abstinence, -Peace Society, and Bloomer principles, and expressly for their -propagation;" in an article published in _Household Words_, October 1, -1853, entitled "Frauds on the Fairies," the novelist enunciates his -opinions on the subject, and gives the story of Cinderella as it might -be "edited" by a gentleman with a "mission." This elicited a reply from -Cruikshank (in a short-lived magazine bearing his name, and launched by -him in 1854), which took the form of "A Letter from Hop-o'-my-Thumb -to Charles Dickens, Esq.," commencing with "Right Trusty, Well-Beloved, -Much-Read, and Admired Sir," the artist contending that he was justified -in altering "a common fairy-tale" when his sole object was to remove -objectionable passages, and, in their stead, to inculcate moral -principles. There is no doubt, however, that Dickens's rebuke seriously -affected the sale of the Fairy Library. - - -PLATE XIV - -FIRST IDEA AND SKETCH FOR - -"FAGIN IN THE CONDEMNED CELL" - -AND VARIOUS STUDIES FOR SCENES AND CHARACTERS IN "OLIVER TWIST" - -_Facsimile_ of Original Drawings by - -GEORGE CRUIKSHANK - -[Illustration] - - -In 1847 Dickens instituted a series of theatrical entertainments for -certain charitable objects, the distinguished artists and writers who -formed the goodly company of amateur actors including George Cruikshank. -On one occasion they made a tour in the provinces, giving performances -at several important towns, and on the conclusion of this "splendid -strolling" Dickens wrote an amusing little _jeu d'esprit_ in the form of -a history of the trip, adopting for the purpose the phraseology of Mrs. -Gamp. It was to be a new "Piljian's Projiss," with illustrations by the -artist-members; but, for some reason, it was destined never to appear in -the manner intended by its projector. Forster has printed all that was -ever written of the little jest, where we find a humorous description of -Cruikshank in Mrs. Gamp's vernacular: "I was drove about like a brute -animal and almost worritted into fits, when a gentleman with a large -shirt-collar and a hook nose, and a eye like one of Mr. Sweedlepipe's -hawks, and long locks of hair, and wiskers that I wouldn't have no lady -as I was engaged to meet suddenly a turning round a corner, for any sum -of money you could offer me, says, laughing, 'Halloa, Mrs. Gamp, what -are _you_ up to?' I didn't know him from a man (except by his clothes); -but I says faintly, 'If you're a Christian man, show me where to get a -second-cladge ticket for Manjester, and have me put in a carriage, or I -shall drop!' Which he kindly did, in a cheerful kind of a way, skipping -about in the strangest manner as ever I see, making all kinds of -actions, and looking and vinking at me from under the brim of his hat -(which was a good deal turned up), to that extent, that I should have -thought he meant something but for being so flurried as not to have no -thoughts at all until I was put in a carriage...." When Mrs. Gamp was -informed, in a whisper, that the gentleman who assisted her into the -carriage was "George," she replied, "What George, sir? I don't know no -George." "The great George, ma'am--the Crookshanks," was the -explanation. Whereupon Mrs. Gamp continues: "If you'll believe me, Mrs. -Harris, I turns my head, and see the wery man a making picturs of me on -his thumb-nail at the winder!" The artist took part in several plays -under Dickens's management, but, although it is not recorded that he -created great sensation as an actor, it seems evident that his -impersonations met with the approval of the novelist, who was a thorough -martinet in Thespian matters. - -That George Cruikshank was by no means a prosperous man is perhaps -explained by the fact that he never was highly remunerated for his work. -"Time was," wrote Thackeray, "when for a picture with thirty heads in it -he was paid three guineas--a poor week's pittance, truly, and a dire -week's labour!" The late Mr. Sala declared that for an illustrative -etching on a plate, octavo size, George never received more than -twenty-five pounds, and had been paid as low as ten,--that he had often -drawn "a charming little vignette on wood" for a guinea. On February 1, -1878, this remarkable designer and etcher--the most skilled -book-illustrator of his day--passed painlessly away at his house in -Hampstead Road, having attained the ripe old age of eighty-five. His -remains were interred at Kensal Green, but were ultimately removed to -the crypt of St. Paul's Cathedral, where a bust by Adams perpetuates his -memory. - - -[Illustration] - -PLATE XV - -ROBERT SEYMOUR - -From an Unpublished Drawing by - -TAYLOR - -_Lent by Mr. Augustin Daly._ - - - - -ROBERT SEYMOUR - - Early Years--A Taste for High Art--Drawings on Wood for - _Figaro_ and _Bell's Life in London_--Essays the Art of - Etching--Designs for "Maxims and Hints for an - Angler"--Proposes to Publish a Book of Humorous Sporting - Subjects--A "Club of Cockney Sportsmen"--Charles Whitehead - and Charles Dickens--The Inception of "THE PICKWICK - PAPERS"--Seymour's Illustrations--The Artist Succumbs to - Overwork--Suicide of Seymour--Dickens's Tribute--Seymour's - Last Drawing for "Pickwick"--"The Dying Clown"--His Original - Designs--Seymour's Conception of Mr. Pickwick--Letter from - Dickens to the Artist--"First Ideas" and Unused Sketches--A - Valuable Collection--Scarcity of Seymour's "Pickwick" - Plates--Design for the Wrapper of the Monthly Parts--Mrs. - Seymour's Account of the Origin of "The Pickwick Papers"--An - Absurd Claim Refuted--"THE LIBRARY OF FICTION"--Seymour's - Illustrations for "The Tuggses at Ramsgate." - - -Concerning the artist who was primarily engaged in the illustration of -"Pickwick," very little has been recorded, owing perhaps to the fact -that his career, which terminated so tragically and so prematurely, was -brief and uneventful. The following particulars of his life and labours, -culled from various sources, will, I trust, enable the reader to -appreciate Robert Seymour's true position respecting his connection with -Charles Dickens's immortal work. - -Born "in or near London" in 1798, Robert Seymour indicated at a very -early age a decided taste for drawing, whereupon his father, Henry -Seymour, a Somerset gentleman, apprenticed him to a skilful -pattern-draughtsman named Vaughan, of Duke Street, Smithfield.[7] -Although this occupation was most uncongenial to young Seymour, it -caused him to adopt a neat style of drawing which ultimately proved of -much utility. He aspired to a higher branch of Art than that involved -in the delineation of patterns for calico-printers; but for a time he -remained with Vaughan, pleasantly varying the monotony of his daily -routine by producing miniature portraits of friends who consented to sit -to him, receiving in return a modest though welcome remuneration. Still -cherishing an inclination towards "High Art," he and a colleague named -Work (significant patronymic!) deserted Vaughan, and, renting a room at -the top of the old tower at Canonbury, they purchased a number of -plaster-casts, lay-figures, &c., from which the two juvenile enthusiasts -began to study with great assiduity. In Seymour's case tangible results -were speedily forthcoming, for he presently painted a picture of -unusually large dimensions, quaintly described by his fellow-student as -containing representations of "the Giant of the Brocken, the Skeleton -Hunt, the Casting of Bullets, and a full meal of all the German horrors -eagerly swallowed by the public of that day." This remarkable canvas -was, it seems, a really creditable work, and found a place on the walls -of a gallery in Baker Street Baazar. Seymour, like many other ambitious -young artists possessing more talent than pence, quickly realised the -sad fact that, though the pursuit was in itself a very agreeable one, it -meant penury to the painter unless he owned a private fortune or -commanded the purse-strings of rich patrons. The artist's widow -afterwards declared that he invariably sold his pictures direct from the -easel; but there is no doubt that with him "High Art" proved a financial -failure, and he reluctantly turned his attention to the more lucrative -(if less attractive) occupation of designing on wood, for which he was -peculiarly fitted by his previous practice in clean, precise -draughtsmanship during that probationary period in Vaughan's workshop. - - Footnote 7: In another account (written by a contemporary of - the artist) it is stated that Seymour was the natural son of - Vaughan himself, and that the child bore the name of the - mother, under whose care he remained until his father - acknowledged the paternity, when he took the boy into his - workshop. - -Seymour was endowed by Nature with a keen sense of the ludicrous, and -this, aided by a knowledge of drawing, enabled him to execute designs of -so humorous a character that his productions were immediately welcomed -by the proprietors of such publications as _Figaro_ and _Bell's Life in -London_, to which were thus given a vitality and a popularity they did -not previously possess. Although at first the recompense was but scanty, -hardly sufficient, indeed, to procure the necessaries of life, yet -Robert Seymour felt it was the beginning of what might eventually -resolve itself into a fairly remunerative vocation. His talent speedily -brought him profitable commissions for more serious publications, while -his pencil was simultaneously employed in sketching and drawing amusing -incidents, especially such as related to fishing and shooting,--forms of -sport which constituted his favourite recreation. Living at this time in -the then rural suburb of Islington, he had many opportunities of -observing the methods of Cockney sportsmen, who were wont to wander -thither on Sundays and holidays, and whose inexperience with rod and gun -gave rise to many absurdities and comic fiascos, thus affording the -young artist abundant material for humorous designs. - -Until 1827, Seymour confined his labours to drawing for the -wood-engravers. He now essayed the art of etching upon plates of steel -or copper, simulating the style and manner of George Cruikshank; he even -ventured to affix the _nom de plume_ of "Shortshanks" to his early -caricatures, until he received a remonstrance from the famous George -himself. Having attained some proficiency in both etching and -lithography, he determined to make practical use of his experience, and -in 1833 designed a series of twelve lithographic plates for a new -edition of a work entitled "Maxims and Hints for an Angler," in which -the humours of the piscatorial art were excellently rendered; he also -executed a number of similar designs portraying, with laughable effect, -the adventures and misadventures of the very "counter-jumpers" whose -ways and habits came under his keen, observant eye. These amusing -pictures, drawn on stone with pen-and-ink, and published as a collection -of "Sketches by Seymour," achieved an immense popularity, and were -chiefly the means of rendering his name generally familiar. - -Seymour was very fond of horticultural pursuits, and took great pains in -cultivating his own garden; but the result of his efforts in this -direction proved disappointing, and when dilating upon his want of -success, it was suggested that the misfortunes of an amateur gardener -might be made the subject of some entertaining drawings. After pondering -over this idea, and mindful of the fact that he still possessed a number -of unpublished sketches reflecting upon the abilities of amateur -sportsmen, he resolved upon reproducing some of a sporting character. -His original notion was to bring out a work similar in plan to that of -"The Heiress," a pictorial novel which he illustrated in 1830, and he -first proposed the subject to the printseller McLean in 1835, and then -to Spooner, the well-known publisher. The latter highly approved the -project, and in discussing it they concluded it would be desirable to -supplement the pictures with suitable letterpress. The undertaking was -so far advanced that Seymour etched four plates, but, owing to -unforeseen delays on the part of Spooner, the matter was held in -abeyance for about three months, by which time Seymour determined to -issue the work on his own responsibility, and to endeavour to get H. -Mayhew or Moncrieff to write for it. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Pickwick Papers, 1836-37.=] - -When, in February 1836, Edward Chapman (of Chapman & Hall) called upon -him with reference to a drawing which the firm had commissioned him to -undertake, the artist mentioned the scheme of a work to be illustrated -by him, having, as a central idea, a "Club of Cockney Sportsmen." -Chapman thought favourably of the notion, and proposed that it should be -brought out in two half-guinea volumes; but Seymour, desiring the widest -circulation, insisted on the plan he originally conceived, that of -shilling monthly numbers. Then came the question, Who should prepare the -requisite text? Leigh Hunt, Theodore Hook, and other prominent writers -of the day declined to undertake it, and shortly afterwards Seymour, -having just been reading "Sketches by Boz," the humour and originality -of which highly delighted him, proposed that Dickens should be -asked to contribute the letterpress. - - -PLATE XVI - -"MR. PICKWICK ADDRESSES THE CLUB" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "The Pickwick Papers" by - -R. SEYMOUR - -_Lent by Mr. Augustin Daly._ - -[Illustration] - - -Mr. Mackenzie Bell has given (in the _Athenaeum_, June 11, 1887) a -slightly different version of this part of the narration, and states -that Charles Whitehead, an early friend of Dickens, "used constantly to -affirm that he had been asked to write to Seymour's sketches, and that, -feeling uncertain of being able to supply the copy with sufficient -regularity, he [not Seymour] recommended Dickens for the task. This -appears very likely to have been the case," adds Mr. Bell, "as at that -time Whitehead, who was eight years older than Dickens, was already -known as a facile and fecund writer, his coarse yet powerful romance of -'Jack Ketch' having been very popular for some time. It is even possible -that 'The Pickwick Papers' may have been suggested to Dickens by a -passage in the preface of 'Jack Ketch,' where a humorous allusion is -made to the possibility of the author producing his more mature -experiences under the unambitious title of 'The Ketch Papers,' a work -which never appeared." It may be mentioned that Dickens had just sent in -his MS. of "The Tuggses at Ramsgate" for "The Library of Fiction," -edited by Whitehead, who was already familiar with the budding -novelist's ability as an author. This carries us to the point whence -Dickens takes up the thread of the story, as printed in the preface to -the first cheap edition of "Pickwick" (1847), where he writes:-- - -"I was a young man of three-and-twenty when the present publishers -[Chapman & Hall], attracted by some pieces I was at that time writing in -the _Morning Chronicle_ newspaper (of which one series had lately been -collected and published in two volumes, illustrated by my esteemed -friend George Cruikshank), waited upon me to propose a something that -should be published in shilling numbers.... The idea propounded to me -was that the monthly something should be a vehicle for certain plates to -be executed by Mr. Seymour, and there was a notion, either on the part -of that admirable humorous artist or of my visitor (I forget which), -that a 'Nimrod Club,' the members of which were to go out shooting, -fishing, and so forth, and getting themselves into difficulties through -their want of dexterity, would be the best means of introducing these. I -objected, on consideration, that although born and partly bred in the -country, I was no great sportsman, except in regard of all kinds of -locomotion; that the idea was not novel, and had been already much used; -that it would be infinitely better for the plates to arise naturally out -of the text; and that I should like to take my own way, with freer range -of English scenes and people, and was afraid I should ultimately do so -in any case, whatever course I might prescribe to myself at starting. My -views being deferred to, I thought of Mr. Pickwick, and wrote the first -number, from the proof-sheets of which Mr. Seymour made his drawing of -the Club, and that happy portrait of its founder, by which he is always -recognised, and which may be said to have made him a reality. I -connected Mr. Pickwick with a club because of the original suggestion, -and I put in Mr. Winkle expressly for the use of Mr. Seymour." - - -PLATE XVII - -"THE PUGNACIOUS CABMAN" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "The Pickwick Papers" by - -R. SEYMOUR - -_Lent by Mr. Augustin Daly._ - -[Illustration] - - -The first monthly part of "The Pickwick Papers" appeared early in April -1836, consisting of twenty-six pages of text and four etchings by -Seymour. Judging from a letter written by Dickens at the time the scheme -was first proposed, it seems that the illustrations were to have been -engraved on wood. The artist was then excessively busy, for besides -pledging himself to produce four plates for each monthly issue of -"Pickwick," he had numerous other engagements to fulfil, so great was -the demand for his designs. Although a rapid executant, the commissions -he received from publishers accumulated to such an extent, that the -excessive strain resulting from overwork at starvation prices began -seriously to affect his health. Not only did the monthly supply of the -"Pickwick" plates constitute an additional demand upon his mental -resources, but he was harassed by the uncertainty of receiving from the -printer the proofs from which he deduced his subjects, these sometimes -being delayed so that very little time was allowed for the preparation -of the plates. Unhappily his brain was unable to bear such -pressure; constant business worries and anxieties induced symptoms of -insanity, and before he had completed the second quartette of etchings -for "Pickwick," the unfortunate artist committed suicide. This -deplorable act took place on April 20, 1836, in a summer-house in the -garden at the back of his residence in Liverpool Road, Islington, where, -by the aid of a string attached to the trigger of a fowling-piece, he -deliberately sent the charge through his head. - -Seymour, we are assured, had not the slightest pecuniary embarrassment; -he was quite happy, too, in his domestic affairs, extremely fond of his -family, and naturally of a very cheerful disposition. His melancholy -fate caused a general feeling of regret among the public, with whom he -was a great favourite, and to whom he was then better known than Dickens -himself. In the second number of "Pickwick" appeared the following just -tribute to the merits of the artist: "Some time must elapse before the -void the deceased gentleman has left in his profession can be filled up; -the blank his death has occasioned in the Society, which his amiable -nature won, and his talents adorned, we can hardly hope to see supplied. -We do not allude to this distressing event, in the vain hope of adding, -by any eulogium of ours, to the respect in which the late Mr. Seymour's -memory is held by all who ever knew him." - -In the original announcement of "The Pickwick Papers" we read: "Seymour -has devoted himself, heart and graver, to the task of illustrating the -beauties of 'Pickwick.' It was reserved to Gibbon to paint, in colours -that will never fade, the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire--to Hume -to chronicle the strife and turmoil of the two proud Houses that divided -England against herself--to Napier to pen, in burning words, the History -of the War in the Peninsula;--the deeds and actions of the gifted -Pickwick yet remain for 'Boz' and Seymour to hand down to posterity." -This projected collaboration, alas! was speedily frustrated by the -unexpected tragedy, for Seymour had produced but seven plates when he -terminated his life, the following being the subjects of his designs in -the order of their publication: - - _First Number._ - - "MR. PICKWICK ADDRESSES THE CLUB." - "THE PUGNACIOUS CABMAN." - "THE SAGACIOUS DOG." - "DR. SLAMMER'S DEFIANCE OF JINGLE." - - - _Second Number._ - - "THE DYING CLOWN." - "MR. PICKWICK IN CHASE OF HIS HAT." - "MR. WINKLE SOOTHES THE REFRACTORY STEED." - -The Address issued with the Second Part contains an apology for the -appearance therein of only three plates instead of four, as promised. -"When we state," says the author, "that they comprise Mr. Seymour's last -efforts, and that on one of them, in particular, (the embellishment to -the Stroller's Tale,) he was engaged up to a late hour of the night -preceding his death, we feel confident that the excuse will be deemed a -sufficient one." Dickens had seen the unhappy man only once, forty-eight -hours before his death, on the occasion of his visit to Furnival's Inn -with the etching just referred to, which, altered at Dickens's -suggestion, he brought away again for the few further touches that -occupied him to a late hour of the night before he destroyed himself.[8] -In an unpublished letter (dated April 3, 1866) addressed by the novelist -to a correspondent who required certain particulars respecting -"Pickwick," he thus referred to the artist: "Mr. Seymour shot himself -before the second number of 'The Pickwick Papers' ... was published. -While he lay dead, it was necessary that search should be made in -his working room for the plates to the second number, the day for the -publication of which was then drawing on. The plates were found -unfinished, with their faces turned to the wall. It was Mr. Chapman who -found them and brought them away." - - Footnote 8: The artist's son asserts that the last plate - Seymour etched for "Pickwick" (viz., "The Dying Clown") was - submitted to Dickens a fortnight (not forty-eight hours, as - recorded by Forster) before his death. It seems that - Seymour's final drawing was for a woodcut, executed for John - Jackson, the engraver, to whom the artist delivered it on the - evening of the fatal day, April 20, 1836. - - -PLATE XVIII - -"DR. SLAMMER'S DEFIANCE OF JINGLE" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "The Pickwick Papers" by - -R. SEYMOUR - -_Lent by Mr. Augustin Daly._ - -[Illustration] - - -In 1887 Messrs. Chapman & Hall appropriately celebrated the Jubilee of -"The Pickwick Papers" by publishing an _Edition de luxe_, with -_facsimiles_ of the original drawings made for the work, or, rather, of -as many of these as were then available. In the editor's preface it is -stated that four out of the seven drawings etched by Seymour for -"Pickwick" had disappeared, but it afterwards transpired that two of the -missing designs remained in the possession of the artist's family, until -they were sold to a private purchaser, who, in 1889, disposed of them by -auction. Of these drawings, therefore, only one, viz., "The Sagacious -Dog," is undiscoverable. The album in which the missing designs were -found also contained other original drawings for "Pickwick," as well as -the Dickens letter to Seymour and an excellent portrait of the artist; -this important collection included the three published designs (viz., -"Mr. Pickwick Addresses the Club," "The Pugnacious Cabman," and "Dr. -Slammer's Defiance of Jingle,"--the latter differing slightly from the -etching), together with the first sketch for "The Dying Clown," and two -unpublished drawings (evidently alternative subjects, illustrating -incidents in the fifth chapter), respectively representing "The Runaway -Chaise" and "The Pickwickians in Mr. Wardle's Kitchen." All these -drawings, except that of "The Dying Clown," are outlined with -pen-and-ink, and the effects washed in with a brownish tint. Perhaps the -most astonishing circumstance in connection with this collection is the -extravagant sum it realised in the auction-room, for, as might be -anticipated, many were anxious to secure so valuable a memento. The -bidding was brisk until L200 was reached, when competition was confined -to the representative of Mr. Augustin Daly (of New York) and another -whose name is unrecorded, the result being that the prize fell to Mr. -Daly for L500--probably a record figure for such an item. No one -experienced greater surprise at this enormous price than the purchaser -himself, who assures me that, although he imposed no limit, it was never -his intention to offer so fabulous an amount; indeed, the sum he had in -his mind was not so much as a quarter of that at which this attractive -album eventually fell to the hammer. Owing to the generosity of Mr. -Daly, I am enabled to reproduce in _facsimile_ the whole of these -extremely interesting designs, which he brought to England expressly for -this purpose. - -Seymour's method of work was to sketch with pencil or pen the outline of -his subject, and add the shadow effects by means of light washes of a -greyish tint. A precision and neatness of touch characterise these -"Pickwick" drawings, the most interesting of which is undoubtedly that -representing Mr. Pickwick addressing the Club, a scene such as Seymour -may have actually witnessed in the parlour of almost any respectable -public-house in his own neighbourhood of Islington. Here we have the -first delineation of the immortal founder of the famous Club, "that -happy portrait," as Dickens said of it, "by which he is always -recognised, and which may be said to have made him a reality." Seymour -originally sketched this figure as a long thin man, the familiar -presentment of him as a rotund personage having been subsequently -inspired by Edward Chapman's description of a friend of his at Richmond -named John Foster, "a fat old beau, who would wear, in spite of the -ladies' protests, drab tights and black gaiters." It is curious, -however, that in "The Heiress," illustrated by Seymour six years -previously, we find in the second plate a character bearing a striking -resemblance to Mr. Pickwick, and in "Maxims and Hints for an Angler" -(1833), the artist similarly portrayed an old gentleman marvellously -like him, both as regards physique and benignity of expression; indeed, -this seems to have been a favourite type with Seymour, and thus it would -appear that, in making Dickens's hero short and comfortable, he -only reverted to an earlier conception. - - -PLATE XIX - -FIRST STUDY FOR - -"THE DYING CLOWN" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "The Pickwick Papers" by - -R. SEYMOUR - -_Lent by Mr. Augustin Daly._ - -[Illustration] - - -The drawing which ranks second in point of interest is the artist's -first idea for "The Dying Clown," illustrating "The Stroller's Tale." -The original sketch is a slight outline study in pen-and-ink of the -figures only, the facial expressions being cleverly rendered. In the -Victoria edition of "The Pickwick Papers" a _facsimile_ is given of a -later and more developed version of the subject; this differs from the -published etching, the alterations being the result, doubtless, of the -criticism bestowed upon the drawing in the following letter addressed by -Dickens to the artist,--apparently the only written communication from -him to Seymour which has been preserved:-- - - "15 FURNIVAL'S INN, - - "_Thursday Evening, April 1836._ - - "MY DEAR SIR,--I had intended to write to you to say how - much gratified I feel by the pains you have bestowed upon - our mutual friend Mr. Pickwick, and how much the result of - your labours has surpassed my expectations. I am happy to be - able to congratulate you, the publishers, and myself on the - success of the undertaking, which appears to have been most - complete. - - "I have now another reason for troubling you. It is this. I - am extremely anxious about 'The Stroller's Tale,' the more - especially as many literary friends, on whose judgment I - place great reliance, think it will create considerable - sensation. I have seen your design for an etching to - accompany it. I think it extremely good, but still it is not - quite my idea; and as I feel so very solicitous to have it - as complete as possible, I shall feel personally obliged if - you will make another drawing. It will give me great - pleasure to see you, as well as the drawing, when it is - completed. With this view I have asked Chapman and Hall to - take a glass of grog with me on Sunday evening (the only - night I am disengaged), when I hope you will be able to look - in. - - "The alteration I want I will endeavour to explain. I think - the woman should be younger--the dismal man decidedly - should, and he should be less miserable in appearance. To - communicate an interest to the plate, his whole appearance - should express more sympathy and solicitude; and while I - represented the sick man as emaciated and dying, I would not - make him too repulsive. The furniture of the room you have - depicted _admirably_. I have ventured to make these - suggestions, feeling assured that you will consider them in - the spirit in which I submit them to your judgment. I shall - be happy to hear from you that I may expect to see you on - Sunday evening.--Dear Sir, very truly yours, - - "CHARLES DICKENS." - -In compliance with this wish, Seymour etched a new design for "The -Stroller's Tale," which he conveyed to the author at the appointed time, -this being the only occasion on which he and Dickens ever met. Whether -the novelist again manifested dissatisfaction, or whether some other -cause of irritation arose, is not known, but it is said that Seymour -returned home after the interview in a very discontented frame of mind; -he did nothing more for "Pickwick" from that time, and destroyed nearly -all the correspondence relating to the subject. It has been stated that -he received five pounds for each drawing, but it is positively asserted, -on apparently trustworthy evidence, that the sum paid on account was -only thirty-five shillings for each subject,[9] and that the artist -never relinquished the entire right which he had in the designs. - - Footnote 9: R. W. Buss, the successor of Seymour as - illustrator of "Pickwick," records that ten shillings was the - price accorded to the artist for each plate. - -As in the case of "The Stroller's Tale," there are noticeable -differences between the drawing and the etching of the last of Seymour's -published designs, depicting Mr. Winkle and the Refractory Steed. In -this plate it will be observed that, although the general composition is -identical with that in the drawing, the positions of the horse's -forelegs are reversed, and trees have been introduced on the left of the -picture. - - -PLATE XX - -"THE RUNAWAY CHAISE" - -_Facsimile_ of an Unused Design for "The Pickwick Papers" by - -R. SEYMOUR - -This Drawing illustrates an incident in the fifth chapter. - -_Lent by Mr. Augustin Daly._ - -[Illustration] - - -An examination of Seymour's etchings for "Pickwick" shows that, in the -application of the dilute nitric acid to corrode the lines produced by -the etching-point, the artist was greatly troubled, and, in order to -save his designs and keep faith with the publishers and the public, he -was probably compelled to apply for help in his need to one of the -artist-engravers residing in his neighbourhood. It has been suggested -that certain faults in his plates caused by defective "biting" were -remedied by means of the engraving tool; but, so far as I have been able -to discover, there is no evidence of this. His plates possess the -quality of pure etching; indeed, in that respect they are superior to -those by "Phiz" in the same work. It should, however, be noted that -there are extant very few copies of "Pickwick" containing impressions -from Seymour's own plates; perhaps in not more than one copy out of a -hundred will they be found, and this scarcity is explained by the fact -that when the plates suffered deterioration through printing, the -artist's death prevented him from duplicating them, so that the subjects -had to be copied and re-etched by "Phiz." Seymour reversed his designs -upon the steel plates, so that when printed they appear exactly as -originally drawn. There is reason to infer, from an entry in the -artist's memorandum-book, that the first four subjects were etched -before he showed them to Dickens, and that they were afterwards -re-etched and modified in some degree to suit the author's views. - -Besides these illustrations, Seymour is responsible for the design -appearing on the green wrapper of the monthly parts, which was engraved -on wood by John Jackson. A glance at this at once convinces us how -strongly the "sporting" element was at first intended to predominate, -for here are displayed trophies of guns, fishing-rods, and other -sporting implements; at the top of the page is seen the veritable Winkle -aiming at a sparrow, while below, seated on a chair in a punt, -peacefully reposes Mr. Pickwick with his rod, watching for a "bite"; in -the background of the picture may be recognised Putney Church, as well -as the old wooden bridge which once spanned the Thames at this point. - - -PLATE XXI - -"THE PICKWICKIANS IN MR. WARDLE'S KITCHEN" - -_Facsimile_ of an Unused Design for "The Pickwick Papers" by - -R. SEYMOUR - -This Drawing illustrates an incident in the fifth chapter. - -_Lent by Mr. Augustin Daly._ - -[Illustration] - - -After the publication of "The Pickwick Papers" many veracious reports as -to its origin were circulated. In some of these statements Dickens was -entirely deprived of the credit of its inception, and partly to assert -his claim, but principally because he believed his readers would be -interested in the truth of the matter, he related the facts in the -already-quoted Preface to the first cheap edition. About two years later -he was considerably annoyed by the appearance of a pamphlet purporting -to give "An Account of the Origin of the Pickwick Papers," the author of -which was the "widow of the distinguished artist who originated the -work." Mrs. Seymour printed in her _brochure_ a distorted version of -Dickens's Preface, and attempted a reply thereto, by which she -endeavoured to show the fallacy of his statements. The following extract -from this privately-printed pamphlet sufficiently indicates the tenor of -Mrs. Seymour's attempt to prove that the honour belonged exclusively to -the artist: "Mr. Dickens edited a work called 'The Pickwick Papers,' -which was originated solely by my husband in the summer of 1835, and but -for a cold (which brought on a severe illness) which he caught on Lord -Mayor's Day, on taking his children to view the procession from the Star -Chamber, would have been written, as well as embellished, by himself; -this cause alone prevented him from doing so, as the numerous -periodicals he was constantly engaged upon had greatly accumulated -during his illness."[10] Although such a claim, so seriously maintained, -necessitated immediate refutation, Dickens allowed a considerable time -to elapse before making a formal denial thereof. With a view to future -action, however, he wrote to Edward Chapman for his recollections of the -primary events in the history of the work, and accordingly received from -him the following reply, dated July 7, 1849: "In November [1835] we -published a little book called 'The Squib Annual,' with plates by -Seymour, and it was during my visit to him to see after them that he -said he should like to do a series of Cockney sporting plates of a -superior sort to those he had already published. I said I thought it -might do if accompanied by letterpress and published in monthly parts; -and this being agreed to, we wrote to the author of 'Three Courses and a -Dessert' (a Mr. Clarke). I proposed it; but receiving no answer, the -scheme dropped for some months, till Seymour said he wished us to -decide, as another job had offered which would fully occupy his time. -And it was on this we decided to ask you to do it.... I am quite sure -that from the beginning to the end nobody but yourself had anything -whatsoever to do with it." - - Footnote 10: In 1889 Mrs. Seymour's own copy of this - exceedingly scarce pamphlet (of which only three copies are - known to exist) was purchased by Mr. Daly for L74 at - Sotheby's. It contains a few slight corrections by Mrs. - Seymour. - -Further publicity was bestowed upon the subject in a letter contributed -to the _Athenaeum_ of March 24, 1866, by Seymour's son, who not only -repeated the principal arguments adduced by the pamphlet, but promised -further particulars in a subsequent communication. Whereupon Dickens, -rightly considering that the opportunity had now arrived for -emphatically repudiating the whole story, forwarded the following letter -for publication in the ensuing number of the _Athenaeum_:-- - -"As the author of 'The Pickwick Papers' (and of one or two other books), -I send you a few facts, and no comments, having reference to a letter -signed 'R. Seymour,' which in your editorial discretion you published -last week. - -"Mr. Seymour the artist never originated, suggested, or in any way had -to do with, save as illustrator of what I devised, an incident, a -character (except the sporting tastes of Mr. Winkle), a name, a phrase, -or a word, to be found in 'The Pickwick Papers.' - -"I never saw Mr. Seymour's handwriting, I believe, in my life. - -"I never even saw Mr. Seymour but once in my life, and that was within -eight-and-forty hours of his untimely death. Two persons, both still -living, were present on that short occasion. - -"Mr. Seymour died when only twenty-four [twenty-six] printed pages of -'The Pickwick Papers' were published; I think before the next three or -four [afterwards corrected to "twenty-four"] were completely written; I -am sure before one subsequent line of the book was invented."[11] - - Footnote 11: The unpublished sketch by Seymour in Mr. Daly's - collection, depicting the Pickwickians in Mr. Wardle's - kitchen, illustrates a scene described on page 50, so that - Dickens's memory was slightly at fault. - -[Here follows the account of Mr. Hall's interview with the novelist, as -given in the Preface of the 1847 edition, and the letter thus -continues:] - -"In July 1849, some incoherent assertions made by the widow of Mr. -Seymour, in the course of certain endeavours of hers to raise money, -induced me to address a letter to Mr. Edward Chapman, then the only -surviving business-partner in the original firm of Chapman & Hall, who -first published 'The Pickwick Papers,' requesting him to inform me in -writing whether the foregoing statement was correct." - -A few days later Dickens wrote to his eldest son a letter in which he -says:-- - -"There has been going on for years an attempt on the part of Seymour's -widow to extort money from me by representing that he had some -inexplicable and ill-used part in the invention of Pickwick!!! I have -disregarded it until now, except that I took the precaution some years -ago to leave among my few papers Edward Chapman's testimony to the gross -falsehood and absurdity of the idea. - -"But, last week, I wrote a letter to the _Athenaeum_ about it, in -consequence of Seymour's son reviving the monstrosity. I stated in that -letter that I had never so much as seen Seymour but once in my life, and -that was some eight-and-forty hours before his death. - -"I stated also that two persons still living were present at the short -interview. Those were your Uncle Frederick and your mother. I wish you -would ask your mother to write to you, for my preservation among the -aforesaid few papers, a note giving you her remembrance of that -evening--of Frederick's afterwards knocking at our door before we were -up, to tell us that it was in the papers that Seymour had shot himself, -and of his perfect knowledge that the poor little man and I looked upon -each other for the first and last time that night in Furnival's Inn. - -"It seems a superfluous precaution, but I take it for the sake of our -descendants long after you."[12] - - Footnote 12: This letter was first published in the - Introduction, by the late Mr. Charles Dickens the Younger, to - Macmillan & Co.'s edition of "The Pickwick Papers," 1892. - -The "few papers" here alluded to were destroyed before the novelist's -death, with the exception of Edward Chapman's confirmatory letter. -Needless to say, both Mrs. Charles Dickens and Frederick Dickens -entirely corroborated the novelist's assertions respecting his own share -and that of Seymour in the origin of "Pickwick." - -In concluding this account of a most unpleasant controversy, we may -reasonably surmise that had not Seymour communicated his idea to -Chapman, "Pickwick" would never have been written. The proposal for a -book similar in character certainly emanated from the artist, and in -this sense he was, of course, the originator of that work, while to him -also belongs the honour of inventing, pictorially, the portraits of the -Pickwickians. But it was "Boz, glorious Boz," who vitalised the happy -conception, by imparting thereto such prodigality of fun and so much -individuality that "The Pickwick Papers" at once leaped into fame, and, -as all the world knows, was received with acclamation by every section -of the public. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Library of Fiction, 1836.=] - -Coincident with the publication of the first monthly number of "The -Pickwick Papers," there appeared the initial part of a new serial called -"The Library of Fiction," which, under the editorship of Charles -Whitehead, was launched by the same publishers. Whitehead, whose name -has already been mentioned in connection with "Pickwick," became -acquainted with Dickens at the time the latter was writing "Sketches by -Boz," which he so much admired that he endeavoured to persuade the young -author to contribute something of a similarly striking character to the -projected "Library of Fiction." Dickens consented, and we find that his -amusing little story, entitled "The Tuggses at Ramsgate," constitutes -the opening paper. Several of the articles and tales in "The Library of -Fiction" were illustrated, and it is interesting to note that Dickens's -contribution to the first part was embellished with two designs by -Robert Seymour, engraved on wood by Landells. It is generally considered -that Seymour's woodcut illustrations are by far the best specimens of -his talent, and the engravers of that day were exceedingly happy in -reproducing the delicacy of touch and brilliancy of effect which -distinguished the drawings made by him direct upon the blocks. - -Seymour's first design represents the Tuggs family and their friends, -Mr. and Mrs. Captain Waters, on the sands by the seaside, and it is -interesting to learn that the fat man seated on a chair in front is said -to be a portrait of the artist, as he appeared during the latter part of -his life. The second illustration, depicting the incident of the irate -Captain Waters discovering Mr. Cymon Tuggs behind the curtain, also -formed the subject of George Cruikshank's etching for the little story -when it was reprinted in the first edition of "Sketches by Boz," -published about some three years later, and, in comparing the separate -designs, we find that they are almost identical, except that the two -prominent figures in the etching are in reverse of those in the -woodcut. - - -[Illustration] - -PLATE XXII - -ROBERT W. BUSS - -From the Painting by Himself. - -_Circa 1837._ - - - - -ROBERT W. BUSS - - Alteration in the Plan of Publishing "Pickwick"--The - Difficulty Respecting a New Illustrator--Buss Elected to - Succeed Seymour--Studies Art under G. Clint, A.R.A.--His - Painting of "Christmas in the Olden Time"--His Ignorance of - the Etcher's Art--Practises Drawing in Pen-and-ink--"THE - PICKWICK PAPERS"--Buss's First Plate Approved by the - Publishers--Failure of Subsequent Attempts--Expert - Assistance Obtained--Plates Cancelled--Buss - Dismissed--Substituted Designs by "Phiz"--"Pickwick" - Drawings by Buss--His Unused Designs for "Pickwick"--His - Illustrations for Marryat, Ainsworth, &c.--Accurate - Draughtsmanship--"THE LIBRARY OF FICTION"--Buss's - Illustrations for "A Little Talk about Spring and the - Sweeps"--His Paintings, Humorous and Historical--Some - Dickens Pictures--Drawings of Scenes in "Dombey and Son"--An - Unfinished Portrait of Dickens--Drawings on Wood for Charles - Knight--Exclusion of the Artist Buss's Pictures from the - Royal Academy--Endeavours to Obtain Pupils--Lectures on - Art--His Wife and Daughter Establish a School for Girls--A - Professor of Drawing and a Teacher of Science--Praiseworthy - Industry--Death of the Artist. - - -Charles Dickens's brother-in-law, the late Mr. Henry Burnett, was a -frequent visitor at the home of the novelist during the "Pickwick" -period, and years afterwards he vividly recalled the consternation, -disappointment, and anxiety of the young writer on receipt of the -melancholy news concerning the distressing fate of Robert Seymour, the -first illustrator of "The Pickwick Papers." Dickens greatly admired the -productions of that unfortunate artist, and, realising how successfully -he had so far portrayed the characters in the work, apprehended there -would be much difficulty in discovering a draughtsman who could -interpret him with equal felicity. Indeed, there was quite a dearth of -suitable talent, the only artist then living capable of etching his own -designs being George Cruikshank. Unfortunately, there was not much time -for consideration, as the third number of "Pickwick" had to be provided -for without delay. - -The crisis brought about by the unexpected death of Seymour compelled -Chapman & Hall to promptly carry into effect a resolution they had -formed of issuing future numbers of "The Pickwick Papers" on an improved -plan, with a view to enhancing the attractiveness and popularity of the -work. They determined that each succeeding number should consist of -thirty-two pages of letterpress instead of twenty-four, and that there -should be two illustrations in lieu of four--an arrangement which held -good to the end. The difficulty respecting an illustrator to succeed -Seymour had now to be grappled with, whereupon the publishers called to -their assistance the eminent wood-engraver, John Jackson, who advised -them to approach Robert William Buss, as being the only artist of his -acquaintance likely to prove the most suitable for the purpose. Chapman -& Hall acted upon this suggestion, and Buss, after much persuasion and -at great personal inconvenience, agreed to temporarily relinquish very -important engagements in order to assist them in their dilemma. - - -PLATE XXIII - -DESIGN FOR THE TITLE-PAGE OF "THE PICKWICK PAPERS" - - -_Facsimile_ of an Unpublished Drawing by R. W. BUSS - -[Illustration] - - -Robert William Buss is referred to in an address issued with the third -part of "Pickwick" as "a gentleman already well known to the public as a -very humorous and talented artist." He was born on August 29, 1804, in -Bull-and-Mouth Street, St. Martin's-le-Grand, and in due course -apprenticed to his father, an enameller and engraver on gold and silver. -Like Seymour, he was inoculated with the prevailing mania for "High -Art," and this inclination becoming too strong to be thwarted, his -indulgent father not only permitted the cancelling of his indentures, -but even defrayed the cost of a year's study in Art, placing him under -his old friend George Clint, A.R.A. (a landscape painter, and -subsequently the President of the Society of British Artists), whose son -Alfred married the younger Buss's only sister. Having thus, at the age -of twenty-one, gained some practical experience in his adopted -profession, Robert Buss thought himself competent to start life on his -own account by painting portraits and subject-pictures. In this -direction he met with fair success, but it was as a painter of humorous -incidents that he first made his reputation, these finding eager -purchasers among well-known collectors and _connoisseurs_. Among his -earliest achievements was a painting representing "Christmas in the -Olden Time," which he exhibited in the gallery of the Society of British -Artists in 1838. This work, however, although warmly praised by the -critics, proved a most unhappy venture, as the price realised by the -artist for what represented the result of a year's labour hardly -recouped him for the expenses incurred by its production.[13] - - Footnote 13: The picture afterwards changed hands for six or - seven times the amount originally received by the painter. It - eventually became the property of his daughter, the late Miss - Frances Mary Buss, for many years the Head-mistress of the - North London Collegiate School for Girls, in the - Drawing-School of which institution this interesting canvas - now hangs. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Pickwick Papers, 1836-37.=] - -It was doubtless this painting with which Buss was occupied when Mr. -Hall (of Chapman & Hall) called upon him respecting the illustrations -for "Pickwick." "Taken quite by surprise," relates the artist, when -recalling his association with Dickens's famous work, "I told him [Mr. -Hall] I had never in the whole course of my life had an etching-needle -in my hand, and that I was entirely ignorant of the process of etching, -as far as practice was concerned. He assured me it was very easy to do, -and that with my talent I was sure to succeed." After some hesitation, -overcome by Mr. Hall's promise that consideration would be shown towards -his want of experience, Buss yielded to the pressure thus put upon him, -and consented to put aside his picture (although most anxious to -complete it for exhibition at the Royal Academy), with a view to -embarking upon his new undertaking. - -In preparing studies for his pictures, Buss had accustomed himself to -the use of bold effects, obtained by means of chalk or black-lead -pencils of various degrees of hardness, blackness, and breadth of point. -He therefore deemed it necessary to undergo a course of training which -would enable him to impart to his work that delicacy of touch so -essential in the art of etching upon copper or steel, and devoted -himself almost day and night (as there was really no time to lose) to -practice in drawing with pen-and-ink,--a fact (he observes) "of which -Mr. Hall was utterly and entirely ignorant." There are still extant a -few of these experimental efforts (chiefly figures and faces copied -from line engravings), including a sheet containing a dozen sketches of -heads--studies of characters in "Pickwick," apparently based upon -Seymour's etchings--which testify not only to his energy, but also to -his rapidly-acquired skill in the adoption of what was to him a novel -medium. In these drawings, by the way, he used ordinary ink for the -general design, diluting it for the delicate shades and distant objects, -thus assimilating the effect of his pen-and-ink work with the variations -resulting from the "biting-in" and "re-biting" of etchings. - - -PLATE XXIV - -"THE BREAK-DOWN" - -_Facsimile_ of an Unpublished Drawing by R. W. BUSS - -Illustrating an incident in the ninth chapter of "The Pickwick Papers." - -[Illustration] - - -After labouring incessantly for a period of three weeks, the artist felt -prepared to make his first attempt in etching, taking for his subject -"Mr. Pickwick at the Review." Referring to this plate, he says: "Of -course it was full of faults, inevitable to any one in the early stage -of practice in etching. But it was shown to Messrs. Chapman & Hall, and -approved by them, though not as one of the illustrations to be -published.[14] All this occupied much time, which was every hour -becoming more and more valuable, as the date of publication was close at -hand. I had barely time to prepare my two subjects for the next number -of 'Pickwick' in pencil and submit them for approval to the publishers, -who returned them, being much pleased with my efforts. The subjects I -selected were the Fat Boy watching Mr. Tupman and Miss Wardle in the -arbour, and the Cricket-Match." Buss now essayed to reproduce his -designs upon the plates; but the result proved disastrous, the too -violent action of the improperly diluted acid tearing up the -etching-ground, which also broke up under the needle, creating sad -havoc. Dreading the possible consequences of delay, he placed his -original drawings in the hands of an expert engraver, to be copied on -the plate and "bitten-in." "This work," remarks the artist, "he did very -well indeed, but, as might have been expected, had I had time for -thought, the free touch of an original was entirely wanting. The etching -itself failed, but the 'biting-in' was admirably done. Time was up. The -plates must be placed at once in the printer's hands, and so (there -being no help for it) the plates were printed, the numbers stitched and -duly published. Thus my name appeared to designs of which not one touch -of mine was on the plates." Had opportunities been given, Buss would -have cancelled these plates, and prepared fresh ones of his own etching. -The immediate effect of this fiasco was the termination of his -connection with "The Pickwick Papers," the artist being actually engaged -in preparing designs for the succeeding number when he received a note -informing him that the work had been placed in other hands. Under the -circumstances, it is not surprising that Buss felt this curt dismissal -very keenly, for it must be remembered that he ventured upon the -undertaking mainly to oblige the publishers, who, it appears, had -promised him every consideration on account of his inexperience with the -etching-needle. - - Footnote 14: This design has been reproduced by - photo-lithography, impressions of which may occasionally be - found in copies of "Pickwick." - -Forster disposes of the subject of Buss's association with "Pickwick" in -a very few words, merely observing that "there was at first a little -difficulty in replacing Seymour, and for a single number Mr. Buss was -interposed," thus intimating that the engagement was a temporary one. In -commenting upon this, the artist's son, the Rev. Alfred J. Buss, -expresses a belief that his father could not certainly have regarded it -in this light. "Is it reasonable to suppose," he asks, in _Notes and -Queries_, April 24, 1875, "that he would have consented to devote three -weeks of his time, at the most valuable season to an artist, to the -practice of an entirely new department of art, if it had been clearly -stated that his engagement was of the transitory nature Mr. Forster -would imply, and the more especially when we bear in mind that the price -to be paid for the etchings was only fifteen shillings each?" It was -Forster's scanty and misleading reference to Buss's engagement as -illustrator of "Pickwick" which induced the artist to draw up for his -children a concise and clear account of everything that transpired. - -It is not recorded whether Buss and Dickens became personally -acquainted, nor, indeed, that they ever met. We may therefore surmise -that all business transactions were carried on through the publishers, -who probably forwarded to the artist proofs of the letterpress in order -that he might select therefrom the subjects for illustration. The third -number of "Pickwick" contains the only two published etchings by Buss -for that work, viz., "The Cricket-Match" and "The Fat Boy Awake on this -Occasion only." These plates, the effect of which was poor and thin, -contrasted unfavourably with the Seymour etchings immediately preceding -them, and were therefore suppressed as speedily as possible, others by -"Phiz" (Hablot K. Browne) being substituted before many copies had been -issued.[15] In one of the latter an entirely different design is -given,--that is to say, instead of "The Cricket-Match," we have "Mr. -Wardle and his Friends under the Influence of 'the Salmon,'" depicting -an incident described in the succeeding chapter. - - Footnote 15: The two cancelled etchings by Buss have been - copied on steel, but, being printed on India paper, are not - likely to be mistaken for the original plates. Impressions of - the Buss etchings are exceedingly scarce, only about seven - hundred copies of the number containing them having been - circulated. - -The drawings by Buss for "Pickwick" have fortunately been preserved. -Besides the original designs for the published etchings, there are still -in existence several tentative sketches prepared by the artist in -anticipation of future numbers,--those, indeed, upon which he was at -work when he received his _conge_. Some of these sketches are vigorously -limned with pen-and-ink outlines and the effects laid in with a brush, -while others are rendered in pencil supplemented by washes of -indian-ink. The following is a complete list of Buss's original drawings -for "Pickwick":-- - - MR. PICKWICK AT THE REVIEW.[16]--_Unused design._--This - subject was etched by the artist as a specimen of his work - to be submitted to Chapman & Hall. Only two impressions are - known to exist, while the plate itself was irretrievably - injured through the surface being scratched with a piece of - coarse emery paper. - - THE CRICKET-MATCH.[16]--_Published design._ - - Footnote 16: Reproduced in _facsimile_ in the Victoria - edition of "Pickwick," 1887. - - -PLATE XXV - -"A SOUVENIR OF DICKENS" - -From an Unfinished Painting by R. W. BUSS - -_Size of Original Picture, 36 in. by 27 in._ - -_Lent by the Rev. F. Fleetwood Buss._ - -[Illustration] - - - THE CRICKET-MATCH.--_First sketch_, varying entirely from - the etching. The wicket-keeper is seen behind the fat man, - receiving the ball full in his face. - - THE FAT BOY AWAKE ON THIS OCCASION ONLY.[1]--_Published - design._ - - THE FAT BOY AWAKE ON THIS OCCASION ONLY.--_First sketch_, - varying from the etching. Tupman is represented on his knees - by the side of Miss Wardle, who is holding a watering-pot, - while the Fat Boy is seen behind, facing the spectator. - - THE FAT BOY AWAKE ON THIS OCCASION ONLY.--_Second sketch_, - varying from the etching. Here Tupman is standing, with his - left arm around Miss Wardle's waist, and the Fat Boy is in - front, in much the same attitude as represented in the - published design; indeed, there are very slight differences - between this sketch and the accepted drawing. - - MR. WARDLE AND HIS FRIENDS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF "THE - SALMON."[17]--_Unused design._ - - Footnote 17: Reproduced in _facsimile_ in the Victoria - edition of "Pickwick," 1887. - - THE BREAK-DOWN.--_Unused design._ Pickwick, in an attitude - of despair, stands facing the spectator; behind him Wardle - is seen in the act of shaking his fist at the eloping party - in the retreating chaise; while a postboy on the left holds - the head of one of the horses belonging to the vehicle which - has come to grief. - - MR. WINKLE'S FIRST SHOT.--_Unused design._ The central - figure is Winkle, holding his gun; close by stands Snodgrass - in an attitude of fear, while Pickwick and Wardle are - sheltering behind a tree. - - STUDY FOR THE TITLE-PAGE.--_Unused design._ In this rough - sketch Pickwick is the prominent personage, as he stands - facing the spectator, with his right hand in the pocket of - his smalls, and his left arm resting on what appears to be a - mound of earth. Separately displayed upon the face of this - mound are medallion portraits, in emblematical frames, of - Pickwick, Snodgrass, Winkle, and Tupman, while above all is - suspended a female figure typical of Fame, blowing a - miniature trumpet and holding a laurel wreath over the head - of Pickwick. The letters forming the words "Pickwick Club" - are made up of various articles suggestive of conviviality - and sport--such as corkscrews, bottles, wine-glasses, - pistol, stirrup, &c. - -These drawings sufficiently indicate that the artist possessed a decided -power with the pencil, which he turned to good account shortly after the -abrupt termination of his connection with "The Pickwick Papers." For -example, in 1839 he successfully illustrated, by means of etching, Mrs. -Trollope's diverting story, "The Widow Married," then appearing as a -serial in the _New Monthly Magazine_, and among the more remarkable of -his later efforts with the etching-needle are his designs for novels by -Marryat, Ainsworth, and other well-known writers of the day, many of the -plates being equal, in the matter of technique, to those by "Phiz," thus -denoting that, had an opportunity been afforded him, he might have made -his mark with "Pickwick." It may be said of Buss (as is asserted -concerning Cruikshank) that his works, whether in colour or -black-and-white, are regarded as affording authentic information -respecting costumes and other accessories; for he was exceedingly -conscientious in matters of detail, preferring to incur infinite trouble -to secure accuracy rather than rely upon his imagination. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Library of Fiction, 1836.=] - -Like Seymour, Buss was associated with Dickens in connection with that -ephemeral work, "The Library of Fiction." Besides "The Tuggses at -Ramsgate," the novelist wrote for its pages a paper called "A Little -Talk about Spring and the Sweeps," containing an illustration drawn by -Buss and engraved on wood by John Jackson, who, it will be remembered, -introduced the artist to Chapman & Hall. This short tale was reprinted -in the first complete edition of "Sketches by Boz," 1839, under the -title of "The First of May," with an etching by Cruikshank -depicting an incident differing entirely from that which forms the -subject of Buss's woodcut. - - -PLATE XXVI - -DOLLY VARDEN - -From an Original Water-colour Drawing by R. W. BUSS - -_Lent by the Rev. A. J. Buss._ - -[Illustration] - - * * * * * - -As a painter of humorous scenes and historical events, Buss gained -considerable popularity. From 1826 to 1859 he contributed nearly every -year subject-pictures and portraits to the Exhibitions of the Royal -Academy, Suffolk Street Gallery, and British Institution, and among his -numerous canvases (many of which have been engraved) may be -mentioned:--_Humorous_--"The Biter Bit," "The March of Intellect," "The -Monopolist," "An Unexpected Reception," "Soliciting a Vote," "Chairing -the Member," "Mob Tyranny," "The Mock Mayor of Newcastle-under-Lyme." -_Historical_--"The Introduction of Tobacco by Sir Walter Raleigh," -"James Watt's First Experience with Steam," "Hogarth at School," -"Chantrey's First Essay in Modelling," "Nelson's First Victory over the -French Fleet." The artist was also occasionally inspired by Shakespeare -and Dickens, and it is specially interesting to note that he painted at -least three pictures of scenes in the novelist's works, viz., "Joe -Willet Taking Leave of Dolly Varden" (from "Barnaby Rudge"), exhibited -at the Royal Academy in 1844, and now in a South Australian public -picture-gallery; "The Cricket's Chirp" (Peerybingle, Dot, and Tilly -Slowboy, from "The Cricket on the Hearth," Chirp the First), exhibited -at Suffolk Street, 1846; and a representation of Trotty Veck peeping -into the basket containing his dinner of tripe which his daughter brings -him. In an album of studies and notes for his pictures (arranged by the -artist for preservation as an heirloom) may be found several sketches -for the first-named subject, and in addition to these are two small -water-colour drawings, oval in form, of scenes in "Dombey and Son," -representing "Mr. Dombey more Magnificent than Usual," and "Captain -Cuttle visited by Florence Dombey," the latter being especially well -rendered. Whether these have ever been engraved I am unable to say, but -the probability is they have not. Curiously enough, the last picture on -Buss's easel purported to represent "A Dream of Dickens." This -unfinished canvas (still in the possession of a member of the artist's -family) contains a portrait of the novelist seated in his study, with -visions of scenes from his various works around him. The portrait is -adapted from the well-known photograph by Watkins, while the incidents -depicted are taken from the original illustrations. - -Although Buss's large picture of "Christmas in the Olden Time" proved, -for the artist, a financial failure, it benefited him in being the means -of introducing him to Charles Knight (perhaps the most enterprising -publisher of that day), who, recognising in the young painter a diligent -student of manners and customs, engaged his services on the Pictorial -Edition of Shakespeare's Works, "Old England," the _Penny Magazine_, and -Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," all of which were issued under Knight's -auspices. The Rev. A. J. Buss well remembers his father making these -drawings on wood blocks, which were engraved by Jackson, Sly, and -others, and recalls that, some years after, he obtained a commission -from Mr. Hogarth, a printseller, to execute some Christmas subjects for -reproduction by line-engraving. - -After 1854 Buss's pictures were for some reason excluded from the Royal -Academy Exhibitions, and this so seriously affected the sale of his work -that he was compelled to have recourse to teaching drawing as a means of -supplementing a precarious income. As early as 1843 he had issued -circulars announcing a course of lessons in drawing on Dupin's method, -having previously purchased many expensive models, and rented a room in -Duke Street, Grosvenor Square; but all in vain, for not a single pupil -was forthcoming! He then prepared a series of lectures on English Comic -and Satiric Art, which he delivered in London and the chief provincial -towns in England, these being illustrated by large diagrams. - - -PLATE XXVII - -FLORENCE DOMBEY AND CAPTAIN CUTTLE - -From an Original Water-colour Drawing by R. W. BUSS - -_Lent by the Rev. A. J. Buss._ - -[Illustration] - - -During the period of struggle for a livelihood, the artist's wife and -daughter came nobly to his assistance by establishing, in 1850, the -North London Collegiate School for Ladies (as it was then -designated), which developed into the leading school in the cause -of Female Education. In order to give it a higher grade than other -similar seminaries had then attained, Buss not only became its professor -of drawing, but teacher of science too, first devoting himself to the -study of Chemistry, Botany, Human Physiology, Mechanics, Hydraulics, -&c., and he soon became qualified for his self-imposed responsibilities. -His artistic capabilities here stood him in good stead, for they enabled -him to prepare large diagrams with which to illustrate his lectures; in -addition to this, he made his own models for demonstrating the science -of Mechanics--thus proving the power he possessed of adapting himself to -circumstances, in the earnest desire to obtain a living and in his love -for wife and children. "I do not think," observes the Rev. A. J. Buss, -when corresponding with me on this subject, "I ever knew a man so -industrious as my father. I have a clear remembrance almost from my -childhood of his industry,--early morning in his painting-room--up to -late hours drawing on wood and etching. He _deserved_ better fortune -than he secured; and I have only learnt to admire him the more, the more -I think of his career." - -At the death of his wife, the artist led a very retired life, in a -studio most picturesquely fitted up with ancient furniture, and here it -was that he devoted the latter years of his life in preparing for -publication his lectures on Art, being aided and encouraged in his -congenial task by his affectionate daughter, the late Frances Mary Buss, -who subsequently gained high distinction in connection with Education. -This profusely-illustrated volume, printed for private circulation, was -issued in 1874, and bore the following title: "English Graphic Satire, -and its relation to Different Styles of Painting, Sculpture, and -Engraving. A Contribution to the History of the English School of Art." - -Robert William Buss died at his residence in Camden Street, Camden Town, -on February 26, 1875, in his seventy-first year. The end came very -quietly and painlessly to him who had fought the battle of life so -honestly and so fearlessly. - - - - -HABLOT K. BROWNE ("PHIZ") - -I - - An Illustrator required for "Pickwick"--Leech and Thackeray - offer their Services--Thackeray's First Meeting with - Dickens--"Mr. Pickwick's Lucky Escape"--Leech's Specimen - Drawing--HABLOT K. BROWNE ("Phiz") Elected to Succeed - Buss--His Etching of "John Gilpin's Ride" Awarded a Silver - Medal--His Designs for "SUNDAY UNDER THREE HEADS" and "THE - LIBRARY OF FICTION"--Mr. J. G. Fennell's Reminiscences of - the Artist--Thackeray's Congratulations to "Phiz"--A Modest - Banquet--"Phiz" as an Etcher--Assisted by Robert - Young--Their First Plate for "Pickwick"--An All-Night - Sitting--Particulars Concerning a "First Edition" of - "Pickwick"--The Success of the Work Assured--The _Sobriquet_ - of "Phiz"--The Artist's Signatures--Method of Preparing the - "Pickwick" Illustrations--Variations in Duplicated - Plates--George Augustus Sala's Opinion of the "Pickwick" - Plates--The Etchings Criticised--"Phiz's" Original Drawings - for "Pickwick"--His Tentative Designs--Differences between - the Drawings and the Etchings--Dickens's Hints to the - Artist--"Phiz's" Sketch of Mr. Pickwick--A Series of New - Designs--Vignettes for the Library Edition--Woodcuts for the - Household Edition--Frontispiece for "THE STRANGE - GENTLEMAN"--Illustrations for "SKETCHES OF YOUNG GENTLEMEN" - and "SKETCHES OF YOUNG COUPLES"--Sale of the Original - Drawings--"NICHOLAS NICKLEBY"--Dickens and "Phiz" in - Yorkshire--The Prototype of Squeers--A Significant - Memorandum--Mr. Lloyd's Recollections of William Shaw, a - Yorkshire Pedagogue--The "Nickleby" Etchings - Criticised--Particulars Concerning the Plates--The Original - Drawings--A Missing Design--Dickens's Instructions to - "Phiz"--Variations in the Illustrations--Pictorial - Wrapper--Vignettes for the Library Edition. - - -PLATE XXVIII - -HABLOT K. BROWNE ("PHIZ") - -From an Unpublished Photograph - -_Lent by Mr. Gordon Browne, R.I._ - - -ROBERT YOUNG - -From a Photograph by - -W. GREEN - -_Lent by Mr. R. Young._ - -[Illustration] - - -It is certainly extraordinary that within the space of a few weeks two -vacancies for the post of illustrator of "Pickwick" should have -occurred. It was about the beginning of June 1836 (the date of the -publication of the third part, containing his two etchings) when Buss -unexpectedly received the intimation that his services would be no -longer required, and no sooner had this fact become known than there was -quite a rush of aspiring artists eager to offer their professional aid, -among them being several who had already made a reputation as -draughtsmen--such as "Crowquill" (Alfred Forrester), Lee, and -others. It is of special interest to learn that John Leech and William -Makepeace Thackeray were also desirous of obtaining the appointment, but -the honour was destined for another. Thackeray had practised etching for -some years, having, while an undergraduate at Cambridge, taken lessons -of an engraver and printseller named Roe, who carried on his profession -in the University town, and under that gentleman's superintendence he -etched a series of plates illustrative of college life, which were first -published in 1878. Possessing a natural gift for drawing, the famous -satirist (in his early days) earnestly desired to follow Art as a -profession, and so far encouraged his bent by copying pictures in the -Louvre; but his studies seem to have been of a desultory character, and -of little value in making him a sound draughtsman. When, on returning to -London, he heard that a designer was required for the "Pickwick" -illustrations, he immediately sought an interview with Dickens at his -rooms in Furnival's Inn, taking with him some specimens of his work, and -more than twenty years afterwards, in responding to the toast of -"Literature" at the Royal Academy banquet, he thus referred to the -memorable incident: "I can remember when Mr. Dickens was a very young -man, and had commenced delighting the world with some charming humorous -works, of which I cannot mention the name, but which were coloured light -green and came out once a month, that this young man wanted an artist to -illustrate his writings, and I recollect walking up to his chambers with -two or three drawings in my hand, which, strange to say, he did not find -suitable. But for that unfortunate blight which came over my artistical -existence, it would have been my pride and my pleasure to have -endeavoured one day to find a place on these walls for one of my -performances." Although at the time he was doubtless surprised at, and -sorely disappointed by, "Boz's" want of appreciation, he afterwards -acknowledged there was some justification for it, and good-humouredly -alluded to the rejection of his services as "Mr. Pickwick's lucky -escape." Who can say whether "Vanity Fair" and "Esmond" would ever have -been written had this mighty penman been elected to succeed Buss?[18] - - Footnote 18: According to the following anecdote, Thackeray - did not over-estimate his own powers as a draughtsman. Mr. M. - H. Spielmann tells us that after Edmund Yates had started an - illustrated magazine, which had but a brief existence, - Thackeray wrote to him: "You have a new artist on _The - Train_, I see, my dear Yates. I have been looking at his - work, and I have solved a problem. I find there _is_ a man - alive who draws worse than myself!" - -Thackeray's schoolfellow and life-long friend, John Leech, also -submitted a design to Chapman & Hall, in the hope of being successful -where others had failed, but the little drawing, slightly tinted in -colours, depicting the amusing scene in the Bagman's story of Tom Smart -and the high-backed chair, did not indicate the possession by the artist -of the necessary qualifications. He was accordingly dismissed; but it -was reserved for this amiable man and accomplished draughtsman not only -to adorn with his pencil the pages of the "Carol" and other Christmas -books of Charles Dickens, but to be afterwards honoured by the -friendship and esteem of England's great novelist. - - * * * * * -[Sidenote: =Sunday under Three Heads, 1836.=] - -As all the world knows, the privilege of illustrating Dickens's most -popular work was secured by Hablot Knight Browne ("Phiz"), this clever -designer being rightly regarded as artistic exponent-in-chief of -Dickens's creations. At this time he had barely attained his majority, -and, unlike Cruikshank, who came to the pictorial embellishment of -"Sketches by Boz" and "Oliver Twist" with a distinct reputation, was an -almost untried artist. About his eighteenth year, while serving his -apprenticeship with the Findens, the well-known line-engravers, Browne -was awarded a silver medal offered for competition by the Society of -Arts for "the best representation of an historical subject"--a large -etching portraying John Gilpin's famous ride through Edmonton. _Apropos_ -of this etching Mr. Mason Jackson writes in the _Athenaeum_, June 11, -1887: "Mr. Chapman (of Chapman & Hall) was delighted with 'John Gilpin's -Ride,' and forthwith applied to Browne, who thus succeeded Seymour and -Buss as the illustrator of 'Pickwick.'" After a careful comparison of -dates, I venture to point out the probability that it was not with a -view to the illustration of "Pickwick" that Edward Chapman paid his -first visit to Browne, as generally supposed, but for the purpose of -engaging his services as designer of some woodcuts for a pamphlet which -the firm was about to publish, entitled "Sunday under Three Heads--As it -is; As Sabbath Bells would make it; As it might be made." This brochure, -written by Dickens under the pseudonym of "Timothy Sparks," is prefaced -by a Dedication dated June 1836, and was therefore in progress prior to -the publication of the fourth number of "Pickwick," containing "Phiz's" -first designs, which appeared during the following month. When, in after -years, Mr. Morton Brune enquired of the artist concerning his share in -this little production, he replied: "The work of Dickens mentioned by -you was illustrated by me when quite a youngster, and I am sorry to say -I can give no information about it--recollecting nothing whatever."[19] -Besides a trio of heads (printed on both wrapper and title-page), there -are three full-page illustrations, engraved by C. Gray and Orrin Smith. -This excessively scarce pamphlet was issued as a protest against the -extreme views of Sir Andrew Agnew and the Sabbatarian party, and had -immediate reference to a Bill "for the better observance of the -Sabbath," then recently rejected in the House of Commons by a small -majority. "Sunday under Three Heads" was originally published at two -shillings, and now realises as much as L10 in the auction-room. There -are two or three _facsimile_ reprints in existence, but the -reproductions of the woodcuts are comparatively poor. - - Footnote 19: As early as 1837 Browne designed (as an - advertisement for Bentley) a little woodcut (now very rare) - in which he depicted Charles Dickens leading by the lappel of - his waistcoat a burly and perspiring porter, who is seen - carrying a huge bale of copies of _Bentley's Miscellany_, of - which magazine the novelist was then the editor. - -It should be mentioned that "Phiz" (together with Seymour and Buss) -assisted in the illustration of "The Library of Fiction," published by -Chapman & Hall in 1836-37, so that his artistic efforts were by no -means unfamiliar to the firm at this time. In his design facing page 293 -of the first volume of that work there may be discovered the figure of -an obese individual who is the very counterpart of Tony Weller. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Pickwick Papers, 1836-37.=] - -An intimate friend of Hablot K. Browne, Mr. John Greville Fennell -(formerly of the _Field_ journal), confirms my opinion that the artist's -earliest association with the writings of Dickens was his connection -with "Sunday under Three Heads"; but, as the engravings in that pamphlet -only bore the designer's initials, it is more than probable that Browne -himself was then an absolute stranger to the future novelist. Within a -very brief period, however, certain events conspired to bring about the -beginning of an acquaintance which ripened into a friendship that never -ceased during Dickens's life-time. Mr. Fennell writes: "It was I who, -while superintending E. & W. Finden's establishment, sold his first -drawing to Adolphus Ackermann, and induced him (H. K. B.) to reproduce -Buss's two illustrations (viz., The Cricket-Match[20] and The Fat Boy -Awake on this Occasion only), which I sent down to Chapman & Hall." It -was apparently through Mr. Fennell's intervention that the publishers -were enabled to recognise Browne's ability as an etcher, and to discover -in the specimens submitted to them that he was the very man to occupy -the position then recently vacated by Buss. He first heard of his -appointment from his generous rival, Thackeray, who at once made his way -to the artist's abode in Newman Street for the purpose of congratulating -him, and it is said that they immediately repaired to a neighbouring -public-house, where a banquet consisting of sausages and bottled stout -was held in honour of the occasion. - - Footnote 20: So far as I am aware, no illustration by "Phiz" - of this subject is extant. - -At this juncture, Browne (who considered line-engraving too tedious a -process) suspended operations at Finden's establishment, and, through -the friendly auspices of Mr. Fennell, his indentures were cancelled two -years before they had expired. In conjunction with a kindred spirit, he -hired a modest room as a studio, and employed his time in the more -congenial pursuit of water-colour drawing. As the result of a solemn -compact between them to produce three drawings daily, Browne, who worked -very rapidly, was enabled to pay his share of the rent by the proceeds -of his labours. In order to familiarise himself with the human form, he -attended the evening class at the "Life" School in St. Martin's Lane, -having as a fellow-pupil that famous painter of the "nude," William -Etty, who afterwards joined the ranks of the Royal Academicians. - -In 1836 (when in his twenty-first year) Browne had acquired considerable -facility with his pencil, and soon proved that his selection as the -illustrator of "Pickwick" was thoroughly justified. By means of the -training he had undergone at the Findens, he had obtained a mastery over -the difficulties and mysteries of etching, which now proved eminently -serviceable. Buss declared that "Phiz" was by no means an expert when he -commenced working for "Pickwick," being compelled to obtain help from an -experienced engraver named Sands, who "touched up the drawings with his -own needle, adding shade where required, and then applied the acid and -did all the necessary 'biting-in' and 'stopping-out.'" The facts, -however, are rather over-stated, as witness that early effort (perhaps -unknown to Buss), viz., the etching of John Gilpin, which was -undoubtedly unaided work, testifying that the artist was then quite -capable of running alone. It is acknowledged, however, that, so far as -the "biting-in" was concerned, he invariably secured co-operation, not -on account of his own incapacity, but merely to save time, and for this -purpose he generally sought and obtained the requisite help of his -quondam fellow-apprentice, Robert Young. - -Browne speedily communicated to Mr. Young the welcome intelligence -respecting the "Pickwick" appointment; indeed, we are told that he went -at once to his friend's chambers, and on entering said, "Look here, old -fellow: will you come to my rooms to assist me with a plate I have to -etch?" Mr. Young, who was still in the employ of Finden, had acquired -such a thorough knowledge of the art of biting-in designs upon steel -plates, that Browne realised the importance of securing his co-operation -without delay, and, happily for him, his friend readily acceded to his -wish; whereupon "Phiz" suggested that he should take his key with him, -as they might be late. The design having already been drawn upon the -plate, the two conspirators devoted the entire night to the operation of -biting-in, the outcome of which was the production of the plate -depicting the eventful meeting of Mr. Pickwick and Sam Weller at the old -White Hart Inn, perhaps the most notable illustration in the book. Mr. -Young's share of the undertaking consisted in the application and -manipulation of acid, which corroded the plate where exposed by the -needle--a troublesome and delicate operation, requiring considerable -experience, as, by too lengthy or too brief a subjection of the metal to -the action of the acid, the plate would be ruined, and the labour of the -artist rendered of no avail. - -Mr. Young writes in reply to my enquiry respecting this and subsequent -collaboration: "I did not bite-in the whole of 'Phiz's' etchings. I was -some years abroad, during which he had assistance from two engravers, -Sands and Weatherhead. 'Phiz' was quite capable of doing this part of -the work himself, for he had two or three years' practice during his -apprenticeship at Finden's; but he had no time for such work, being -always fully occupied in etching or drawing on wood." - - -PLATE XXIX - -"A SUDDEN RECOGNITION, UNEXPECTED ON -BOTH SIDES" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "Nicholas Nickleby" by - -H. K. BROWNE ("PHIZ") - -Above the Sketch is written the following, in the autograph of -Dickens:--"I don't think that Smike is frightened enough [or that -Squeers is] earnest enough, for my purpose." - -_Lent by Mr. M. H. Spielmann._ - -[Illustration] - - -The title-page of "Pickwick" intimates that the volume contains -"Forty-three illustrations by R. Seymour and Phiz," thus ignoring Buss's -contributions. The fact is (as stated in the preceding chapter) that -only a few copies of Part III., containing the two plates by Buss, were -issued, these being quickly superseded by a couple of new designs by -Browne; therefore, a copy of an absolutely first edition of the book -should include seven etchings by Seymour, two by Buss, and thirty-four -by "Phiz." Two plates, viz., "The Fat Boy Awake on this Occasion only" -and "Mr. Wardle and his Friends under the Influence of 'the -Salmon'" were etched for Part III. (after those in Part IV.), to take -the place of Buss's cancelled designs. In early copies of the first -edition all the plates were printed without titles, and throughout the -first twelve numbers each plate bore only a reference in figures to the -page which it was intended to illustrate. In the remaining numbers -(Parts XIII. to XX.) the reference figures were withheld, the plates -showing in the first published copies neither figures, titles, nor -publishers' imprint. - -For the first three parts of "The Pickwick Papers" there was so limited -a demand that the publishers seriously contemplated a discontinuance of -the work, a fate which, from the same cause, threatened Thackeray's -famous novel, "Vanity Fair," in the early stages of its career. Happily, -such a disaster was averted by the appearance in the fourth part of Sam -Weller, who at once achieved such enormous popularity that the sale went -up by leaps and bounds, the number of copies disposed of increasing from -a few hundreds to several thousands. This was an extremely happy augury, -not only for author and publishers, but for the young artist whose -connection with the book began at this critical time, and the -extraordinary circulation so suddenly imparted to the work was doubtless -principally instrumental in obtaining for him other commissions, with -which he was soon overflowing. Browne's earliest printed plates are -signed "Nemo," and referring to this he says: "I think I signed myself -as 'Nemo' to my first etchings (those of No. 4) before adopting 'Phiz' -as my _sobriquet_, to harmonise--I suppose--better with Dickens's -'Boz.'" The third and succeeding plates bear the signature of "Phiz," a -sign-manual which presently became well known to all readers of the -novels of Dickens, Ainsworth, and Lever. Although he seldom appended his -surname to his designs, we not unfrequently find (in his woodcuts -especially) the initials "H.K.B.," in lieu of the more familiar -pseudonym. It seems the public could never quite realise that the -different signatures were those of the same artist, and were wont to -remark that "Browne's work was better than Phiz's." - -The "Pickwick" illustrations were produced in couples, that is, two -subjects were etched on one plate, this being printed at a single -operation and the sheets afterwards divided. "Phiz" was exceedingly -rapid in his work when time was limited, and could design and etch a -plate in the course of a day, and have it bitten-in and ready for the -printer by the next morning. Unlike Seymour, he almost invariably drew -his subjects on the steel without reversing them, so that they appeared -reversed in the printing; it is evident, however, that he sometimes -failed to remember this when preparing his designs, so that occasionally -we find that his figures are left-handed, and other similar -incongruities. Doubtless, the artist's motive in thus copying his -drawings directly upon the plate was to facilitate operations, for in -this way he could dispense with the aid of a mirror. - -A noteworthy consequence of the increased sale of the "Pickwick" numbers -was the serious deterioration of the plates caused by friction in -printing, as for every impression the plate must be inked and the -superfluous ink removed by wiping with the hand. In those days the -process called "steel-facing," by means of which the etched or engraved -surface is hardened, was unknown, so that, comparatively, only a few -impressions could be struck off before the plate indicated any -appreciable sign of wear-and-tear. The designs were therefore etched in -duplicate, and this appears to have commenced at the date of the -publication of the tenth part of "Pickwick." The system of duplicating -the plates readily accounts for the interesting variations observable in -different copies of the first issue; as, for example, the faces in the -illustration delineating Mr. Pickwick's first meeting with Sam Weller -are much improved in the _replica_, while other details are greatly -altered; in the original plate portraying Mr. Pickwick in the pound, -there are two donkeys and four pigs, while the later impression has but -one donkey and two pigs; in the etching where Master Bardell is seen -kicking Mr. Pickwick, the boy was first drawn with his head down, but -was subsequently represented with it raised, the attitudes of Snodgrass -and Winkle being also slightly changed; the second version of the plate -entitled "The Break-down" (which, by the way, bears a remarkable -resemblance to Buss's unused drawing of the same subject) differs -considerably from the first, and this remark applies to many of the -other designs; but it is chiefly in the earlier plates that these -variations are particularly noticeable. It is by no means surprising -that such unimportant alterations exist, for an artist like "Phiz" would -find it infinitely tiresome to slavishly copy, line for line, the -original designs, especially if he saw an opportunity for improving -them. - -The late George Augustus Sala held the opinion that Hablot Browne's -earlier illustrations to "Pickwick" are "exceedingly humorous, but -exceedingly ill-drawn," and believed that it was the amazing success of -the author which spurred the artist to sedulous study, thus conducing in -a remarkable degree towards the development of his faculties. -Remembering, however, that "Phiz" had only just attained his majority, -we cannot but admire the deftness and skill he then displayed in so -difficult an art as etching, for, although some of the illustrations are -marked by a certain grotesqueness, these plates are marvels of -_technique_. - -In the preface to the first edition of "The Pickwick Papers" we read: -"It is due to the gentleman, whose designs accompany the letterpress, to -state that the interval has been so short between the production of each -number in manuscript and its appearance in print, that the greater -portion of the illustrations have been executed by the artist from the -author's mere verbal description of what he intended to write." It was -customary at this time for Dickens to call upon Browne, and hastily -explain his intentions respecting the chapters to be illustrated, and -from notes then made by the artist the requisite designs were evolved. -This satisfactorily accounts for certain inaccuracies in the plates, for -which, however, "Phiz" cannot justly be censured; for example, in the -etching representing Mr. Pickwick hiding behind the door of the young -ladies' seminary, the cook should have been the only person shown beyond -the threshold; and in the plate depicting the discovery of Jingle in -the Fleet, we see Job Trotter standing behind Mr. Pickwick, whereas, -according to the text, he had not entered the room at that precise -moment. On the other hand, we may detect some defects for which "Phiz" -must be held responsible; as, for instance, the inaccurate perspective -of the mantelshelf in the plate entitled "The Red-nosed Man -Discourseth," and the absence of proportion in the size of the figures -of Mr. Pickwick and the old lady in the etching portraying Christmas Eve -at Mr. Wardle's, a similar anomaly appearing in the etching of Mr. -Pickwick's encounter with Mrs. Bardell in the Fleet. Again, there surely -never existed so enormous a sedan-chair as that from the roof of which -Mr. Pickwick expostulates with Sam Weller when he attacks the executive -of Ipswich, or that into which Mr. Winkle bolts in his _robe de nuit_. -In the skating scene, curiously enough, there is no indication of skates -being worn by any member of the company. "Phiz" sometimes posed his -figures in attitudes which, if not physically impossible, are unnatural -and unpicturesque; it must be admitted, however, that he usually -succeeded where George Cruikshank invariably failed, that is, in -delineating pretty women, of whom his skilled pencil has given us quite -an extensive gallery. - -A set of proofs of "Phiz's" plates sold for twenty guineas at Sotheby's -in 1889. A reprint of "Pickwick," published at Launceston, Van Diemen's -Land, in 1838-39, was illustrated by means of lithographic copies -(signed "Tiz") of some of the original etchings. At the same time there -appeared an American edition, issued in parts by Turney, New York, with -_facsimiles_ of the plates engraved on steel. - - -PLATE XXX - -STUDIES FOR - -THE CHEERYBLE BROTHERS - -_Facsimile_ of Original Drawings by - -H. K. BROWNE ("PHIZ") - -_Lent by Mr. J. F. Dexter._ - -[Illustration] - - -It fortunately happens that, with two exceptions, the original drawings -by "Phiz" for "The Pickwick Papers" have been preserved; the missing -designs are "Mr. Wardle and his Friends under the Influence of 'the -Salmon'" and the vignette for the title-page, where Tony Weller is seen -ducking Stiggins in the horse-trough. Photogravure reproductions of all -the existing designs (some having Dickens's autograph) were published in -the Victoria edition by Chapman & Hall in 1887. The majority of the -drawings were executed in pencil or pen-and-ink, the effects washed in -with a brush, the remainder being entirely brushwork. The following is a -list of "Pickwick" designs by "Phiz" such as were merely tentative, and -therefore never etched:-- - - MR. WINKLE'S FIRST SHOT.--_Trial sketch_, illustrating an - incident in the seventh chapter. A sketch of the same - subject was made by Buss. - - CHRISTMAS EVE AT MR. WARDLE'S.--_Trial sketch_, varying but - slightly from the approved design. - - THE GOBLIN AND THE SEXTON.--_First sketch_, in pencil, - varying considerably from the etching. An attenuated sprite, - with sugar-loaf hat and arms akimbo, is seated on the top of - a flat gravestone beside Gabriel Grub, who, pausing in the - act of raising a bottle to his lips, gazes with astonishment - at his uncanny visitor. Behind is seen a church porch. - - THE GOBLIN AND THE SEXTON.--_Second sketch_, similar in - character, but more complete. Positions of figures reversed, - and the goblin more robust. In the published etching the - artist has introduced as a background a view of an - ecclesiastical building, which bears some resemblance to St. - Alban's Abbey. - - THE WARDEN'S ROOM.--_Trial sketch_, varying considerably - from the approved design. The attitudes of dancer and seated - figure are different, the man in the bed adjoining Mr. - Pickwick's throws up both arms and one leg, while in either - hand he holds a nightcap and beer-jug. Other figures are - introduced on the right. - -In comparing the drawings with the plates, important variations are -sometimes apparent. In the remarkable etching, "The Election at -Eatanswill," the artist has introduced fresh figures, while others are -altered; in "Mr. Pickwick in the Pound," we see in the first state of -the etching two donkeys and four pigs, instead of one donkey and three -pigs, as in the drawing; in "Job Trotter encountering Sam in Mr. -Muzzle's Kitchen," the pretty housemaid was originally represented -sitting on Sam Weller's knee; in "The Valentine," the artist's first -intention was to portray Tony Weller without hat and cape; and in -"Conviviality at Bob Sawyer's," a human skeleton is visible behind Mr. -Ben Allen, which was omitted in the etching. - -The interest of a few of these drawings is considerably enhanced by the -fact that they contain instructions and suggestions in the autograph of -Dickens. The first so treated is "Mrs. Leo Hunter's Fancy-dress -Dejeune," the drawing differing in many respects from the etching, -chiefly in the attitudes and arrangement of the figures; under it the -author has written: "I think it would be better if Pickwick had hold of -the Bandit's arm. If Minerva _tried_ to look a little younger (more like -Mrs. Pott, who is perfect), I think it would be an additional -improvement." The design was altered in accordance with the spirit of -the criticism, and we find Minerva, instead of a plump and matronly -personage, the very opposite in the matter of physique. It is worthy of -note that in the first state of the etching the face of the Russian -officer in the rear bore too close a caricature resemblance to that of -Lord Brougham, the subsequent change in his appearance being due to some -remonstrance against the artist's freedom. The drawing depicting Mr. -Pickwick's first interview with Serjeant Snubbin contains the following -hint from the author: "I think the Serjeant should look younger, and a -great deal more sly and knowing; he should be looking at Pickwick too, -smiling compassionately at his innocence. The other fellows are -noble.--C. D." As a matter of fact, the drawing is more successful than -the etching, the Serjeant's face in the former indicating that it had -been obliterated and altered to suit Dickens's idea. In the original -design for the etching representing "Mr. Winkle's Situation when the -Door 'Blew to,'" the artist portrayed Mr. Winkle holding the candlestick -in front of him; but Dickens objected to this, and wrote at the top of -the drawing: "Winkle should be holding the candlestick above his head, I -think. It looks more comical, the light having gone out" The change was -made, but the curious thing is, neither author nor artist remembered the -fact that at the moment depicted Mr. Winkle had actually discarded the -useless candlestick. Under the same drawing Dickens penned the following -comment: "A _fat_ Chairman so short as our friend here, never drew -breath in Bath;" "Phiz" has also written in the margin: "Shall I leave -Pickwick where he is or put him under the bed-clothes? I can't carry him -so high as the second floor.--H. K. B." (Mr. Pickwick's rooms are -described as being in the "upper portion" of the house, but it would -seem that Dickens had originally placed him on the "second floor," which -suggests that the text was altered to suit the illustration. In reply to -this query the author wrote: "I would leave him where he is decidedly. -Is the lady full dressed? She ought to be.--C. D." Mr. Pickwick was left -accordingly; likewise the fat chairman, whose abnormal obesity was -reproduced in the etching as it appears in the drawing. In the sketch of -"Mr. Winkle Returns under Extraordinary Circumstances," the artist had -not made Sam Weller and the housemaid quite as Dickens desired, -whereupon the novelist appended the following queries: "Are Sam and the -housemaid clearly made out; and [would it not be be]tter if he was -looking on with his arm roun[d Mary?] I rayther question the accuracy of -the housemaid."[21] As the sketch, in its present state, realises -Dickens's ideas, we may assume that it was altered by the artist before -he transferred his design to the plate; indeed, there seems to be -evidence of this in the blurred appearance of the young couple in the -drawing, in the margin of which "Phiz" has written the following -instructions about the biting-in: "The outlines of the figures I have -etched with a broad point unintentionally; bite them slightly, that they -may not be too hard, especially Pickwick." The last of the drawings -containing the novelist's handwriting is that illustrating "The Ghostly -passengers in the Ghost of a Mail," this bearing the unusual signature, -"Charles {his} + {mark} Dickens," by which the novelist evidently -meant to express his satisfaction with the artist's treatment of the -subject. In the "English Humorists" Exhibition held in London a few -years since, there was a capital study by "Phiz" of Mr. Pickwick, -apparently an enlarged _replica_ of the familiar figure and pose as seen -in Seymour's illustration of him as he appeared when addressing the -Club; it is a water-colour drawing on buff paper, supplemented by -marginal sketches of the head and bust of Pickwick with his hat on, -together with two studies of hats; upon the side of the drawing is -inscribed the following memorandum: "Nankeen tights, black cloth -gaiters, _white_ waistcoat, blue coat, brass buttons, square cut in the -tails." - - Footnote 21: The words in brackets are unfortunately cut off - the sketch. - - -PLATE XXXI - -MASTER HUMPHREY AND THE DEAF GENTLEMAN - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "Master Humphrey's Clock" by - -H. K. BROWNE ("PHIZ") - -Beneath the Sketch is written the following, in the autograph of -Dickens:--"Master Humphrey ADMIRABLE. Could his stick (with a crooked -top) be near his chair? I misdoubt the deaf gentleman's pipe, and wish -he could have a better one." - -_Lent by Mr. J. F. Dexter._ - -[Illustration] - - -In 1847 "Phiz" prepared six new designs for "The Pickwick Papers," which -were delicately engraved on wood; the series was issued independently, -and simultaneously with the first cheap edition of the book. These -drawings are undoubtedly superior to the etchings, being the more -matured work of the artist. The following were the subjects chosen: "Mr. -Winkle's First Shot," "The Effects of Cold Punch," "Mr. Pickwick at -Dodson and Fogg's," "The Kiss under the Mistletoe," "Old Weller at the -Temperance Meeting," "The Leg of Mutton 'Swarry.'" "Phiz" also -contributed to each of the two volumes of the Library Edition -(1858-59)[22] a vignette illustration for the title-page, the subjects -being Mr. Pickwick and the Wellers, and Sam Weller with the Pretty -Housemaid; they were engraved on steel from the original drawings in -water-colours. In 1867 the artist was seized with a form of paralysis, -the use of the right hand being so greatly impaired that he was unable -to make the forefinger and thumb meet; this compelled him to hold the -pencil or brush in a clumsy fashion, and to draw with a sort of -sweeping movement of the whole arm. It was under such distressing -conditions that in 1873-74 he executed a commission to illustrate -Chapman & Hall's Household Edition of "The Pickwick Papers." These -fifty-seven designs are necessarily extremely poor in treatment, and -painfully indicate the effect of the injury his hand had sustained; -indeed, the wonder is that he could draw at all. It must be admitted, -however, that much of the feebleness of the woodcuts is due to the -engraver, as the original outline sketches (which were transferred to -the boxwood blocks and there developed) exhibit in a wonderful degree -both freedom and precision of touch. A small collection of these -drawings was sold at Sotheby's in December 1887, each drawing realising -the average price of seven pounds. Sets of the "Pickwick" designs in the -Household Edition, coloured by F. W. Pailthorpe, have been issued as -"extra" illustrations. - - Footnote 22: The early volumes in the Library Edition, issued - during 1858-59, have only vignettes on the title-pages. The - later issues of this edition (1862-68) contain several - illustrations, some of these being reprints of the plates in - the first edition, while others were specially designed. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Strange Gentleman, 1837.=] - -In 1836, as soon as Dickens terminated his connection with the -Reporters' Gallery in the House of Commons, he was induced to take a -considerable interest in the then newly-erected St. James's Theatre, and -even essayed to write for his friend J. P. Harley ("as a practical -joke," he afterwards explained) a comic burletta called "The Strange -Gentleman," which was adapted from "The Great Winglebury Duel" in -"Sketches by Boz." The little farce was published by Chapman & Hall -during the following year with a frontispiece by "Phiz," the subject of -the plate being suggested by the concluding scene, where the Strange -Gentleman proposes marriage to Julia Dobbs; the two seated figures are -vigorously drawn, and on a larger scale than those in the "Pickwick" -designs. "The Strange Gentleman" is perhaps the rarest of Dickens's -writings, and the extraordinary sum of L45 was realised at Sotheby's in -August 1892 for an exceptionally fine copy. It has since been -beautifully reprinted in _facsimile_, with a new frontispiece etched by -F. W. Pailthorpe. - -[Sidenote: =Sketches of Young Gentlemen, 1838.=] - -In the same year Chapman & Hall published a booklet (anonymously written -by E. Caswell) entitled "Sketches of Young Ladies," by "Quiz," with six -etchings by "Phiz," the author of which was erroneously believed to be -Charles Dickens, whose literary style it somewhat resembled. The "Young -Ladies" being referred to here in a rather ungallant fashion, Dickens -essayed (as a kind of protest) a similar work, in which he pokes fun at -the idiosyncrasies of youths of the sterner sex. Like its predecessor, -the "Sketches of Young Gentlemen" were written anonymously, and -similarly contained six etched illustrations by "Phiz." - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Sketches of Young Couples, 1840.=] - -In 1840 there appeared a third booklet, entitled "Sketches of Young -Couples;" of this Dickens was also the unavowed author, while "Phiz" -contributed the usual six etchings. In the third of these designs (only -two of which are signed) we are reminded of his presentment of the -Kenwigses in "Nicholas Nickleby," the illustrations for which story were -then occupying the artist's attention. These little productions were -issued in green paper covers, decorated with designs by "Phiz." - -The sets of six original drawings for "Sketches of Young Ladies" and -"Sketches of Young Gentlemen" realised L40 and L39 respectively at -Sotheby's in 1897. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Nicholas Nickleby, 1838-39.=] - -In the advertisement announcing the publication of "Nicholas Nickleby," -it was stated that each monthly part would be "embellished with two -illustrations by 'Phiz'." This is not strictly accurate, for to the -twenty parts the artist contributed but thirty-nine plates, the full -complement, however, being made up with a portrait of the author (as the -frontispiece), engraved by Finden from the painting by D. Maclise, -A.R.A. - -The most interesting of the "Nickleby" plates are undoubtedly those -depicting scenes at Dotheboys Hall, that representing Squeers at the -Saracen's Head containing the most familiar presentment of its amiable -proprietor. Thus, as he stood mending his pen, the novelist and artist -saw the living prototype, and had taken mental notes of the odd figure, -who, as will presently be related, was among the several schoolmasters -they interviewed.[23] - - Footnote 23: Among the few drawings executed by "Phiz" for - _Punch_, there is a representation of an orthodox - pettifogging attorney perched upon a stool, whose portrait is - that of the very Squeers. It constitutes one of a series of - "_Punch's_ Valentines," and was published in the second - volume, 1842. - -It was the novelist's intention to expose in this story the terrible -abuses practised in the cheap boarding-schools of Yorkshire, and, in -order that he might realise their true character, he determined to -investigate for himself the real facts as to the condition of those -notorious seminaries. Accordingly, at the end of January 1838, he and -"Phiz" started on this memorable journey, in bitterly cold weather, and, -visiting several schools in the locality, they came into direct contact -with the proprietors. One of these was William Shaw, the identical -schoolmaster who, some years previously, had been heavily fined for what -was represented at the trial as gross maltreatment of his pupils. -According to the following entry in the novelist's private diary (under -date February 2, 1838), there can be no doubt that he had this -individual principally in his mind when delineating the infamous -Squeers:--"Mem.--Shaw, the schoolmaster we saw to-day, is the man in -whose school several boys went blind some time since from gross neglect. -The case was tried, and the verdict went against him. It must have been -between 1823 and 1826. Look this out in the newspapers." Mr. Lloyd, a -well-known Glasgow comedian, who spent twelve months in Shaw's school at -Bowes, Yorkshire, afterwards testified to the truth of the _outward_ -appearance of the man as described by Dickens and portrayed by the -artist in the pages of the novel, "allowing, of course, for both being -greatly exaggerated. A sharp, thin, upright little man, with a slight -scale covering the pupil of one of his eyes. Yes, there he stands, with -his Wellington boots and short black trousers, not originally cut too -short, but from a habit he had of sitting with one knee over the other, -and the trousers being tight, they would get 'rucked' half-way up the -boots. Then, the clean white vest, swallow-tailed black coat, white -necktie, silver-mounted spectacles, close-cut iron-grey hair, -high-crowned hat worn slightly at the back of his head--and there you -have the man." It certainly seems remarkable that Mr. Lloyd and others -who knew Shaw recollect him as a most worthy and kind-hearted gentleman, -but this perhaps is explained by certain facts concerning him and his -school that were published in the _Athenaeum_, February 1894, together -with a commentary upon a reprint of the trial in which he was the -defendant. - -It is a curious fact that several Yorkshire schoolmasters actually -claimed to be the prototype of Squeers; indeed, a member of the -fraternity (probably Shaw himself) declared that he remembered being -waited on by two gentlemen, one of whom held him in conversation while -the other took his likeness; "and although" (says the author in his -preface to the story) "Mr. Squeers has but one eye, and he has two, and -the published sketch does not resemble him (whoever he may be) in any -other respect, still he and all his friends know at once for whom it is -meant, because the character is _so_ like him." I think there can be no -doubt that both Dickens and "Phiz," when delineating Squeers, reproduced -too closely the idiosyncrasies of one individual, and that the author's -description, as well as the artist's presentment, bore so obvious a -likeness to Shaw, that he became the scapegoat for others worse than -himself, and suffered accordingly. - - -PLATE XXXII - -"THE DOMBEY FAMILY" - -_Facsimile_ of the First Study for the Etching by - -H. K. BROWNE ("PHIZ") - -The "Query" written beneath the Drawing is in the autograph of the -Artist. It was addressed to Dickens, and reads as follows:--"_Qy._ -Whether 'twere better to have him standing thus, stiff as a poker, with -a kind of side glance at his daughter,--or sitting, as in the other?" -The Etching differs considerably from the Drawing. - -_Lent by Mr. J. F. Dexter._ - -[Illustration] - - -In some of the etchings may be discovered slight incongruities (as, for -example, in the first plate, where Ralph Nickleby's hat is too small for -his head), while in others there is a palpable touch of exaggeration. In -the illustration, "The Country Manager Rehearses a Combat," the artist -has omitted to introduce the figure of the landlord who ushered into the -managerial presence Nicholas and Smike, and the broad-swords should have -been basket-hilted weapons. In the etching, where Nicholas instructs -Smike in the art of acting, Nicholas wears the rapier on the wrong -side, this oversight doubtless resulting from the non-reversal of the -design upon the plate. The "Nickleby" illustrations are, as a whole, -very successful; in many instances the expressions are capitally -rendered, although it is to be regretted that the artist did but scant -justice to the physical attractions of Kate Nickleby and Madeline Bray. - -There were sixty-three quarto plates etched for the thirty-nine -illustrations in the story, each plate carrying two designs; some of -these were etched three times, while in seven instances the quarto plate -was reproduced no less than four times. In none of these duplicated -plates will be found such marked variations in detail as may be noted in -the _replicas_ of the "Pickwick" designs, so that the collector need -only seek for well-printed impressions.[24] - - Footnote 24: The "Nickleby" plates were copied by J. Yeager - for the first American edition of the story. - -All the original drawings for "Nickleby," with one exception, are still -in existence; they were disposed of on July 16, 1880, in Robinson & -Fisher's auction-rooms, when they realised in the aggregate rather more -than a hundred pounds. The missing design is that depicting Nicholas in -his capacity as tutor in the Kenwigs family. These drawings are executed -in pencil and wash, some being especially valuable by reason of marginal -notes in the autograph of the novelist. At the top of the original -sketch for "A Sudden Recognition, Unexpected on Both Sides" (kindly lent -by Mr. M. H. Spielmann for reproduction), Dickens has pencilled a note -to the artist, a portion of which (that within the brackets) has been -cut away: "I don't think that Smike is frightened enough [or that -Squeers is] earnest enough, for my purpose,"--a criticism which was -apparently not productive of much alteration in the direction indicated, -unless effected in the sketch before the subject was etched. - -The late Mr. F. W. Cosens, who possessed several preliminary studies of -the Kenwigs children, had in his collection a note from Dickens giving -minute instructions to "Phiz" respecting the design for the plate -entitled "Great Excitement of Miss Kenwigs at the Hairdresser's Shop." -The novelist desired his illustrator to depict "a hairdresser's shop at -night--not a dashing one, but a barber's. Morleena Kenwigs on a tall -chair, having her hair dressed by an under-bred attendant, with her hair -parted down the middle and frizzed up into curls at the sides. Another -customer, who is being shaved, has just turned his head in the direction -of Miss Kenwigs, and she and Newman Noggs (who has brought her there, -and has been whiling away the time with an old newspaper) recognise, -with manifestations of surprise, and Morleena with emotion, Mr. -Lillivick, the collector. Mr. Lillivick's bristly beard expresses great -neglect of his person, and he looks very grim and in the utmost -despondency." - -The original drawing for "Nicholas Starts for Yorkshire" presents -several important variations from the published plate, the positions of -the figures being considerably altered, the most remarkable differences -being that Ralph Nickleby and Squeers in the sketch are placed on the -side opposite the coach and more in the background, the coachman reading -the way-bill is transferred to the spot where Squeers now stands, while -there is another coachman looking over his shoulder, who is omitted in -the etching; the coachman with the whip (as seen in the plate) was not -introduced in the sketch. For the monthly parts "Phiz" designed a -pictorial wrapper; on either side of this wood-engraving is a corpulent -figure mounted on tall stilts, surmounted by an allegorical scene -typifying Justice, with cornucopia, &c., and below is seen the culprit -Squeers wading through a river, guided by imps carrying lanterns. - -For the two volumes of the Library Edition of "Nicholas Nickleby" -(1858-59) "Phiz" prepared small designs, delicately tinted in -water-colours, which were engraved on steel as vignettes for the -title-pages; the subjects represented are "The Nickleby Family" and "The -Mad Gentleman and Mrs. Nickleby," the original drawings realising L14 -each at Sotheby's in 1889. - - - - -HABLOT K. BROWNE ("PHIZ") - -II - - "MASTER HUMPHREY'S CLOCK"--A Quaint Advertisement--Woodcuts - instead of Etchings--"Phiz's" Contributions--Instances of - his Exaggerated Grotesqueness--Mr. Frederic Harrison's - Comment--A Powerful Design--Illustrations in "The Old - Curiosity Shop" Criticised--Ruskin's Attack upon the Designs - in "Barnaby Rudge"--His Admiration of the Woodcut of - "Barnaby and Grip"--"Phiz's" Frontispieces--His Letter to - Dickens--An Amusing Epistle from Dickens to his Publisher--A - "Clock Dinner"--Original Drawing of Master Humphrey and the - Deaf Gentleman--Frontispiece for the First Cheap Edition of - "Barnaby Rudge"--Vignettes for the Library Edition--New - Designs for "Master Humphrey's Clock"--Portraits of Dolly - Varden, Little Nell, and Barbara--Sale of Water-Colour - Drawings--"MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT"--The Illustrations - Characterised--How they were Prepared--Slight Errors by - "Phiz"--The Original Drawings--Minute Instructions from - Dickens to the Artist--A Humorous Rejoinder--Sale of the - "Chuzzlewit" Designs--Vignettes for the Library - Edition--"DOMBEY AND SON"--The Plates Etched in - Duplicate--Introduction of the Oblong Form of Illustration--Method - of Obtaining _Chiaroscuro_--Some Anomalies in the Etchings--Working - under Difficulties--Dickens's Anxiety Respecting the - Designs--Studies for Mr. Dombey--A Letter of Instructions--Hints - to the Artist--Dickens Disappointed--The Etching of "Mrs. - Pipchin and Paul"--"Doctor Blimber's Young Gentlemen"--A Remarkable - Oversight--Explicit Directions from Dickens to "Phiz"--Original - Drawings for "Dombey and Son"--Slight Variations from the - Etchings--"Dombey" Sketches Presented to Dickens--A Portrait - of Little Paul--Pictorial Wrapper--Extra Plates--Criticism by - Dickens--Portraits of Alice and Florence Dombey--Frontispiece - for the First Cheap Edition--Vignettes for the Library Edition. - - -[Sidenote: =Master Humphrey's Clock, 1840-41.=] - -Charles Dickens's next work, entitled "Master Humphrey's Clock," which -comprises "The Old Curiosity Shop" and "Barnaby Rudge," was first issued -in weekly instalments, as well as the customary monthly parts, the new -venture being thus announced: "Now wound up and going, preparatory to -its striking on Saturday, the 28th March, Master Humphrey's Clock, -Maker's name--'Boz.' The Figures and Hands by George Cattermole, Esq. -and 'Phiz.'" A novel feature of this undertaking was the illustrations, -which were not etched as hitherto, but engraved on wood and dropped into -the text, the total number of designs being one hundred and ninety-four, -including three frontispieces and twenty-four initials. Of these "Phiz" -produced by far the greater proportion, he being responsible for no less -than a hundred and fifty-three, including two frontispieces and all the -initials; the subjects of many of the latter, by the way, have no -connection with the letterpress. Some of the drawings are unsigned, -while others have appended to them the artist's initials or monogram, -occasionally reversed. At this time "Phiz" was almost as anonymous as -"Boz," but when "Master Humphrey's Clock" ultimately appeared in volume -form, his identity was fully established on the title-page as "Hablot -Browne." The result of a careful analysis of the illustrations discloses -the fact that "Phiz" produced sixty-one for "The Old Curiosity Shop" and -"Barnaby Rudge" respectively, and seven for the miscellaneous papers -relating to "The Clock," exclusive of the initials. The greater number -of figure-pieces fell to his pencil, while the architectural subjects -were entrusted to his coadjutor, George Cattermole. - - -PLATE XXXIII - -"PAUL AND MRS. PIPCHIN" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Sketch for "Dombey and Son" by - -H. K. BROWNE ("PHIZ") - -A subsequent and more complete Drawing of this subject is included in -the Duchess of St. Albans' Collection. - -_Lent by Mr. J. F. Dexter._ - -[Illustration] - - -In many of the drawings (admirably engraved by S. Williams, Landells, -Gray, and Vasey) Browne hardly did himself justice, their exaggerated -grotesqueness tending to deprive these little pictorial compositions of -much of their artistic value. Observe, for example, the repulsive -features of Kit, his mother, and the child in the tenth chapter of "The -Old Curiosity Shop," and note how positively diabolical are his -representations of Sampson Brass and his sister, and of Dick Swiveller. -It is difficult to believe that the terrible-looking creature intended -for the Marchioness, in the fifty-seventh and sixty-fifth chapters, -would ever have developed into a "good-looking" girl, as she really did, -according to the text. It is probably such unpleasing illustrations as -these which induced Mr. Frederic Harrison in _The Forum_ to condemn, -with exceeding severity, the artist's propensity for caricature; "the -grins, the grimaces, the contortions, the dwarfs, the idiots, the -monstrosities of these wonderful sketches could not be found in human -beings constructed on any known anatomy." Other woodcuts are of -course excellent, especially those in which Mr. Pickwick and the Wellers -are resuscitated. One of the most striking, however, is the weird -water-scape showing the corpse of Quilp washed ashore--a vista of -riparian scenery which, for the sense of desolate breadth and loneliness -it suggests, it would be difficult to excel. An illustration deserving -special examination is the tailpiece for the chapter immediately -following the end of "The Old Curiosity Shop," where the artist has -depicted Master Humphrey in his arm-chair, surrounded by Lilliputian -figures, among which may be recognised some of the principal actors in -the story. - -A careful comparison of the illustrations with the text of "The Old -Curiosity Shop" reveals certain slight inaccuracies on the part of the -artist. For example, in the twenty-seventh chapter we read that Quilp -leant upon his stick as he beckoned to the boy carrying his trunk, -whereas "Phiz" depicts him raising the stick. In the woodcut portraying -Kit and his party at Astley's Theatre, the umbrella should be held by -Barbara's mother, and not Kit's. Again, in a subsequent chapter, we are -told that Sampson Brass's hat was "grievously crushed," but "Phiz" has -represented it with the crown suspended by a single thread,--a striking -instance of his tendency to exaggeration. The careful reader will also -note (in the seventeenth chapter) that the stilt on the right leg of the -"young gentleman" in "Grinder's lot" is at least twelve inches shorter -than its fellow, and that Mrs. Jarley's horse (in the twenty-sixth -chapter) is considerably out of proportion with its surroundings; the -caravan, too, is incorrectly drawn, and Mrs. Jarley with the drum should -have been placed upon the platform of the van. The inherent humour of -"Phiz" was often _apropos_, an amusing instance being discoverable in -the illustration of Miss Monflathers and her young ladies (in the -thirty-first chapter), where the inscription on the board above the wall -reads, "Take notice--Man traps." - -Although the designs in "Barnaby Rudge" are not entirely exempt from -the charge of exaggeration, they are, on the whole, more pleasing. The -artist seems to have fairly revelled in the scenes depicting the -rioters, and, while failing in his conception of Sir John Chester, he -successfully realised the more picturesque figures of Barnaby and -Maypole Hugh, the latter being admirably limned. Professor Ruskin, -however, in his "Ariadne Florentina," denounces these woodcuts in -language more caustic even than that of Mr. Frederic Harrison: "Take -up," he says, "for an average specimen of modern illustrated works, the -volume of Dickens's 'Master Humphrey's Clock' containing 'Barnaby -Rudge.'... The cheap popular Art cannot draw for you beauty, sense, or -honesty; and for Dolly Varden, or the locksmith, you will look through -the vignettes in vain. But every species of distorted folly or vice ... -are pictured for your honourable pleasure on every page, with clumsy -caricature, struggling to render its dulness tolerable by insisting on -defect." The drawing of Barnaby and the Raven (the final illustration in -the second volume) is one of the few the author of this pungent -criticism can bring himself to admire. "The raven," he observes, "like -all Dickens's animals, is perfect; and I am the more angry with the rest -because I have every now and then to open the book to look for him." -Respecting these woodcuts, it may be pointed out that Dickens omitted to -mention which arm Joe Willet was deprived of "in the defence of the -Salwanners." Curiously enough, "Phiz" similarly fails to assist us in -deciding the point, as, in the illustrations depicting him after the -war, he is seen _minus_ the right arm in four instances, while in -another woodcut it is the left which has disappeared. - -The frontispieces designed by Browne for the second and third volumes -are both elaborate and fanciful. In the first is seen an enormous -hour-glass containing a crowd composed of some of the minor characters -in the story, while surrounding it are representations of the more -prominent persons. It was originally intended that George Cattermole -should execute this drawing, but, being prevented by illness, it fell -into the hands of "Phiz," who thereupon wrote to the novelist:-- - - "_Sunday Morning._ - - "MY DEAR DICKENS,--Will you give me some notion of what sort - of design you wish for the Frontispiece for second volume of - _Clock_? Cattermole being put _hors de combat_--Chapman with - a careworn face (if you can picture that) brings me the - block at the eleventh hour and requires it finished by - Wednesday. Now, as I have two others to complete in the - meantime, something nice and _light_ would be best adapted - to my _palette_, and prevent an excess of perspiration in - the relays of wood-cutters. You shall have the others to - criticise on Tuesday.--Yours very truly, - - "HABLOT K. BROWNE." - -In the frontispiece to the third volume is portrayed an ornamental -clock, at the summit of which is seated Master Humphrey, while on either -side and at the base are introduced the presentments of Barnaby with his -raven and other individuals in the tale. "Phiz" was also responsible for -the elaborate design on the wrapper of the weekly numbers. - -The following amusing epistle, having reference to the initial letter -drawn by "Phiz" for the sixty-fifth chapter, was addressed by Dickens to -a member of his publishing firm, Edward Chapman, the "precipice" here -mentioned being a humorous allusion to the latter's approaching -marriage:-- - - "BROADSTAIRS, _Thursday, 16th September 1841_. - - "MY DEAR SIR,--Know for your utter confusion, and to your - lasting shame and ignominy, that the initial letter HAS BEEN - provided, that it was furnished to the artist at the same - time as the subject--and that it is a - - D - - "--which stands for - Double--Demnible--Doubtful--Dangerous--Doleful--Disastrous--Dreadful - --Deuced--Dark--Divorce--and Drop--all applicable to the Precipice - on which you stand. - - "Farewell! If you did but know--and would pause, even at - this late period--better an action for breach than--but we - buy experience. Excuse my agitation. I scarcely know what I - write. To see a fellow-creature--and one who has so long - withstood--still if--will _nothing_ warn you? - - "In extreme excitement - C. D. - "My hand fails me. - "P.S.--PAUSE - PUT IT OFF - "P.P.S.--EMIGRATE - "P.P.P.S.--AND LEAVE ME - THE BUSINESS-- - I MEAN THE STRAND ONE." - -On the conclusion of the second volume of "Master Humphrey's Clock," a -dinner was given by Dickens to celebrate the event. Serjeant Talfourd -presided, and the guests included those engaged in the production of the -work. "Phiz," in accepting the invitation to be present, wrote as -follows:-- - - 33 HOWLAND STREET [1841]. - - "MY DEAR DICKENS,--I shall be most happy to remember not to - forget the 10th April, and let me express a _dis_interested - wish that, having completed and established one 'Shop' in an - 'extensive line of business,' you will go on increasing and - multiplying suchlike establishments in number and prosperity - till you become a Dick Whittington of a merchant, with - pockets distended to most Brobdignag dimensions.--Believe - me, yours very truly, - - "HABLOT K. BROWNE.." - - -PLATE XXXIV - -"MR. PEGGOTTY'S DREAM COMES TRUE" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "David Copperfield" by - -H. K. BROWNE ("PHIZ") - -In the published version the figure of Rosa Dartle (on the left) is -omitted, and David's hat is placed upon the table. - -_Lent by Her Grace the Duchess of St. Albans._ - -[Illustration] - - -Through the courtesy of Mr. J. F. Dexter, I am enabled to reproduce in -_facsimile_ one of the original designs for "Master Humphrey's Clock," -depicting Master Humphrey and the Deaf Gentleman. This drawing, executed -in pencil, differs slightly from the engraving; underneath it Dickens -has written, "Master Humphrey ADMIRABLE. Could his stick (with a crooked -top) be near his chair? I misdoubt the deaf gentleman's pipe, and wish -he could have a better one." - -To the first cheap edition of "Barnaby Rudge," 1849, "Phiz" contributed -the frontispiece,--a drawing on wood (engraved by W. T. Green) -representing Dolly Varden, with Hugh hiding in the bushes. In the -Library Edition (1858-59) the stories were published independently, each -in two volumes, with pretty vignettes on the title-pages, specially -designed by the same artist and engraved on steel. The original drawings -were delicately tinted in water-colours, the subjects being Little Nell -and her Grandfather, Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness, Dolly Varden -and Joe Willet, Barnaby and Hugh. In these engravings the female -characters are much more charmingly conceived than are those in the -woodcuts. - -In 1848, when the first cheap edition of the story appeared, Hablot -Browne made four new designs as "Extra Illustrations" for "The Old -Curiosity Shop," viz., Little Nell and her Grandfather, the Marchioness, -Barbara, and the Death of Little Nell. They were beautifully engraved in -stipple, and issued as an independent publication by the artist and his -coadjutor, Robert Young, whose joint venture it was. In the following -year they produced a similar set of four plates illustrating "Barnaby -Rudge," viz., Emma Haredale, Dolly Varden, Mrs. Varden and Miggs, and -Hugh and Barnaby. The portraits of the various characters were engraved -by Edwards and Knight, under the superintendence of Browne and Young. -The original drawing of Dolly Varden, one of "Phiz's" happiest -conceptions, is in the possession of Her Grace the Duchess of St. -Albans, together with an unengraved study for Emma Haredale. There are -extant, in Mr. J. F. Dexter's collection, two other studies for the -Dolly Varden plate, neither of which has been reproduced; the same -gentleman also owns the drawings of Nell and Barbara, the latter being -slightly different from, and superior to, the engraving. - -A complete series of original water-colour drawings by "Phiz" for "The -Old Curiosity Shop" and "Barnaby Rudge," including an unused design for -a tailpiece, were sold at Sotheby's in 1897, and realised L610. These -drawings were executed as a commission for Mr. F. W. Cosens. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Martin Chuzzlewit, 1843-44.=] - -Browne's versatile pencil was again actively employed in embellishing -the story begun by Dickens soon after his return from America in 1842, -and to this he contributed forty etchings. Here the figures are drawn on -a larger scale than usual, thus affording more scope for the delineation -of character. - -The frontispiece is a most elaborate design, representing the principal -characters and incidents in the story, with Tom Pinch at the organ as a -central idea. In the illustration where Mark Tapley is seen starting -from his native village for London, "Phiz" exhibits his sense of the -picturesque in the old gables and dormers of the ancient tenements in -the background, while that depicting "Mr. Pecksniff on his Mission" is -an excellent verisimilitude of such a locality as Kingsgate Street of -fifty years since. But the etching in "Chuzzlewit" which may be -described as the artist's happiest effort as a comic creation is that -where Mrs. Gamp "propoges" a toast. Here he has admirably illustrated -the text,--the two midwives in friendly chat, surrounded by bandboxes -and other accessories, while behind are seen the immortal Sarah's rusty -gowns, which, depending from the bedposts, "had so adapted themselves by -long usage to her figure, that more than one impatient husband, coming -in precipitately at about the time of twilight, had been for an instant -stricken dumb by the supposed discovery that Mrs. Gamp had hanged -herself." - -All the designs for "Martin Chuzzlewit" were etched on quarto plates, -two on each plate. Five of these plates were etched three times, these -including, besides the frontispiece and vignette title, the first six -illustrations in the book, and two which appeared in the fourteenth -number, viz., "Mr. Pinch Departs to Seek his Fortune," and "Mr. Nadgett -Breathes, as Usual, an Atmosphere of Mystery." A careful examination of -different copies of the first edition will disclose minute variations in -these particular illustrations, worthy of special mention being the -vignette title, where, in the earliest impressions, the L mark is -incorrectly placed after the figures in the amount of reward on the -bill. - -In the majority of the "Chuzzlewit" etchings there is a vigour and -precision of touch indicating the artist's riper experience. It must, -however, be admitted that a few of the plates are so feeble in execution -in comparison with the rest as to suggest that "Phiz's" drawings were -copied on the plate by a less expert etcher. An instance of this poverty -of execution will be found in the first design, depicting "The Meekness -of Mr. Pecksniff and his Charming Daughters," and the fact that this -plate is unsigned seems significant; in reply to my enquiry respecting -it, Mr. Robert Young assured me that "no one ever copied or etched -plates for Browne; he traced the subject on the steel himself, and -etched every line before it was bitten in. I know no reason for the -omission of his signature to any of his plates." - -In a few instances the artist has not strictly followed the text. For -example, in the plate where Mr. Pecksniff calls upon Mrs. Gamp, the -pie-shop is placed next door, whereas it is clearly described as being -next door _but one_. In the etching of Mark Tapley "finding a jolly -subject for contemplation," instead of Mark's name being inscribed in -full upon the "Rowdy Journal" door, his initials only should appear, "in -letters nearly half a foot long, together with the day of the month in -smaller type;" the four horses harnessed to the coach in which Tom Pinch -departs to seek his fortune ("Phiz's" horses, by the way, are always -well drawn) are described as "greys," while in the plate only one is -thus represented. Such discrepancies, however, although interesting to -note, are unimportant. As usual, we find in the accessories (such as the -titles of books and pictures) sly touches of humour peculiarly _apropos_ -of the principal theme. "Phiz's" design for the wrapper of the monthly -parts is emblematical of the story; here "silver spoons" and "wooden -ladles," as embodied in the original title, play a conspicuous part. - -The "Chuzzlewit" drawings, all of which have been preserved, are -executed in pencil, some having washes of neutral tint. They vary but -slightly from the etchings, the greatest differences being noted in the -first two designs, this doubtless arising from the difficulty -experienced by the artist in immediately seizing the author's meaning. -In one special instance Dickens favoured his illustrator with very -precise instructions. Respecting the American scenes, the artist desired -more details than usual, so he received from the novelist the following -letter (now in Mr. J. F. Dexter's collection), giving particulars for -the plate representing "The Thriving City of Eden, as it appeared in -Fact." - -"Martin and Mark are displayed as the tenants of a wretched log hut (for -a pattern whereof see a vignette brought by Chapman & Hall) in a -perfectly flat, swampy, wretched forest of stunted timber in every stage -of decay, with a filthy river running before the door, and some other -miserable log houses distributed among the trees, whereof the most -ruinous and tumble-down of all is labelled 'Bank and National Credit -Office.' Outside their door, as the custom is, is a rough sort of form -or dresser, on which are set forth their pot and kettle and so forth, -all of the commonest kind. On the outside of the house, at one side of -the door, is a written placard, 'Chuzzlewit and Co., Architects and -Surveyors,' and upon a stump of tree, like a butcher's block, before the -cabin, are Martin's instruments--a pair of rusty compasses, &c. On a -three-legged stool beside this block sits Martin in his shirt sleeves, -with long dishevelled hair, resting his head upon his hands--the -picture of hopeless misery--watching the river and sadly remembering -that it flows towards home. But Mr. Tapley, up to his knees in filth and -brushwood, and in the act of endeavouring to perform some -impossibilities with a hatchet, looks towards him with a face of -unimpaired good humour, and declares himself perfectly jolly. Mark, the -only redeeming feature. Everything else dull, miserable, squalid, -unhealthy, and utterly devoid of hope--diseased, starved, and abject. -The weather is intensely hot, and they are but partially clothed." - -The artist, naturally bewildered by such elaborate directions, has -written underneath this note: "I can't get all this perspective in, -unless you will allow of a long subject--something less than a mile!" - -For the plate, "Martin Chuzzlewit Suspects the Landlady," two drawings -were prepared, but the second was probably only to guide the biter-in of -the steel as to the effect of light and shade required; for it -occasionally happened that "Phiz" had not time to give verbal -instructions to his assistant, when he would send a rough indication of -what was needed in the matter of _chiaroscuro_. In the original drawing -representing "The Meekness of Mr. Pecksniff and his Charming Daughters," -the figure of Tom Pinch differs from the plate, and shows signs of -having been quickly sketched in, as though the first idea was not to -introduce him at all; in a second delineation of the same subject this -figure is limned with greater care. - -The original designs for "Chuzzlewit" were disposed of at Sotheby's in -1889 for L433, 13s., the beautifully-finished drawing of the -frontispiece realising L35, while that of "Mrs. Gamp 'Propoges' a -Toast," rightly considered as one of the artist's _chef-d'oeuvres_, -was purchased for L35, 10s. - -To the Library Edition (1858-59) "Phiz" contributed a vignette for the -title-page of each of the two volumes of "Martin Chuzzlewit," which were -engraved on steel from the original water-colour drawings. The subject -of the first design is almost a repetition of the etching in the -original issue, and depicts the "Meekness of Mr. Pecksniff and his -Charming Daughters," the ladies being certainly more attractive in the -later conception. In the second vignette we see Mrs. Gamp and Betsy -Prig, at the moment when the latter, in her wrath, denied the existence -of the memorable Mrs. Harris. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Dombey and Son, 1846-48.=] - -Among the forty illustrations prepared by "Phiz" for "Dombey and Son" -will be found some of the artist's happiest efforts. By this time his -experience with the etching-needle enabled him to execute his designs -upon the steel plates with wonderful facility and dexterity, and -continual practice had made him almost perfect in this particular branch -of art. All these plates were etched in duplicate; the greater number -were drawn on quarto plates, having two subjects on each as usual, but -the frontispiece, the last four illustrations, and the duplicates of -three others were etched singly on steels of octavo size.[25] - - Footnote 25: An American edition (published in 1844) contains - fourteen clever _replicas_ of the "Dombey" etchings. - -The duplicates do not vary much; that in which an alteration is most -noticeable, although hardly perceptible, is "Abstraction and -Recognition," the bills on the wall near Alice in one plate being less -mutilated than in the other. There was such a large circulation of the -book in part form that the printing from the plates could not be -executed quickly enough, the etchings being rarely sent in until the -last minute; so that it became necessary to resort to lithographic -transfers until the duplicate plates could be etched. In "Dombey and -Son" the artist first introduced the oblong form of illustration, this -lending itself more appropriately to the subjects so treated, and in -succeeding novels we find a fair sprinkling of designs of this shape. -When nearing the end of the story he essayed, with considerable success, -a new method of obtaining _chiaroscuro_, and he afterwards adopted it -whenever striking effects were required. The only plate in "Dombey" so -treated is "On the Dark Road," on which, by means of a ruling-machine, a -tint had been placed before the subject was drawn, and, by a process of -biting-in, stopping-out, and burnishing, an effect resembling mezzotint -was obtained. The machine was kept in Mr. Young's studio at Furnival's -Inn, and could be manipulated by a boy, the operation of "ruling" being -a purely mechanical one; it was the subsequent treatment by acid and -burnisher, in reproducing the tones of the original drawing, that -required the knowledge of an expert. - -A few anomalies may be discovered in the "Dombey" plates. In the various -representations of Captain Cuttle the artist has depicted him, in two -instances, with the hook upon the left arm instead of the right. When -comparing the three plates portraying Sol Gills's little back-parlour, -certain little discrepancies are apparent, such as the altered position -of the model of a brig, &c. In the plate entitled "The Wooden Midshipman -on the Look-out," Florence is delineated as a well-developed young -woman, whereas, according to the text, she was then but a mere child of -fourteen. In the same illustration the artist has drawn a pair of horses -(or rather their heads) which can have no possible connection with the -omnibus near by, although they are evidently intended to be associated -therewith. In the etching "Abstraction and Recognition," Alice and her -mother standing in the archway are much too tall; it is interesting to -note here the advertisement on the wall of Cruikshank's "Bottle," which -may be considered as denoting the popularity of that remarkable series -of pictures, then being issued. Two palpable errors are discoverable in -the illustration entitled "On the Dark Road," for not only does the -driver hold the reins in the wrong hand, but it will be seen that the -wheels of the rapidly-moving carriage are really represented as -stationary, while the "off" wheels are omitted altogether. In the last -plate but one, the figure of Florence is not sufficiently visionary, and -therefore fails to convey the author's meaning respecting the -conscience-stricken Dombey. - -Hablot Browne invariably laboured under some disadvantage when designing -his illustrations for Dickens; indeed, he was sometimes compelled to -draw his inspiration merely from the author's verbal explanation or -reading of a particular passage; so it is not surprising that we -discover an occasional discrepancy. In the case of "Dombey," he -experienced a difficulty of another kind, for during the writing of the -story Dickens was living at Lausanne in Switzerland, and the sketches -had to be sent there for his criticism and approval, which not only -caused delay, but gave the artist some trouble in understanding the -suggestions made by the author when returning the drawings. - - -PLATE XXXV - -"MR. CHADBAND 'IMPROVING' A TOUGH SUBJECT" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "Bleak House" by - -H. K. BROWNE ("PHIZ") - -In the Etching the figure of Jo is placed on the opposite side of the -picture. - -_Lent by Her Grace the Duchess of St. Albans._ - -[Illustration] - - -Several letters from Dickens to Forster at this time express solicitude -concerning these plates. Writing from Lausanne on the 18th of July 1846, -he said: "The prints for illustration, and the enormous care required, -make me excessively anxious." A nervous dread of caricature on the face -of his merchant-hero had led him to indicate by a living person the type -of city gentleman he would have had the artist select. "The man for -Dombey," he explained, "if Browne could see him, the class man to a T, -is Sir A----E----, of D----'s;" and this is all he meant by his -reiterated urgent request, "I do wish he could get a glimpse of A., for -he is the very Dombey." It seems, however, that the "glimpse of A." was -impracticable, so it was resolved to send, for selection by himself, -glimpses of other letters of the alphabet--actual heads as well as -fanciful ones--and the sheetful of sketches forwarded for this purpose -contains no less than twenty-nine typical Dombey portraits, comprising -full-length and half-length presentments, as well as studies of heads in -various poses, but with the same hard characteristic expression.[26] -Against four of them "Phiz" has placed little arrows, to indicate that -(in his opinion) they best accorded with the author's conception. The -Dombey actually etched was not, after all, an absolute transcript of -these tentative ideas, but seems to be a combination of several; and it -is curious to note that, in the various representations of the proud -city merchant as seen in the plates, "Phiz" did not keep religiously to -the same type. That Dickens considered the artist's presentment as -satisfactory is proved by his remark to Forster, "I think Mr. Dombey -admirable," this doubtless referring to the illustration entitled "Mr. -Dombey and the World." In a fragment of a letter preserved by Mr. J. F. -Dexter may be read a few instructions to the artist with reference to -the delineation of Mr. Dombey and his second wife: "It is a part of his -character that he should be just the same as of yore. And in the second -subject, I should like Edith Granger to possess the reader with a more -serious notion of her having a serious part to play in the story. I -really hardly know, however, what [part] beyond an expression of utter -indifference towards Mr. Dombey...." - - Footnote 26: In Mr. Andrew Lang's opinion, these sketches for - Mr. Dombey look like "a collection of criminal butlers." - -In the letter to Forster already quoted, the novelist sent (for -transmission to the artist) a few hints for the earlier designs: "Great -pains will be necessary with Miss Tox. The Toodle family should not be -too much caricatured, because of Polly. I should like Browne to think of -Susan Nipper, who will not be wanted in the first number. After the -second number, they will all be nine or ten years older, but this will -not involve much change in the characters, except in the children and -Miss Nipper." After the completion of the first two plates, Dickens -seems to have been in better heart about his illustrator, for, again -writing to Forster from Lausanne, he said: "Browne seems to be getting -on well. He will have a good subject in Paul's christening. Mr. Chick is -like D., if you'll mention that when you think of it." Then, a little -later: "Browne is certainly interesting himself and taking pains." He -seems, however, to have been greatly disappointed with the designs in -the second number, viz., "The Christening Party" (which he anticipated -would be a success) and "Polly Rescues the Charitable Grinder," -declaring them to be so "dreadfully bad" (in the sense of not keeping -strictly to the text) that they made him "curl his legs up." This -failure on the part of the artist caused him to feel unusually anxious -in regard to a special illustration on which he had set much store, -intended for the number he then had in hand. Communicating with Forster -anent this, he said: "The best subject for Browne will be at Mrs. -Pipchin's; and if he liked to do a quiet odd thing, Paul, Mrs. Pipchin, -and the Cat, by the fire, would be very good for the story. I earnestly -hope he will think it worth a little extra care." On first seeing the -etching of this subject, he was sorely displeased, and could not refrain -from thus expressing himself to Forster: "I am really _distressed_ by -the illustration of Mrs. Pipchin and Paul. It is so frightfully and -wildly wide of the mark. Good Heaven! in the commonest and most literal -construction of the text it is all wrong. She is described as an old -lady, and Paul's 'miniature arm-chair' is mentioned more than once. He -ought to be sitting in a little arm-chair down in the corner of the -fireplace, staring up at her. I can't say what pain and vexation it is -to be so utterly misrepresented. I would cheerfully have given a hundred -pounds to have kept this illustration out of the book. He never could -have got that idea of Mrs. Pipchin if he had attended to the text. -Indeed, I think he does better without the text; for then the notion is -made easy to him in short description, and he can't help taking it in." -It is certainly strange that the sketch for this subject was not -submitted to Dickens for approval before it was etched. We are told by -Forster that the author felt the disappointment more keenly because "the -conception of the grim old boarding-house keeper had taken back his -thoughts to the miseries of his own child-life, and made her, as her -prototype in verity was, a part of the terrible reality." In justice to -the artist, it must be conceded that the etching of this subject seems -to be an excellent rendering of the description of the scene as conveyed -in the letterpress. - -"Phiz" sometimes complained that Dickens did not send him more than a -few printed lines as a guide to the subject to be illustrated, and, -being kept in ignorance as to the context, he found it difficult to -delineate the characters as well as the novelist might wish. -Occasionally, as we have seen, he received quite a lengthy note when at -work upon the designs, these communications sometimes being partly -literal extracts from the text and partly condensation, such as the -following:-- - -"Paul (a year older) has left Mrs. Pipchin's and gone to Doctor -Blimber's establishment at Brighton. The Doctor only takes ten young -gentlemen. Doctor Blimber's establishment is a good hot-house for the -young mind, with a forcing apparatus always at work. Mental green peas -are produced there at Christmas, and intellectual asparagus all the year -round. Every description of Greek and Latin vegetable is got off the -driest twigs of boys under the frostiest circumstances. Mrs. Blimber is -fond of the boys not being like boys, and of their wearing collars and -neckerchiefs. They have all blown before their time. The eldest boy in -the school--young Toots by name, with a swollen nose and an exceedingly -large head--left off blowing suddenly one day, and people _do_ say that -the Doctor rather overdid it with him, and that when he began to have -whiskers he left off having brains. All the young gentlemen have great -weights on their minds. They are haunted by verbs, noun-substantives, -roots, and syntactic passages. Some abandoned hope half through the -Latin Grammar, and others curse Virgil in the bitterness of their souls. -Classical Literature in general is an immense collection of words to -them. It's all words and grammar, and don't mean anything else. - -"Subject--These young gentlemen out walking, very dismally and formally -(observe it's a very expensive school), with the lettering, _Doctor -Blimber's young gentlemen as they appeared when enjoying themselves_. I -think Doctor Blimber, a little removed from the rest, should bring up -the rear, or lead the van, with Paul, who is much the youngest of the -party. I extract the description of the Doctor. [Here follows a -quotation from the eleventh chapter.] - -"Paul as last described, but a twelvemonth older. No collar or -neckerchief for him, of course. I would make the next youngest boy about -three or four years older than he." - -A remarkable oversight on the part of "Phiz" with reference to this -plate is immediately observable, for while Dickens explicitly states the -number of Dr. Blimber's pupils as ten, the artist has introduced no less -than seventeen young gentlemen. Concerning the illustration, "Major -Bagstock is Delighted to have that Opportunity," there is extant an -interesting letter (dated March 10, 1847) from Dickens to "Phiz" -(printed for the first time in Mr. D. C. Thomson's Memoir of H. K. -Browne), in which the novelist is very explicit respecting his -requirements:-- - - "MY DEAR BROWNE-- ... The occasion of my coming home makes - me very late with my number, which I have only begun this - morning; otherwise you should have been fed sooner....The - first subject I am now going to give is very important to - the book. _I should like to see your sketch of it if - possible._ - - "I should premise that I want to make the Major, who is the - incarnation of selfishness and small revenge, a kind of - comic Mephistophilean power in the book; and the No. begins - with the departure of Mr. Dombey and the Major on that trip - for change of air and scene which is prepared for in the - last Number. They go to Leamington, where you and I were - once. In the Library the Major introduces Mr. Dombey to a - certain lady, whom, as I wish to foreshadow dimly, said - Dombey may come to marry in due season. She is about thirty, - not a day more--handsome, though haughty-looking--good - figure, well dressed, showy, and desirable. Quite a lady in - appearance, with something of a proud indifference about - her, suggestive of a spark of the Devil within. Was married - young. Husband dead. Goes about with an old mother, who - rouges, and who lives upon the reputation of a diamond - necklace and her family. Wants a husband. Flies at none but - high game, and couldn't marry anybody not rich. Mother - affects cordiality and heart, and is the essence of sordid - calculation. Mother usually shoved about in a Bath chair by - a page who has rather outgrown and outshoved his strength, - and who butts at it behind like a ram, while his mistress - steers herself languidly by a handle in front. Nothing the - matter with her to prevent her walking, only was once when - a Beauty sketched reclining in a Barouche, and having - outlived the Beauty and the Barouche too, still holds to the - attitude as becoming her uncommonly. Mother is in this - machine in the sketch. Daughter has a parasol. - - "The Major presents them to Mr. Dombey, gloating within - himself over what may come of it, and over the discomfiture - of Miss Tox. Mr. Dombey (in deep mourning) bows solemnly. - Daughter bends. The native in attendance bearing a - camp-stool and the Major's greatcoat. Native evidently - afraid of the Major and his thick cane. If you like it - better, the scene may be in the street or in a green lane. - But a great deal will come of it; and I want the Major to - express that as much as possible in his apoplectic - Mephistophilean observation of the scene, and in his share - of it." - - The design was promptly executed and submitted to Dickens, - who, in a letter to the artist dated five days later, - expressed his approval thereof: "The sketch is admirable," - he wrote,--"the women _quite perfect_. I cannot tell you how - much I like the younger one. There are one or two points, - however, which I must ask you to alter. They are capital in - themselves, and I speak solely for the story. - - "First--I grieve to write it--that native--who is so - prodigiously good as he is--must be in European costume. He - may wear earrings and look outlandish and be dark brown. In - this fashion must be of Moses, Mosesy. I don't mean Old - Testament Moses, but him of the Minories. - - "Secondly, if you _can_ make the Major older, and with a - larger face--do. - - "That's all. Never mind the pump-room now, unless you have - found the sketch, as we may have that another time. I shall - 'propoge' to you a trip to Leamington together. We might go - one day and return the next.... Don't mind sending me the - second sketch. It is so late."[27] - - Footnote 27: This letter was by chance preserved from a - bonfire made by Browne of his old letters and unfinished - drawings previous to a change of residence. - -In Mr. J. F. Dexter's collection there is a pencil-sketch by "Phiz" for -this subject (evidently an earlier conception than that submitted to -Dickens), in which the incident is depicted as occurring at the seaside -(probably Brighton), while, curiously enough, the figure of Mr. Dombey -is omitted. Another interesting drawing, also owned by Mr. Dexter, is a -tentative sketch (in blue ink) for "The Dombey Family," under which the -artist has written the following query: "Whether 'twere better to have -him [Mr. Dombey] standing thus, stiff as a poker, with a kind of side -glance at his daughter--or sitting, as in the other?" In the etching we -see that Mr. Dombey is represented as seated, while Florence is -transferred to the other side of the picture. - -Through the kind courtesy of Her Grace the Duchess of St. Albans, I have -been enabled to examine the original "working" drawings for "Dombey and -Son," all of these, with one exception (viz. "Polly Rescues the -Charitable Grinder," which has mysteriously disappeared), being in the -possession of her Grace. The majority of the designs were not reversed -when copied upon the steels, and this accounts for some of the -incongruities already referred to. In certain cases the drawings are -sketched with blue ink and the effects lightly washed in; others are in -pencil, or pencil and brushwork combined. - - -PLATE XXXVI - -DOLLY VARDEN - -_Facsimile_ of an Original Drawing by - -H. K. BROWNE ("PHIZ") - -This Drawing, which was designed for the series of extra plates for -"Barnaby Rudge," has never been engraved. The published portrait of -Dolly is a reproduction of a subsequent Drawing. - -_Lent by Mr. J. F. Dexter._ - -[Illustration] - - -In comparing the drawings with the plates, certain unimportant -variations are discoverable; for example, in the drawing of "Paul's -Exercises," the candlestick is placed on the table, and more to the -right, instead of being raised on a pile of books; in "Major Bagstock is -Delighted to have that Opportunity," the figure of the "Native" is -differently posed, besides being almost erased, in consequence, perhaps, -of Dickens's criticism; in "Coming Home from Church," the ringers hold -two bells in either hand. On one of the drawings Dickens has placed his -initials, while in the corner of another, "Secret Intelligence," the -artist has written the words, "Better, eh?" whence we may infer that a -previous sketch had been submitted. It seems likely that "Phiz" -made two or three trial sketches for every etching in the book, as there -are still in existence other tentative designs for some of the subjects -above referred to. - -Writing to the editor of the _Daily News_ (December 30, 1882), Dr. Edgar -A. Browne, the artist's son, says: "Dickens's delight in the ['Dombey'] -illustrations as a whole was, as a matter of fact, very great, and was -expressed (doubtless with some characteristic exaggeration) so forcibly, -that my father gave him the original designs, which were acknowledged in -the following letter:-- - - "'DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, _Thirteenth June_, 1848. - - "'MY DEAR BROWNE,--A thousand thanks for the Dombey - sketches, which I shall preserve and transmit as heirlooms. - - "'This afternoon, on Thursday, I shall be near the - whereabout of the boy in the flannel gown, and will pay him - an affectionate visit. But I warn you now and beforehand - (and this is final, you'll observe) that you are not agoing - to back out of the pigmental finishing said boy; for if ever - I had a boy of my own that boy is - - "MINE, - - "and, as the demon says at the Surrey, - - "'I CLAIM MY VICTIM,' - "HA! HA! HA!! - - "at which you will imagine me going down a sulphurous trap, - with the boy in my grasp--and you will please not to imagine - him merely in my grasp, but to hand him over. - - "'For which this is your warrant and requirement. - - "(Signed) CHARLES DICKENS. - - "'Witness--WILLIAM + TOPPING, - - "His groom.'" - -The allusion to "the boy in the flannel gown" has reference to a -portrait of Little Paul, painted by "Phiz" as a present to Dickens. -Miss Hogarth informs me, however, that she has no recollection of this -picture, nor of the "Dombey" sketches. - -"Phiz," as usual, designed the pictorial wrapper for the monthly parts, -concerning which Dickens wrote: "I think the cover very good; perhaps -with a little too much in it, but that is an ungrateful objection." The -criticism was justified, however, for the design, though ingeniously -conceived, certainly errs on the side of over-elaboration. - -The success attending the sale of the extra plates for "Master -Humphrey's Clock" encouraged a repetition of this form of independent -publication, and a similar series of portraits were produced of the -principal characters in "Dombey and Son." Four capital plates, -consisting of portraits of Little Paul, Florence, Edith, and Alice, were -designed by Browne, and engraved on steel (in stipple and line) by -Edwards and Knight, under the superintendence of the artist and Robert -Young, whose joint venture it was. The engravings were published with -Dickens's sanction concurrently with the story; the original impressions -are now very scarce, but the plates still exist in good condition, and -have recently been reprinted. Dickens was much pleased with these -delightful portraits, and in a hitherto unpublished letter to the artist -(dated January 5, 1847) he thus referred to the drawings: "I think Paul -_very good indeed_--a beautiful little composition altogether. The face -of Florence strikes me as being too old, particularly about the mouth. -Edith, not so handsome as in the little drawings, and something too long -and flat in the face. The better Alice of the two, decidedly that which -is opposite Edith." There are extant as many as six pencil-sketches for -the portrait of Alice, presenting slight variations in pose and -expression, and Mr. Dexter owns an interesting study (in pencil and red -chalk) of Florence Dombey, which has never been engraved. - -Almost simultaneously with the production of the above portraits, "Phiz" -designed and etched eight additional plates containing full-length -presentments of Mr. Dombey and Carker, Mrs. Skewton, Old Sol and Captain -Cuttle, Miss Tox, Mrs. Pipchin, Major Bagstock, Miss Nipper, and Polly -Toodle. This undertaking was entirely a speculation of the artist, the -plates being also issued in sets by Chapman & Hall. Dr. Browne informs -me that the original drawings were unexpectedly discovered by him, -rolled up and dirty, and were afterwards included in the Memorial -Exhibition of his father's works at the Liverpool Art Club in 1883. - -The first cheap edition of "Dombey and Son," 1858, includes a -frontispiece by "Phiz," representing the flight of Carker. The artist -also contributed to each of the two volumes of the Library Edition -(1858-59) specially-designed vignettes, engraved on steel, the subjects -being Mr. Dombey and the second Mrs. Dombey, and Paul with Florence at -the seaside. - - - - -HABLOT K. BROWNE - -III - - "DAVID COPPERFIELD"--The Designs prepared in - Duplicate--"Phiz's" Portrait of Mr. Micawber--Peggotty's - Hut--Trifling Errors in the Plates--Original - Drawings--Designs for "I Make myself Known to my - Aunt"--Variations in the Etchings--Frontispiece for the - First Cheap Edition--Vignettes for the Library - Edition--"BLEAK HOUSE"--Plates partly Duplicated--Some - Curious Inaccuracies--Skimpole successfully - Portrayed--"Phiz" takes Mental Notes--Original - Drawings--Alterations in the Plates--The "Bleak House" - Illustrations Criticised--Frontispiece for the First Cheap - Edition--Vignettes for the Library Edition--"LITTLE - DORRIT"--Illustrations Unsigned--"Machine-ruled Designs"--A - Letter from Dickens respecting one of the Plates--Original - Drawings--Pictorial Wrapper--"A TALE OF TWO CITIES"--A - Letter from "Phiz" to his Son--Dickens Forestalled--An - Unpublished Design--Last of Dickens's Stories Illustrated by - "Phiz"--The Artist's Conjectures as to the Cause of the - Severance--His Tender Regard for the Novelist--His - Antecedents--Apprenticeship at Finden's--Exhibits at the - Royal Academy--Inability to Draw from "the Life"--Some - Letters to Dickens--"The Pic Nic Papers"--An Early - Reminiscence of Dickens--"Phiz's" Remuneration--From - Prosperity to Adversity--Serious Illness--A Broken-down Old - Man--Paralysis--A Pathetic Grievance--Applies for a - Government Pension--Recognition by the Royal - Academy--Decline of Imagination and Power of - Invention--Death of the Artist--Mr. J. G. Fennell's - Tribute--"Phiz's" Shyness--An Extraordinary - Commission--Water-colour _Replicas_ of the Dickens - Illustrations--Vignettes for the Library Edition of - "Sketches by Boz" and "Oliver Twist"--"Phiz's" - Fellow-Apprentice, Coadjutor, and Friend--Etching the - Plates--Mezzotint Effects--Furnival's Inn--A Note from - "Phiz" to his Colleague--Mr. Robert Young's Autobiographical - Sketch. - - -[Sidenote: =David Copperfield, 1849-50.=] - -In "David Copperfield," the most fascinating of Dickens's novels, it -cannot be said that "Phiz" quite rose to the occasion. Although some of -these plates he never excelled, the majority are marked by a certain -hardness and stiffness of treatment, and are conspicuously deficient in -that vigour and deftness of touch which characterise his previous -efforts. - -As in the case of "Dombey and Son," the whole of the designs were etched -in duplicate, the _replicas_ differing but slightly from the originals. -About half of the series were executed singly on octavo steels, instead -of in couples on the usual quarto plates. In one of the designs, viz., -"The River," the artist has again resorted to the ruling-machine for -attaining the desired effect, but the result is poor and meagre. He has -succeeded admirably in his presentment of Micawber, respecting which -Dickens wrote to Forster: "Browne has sketched an uncommonly -characteristic and capital Mr. Micawber for the next number." The most -pleasing of all these etchings, however, are those in which the boy-hero -figures, such as those depicting him with the "friendly waiter" at the -bar of the public-house, and as, with battered hat and ragged raiment, -he "makes himself known to his aunt." - -It has been asserted that "Phiz" at this period sometimes grew careless, -and that Dickens did not exercise that particular surveillance over the -artist's work which he customarily bestowed upon it in the early days. -For example, the novelist thus describes Peggotty's odd residence, an -old boat drawn up on land and fashioned into a house: "There was a -delightful door cut in the side, and it was roofed in, and there were -little windows in it." He never refers to it as an _inverted_ boat, -although it is so delineated by "Phiz,"--indeed, the inference is that -the vessel stood upon its keel, for elsewhere it is mentioned as being -left "high and dry," as though it were a boat that had been washed -ashore. If such was the novelist's conception, it seems strange and -unaccountable that he should have accepted without a protest the -artist's misrepresentation of Peggotty's home. Curiously enough, there -might have been seen within recent years, on the open Denes at Yarmouth, -an inverted boat similarly converted into a cosy residence, the -existence of which apparently gives actuality to "Phiz's" drawing. - -In some of the etchings may be discovered a few trivial errors; for -instance, in the plate entitled "Somebody Turns Up," Mrs. Heep is -left-handed, an oversight which (as in previous cases) is doubtless the -result of the etching being in reverse of the original design, although -"Phiz" was generally careful to remember this when preparing his -sketches. Strange to relate, in the scene depicting divine service at -Blunderstone Church, he has omitted the officiating clergy! In "My First -Fall in Life," the horses (especially the leaders) are undoubtedly -disproportionate, and the same criticism applies to the figures in the -illustration depicting the unexpected arrival of David and his friend at -Peggotty's fireside. In the etching of "The River," the scene should -have been reversed, and from this point of view (the river-side at -Millbank) the dome of St. Paul's is not visible, although it is shown in -the picture. Another curious mistake is apparent in the interesting -plate entitled "Our Housekeeping;" here David is seen struggling with a -_loin_ of mutton, whereas in the text the joint is distinctly described -as a _boiled leg_ of mutton. It is amusing to note the appropriate -character of the pictures adorning the walls of some of "Phiz's" -interiors. In the etching of "The Friendly Waiter and I" he has thus -introduced the scene illustrating the familiar fable of the Fox and the -Stork; in "Changes at Home" we have the Return of the Prodigal Son and -the Finding of Moses in the bulrushes; and in the plate delineating -Steerforth and Miss Mowcher will be noticed over the fireplace a scene -from Gulliver's adventures in Brobdingnag, an allusion to the diminutive -proportions of the remarkable dwarf who was "so volatile." - -Her Grace the Duchess of St. Albans possesses the complete series of -"working" drawings for "David Copperfield." Like the "Dombey" designs, -these highly-finished drawings are executed chiefly in pencil and the -effects washed in with indian-ink, while a few are in pencil only. Of -that well-known design, "I Make myself Known to my Aunt," there exist no -less than three tentative sketches; the first (on which the artist has -written "Or--so--so?") represents Miss Trotwood sitting "flat down on -the garden-path,"--a pose which, although accurate enough according to -the text, was rightly deemed inartistic, whereupon the artist prepared -another design, and submitted it to Dickens. In the second picture -(where "Phiz" has queried, "Or--so?"), the lady stands erect, but the -pathetic appearance of David is lost, and the composition of the -background proves less fortunate. In the etching "Phiz" combined the two -designs,--that is, he used the first drawing, but substituted the -standing figure of Miss Trotwood for the seated one. On the margin of -the second design the artist (in a humorous mood) has limned an -unmerciful caricature of the whole incident. The third tentative drawing -for this subject, believed to be the first sketch, was sold at Sotheby's -in 1887 for L6, 15s.; it is now in the collection of Mr. Thomas Wright, -of Paris. - -With the sketch for "The Friendly Waiter and I" the novelist was -delighted. "Phiz" originally represented David as wearing a long jacket, -but this not being quite in accordance with Dickens's idea, he wrote -asking the artist to "put Davy in a little jacket instead of this coat, -without altering him in any other respect," which was accordingly done. - -In the drawing for the plate entitled "My Magnificent Order at the -Public-house," the form of the two large spirit-vessels behind David are -more jug-shaped than in the etching. The "little white hat," by-the-way, -as here worn by David, is just such head-gear as Dickens himself -disported when a boy. In the drawing of David on the box-seat of the -coach, "My First Fall in Life," the western towers of Canterbury -Cathedral are indicated in the distance, but these are omitted in the -etching. In the scene, "Mr. Micawber Delivers some Valedictory Remarks," -certain faint lines are observable near the principal figure, indicating -that he was originally delineated in a different attitude. The effective -sketch of "The Wanderer" portrays more of the woman's figure than is -visible in the plate. In the design entitled "Our Housekeeping," the -frame of a mirror or picture is introduced on the wall behind David, but -this was afterwards considered superfluous; and in the drawing of "The -Emigrants," Mr. Micawber grasps a telescope, which does not appear in -the plate. The drawing of "Mr. Peggotty's Dream Comes True" varies -considerably from the etching, for not only is David seen wearing a hat -(which in the etching is placed upon the table), but the artist has -included a fourth figure, that of Rosa Dartle, who, seated in the chair, -leans her head upon her arms above the table. The introduction of Miss -Dartle is, of course, incorrect, as she had left the room before Mr. -Peggotty entered; but the error was detected, and the necessary -alteration effected in the published design. - -"Phiz's" pictorial wrapper for the monthly parts is replete with detail, -around the title in the centre being displayed various figures -apparently exemplifying the Seven Ages of Man, with Dame Fortune -crowning the whole. - -The first cheap edition of "David Copperfield," 1858, contained a -frontispiece by "Phiz," engraved on wood by Swain, representing Little -Em'ly and David as children on Yarmouth Sands; to the Library Edition -(1858-59) the artist contributed two vignettes (engraved on steel), the -subject in the first volume being Little Em'ly and David by the sea, and -for the second, another version of the etching entitled "Mr. Peggotty's -Dream Comes True." - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Bleak House, 1852-53.=] - -In the forty illustrations for "Bleak House" the artist introduced a -greater variety of subjects, and resorted more frequently to the use of -the ruling-machine, no less than ten being so treated with considerable -success. "Phiz" etched one complete set of the plates and duplicates of -the machine-ruled designs, which were repeated probably because they -could not so readily withstand the wear-and-tear of the printing. - -A very few of the "Bleak House" illustrations are signed. In some of -them the details do not entirely accord with the letterpress, a -noteworthy instance of this inaccuracy being found in the etching -entitled "Miss Jellaby," who is represented as dipping her forefinger in -the egg-cup, whereas we are told that it was her "inky middle finger." A -more important oversight in the same picture is the introduction of the -infant Jellaby in the bed, who was not in the room at all, as a careful -reading of the text readily discloses. In two instances, Turveydrop -_pere_ is depicted without the false whiskers he customarily wore, and -in the illustration of "The Smallweed Family," the son is incorrectly -omitted. It is perhaps worth noting an odd mistake on the part of the -artist--in the etching entitled "Consecrated Ground" he has represented -the iron gates in a manner to lead one to suppose they could not be -opened; it is unfortunate, too, that, in this pathetic scene (in which, -by the way, the _chiaroscuro_ is curiously forced) he partly destroys -its sentiment by inappropriately introducing on the left the comical -shadow of a man in the act of drinking from a tankard. With reference to -one of the characters in "Bleak House" Dickens wrote to Forster: "Browne -has done Skimpole, and helped to make him singularly unlike the great -original." The "great original" was, of course, Leigh Hunt, a fact which -the novelist himself did not so successfully disguise, and subsequently -paid the penalty for his indiscretion. - -"Phiz" invariably depended upon his imagination or memory for his scenes -and characters; as the artist himself expressed it, he would merely go -"to have a look at a thing," and then be able to prepare his picture -without further aid. For instance, before designing the weird -illustration of "The Lonely Figure" in "Bleak House," he visited a -lime-pit, in order to see what the big crushing-wheels were like that he -desired to introduce, and made a mental note of them without leaving the -seat of his trap. - -Besides the original "working" drawings for "Dombey and Son" and "David -Copperfield," Her Grace the Duchess of St. Albans also possesses those -for "Bleak House." They vary considerably in treatment, some being -carefully rendered, while those reproduced with the mezzotint shading -are very broadly and vigorously executed by means of a soft lead-pencil, -the lights heightened with chinese-white. In comparing the drawings with -the etchings, slight variations may here and there be noted; for -example, in the design for "Mr. Guppy's Entertainment," Mr. Jobling was -first seen wearing his hat, but this was partly obliterated and the -contour of the head afterwards drawn in; in "Visitors at the Shooting -Gallery," the figure of Mr. George is slightly different in pose, while -the sword rests on his shoulder; in "Mr. Smallweed Breaks the Pipe of -Peace," Miss Smallweed stands a short distance from her father's chair, -holding his "long clay;" in the charming design representing "Lady -Dedlock in the Wood," we see Ada coming up _behind_ her ladyship, the -figure of Charley (differently posed) being transferred to the other -side of the picture. A more remarkable alteration, however, occurs in -the design "Mr. Chadband 'Improving' a Tough Subject." Chadband's -attitude is entirely changed from that in the etching, and Jo is placed -on the other side of the drawing, with his back to Guster, while a cat -reposes upon an ottoman near Mrs. Snagsby. In the drawing of "Attorney -and Client," the face of Mr. Vholes is of a type differing from the -published version, and his arms rest upon the desk; also, there is no -waste-paper basket, and the deed-box is nearer the table. Mr. J. F. -Dexter has another sketch for this illustration (presumably an earlier -one), in which Richard Carstone stands with his back to the table, with -his right hand pressed despondingly against his forehead. The original -drawings for the sombre scenes, although more effective than the etched -reproductions, are remarkably crude in treatment--a criticism which -applies more especially to those depicting, "The Lonely Figure" and "The -Night." The etchings of these subjects are technically superior to the -drawings, their quality, however, being principally owing to the results -obtained by means of the ruling-machine. The late Mr. James Payn once -expressed the belief that it was "Phiz's" selection of subjects such as -these which made him so acceptable an illustrator to Dickens. - -In 1882, a writer in _The Academy_, who considered the illustrations in -"Bleak House" as being practically perfect, said of them: "Not only is -the comic side, the even fussily comic, such as 'The Young Man of the -Name of Guppy,' understood and rendered well, but the dignified beauty -of the old country-house architecture, or the architecture of the -chambers of our Inns-of-court, is conveyed in brief touches; and there -is apparent everywhere that element of terrible suggestiveness which -made not only the art of Hablot Browne, but the art of Charles Dickens -himself, in this story of 'Bleak House,' recall the imaginative purpose -of the art of Meryon. What can be more impressive in connection with the -story--nay, even independently of the story--than the illustration of -Mr. Tulkinghorn's chambers in gloom; than the illustration of the -staircase of Dedlock's own house, with the placard of the reward for the -discovery of the murderer; than that of Tom All Alone's; the dark, foul -darkness of the burial-ground under scanty lamplight, and the special -spot where lay the man who 'wos wery good to me--he wos!'? And then -again, 'The Ghost's Walk,' and once more the burial-ground, with the -woman's body--Lady Dedlock's--now close against its gate. Of course it -would be possible to find fault with these things, but they have nothing -of the vice of tameness--they deliver their message effectually. It is -not their business to be faultless; it is their business to impress." - -The design for the monthly wrapper is emblematical of the Court of -Chancery, the artist availing himself of this opportunity of indulging -in humorous pencillings reflecting upon the integrity of lawyers. "Phiz" -contributed the frontispiece to the first cheap edition, 1858, -representing Mr. Jarndyce and his friends in Bell Yard. He also designed -the usual vignettes for the two volumes in the Library Edition -(1858-59), which were engraved on steel; in the first is delineated Lady -Dedlock and Jo, and in the second we behold Lady Dedlock and Esther -Summerson in the wood, the latter composition much resembling the -original etching of the same incident. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Little Dorrit, 1855-57.=] - -Among the illustrations in "Little Dorrit" there are some as feeble in -execution as there are others remarkable for exceptionally vigorous -treatment; and it is worthy of note that, whereas in "Bleak House" the -artist began partly to relinquish the custom of appending his familiar -_nom de guerre_ to the plates, in "Little Dorrit" not a single design -bears his signature. - -An examination of the "Dorrit" etchings discloses the fact that no less -than eight are toned by means of the ruling-machine, the result being -even more satisfactory than usual. The first of these "ruled" plates -represents the interior of a French prison, and the effect of deep -gloom, enhanced by a few bright rays of light darting through the barred -window, is remarkable for its Rembrandt-like _chiaroscuro_. Pleasantly -contrasting with this sombre subject there is the plate depicting "The -Ferry," a delightfully rural view, with trees and winding river, and -that entitled "Floating Away," where the moon, rising behind the trees, -imparts a romantic aspect to the scene. The old house in the last -illustration but one, "Damocles," indicates "Phiz's" power in expressing -the picturesqueness of ancient architecture, and his appreciation of the -effect of light as it falls upon quaintly-carved door and window. The -plate entitled "Mr. Flintwinch has a Mild Attack of Irritability" is -probably one of the most forcible etchings ever executed by "Phiz," and -it is difficult to conceive that the same master-hand was responsible -for the apparently inexperienced work to be found in an earlier -illustration, "Little Mother," the execution of which is as timid and -lifeless as the other is bold and expressive. - -"Phiz" etched one complete set of the plates, and duplicated the tinted -subjects, the variations from the originals being slight and -unimportant. Of the forty illustrations, thirty-four are on octavo -plates containing single subjects, and three are quarto plates having -two subjects on each. - - -PLATE XXXVII - -STUDY FOR - -MISS HAREDALE - -_Facsimile_ of an Original Drawing by - -H. K. BROWNE ("PHIZ") - -Designed for the series of extra plates for "Barnaby Rudge." This -Drawing differs from the published Engraving. - -_Lent by Her Grace the Duchess of St. Albans._ - -[Illustration] - - -A part of "Little Dorrit" was composed in France, and on July 2, 1856, -Dickens informed the artist that he was returning to Boulogne the next -day, and desired him to make the illustration of "The Pensioner -Entertainment" "as characteristic as ever you please, my little dear, -but quiet." This plate proved a decided success. When, early in 1857, -the novelist was again in London, "Phiz" forwarded for his inspection a -sketch for the etching entitled "An Unexpected After-dinner Speech," -which, however, did not quite realise Dickens's idea; whereupon the -artist received a letter (printed for the first time in Mr. -Thomson's Memoir) suggesting certain improvements, afterwards duly -carried out. "In the dinner scene," he wrote, "it is highly important -that Mr. Dorrit should not be too comic. He is too comic now. He is -described in the text as 'shedding tears,' and what he imperatively -wants is an expression doing less violence in the reader's mind to what -is going to happen to him, and much more in accordance with that serious -end which is so close before him. Pray do not neglect this change." - -Dickens seems to have been much pleased with the artist's original -drawings of "Flora's Tour of Inspection" and "Mr. Merdle a Borrower," -which he characterised as "very good subjects--both." Of the latter he -said: "I can't distinctly make out the detail, but I take Sparkles to be -getting the tortoise-shell knife from the box. Am I right?" - -Only a few of the drawings for "Little Dorrit" have been available for -my inspection. Two of these, viz., "Mr. Merdle a Borrower" and "Under -the Microscope" (now in Mr. J. F. Dexter's collection), are executed in -pencil and wash, the second design not being reversed in the etching. As -usual, the pictorial wrapper for the monthly parts was designed by -"Phiz." The central picture represents Little Dorrit emerging from the -gates of the Marshalsea; above is placed the despondent figure of -Britannia in a bath-chair, attended by figures emblematical of the -Circumlocution Office, while at the base of the design is seen a mixed -assemblage of people, including some of the more prominent characters in -the story. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =A Tale of Two Cities, 1859.=] - -Although "A Tale of Two Cities" was written specially for the pages of -_All the Year Round_, it appeared concurrently in the familiar monthly -numbers, with illustrations by "Phiz." The artist, in writing to his son -Walter, said: "A rather curious thing happened with this book. Watts -Phillips, the dramatist, hit upon the very same identical plot: they had -evidently both of them been to the same source in Paris for their story. -Watts's play ['The Dead Heart'] came out with great success, with -stunning climax, at about the time of Dickens's sixth number. The public -saw that they were identically the same story, so Dickens shut up at the -ninth number, instead of going on to the eighteenth as usual." Whether -this explanation is correct or not, the fact remains that "A Tale of Two -Cities" was brought to a conclusion in the eighth number (not the ninth, -as stated by "Phiz"), being therefore less than half the usual length of -Dickens's serials. - -As in the case of "Little Dorrit," the artist's signature does not -appear in any of the sixteen etchings contributed by "Phiz" to this -novel. It has been pointed out that the French personages in the -pictures are not characteristic of the period, there being but little -attempt at archaeological accuracy in the costumes. Only one set of the -illustrations was prepared, none being etched in duplicate; they were -executed on eight quarto steels, each bearing two designs. Of the -original drawings for "A Tale of Two Cities" I have seen only one (now -in Mr. J. F. Dexter's collection), and this was never etched. The sketch -in question, which is vigorously executed with pencil and brush, depicts -the incident of the stoppage at the Fountain, and constitutes an -excellent subject for illustration. - -The artist's design for the monthly wrapper is composed of distinct -scenes separated by dividing lines. At the top of the page is St. Paul's -Cathedral as viewed from the Thames, and at the base the Cathedral of -Notre Dame is represented, while around are displayed some of the -prominent characters in the story. - -"A Tale of Two Cities" is the last of the novels containing -illustrations by "Phiz," for, with the completion of the final plate in -that story, there came a severance of that fortuitous collaboration -between novelist and artist which had been maintained during a period of -twenty-three years. As there is no evidence of any actual rupture -between them, it is fair to surmise that a legitimate desire on the part -of Dickens for a new illustrator constituted the actual reason for that -severance. "Phiz" naturally felt aggrieved at "Dickens's strangely -silent manner of breaking the connection," and could only surmise the -reason; for, in an undated letter to Mr. Robert Young, written -presumably a short time before the publication of the succeeding story, -he said: "Marcus [Stone] is no doubt to do Dickens. _I_ have been a -'good boy,' I believe. The plates in hand are all in good time, so that -I do not know what's 'up,' any more than you. Dickens probably thinks a -new hand would give his old puppets a fresh look, or perhaps he does not -like my illustrating Trollope neck-and-neck with him--though, by Jingo, -he need fear no rivalry _there_! Confound all authors and publishers, -say I. There is no pleasing one or t'other. I wish I had never had -anything to do with the lot." - -The amicable relationship that had subsisted between the author and his -principal illustrator was not strained by this event. As a matter of -fact, the artist ever entertained a tender regard and admiration for the -famous romancer with whom he had so long been associated, and we may -readily believe what a writer in the _Frankfurt Zeitung_ tells us when -he says: "Just after the death of Charles Dickens, 'Phiz' was -considerably affected by the mere mention of the name of that -illustrious novelist, which seemed to stir up in his breast feelings of -regret at losing such a friend." - - * * * * * - -Hablot Knight Browne, as designer of the plates for ten of the fourteen -principal novels by "Immortal Boz," is justly termed "the illustrator of -Dickens." His name and fame are similarly identified with the works of -Lever and Ainsworth, while, in addition to this, his familiar signature -("Fizz, Whizz, or something of that sort," as Tom Hood used to say, when -endeavouring to recall the artist's sign-manual) may be found appended -to innumerable etchings and woodcuts. He was born at Kennington, London, -in July 1815, being the ninth son of William Loder Browne, who is -somewhat indefinitely described as "a merchant." The artist's -forefathers were of French descent, the original name (according to -tradition) being Le Brun, a member of which family emigrated to England -after the Massacre of St Bartholomew in 1572. His ancestors lived in -London in the early part of the last century and adopted the essentially -English cognomen of Browne. With regard to the artist's baptismal names, -it is interesting to learn that the first (Hablot) was the patronymic of -a Colonel (or Captain) who was engaged to marry a sister of "Phiz," but -was killed in a charge of Napoleon's Garde Imperiale at Waterloo, while -the second (Knight) was received from Admiral Sir John Knight, an old -friend of the family; thus, in respect of names, was the artist -associated with both Army and Navy. - -"Phiz" inherited a strong artistic faculty, and, when a boy, was -encouraged to cultivate his wonderful talent for drawing by his -brother-in-law, Mr. Elhanan Bicknell, the well-known Art patron, who -took so keen an interest in his welfare that he offered to defray all -expenses of a thorough art education. It was through Mr. Bicknell's -generosity that the youth was apprenticed to Finden, the engraver, who, -it appears, more than once complained that his _protege_ persisted in -covering with comic figures the entire margins of the plates entrusted -to him, thus indicating the humorous bent of his mind. In after years he -took occasional lessons in painting, but he never distinguished himself -as a painter, although he occasionally exhibited at the Royal Academy -and other public galleries. The only regular training he ever had was at -Finden's; but the work he was required to perform there proved much too -irksome and monotonous for one who, like "Phiz," possessed ideas so -eminently original and fanciful. As in the case of his two famous -contemporaries, Cruikshank and Leech, "Phiz" could never accustom -himself to draw from the living model, which accounts, of course, for -his conventional treatment of the human figure; his representations of -moving crowds, as well as other scenes of life and character, being -drawn either from recollection or by the aid of a few slightly-pencilled -memoranda. - -It is unfortunate for my present purpose that nearly all the -correspondence which passed between author and artist should have been -destroyed. I am enabled, however, to print one or two brief notes -indicating their friendly and familiar relationship. In 1841, "Phiz" -supplied some etchings to "The Pic Nic Papers," a collection of essays -edited by Dickens and produced for the benefit of Mrs. Macrone, the -widow of the well-known publisher, who had been left in impoverished -circumstances. In reply to an inquiry on the part of the novelist -respecting the illustrations, the artist wrote:-- - - "MY DEAR DICKENS,--I have just got one boot on, intending to - come round to you, but you have done me out of a capital - excuse to myself for idling away this fine morning. I quite - forgot to answer your note, and Mr. Macrone's book has not - been very vividly present to my memory for some time past, - for both of which offences I beg innumerable pardons. I - think by the beginning of next [week] or the middle - (_certain_) I shall have done the plates, but on the scraps - of copy that I have I can see but _one good_ subject, so if - you know of another, pray send it me. I should like - 'Malcolm' again, if you can spare him.--Yours very truly, - - "Very short of paper. - - "HABLOT K. BROWNE." - -The following terse epistle is undated, which is characteristic of -"Phiz's" letters:-- - - "MY DEAR DICKENS,--I am sorry I cannot have a touch at - battledore with you to-day, being already booked for this - evening, but I will give you a call to-morrow after church, - and take my chance of finding you at home.--Yours very - sincerely, - - "HABLOT K. BROWNE." - -On March 15, 1847, when forwarding to the artist some written -instructions respecting a "Dombey" illustration, the novelist made an -interesting allusion to an early incident in his own life. "I wish you -_had_ been at poor Hall's[28] funeral, and I am sure they would have -been glad.... He lies in Highgate Cemetery, which is beautiful....Is it -not a curious coincidence, remembering our connection afterwards, that I -bought the magazine [_The Monthly Magazine_, Dec. 1833] in which the -first thing I ever wrote was published ["A Dinner at Poplar Walk"] from -poor Hall's hands? I have been thinking all day of that, and of that -time when the Queen went into the City, and we drank claret (it was in -their [Chapman & Hall's] earlier days) in the counting-house. You -remember?" - - Footnote 28: Partner in the firm of Chapman & Hall. - -"Phiz" received fifteen guineas each for his early plates, but sometimes -agreed to accept smaller fees; he estimated that it took him ten days to -prepare and etch four designs. Being a bad business man, he never raised -his prices, the consequence being that his income was not what it should -have been for one who so long held a unique position as an illustrator -of popular books. During the first ten or twelve years of his -professional life he was comparatively prosperous, but when etching as a -means of illustrating went out of favour, and he became somewhat -indifferent concerning this method of work, his income suffered -considerably. The artist did not actually experience financial -difficulties, however, until he was seized with a serious illness in -1867, said to have been partly caused by his having slept in a draught -at a seaside house. After five months of great suffering he again -essayed to use his pencil, but it soon became obvious to his friends -that his health was completely shattered, and that, in less than six -months, he had become a broken-down old man. The worst trouble of all -was a partial paralysis of the right arm and leg, which he persisted in -calling "rheumatism," and in consequence of which his hand lost its -cunning. Then it was that the demand for his work practically ceased. "I -don't know where to turn or what to do," he wrote in 1879. "I have at -last come to a full stop, and don't see my way just yet to get on again. -My occupation seems gone, extinct; I suppose I am thought to be used up, -and I have been long enough before the public. I have not had a single -thing to do this year, nor for some months previous in the past year." - -In 1878, at the suggestion of his friend Mr. Luke Fildes, R.A., "Phiz" -applied to Government for a pension. The petition was prepared by Mr. -Robert Young, but the result was unfavourable. Happily he received -unexpected assistance from another quarter, in the shape of a -well-deserved annuity from the Royal Academy, awarded in recognition of -his distinguished services to Art. Ever hopeful of being restored to -health, he began on his recovery to again use his pencil, but the -crippled condition of his right hand, together with the rapid decline of -his fanciful imagination and power of invention, made it impossible for -him to produce anything worthy of his past reputation. At length his -affliction became so pronounced that all hope of recovery was abandoned, -and on the 8th of July 1882 the famous "Phiz" breathed his last, in his -sixty-seventh year. He spent the end of his busy life in the quiet -seclusion of Hove, and his last resting-place is on the summit of a hill -on the northern side of the extra-mural cemetery at Brighton. - -"Phiz's" many excellent qualities far outweighed any defects in his -character. A life-long friend of the artist, Mr. John Greville Fennell, -writes thus to me: "No man knew more of Hablot Browne than I did, for -though he was very reticent to most, he never, I believe, concealed -anything from me. We used to wander together in the country for two or -three weeks or more at a time, and a man more full of fun, when he had -thrown off the 'harness,' I have not known in my large acquaintance." -His naturally modest disposition eventually developed into a remarkable -shyness, and this, when coupled with a dislike of publicity, was often -misconstrued as pride. Even Dickens had considerable difficulty in -persuading him to meet a few friends and spend a pleasant evening. When -he did accept such invitations, he invariably tried to seclude himself -in a corner of the room or behind a curtain. In former years he was -occasionally prevailed upon to attend certain dinners given by Dickens -to celebrate the completion of his stories; and the novelist sometimes -succeeded in inducing him to accept invitations to join him for a brief -holiday by the sea, as we learn from a communication addressed to -Forster, and dated from Bonchurch during the "Copperfield" days, in -which Dickens said: "Browne is coming down when he has done his month's -work." Eventually, all desire for social intercourse ceased, "Phiz" -preferring to lead the life of a recluse in his country home. - -A short time prior to his severe illness in 1867, Hablot Browne received -an extraordinary commission from Mr. F. W. Cosens, one of his most -liberal patrons, who solicited the artist to make coloured _replicas_ of -the entire series of his published designs for the works of the great -novelist. In a letter to me on this subject in 1882, Mr. Cosens said: "I -remember to have had only two or three interviews with him, and, as a -stranger, found him shy and nervous. I desired to secure any sketches he -might have of the illustrations to Dickens, but understood him to say he -had none, as he drew them on the blocks [plates]. He evidently did not -like the drudgery of reproduction, and named such terms as he thought -would deter me; but finding the honorarium was of great importance to -him, the bargain was struck. The work extended over some years, and the -later productions evince haste and inferiority. The work can hardly be -called water-colour drawing, as it is simply sketching, slightly -heightened by colour-washing." Strange to say, "Phiz" did not possess -copies of Dickens's novels, so he borrowed Mr. Cosen's set, and from -these he executed the tinted _replicas_. At the sale of Mr. Cosen's -library at Sotheby's in 1890, this interesting collection, numbering 405 -drawings, was disposed of for the aggregate sum of L671. - -It should be mentioned in conclusion, that, besides the vignettes -already described as having been prepared by "Phiz" for the Library -Edition (1858-59), he also designed for that edition the following -subjects, which were executed in water-colours and, like the rest, -engraved on steel:--Mr. Trott and the "Boots," illustrating "The Great -Winglebury Duel" in "Sketches by Boz;" Mr. Bumble and Oliver, for -"Oliver Twist;" Scrooge and Marley, for the series of Christmas Books; -and a Vineyard Scene, which appropriately decorates the title-page of -"Pictures from Italy." - - * * * * * - -Although, as already stated, Hablot Browne was quite capable of -biting-in his own designs upon the steel plates, he had not sufficient -time to devote to this part of his work. From the "Pickwick" days onward -the artist was fortunate in securing the services of his -fellow-apprentice in Finden's studio, Mr. Robert Young, who was -afterwards his partner in many artistic ventures, and always his most -intimate friend and admirer. When at Finden's, Mr. Young acquired the -art of biting-in, a process which, although to some extent a mechanical -one, requires a considerable amount of artistic knowledge and -manipulative skill, for there is nothing to guide the etcher as to the -required effect, except in some cases a rough indication on paper. It -was Mr. Young's duty, after each plate was bitten-in, to go over it with -a graver and join any lines which in the etching had become broken or -rotten. For biting-in and finishing the two subjects on one plate he -received from Chapman & Hall (with whom he had a separate account) the -sum of three guineas. Browne's ruling-machine for producing the -mezzotint effects was kept in his colleague's room at Furnival's Inn, -where, more than half-a-century ago, he and the artist took chambers for -business purposes and to be near the publishers. These quarters, which -were situated in the south-west corner of the Inn, have been lately -demolished, together with the chambers at No. 15, rendered famous by the -fact that the earlier portion of "Pickwick" was there written. - -Mr. Young acted as Browne's assistant in the manner described during the -greater part of the years of "Phiz's" popularity, and his co-operation -extended not only to the Dickens illustrations, but to the -thousand-and-one designs that embellished the works of other writers. -The following brief note (quoted from Mr. Thomson's Memoir) is a -specimen of the many communications which constantly passed between the -artist and his coadjutor:-- - - [_Circa 1845._] - - "MY DEAR 'CO,'--Pray help me in an emergency. Put a bottle - of aquafortis in your pockets, wax and all other useful - adjuncts, and come to me to-morrow about one or two o'clock, - and bite in an etching for me, ferociously and - expeditiously. Can you?--will you?--oblige, Yours sincerely, - - "H. K. BROWNE." - - * * * * * - -Mr. Robert Young, who is now in his eighty-second year, has recently -favoured me with a few facts concerning himself, which are not devoid of -interest in the present record. Writing from Norham-upon-Tweed, he says: -"I was born in Dalkeith in 1816, educated in France, and, on leaving -school, was apprenticed to Finden, the engraver, where my friendship -with 'Phiz' commenced, which closed with his death. Some years ago I was -presented with a clerkship in the Admiralty, and retired on a pension in -1878, which enables me to pass my last days in this humdrum village. I -am, as you see, very old, have many infirmities, and cannot always -remember past events." - - -[Illustration] - -PLATE XXXVIII - -GEORGE CATTERMOLE - -From an Unpublished Photograph by - -LAKE PRICE -_Lent by the Artist's Daughter, Mrs. Edward Franks._ - - - - -GEORGE CATTERMOLE - - First Acquaintance with Dickens--Declines Offer of - Knighthood--Favourite Subjects for Pictures--"MASTER - HUMPHREY'S CLOCK"--A Letter from Dickens respecting the - Illustrations--Cattermole's Designs Copied on Wood by "Phiz" - and Samuel Williams--Some Dickens Correspondence--Minute - Directions to the Artist--Design for Frontispiece--Useful - Hints and Suggestions--The "Maypole" Inn--"Grip," the - Raven--Subjects for "Barnaby Rudge"--An Unpublished Letter - from Cattermole to Dickens--Closing Chapters of the - Story--The Novelist Approves of the - Illustrations--Frontispiece for the First Cheap Edition of - "The Old Curiosity Shop"--Water-colour Drawings of "Little - Nell's Home" and "Little Nell's Grave"--Dickens's Gratitude - to Cattermole--Death of the Artist--His Vivacity and - Good-fellowship. - - -Born at Dickleburgh, Norfolk, in the year 1800, George Cattermole was a -dozen years the senior of Charles Dickens. His acquaintance with the -novelist began in 1838, and when, in the following year, he married Miss -Elderton, a distant connection of the author of "Pickwick," the -friendship subsisting between the two men ripened into sincere -affection. George Cattermole had been elected a member of the Society of -Painters in Water-Colours as early as 1833, which indicates that his -reputation was already well established, and in 1839 he had achieved -such distinction in Art that he received the offer of knighthood,--an -honour he modestly declined. The subjects he loved to portray were -scenes from mediaeval history, fiction, or ballad literature, and he -revelled in depicting incidents of bygone times, with their manners and -customs, their architecture and costumes, in the representation of which -he has been considered the chief exponent. It was this antiquarian -feeling, as well as his powerful imagination and vivid fancy, which -excited the admiration of John Ruskin, whose favourable criticisms of -the artist's early productions proved of infinite service. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Master Humphrey's Clock, 1840-41.=] - -George Cattermole had already enjoyed considerable experience as an -illustrator of books, and had made drawings of buildings and scenery -described in Scott's novels, when, in 1840, Dickens invited him to -collaborate with D. Maclise, R.A., and Hablot K. Browne ("Phiz") in -designing the woodcuts for "Master Humphrey's Clock." The earliest -intimation received by the artist respecting the projected publication -was contained in the following letter, dated January 13, 1840:-- - - "MY DEAR CATTERMOLE,--I am going to propound a mightily - grave matter to you. My new periodical work appears--or I - should rather say the first number does--on Saturday, the - 28th of March.... The title is 'Master Humphrey's Clock.' - Now, among other improvements, I have turned my attention to - the illustrations, meaning to have woodcuts dropped into the - text, and no separate plates. I want to know whether you - would object to make me a little sketch for a woodcut--in - indian-ink would be quite sufficient--about the size of the - enclosed scrap; the subject, an old quaint room with antique - Elizabethan furniture, and in the chimney-corner an - extraordinary old clock--the clock belonging to Master - Humphrey, in fact, and no figures. This I should drop into - the text at the head of my opening page. - - "I want to know, besides--as Chapman & Hall are my partners - in the matter, there need be no delicacy about my asking or - your answering the question--what would be your charge for - such a thing, and whether (if the work answers our - expectations) you would like to repeat the joke at - intervals, and if so, on what terms? I should tell you that - I intend to ask Maclise to join me likewise, and that the - copying, the drawing on wood, and the cutting will be done - in first-rate style.... I want to talk the matter over with - you, and wish you would fix your own time and - place....--Faithfully yours - - "CHARLES DICKENS." - -We gather from this letter that Cattermole was then unaccustomed to -drawing upon the wood block, and therefore executed his designs upon -paper, to be afterwards copied upon wood by a practical hand. In the -next communication, dated a few days later, it will be seen that the -artist agreed to Dickens's proposals (preferring, however, to select his -own subjects), and that "Phiz's" pencil was made available for copying -purposes; the drawing here referred to being that of the "old quaint -room" which forms the heading of the first chapter of "Master Humphrey's -Clock." The novelist wrote:-- - -"I think the drawing most famous, and so do the publishers, to whom I -sent it to-day. If Browne should suggest anything for the future which -may enable him to do you justice in copying (on which point he is very -anxious), I will communicate with you. It has occurred to me that -perhaps you will like to see his copy on the block before it is cut, and -I have therefore told Chapman & Hall to forward it to you. - -"In future, I will take care that you have the number to choose your -subject from. I ought to have done so, perhaps, in this case; but I was -very anxious that you should do the room...." - -The artistic skill of the eminent draughtsman and engraver, Samuel -Williams, was at first similarly requisitioned for copying purposes, as -proved by the signature appended to the illustration of Little Nell's -room in the initial chapter of "The Old Curiosity Shop," the original -drawing of which was undoubtedly supplied by Cattermole, who, before -very long, was enabled to dispense with these professional services. - -Judging from the amount of correspondence still extant, Dickens was -constantly in communication with Cattermole respecting the illustrations -for "Master Humphrey's Clock." In a letter dated March 9, 1840, he -said:-- - -"I have been induced, on looking over the works of the 'Clock,' to make -a slight alteration in their disposal, by virtue of which the story -about 'John Podgers' will stand over for some little time, and that -short tale will occupy its place which you have already by you, and -which treats of the assassination of a young gentleman under -circumstances of peculiar aggravation.[29] I shall be greatly obliged to -you if you will turn your attention to this last morsel as the feature -of No. 3, and still more if you can stretch a point with regard to time -(which is of the last importance just now), and make a subject out of -it, rather than find one in it. I would neither have made this -alteration nor have troubled you about it, but for weighty and cogent -reasons which I feel very strongly, and into the composition of which -caprice or fastidiousness has no part.... - - Footnote 29: "Mr. Pickwick's Tale," in the first chapter. - -"I cannot tell you how admirably I think Master Humphrey's room comes -out, or what glowing accounts I hear of the second design you have -done.[30] I had not the faintest anticipation of anything so good, -taking into account the material and the despatch." - - Footnote 30: See headpiece to "First Night of the Giant - Chronicles." - -The text of "Master Humphrey's Clock" afforded the artist many congenial -themes for his pencil. The story of Little Nell evidently fascinated -him, and the various subjects selected for illustration were lovingly -dealt with. An interval of several months elapsed before the following -instructions were received by him respecting future designs:-- - -"I sent the MS. of the enclosed proof, marked 2, up to Chapman & Hall -from Devonshire, mentioning a subject of an old gateway,[31] which I had -put in expressly with a view to your illustrious pencil. By a mistake, -however, it went to Browne instead. - - Footnote 31: See illustration in "The Old Curiosity Shop," - chap, xxvii. - - -PLATE XXXIX - -QUILP'S WHARF - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Sketch for "The Old Curiosity Shop" by - -GEORGE CATTERMOLE - -_Lent by Mrs. Edward Franks._ - -[Illustration] - - -"The subject to which I wish to call your attention is in an unwritten -number to follow this one, but it is a mere echo of what you will find -at the conclusion of this proof marked 2. I want the cart, gaily -decorated, going through the street of the old town with the wax brigand -displayed to fierce advantage, and the child seated in it also -dispersing bills. As many flags and inscriptions about Jarley's Wax -Work fluttering from the cart as you please. You know the wax brigands, -and how they contemplate small oval miniatures? That's the figure I -want. I send you the scrap of MS. which contains the subject. - -"Will you, when you have done this, send it with all speed to Chapman & -Hall, as we are mortally pressed for time...." - -For some reason, the drawing of Mrs. Jarley's cart was not executed by -Cattermole; perhaps he was otherwise occupied at the moment, so that the -work fell to Browne, whose initials are appended. Concerning the -frontispiece the novelist offered some valuable suggestions, of which -the artist readily availed himself:-- - -"Will you turn your attention to a frontispiece for our first volume, to -come upon the left-hand side of the book as you open it, and to face a -plain printed title? My idea is, some scene from 'The Curiosity Shop,' -in a pretty border, or scroll-work, or architectural device; it matters -not what, so that it be pretty. The scene even might be a fanciful -thing, partaking of the character of the story, but not reproducing any -particular passage in it, if you thought that better for the effect. - -"I ask you to think of this, because, although the volume is not -published until the end of September, there is no time to lose. We wish -to have it engraved with great care and worked very skilfully; and this -cannot be done unless we get it on the stocks soon. They will give you -every opportunity of correction, alteration, revision, and all other --ations and -isions connected with the fine arts." - -In this design will be found Cattermole's only representations of Mr. -Pickwick and the two Wellers. In the following letter (dated December 21 -[1840]), some hints were given as to the treatment of one of the most -charming illustrations in the series, viz., the picturesque -parsonage-house which was the temporary home of Little Nell and her -Grandfather. The lanthorn here referred to is not only omitted from the -drawing, but we fail to find it mentioned in the text:-- - -"Kit, the single gentleman, and Mr. Garland go down to the place where -the child is, and arrive there at night. There has been a fall of snow. -Kit, leaving them behind, runs to the old house, and, with a lanthorn in -one hand and the bird in its cage in the other, stops for a moment at a -little distance with a natural hesitation before he goes up to make his -presence known. In a window--supposed to be that of the child's little -room--a light is burning, and in that room the child (unknown, of -course, to her visitors, who are full of hope) lies dead. - -"If you have any difficulty about Kit, never mind about putting him -in...." - -The next letter contained useful suggestions for the delineation of the -most pathetic scenes in "The Old Curiosity Shop." - -(1.) The child lying dead in the little sleeping-room, which is behind -the open screen. It is winter-time, so there are no flowers; but upon -her breast and pillow, and about her bed, there may be strips of holly -and berries, and such free green things. Window overgrown with ivy. The -little boy who had that talk with her about angels may be by the -bedside, if you like it so; but I think it will be quieter and more -peaceful if she is quite alone. I want it to express the most beautiful -repose and tranquillity, and to have something of a happy look, if death -can. - -(2.) The child has been buried inside the church, and the old man, who -cannot be made to understand that she is dead, repairs to the grave and -sits there all day long, waiting for her arrival, to begin another -journey. His staff and knapsack, her little bonnet and basket, &c., lie -beside him. 'She'll come to-morrow,' he says when it gets dark, and goes -sorrowfully home. I think an hour-glass running out would help the -notion; perhaps her little things upon his knee or in his hand. - -"I am breaking my heart over this story, and cannot bear to finish it." - - -PLATE XL - -TWO STUDIES FOR - -"THE DEATH-BED OF LITTLE NELL" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawings for "The Old Curiosity Shop" by - -GEORGE CATTERMOLE - -_Lent by Mr. S. J. Davey and Mrs. Edward Franks._ - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - - -In the first of these two delightful drawings the artist rightly omitted -the figure of the boy, and in order to emphasise the sense of -repose in that humble death-chamber, he introduced a bird, which is seen -perched upon the window-ledge, while the hour-glass (suggested for the -second picture) seemed to him more appropriate here. Cattermole made two -or three sketches of No. 1 before he quite satisfied the author, who had -asked him to carry out certain alterations, these resulting in such a -marked improvement that Dickens wrote: "I cannot tell you how much -obliged I am to you for altering the child, or how much I hope that my -wish in that respect didn't go greatly against the grain."[32] "Will you -do me," he asks, in the same letter, "a little tailpiece for the -'Curiosity' story?--only one figure if you like--giving some notion of -the etherealised spirit of the child; something like those little -figures in the frontispiece." This little allegory formed the closing -illustration. - - Footnote 32: Macready, upon whom the death of Little Nell had - a painful effect, was much impressed by this illustration, as - an entry in his diary testifies: "Found at home ... an onward - number of 'Master Humphrey's Clock.' I saw one print in it of - the dear dead child that gave a dead chill through my blood. - I dread to read it, but must get it over." - -"Barnaby Rudge" immediately followed "The Old Curiosity Shop," under the -collective title of "Master Humphrey's Clock." For the first chapter of -this stirring romance Cattermole provided a charming illustration, -depicting the old "Maypole" Inn, which, however, was not intended to -portray the "delicious old inn" opposite Chigwell churchyard, referred -to by Dickens in a letter to Forster at this time, it being an entirely -fanciful design. When the novelist saw the drawing on wood of this -subject he was delighted. "Words cannot say how good it is," he wrote to -the artist. "I can't bear the thought of its being cut, and should like -to frame and glaze it in _statu quo_ for ever and ever." On January 28, -1841, he queried:-- - -"I want to know whether you feel ravens in general and would fancy -Barnaby's raven in particular? Barnaby being an idiot, my notion is to -have him always in company with a pet raven, who is immeasurably more -knowing than himself. To this end I have been studying my bird, and -think I could make a very queer character of him. Should you like the -subject when this raven makes his first appearance?" - -Two days later, he again pressed the question:-- - -"I must know what you think about the raven, my buck; I otherwise am in -this fix. I have given Browne no subject for this number, and time is -flying. If you would like to have the raven's first appearance, and -don't object to having both subjects, so be it. I shall be delighted. If -otherwise, I must feed that hero forthwith." - -But Cattermole apparently declined the privilege of introducing to the -world a presentment of the immortal "Grip,"--an honour which therefore -fell to "Phiz's" pencil. On January 30, 1841, Dickens despatched to the -artist some printed slips describing Gabriel Varden's house, "which I -think [he said] will make a good subject, and one you will like. If you -put the ''prentice' in it, show nothing more than his paper cap, because -he will be an important character in the story, and you will need to -know more about him, as he is minutely described. I may as well say that -he is very short. Should you wish to put the locksmith in, you will find -him described in No. 2 of 'Barnaby' (which I told Chapman & Hall to send -you). Browne has done him in one little thing, but so very slightly that -you will not require to see his sketch, I think." - -On February 9th the artist received the following request:-- - -"Will you, for No. 49, do the locksmith's house, which was described in -No. 48? I mean the outside. If you can, without hurting the effect, shut -up the shop as though it were night, so much the better. Should you want -a figure, an ancient watchman in or on his box, very sleepy, will be -just the thing for me. - -"I have written to Chapman and requested him to send you a block of a -long shape, so that the house may come upright, as it were." - -From this note, and a subsequent one in which Dickens commands the -artist to put "a penny pistol to Chapman's head and demand the blocks of -him," we learn that Cattermole had by this time accustomed himself to -copying his designs upon wood, and could dispense with that kind of -assistance. His drawing of the dilapidated but picturesque old country -inn, "The Boot," whither the rioters resorted, is, I believe, a direct -transcript from an old print representing the place as it appeared at -the time referred to, 1780; the woodcut is in reverse of the print.[33] -Here are two letters (dated July 28th and August 6th, 1841, -respectively) that fairly bristle with details of scenes, in chapters -liv. and lvi., which the artist was desired to depict:-- - - Footnote 33: A modern public-house still stands upon the - site, in Cromer Street, Gray's Inn Road. It retains the - original sign. - -"Can you do for me by Saturday evening--I know the time is short, but I -think the subject will suit you, and I am greatly pressed--a party of -rioters (with Hugh and Simon Tappertit conspicuous among them) in old -John Willet's bar, turning the liquor taps to their own advantage, -smashing bottles, cutting down the grove of lemons, sitting astride on -casks, drinking out of the best punch-bowls, eating the great cheese, -smoking sacred pipes, &c., &c.; John Willet fallen backward in his -chair, regarding them with a stupid horror, and quite alone among them, -with none of the Maypole customers at his back? - -"It's in your way, and you'll do it a hundred times better than I can -suggest it to you, I know." - - * * * * * - -"Here's a subject for the next number.... The rioters went, sir, from -John Willet's bar (where you saw them to such good purpose) straight to -the Warren, which house they plundered, sacked, burned, pulled down as -much of it as they could, and greatly damaged and destroyed. They are -supposed to have left it about half-an-hour. It is night, and the ruins -are here and there flaming and smoking. I want--if you understand--to -show one of the turrets laid open--the turret where the alarm-bell is, -mentioned in No. 1; and among the ruins (at some height if possible) Mr. -Haredale just clutching our friend, the mysterious file, who is passing -over them like a spirit; Solomon Daisy, if you can introduce him, -looking on from the ground below. - -"Please to observe that the M. F. wears a large cloak and slouched hat. -This is important, because Browne will have him in the same number, and -he has not changed his dress meanwhile. Mr. Haredale is supposed to have -come down here on horseback pell-mell; to be excited to the last degree. -I think it will make a queer picturesque thing in your hands.... -_P.S._--When you have done the subject, I wish you'd write me one line -and tell me how, that I may be sure we agree." - -In sending to Dickens for approval a sketch of the ruined home of Mr. -Haredale, the artist enclosed the following letter, now printed for the -first time:-- - - "MY DEAR DICKENS,--I cannot hope you will make much out of - the accompanying sketch.[34] I suppose the spectator to be - placed upon the roof of one of the wings of the Warren - House, and towards him are rushing ... [Rudge] and Mr. - Haredale as they issue from a small door in the tower, - whereunto is attached (as part and parcel of the same) the - bell-turret. A small closet through which they pass to the - roof has been dismantled, or rather thrown down and carried - by the fire and the other spoilers; on the grass below is - rooted Solomon Daisy in an ecstasy of wonder, &c., &c.; - beyond are clouds of smoke a-passing over and amongst many - tall trees, and all about are heard the tenants, frightened - rooks, flying and cawing like mad.--In haste, my dear - Charles, - - "G. CATTERMOLE." - - CLAPHAM, _Aug. 12_ [1841]. - - Footnote 34: See Plate. Both sketch and letter are in the - collection of Mr. Augustin Daly, of New York, to whom I am - indebted for the opportunity of reproducing them. - - -PLATE XLI - -"THE NIGHT WATCHMAN" - -AND - -"THE 'MAYPOLE' INN" - -_Facsimiles_ of Original Sketches for "Barnaby Rudge" by - -GEORGE CATTERMOLE - -_Lent by Mr. S. J. Davey._ - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - - -It will be observed that the incident depicted in this illustration -takes place in utter darkness, while the published woodcut represents a -daylight scene. This remark also applies to the subject of the next -letter (dated August 19, 1841), which was treated by the artist in -a similar manner; the effect of torchlight being entirely absent from -the picture necessarily deprives it of much dramatic character:-- - -"When Hugh and a small body of the rioters cut off from the Warren -beckoned to their pals, they forced into a very remarkable postchaise -Dolly Varden and Emma Haredale, and bore them away with all possible -rapidity; one of their company driving, and the rest running beside the -chaise, climbing up behind, sitting on the top, lighting the way with -their torches, &c., &c. If you can express the women inside without -showing them--as by a fluttering veil, a delicate arm, or so forth, -appearing at the half-closed window--so much the better. Mr. Tappertit -stands on the steps, which are partly down, and, hanging on to the -window with one hand and extending the other with great majesty, -addresses a few words of encouragement to the driver and attendants. -Hugh sits upon the bar in front; the driver sitting postilion-wise, and -turns round to look through the window behind him at the little doves -within. The gentlemen behind are also anxious to catch a glimpse of the -ladies. One of those who are running at the side may be gently rebuked -for his curiosity by the cudgel of Hugh. So they cut away, sir, as fast -as they can. - -"_P.S._--John Willet's bar is noble." - -There were yet a few more illustrations required for the closing -chapters of "Barnaby Rudge," concerning which the artist received very -precise instructions from the author. For example, on September 14, -1841, Dickens forwarded to his illustrator the following "business -letter, written in a scramble just before post-time," the directions -having reference to incidents in chapters lxxiii., lxxxi., and -lxxxii.:-- - -"_Firstly_, Will you design, upon a block of wood, Lord George Gordon, -alone and very solitary, in his prison, and after your own fancy; the -time, evening; the season, summer? - -"_Secondly_, Will you ditto upon a ditto, a sword-duel between Mr. -Haredale and Mr. Chester, in a grove of trees? No one close by. Mr. -Haredale has just pierced his adversary, who has fallen, dying, on the -grass. He (that is, Chester) tries to staunch the wound in his breast -with his handkerchief; has his snuff-box on the earth beside him, and -looks at Mr. Haredale (who stands with his sword in his hand looking -down on him) with most supercilious hatred, but polite to the last. Mr. -Haredale is more sorry than triumphant. - -"_Thirdly_, Will you conceive and execute, after your own fashion, a -frontispiece for 'Barnaby'? - -"_Fourthly_, Will you also devise a subject representing 'Master -Humphrey's Clock' as stopped; his chair by the fireside empty; his -crutch against the wall; his slippers on the cold hearth; his hat upon -the chair-back; the MSS. of 'Barnaby' and 'The Curiosity Shop' heaped -upon the table; and the flowers you introduced in the first subject of -all withered and dead? Master Humphrey being supposed to be no more. - -"I have a fifthly, sixthly, seventhly, and eighthly; for I sorely want -you, as I approach the close of the tale; but I won't frighten you, so -we'll take breath. - -"_P.S._--I have been waiting until I got to subjects of this nature, -thinking you would like them best." - -Owing to an illness from which Cattermole was then suffering, the -frontispiece here referred to was designed by Hablot Browne. A few days -later, the author bethought him of an incident earlier in the story -(chapter lxix.), which required an illustration, and anent this he -despatched the following note:-- - - "Will you, before you go on with the other subjects I gave - you, do one of Hugh, bareheaded, bound, tied on a horse, and - escorted by horse-soldiers to jail? If you can add an - indication of old Fleet Market, and bodies of foot-soldiers - firing at people who have taken refuge on the tops of - stalls, bulk-heads, etc., it will be all the better." - - -PLATE XLII - -THE MURDER AT THE WARREN - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Sketch for "Barnaby Rudge" by - -GEORGE CATTERMOLE - -_Lent by Mr. Augustin Daly._ - -[Illustration] - - -This letter is the last (of those which have been preserved) having -reference to George Cattermole's artistic association with "Master -Humphrey's Clock." Of the one hundred and ninety-four illustrations -contained in this work, thirty-nine were designed by him, these -comprising fourteen for "The Old Curiosity Shop," fifteen for "Barnaby -Rudge," and ten for the "Clock" chapters; his signature, "G.C.," -appended thereto has occasionally been mistaken for the initials of -George Cruikshank, to whom some of these designs have been incorrectly -attributed. There can be no doubt that George Cattermole's drawings -greatly enhanced the popularity of the work, for nothing could be -happier than his facile treatment of such subjects as the "Maypole" Inn, -the interior of the Old Curiosity Shop, and Quilp's Wharf; while -especially effective are his representations of the old church in the -village where Little Nell died. This picturesque little structure really -exists at Tong, in Shropshire, and, with its splendid carving and -magnificent monuments, presents the same attractive appearance which -inspired both Dickens and his illustrator. The novelist was so much -charmed with Cattermole's designs in "The Old Curiosity Shop" that he -could not refrain from expressing to the artist his warm appreciation of -them. "I have so deeply felt," he wrote, "your hearty and most -invaluable co-operation in the beautiful illustrations you have made for -the last story, that I look at them with a pleasure I cannot describe to -you in words, and that it is impossible for me to say how sensible I am -of your earnest and friendly aid. Believe me that this is the very first -time that any designs for what I have written have touched and moved me, -and caused me to feel that they expressed the idea I had in my mind. I -am most sincerely and affectionately grateful to you, and am full of -pleasure and delight." - -In concluding this account of George Cattermole's illustrations for the -writings of Dickens, it only remains to add that he prepared a special -design as the frontispiece for the first cheap edition of "The Old -Curiosity Shop" (1848), an admirable drawing on wood, excellently -engraved by Thomas Williams, depicting "Little Nell in the Church." - -On the completion of "Master Humphrey's Clock," the author commissioned -Cattermole to make two water-colour drawings of scenes in "The Old -Curiosity Shop," one representing "Little Nell's Home," while the other -(now in the Forster Collection at South Kensington) portrays "Little -Nell's Grave" in the old church, this being an enlarged version of the -woodcut. These drawings are excellent examples of Cattermole's work, and -were highly valued by the novelist, who, in a letter to the artist -(dated December 20, 1842), expressed his sincere approval of them. "It -is impossible," he said, "for me to tell you how greatly I am charmed -with those beautiful pictures, in which the whole feeling, and thought, -and expression of the little story is rendered, to the gratification of -my inmost heart; and on which you have lavished those amazing resources -of yours with power at which I fairly wondered when I sat down yesterday -before them. I took them to Mac [Maclise] straightway in a cab, and it -would have done you good if you could have seen and heard him. You can't -think how moved he was by the old man in the church, or how pleased I -was to have chosen it before he saw the drawings. You are such a queer -fellow, and hold yourself so much aloof, that I am afraid to say half I -would say touching my grateful admiration; so you shall imagine the -rest...." - -After two years of failing health and much acute suffering, George -Cattermole closed an anxious and laborious life on the 24th of July, -1868, the end being undoubtedly hastened by the almost simultaneous -deaths, in 1862, of a much-loved son and daughter. Dickens, who -sincerely lamented the loss of this cherished friend, actively -interested himself on behalf of his widow and young children (who were -left in a very distressed condition) by starting a fund for their -relief. - -It needs but an examination of the correspondence that passed between -Charles Dickens and George Cattermole (in which, during later years, the -novelist playfully addressed his friend as "My dear Kittenmoles") to -prove how deep was their mutual affection. The artist's natural vivacity -and good-fellowship caused him to be a great favourite, and those of his -family who survive recall with delight the "red-letter" days when -Dickens, Thackeray, Landseer, and other kindred spirits foregathered at -the Cattermole residence in Clapham Rise, on which occasions the genial -company retired after dinner to brew punch in the studio--a picturesque -apartment adorned with armour and tapestry and carved furniture, -indicative of the artist's tastes, and strongly reminiscent of his most -characteristic pictures. - - - - -ILLUSTRATORS - -OF THE CHRISTMAS BOOKS - - - JOHN LEECH. - RICHARD DOYLE. - CLARKSON STANFIELD, R.A. - D. MACLISE, R.A. - SIR JOHN TENNIEL. - FRANK STONE, A.R.A. - SIR E. LANDSEER, R.A. - - -It was nothing less than an inspiration when, in 1843, Dickens conceived -the idea of "A Christmas Carol," the composition of which induced in him -such mental excitement, that when it was completed he "broke out like a -madman." Its extraordinary popularity encouraged him to prepare a -similar story for publication at the end of the following year, this -being succeeded by three others, all of them appearing during the -festive season, in a binding of crimson cloth embellished with gold -designs.[35] Not the least interesting feature of these handsome little -volumes is the illustrations, mainly owing to the fact that they were -designed by the leading black-and-white artists of the day, including -three Royal Academicians and one Associate of the Royal Academy. Of this -talented company only one member survives,--Sir John Tenniel, whose -pencil is still actively employed in the pages of _Punch_. The following -table denotes the number of designs supplied by each artist to the -Christmas Books. - - Footnote 35: The first issue of the "Carol" was bound in - cloth of a brownish colour, the subsequent issues appearing - in crimson. - -ANALYSIS OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - ____________________________________________________________________ -| | | | | | | | -| |A Christmas| The | The |The Battle| The | | -| Artist | Carol, | Chimes| Cricket| of Life |Haunted |Total | -| | 1843. | 1845 | on the | 1846 |Man, 1848| | -| | | | Hearth | | | | -| | | | 1846 | | | | -|___________|___________|_______|________|__________|_________|______| -| | | | | | | | -| Leech | 8 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 28 | -| | | | | | | | -| Doyle | ... | 4 | 3 | 3 | ... | 10 | -| | | | | | | | -| Stanfield | ... | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | -| | | | | | | | -| Maclise | ... | 2 | 2 | 4 | ... | 8 | -| | | | | | | | -| Tenniel | ... | ... | ... | ... | 6 | 6 | -| | | | | | | | -| Stone | ... | ... | ... | ... | 3 | 3 | -| | | | | | | | -| Landseer | ... | ... | 1 | ... | ... | 1 | -| |___________|_______|________|__________|_________|______| -| | 8 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 65 | -|___________|___________|_______|________|__________|_________|______| - -The engravers were the Dalziel Brothers (14 subjects), T. Williams (11), -W. J. Linton (10), Martin and Corbould (8), Smith and Cheltnam (5), -Groves (3), Thompson (3), F. P. Becker (2), Gray (2), Swain (2), Green -(1). Four designs were etched on steel by John Leech, thus making up the -full complement of illustrations. - - - - -JOHN LEECH - - Leech's Early Attempts at Drawing--Medical Studies--First - Published Work--Desires to Illustrate "Pickwick"--Becomes - Acquainted with Dickens--"A CHRISTMAS CAROL"--Sale of the - Original Drawings--"THE CHIMES"--Leech Misinterprets his - Author--"THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH"--An Altered Design--The - Artist's Humour Exemplified--"THE BATTLE OF LIFE"--Sale of - Original Drawings--Unpublished Letters by Leech--A Grave - Error--"THE HAUNTED MAN"--Leech's Method of Work--Artistic - Value of his Sketches--Ruskin's Criticism--Leech as an - Actor--A Serious Accident--Dickens as Nurse--Ill-health--A - Fatal Seizure--Sir John Millais' Portrait of Leech. - - -John Leech, the leading spirit of _Punch_ for more than twenty years, -was born in London in 1817, his father (an Irishman of culture) being a -vintner, and at one time the proprietor of the London Coffee-House on -Ludgate Hill, then the most important of the large City hotels. As the -elder Leech showed some skill as a draughtsman, we may reasonably assume -that from him the son inherited a talent for drawing, by means of which -he was destined, before many years had passed, to astonish the world by -his humour and originality. When a mere lad, he exhibited such aptitude -and dexterity with the pencil, that Flaxman, the famous sculptor, -pronounced these precocious efforts to be wonderful, and exclaimed: -"That boy must be an artist; he will be nothing else or less." -Notwithstanding this recommendation, young Leech (after a course of -schooling at the Charterhouse, where he had William Makepeace Thackeray -as a fellow-pupil) was entered by his father at St. Bartholomew's -Hospital, with a view to his adopting the medical profession; but his -_penchant_ for drawing and sketching proved irresistible, and he gained -more repute among the students by means of his life-like (but -good-natured) caricatures, than for any ability he may have displayed in -hospital work. On leaving St. Bartholomew's, he was placed under an -eccentric practitioner named Whittle (whom Albert Smith has -immortalised as Mr. Rawkins), and subsequently under Dr. John Cockle, -afterwards Physician to the Royal Free Hospital. - - -PLATE XLIII - -JOHN LEECH - -From the Water-colour Drawing by - -SIR JOHN E. MILLAIS, P.R.A., 1854 - -[Illustration] - - -Leech, however, gradually relinquished his medical studies, and resolved -to live by his pencil. He was only eighteen years of age when he -published his first venture, "Etchings and Sketchings, by A. Penn, -Esq.," comprising a collection of slightly caricatured sketches of -various odd characters to be met with on the streets of London. Shortly -after this maiden effort there appeared upon the scene the initial -number of the celebrated "Pickwick Papers," and when, in the second -number, the sad death was announced of Robert Seymour, the illustrator, -Leech immediately conceived the idea of seeking election as his -successor. "Boz" at this time was absolutely unknown to him except by -that strange pseudonym, so the ambitious young artist communicated his -desire to the publishers, Chapman & Hall, to whom he sent as a specimen -of his powers a clever drawing, delicately tinted in colour, of that -familiar scene in "Pickwick" where Tom Smart sits up in bed and -converses with the animated chair.[36] Thackeray (it will be remembered) -also aspired to the position coveted by Leech, but neither possessed the -necessary qualifications. - - Footnote 36: Concerning this design, of which a _facsimile_ - is given in the Victoria edition of "The Pickwick Papers," - 1887, a correspondent received the following interesting - communication from a representative of Dickens's publishing - firm:-- - - "_May 2nd, 1888._ - - "DEAR SIR,--The history of the drawing by Leech of 'Tom - Smart and the Arm-chair' is, that at the time there was a - difficulty about the artist for illustrating 'Pickwick,' Mr. - Leech sent it in as a specimen of his ability to illustrate - the work. This was in the year 1836, and it was in the - possession of my predecessor, Mr. Edward Chapman, until - twenty-five years ago, when it came into my - possession.--Faithfully yours, - - "FRED CHAPMAN." - -In those early years Leech designed numerous illustrations for _Bells -Life in London_, and concocted schemes of drollery with his literary -friends which resulted in the publication of such humorous productions -as the "Comic Latin Grammar," "Comic English Grammar," &c. In August, -1841, he contributed his first drawing to _Punch_ (the fourth number), -this being the forerunner of many hundreds of pictures, chiefly of "life -and character," bearing the familiar sign-manual of a leech wriggling -in a bottle. The artist's connection with _Punch_ gave him a great -opportunity, for he was thus enabled to come before the public, week -after week, with an endless succession of scenes in high life and low -life, now of the hunting-field and now of the river,--always with -something that could not fail to delight the eye and to excite -good-natured laughter. His deftness and versatility naturally brought -many commissions from publishers anxious to secure the aid of his -prolific pencil, so that besides his weekly contribution to _Punch_ he -was occupied in preparing designs for other works, notably _Douglas -Jerrold's Shilling Magazine_, _Hood's Comic Annual_, and "The Ingoldsby -Legends." - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =A Christmas Carol, 1843.=] - -The year 1843 was memorable to John Leech, for then he first became -acquainted with the author of "Pickwick." By whom the introduction was -brought about is not quite clear; perhaps the credit of it may be -awarded to Douglas Jerrold or Thomas Hood. In the above-mentioned year -Leech's services were obtained for the illustration of "A Christmas -Carol," for which he prepared eight designs; four of these were etched -on steel, the impressions being afterwards coloured by hand, while the -remaining four were drawn on wood, and beautifully engraved by W. J. -Linton. The popularity of the "Carol" (the pioneer of all Dickens's -Christmas Books, and, indeed, of Christmas literature generally) proved -enormous, and much of its success was undoubtedly due to the attractive -designs of John Leech, who entered so thoroughly into the spirit of this -charming little allegory. In 1893 the original drawings, with the -exception of that entitled "Scrooge's Third Visitor," were sold at -Sotheby's for 155 guineas, and afterwards catalogued by a London -bookseller at L240--a considerable advance on the price paid to the -artist and engraver, which was just under L50. This interesting series -of drawings (two of them tinted in colours) had hitherto remained in the -possession of a daughter of the artist. - - -PLATE XLIV - -"RICHARD AND MARGARET" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Sketch for "The Chimes" by - -JOHN LEECH - -The figure of Richard was altered in the published design. - - - _By Permission of the Art Museum Committee of the - Corporation of Nottingham._ - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Chimes, 1845.=] - -To "The Chimes" Leech contributed five illustrations, the original -drawings for which realised 66 guineas at Sotheby's in 1893. Some of -these slight pencillings now form part of the Leech Collection at -Nottingham Castle, including the first sketch for the illustration -referred to by Dickens (in a letter to his wife) as being, together with -a sketch by Doyle for the same story, so unlike his ideas that he -invited both artists to breakfast with him one morning, and, "with that -winning manner which you know of, got them, with the highest -good-humour, to do both afresh." The design in question appears in the -"Third Quarter," in which two scenes are represented, the upper one -depicting Margaret in her garret, while in the lower compartment appears -Richard, with "matted hair and unshorn beard," as he enters Trotty -Veck's cottage. The artist misunderstood his author, and delineated, -instead of Richard as described in the text, an extremely ragged and -dissipated-looking character, with a battered hat upon his head. When -the novelist saw it, the drawing had already been engraved, but the -woodcut was promptly suppressed; there still exists, however, an -impression of the cancelled engraving, which is bound up with what is -evidently a unique copy of "The Chimes" (now the property of Mr. J. F. -Dexter), where blank spaces are left for some of the woodcuts; this -particular copy is probably the publishers' "make up," and had -accidentally left their hands. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Cricket on the Hearth, 1846.=] - - -"The Cricket on the Hearth" is embellished with seven designs by Leech. -The original sketch for one of these illustrations, representing John -and Dot seated by the fire, indicates that it was Leech's intention at -first to introduce Tilly Slowboy nursing the baby; but it was apparently -considered that her presence in the picture destroyed the domestic -harmony of the scene, so the figure was omitted, and a separate woodcut -made of the subject for a subsequent chapter. It is interesting to -compare Leech's illustration of Caleb Plummer and his blind daughter at -work with a similar design by Doyle in the same chapter, the vigorous -character of the former happily contrasting with the more restrained -treatment of the latter. In the final woodcut of "The Dance," Leech's -sense of humour (not always devoid of exaggeration) has free play, for -here not only do we see the human characters in the story indulging in -the pleasant exercise, but observe that, in one corner, the carrier's -pets, Boxer and the cat, are similarly disporting themselves, while even -the artist's signature (in the opposite corner) of a leech in a bottle -is placed upon a couple of lively legs, and is kicking away with an -_abandon_ worthy of the occasion. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Battle of Life, 1846.=] - -In Dickens's fourth Christmas Book, "The Battle of Life," John Leech is -represented by three illustrations, all of which are designed in the -manner characteristic of these little volumes, in having one scene -superimposed upon another. The original sketches for two of these -woodcuts, viz., "The Parting Breakfast" and "The Night of the Return," -are in the South Kensington Museum,[37] while the third drawing has -found its way to America, whither so many Dickens relics have departed. -When, in June 1893, some highly-finished _replicas_ of these designs -were disposed of at Sotheby's, they realised the extraordinary sums of -L35, 10s., L17, 10s., and L20, 10s. respectively. In the Forster -Collection at South Kensington there are two very interesting letters, -addressed by Leech to the biographer of Dickens, having special -connection with these illustrations. The first (dated November 16, 1846) -refers to the breakfast scene, and from it we gather that there was a -very limited time for preparing the designs:-- - - Footnote 37: _Facsimiles_ of these have already appeared in - my Memoir of John Leech. A duplicate sketch (more completely - carried out) of "The Parting Breakfast" will be found in the - Print Room of the British Museum, but there is, I believe, - some doubt as to its authenticity. The late Mr. G. A. Sala - pointed out that the engraving of this subject contains an - astonishingly good likeness of that admired comedian, Robert - Keeley, as the old servant Britain. - - -PLATE XLV - -"JOHN, DOT, AND TILLY SLOWBOY" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "The Cricket on the Hearth" by - -JOHN LEECH - -The figure of Tilly Slowboy was omitted in the published Drawing, a -separate Illustration being made of that portion of the Design. - -_Lent by Mr. W. H. Lever._ - -[Illustration] - - - "MY DEAR FORSTER,--I really cannot say off-hand how many - illustrations I can make within the week; indeed, I am so - embarrassed by the conditions under which I am to make my - share of the drawings that I hardly know what to do at all. - _Conscientiously_, I could not make Clemency Newcome - particularly beautiful. If you will read a little beyond the - words 'plump and cheerful,' you will find the following: - 'But the extraordinary homeliness of her gait and manner - would have superseded any face in the world. To say that she - had two left legs and somebody else's arms, and that all - four limbs seemed to be out of joint, and to start from - perfectly wrong places,' &c, &c. Again, she is described as - having 'a prodigious pair of self-willed shoes,' and a gown - of 'the most hideous pattern procurable for money.' The - impression made upon me by such a description as I have - quoted certainly is that the character so described is both - awkward and comic. Of course I may be wrong in my conception - of what Dickens intended, but _I_ imagine the lady in - question a sort of clean 'Slowboy.' The blessed public (if - they consider the matter at all) will hold me responsible - for what appears with my name; they will know nothing about - my being obliged to conform to Maclise's ideas. I cannot - tell you how loath I should be to cause any delay or - difficulty in the production of the book, or what pain it - would give me to cause either Dickens or yourself any - annoyance. I confess I am a little out of heart.--Believe me - ever yours faithfully, - - "JOHN LEECH." - - "JOHN FORSTER, Esq." - -Maclise, who also provided illustrations to "The Battle of Life," was -anxious that his own type of character for Clemency Newcome should be -reproduced in the designs by Leech; hence that artist's protest. Writing -again two days later on the subject, Leech said:-- - - "MY DEAR FORSTER,--Perhaps I was wrong in using the word - 'conditions' in my note to you--I should have said - 'circumstances,' and by being 'embarrassed' by them I meant - that I found it very harassing to do work (that I am for - several reasons anxious to do well) under the constant - feeling that I have too little time to do it in; and also I - meant to convey to you that the necessity (which I certainly - supposed to exist) of preserving a sort of resemblance to - the characters as conceived by Mr. Maclise made it a rather - nervous undertaking to me. It seems I expressed myself - clumsily, as the tone of my note appeared to you anything - but what I intended it to be. Any suggestion from you I - should always consider most valuable. I send you one - drawing, completed this morning at four o'clock, and I - assure you I would spare neither time nor any personal - comfort to show my personal regard for both yourself and - Dickens. - - "I should not like to promise more than two other drawings, - if Saturday is positively the last day. I might be able to - do more, but I should not like to promise, and fail. Pray - overlook any glaring defects in the block I send, and - believe me yours faithfully, - - "JOHN LEECH. - - "JOHN FORSTER, Esq., &c. &c. - - "_P.S._ I should like, if there is no objection, that Linton - should engrave for me." - - -PLATE XLVI - -"CALEB AT WORK" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "The Cricket on the Hearth" by - -JOHN LEECH - -_Lent by Mr. W. H. Lever._ - -[Illustration] - - -It was natural that, remembering the excellent reproductions of his -wood-drawings in the "Carol" and "The Chimes," Leech should express a -wish that Linton[38] might also engrave those in "The Battle of Life;" -but the signatures appended to the cuts show that, doubtless for -some sufficient reason, the artist's wish was not respected. - - Footnote 38: As I write, the decease of that admirable artist - and engraver is reported from New Haven, U.S.A. W. J. Linton - was born in London in 1812, and had therefore attained a - venerable age, spending the latter portion of his life in - America. During an extremely active career he produced, among - other literary works, a valuable and comprehensive history of - the art of which he was undoubtedly the most capable - exponent. Mr. Linton, who may justly be termed the father of - modern wood-engraving, carried on the tradition of Bewick, - and was a thorough champion of the "white-line school." As a - zealous Chartist he took an active and prominent part in - politics, and, in addition to this, he was a voluminous - writer both in poetry and prose, his works including "The - English Republic," "Claribel, and other Poems," "A Life of - Whittier," &c. - -In his third design for "The Battle of Life" Leech committed an -extraordinary blunder, the result (it must be confessed) of carelessly -studying his author. In this illustration, where the festivities to -welcome the bridegroom at the top of the page contrast with the flight -of the bride represented below, Leech gravely erred in supposing that -Michael Warden had taken part in the elopement, and has introduced his -figure with that of Marion. This curious mistake, which might have been -avoided had the drawing been submitted to Dickens, was not discovered -until too late for remedy, and it is highly characteristic of the -novelist, of the true regard he felt for the artist, that he preferred -to pass it silently. The most remarkable thing of all is (as Forster has -pointed out), nobody seems to have noticed the unfortunate oversight, -although it must be obvious to every attentive reader that it makes -great havoc of one of the most delicate episodes in the story. The -feelings of the author, on realising the seriousness of this terrible -misconception on the part of the artist, may be readily imagined. -Writing to his biographer, he said: "When I first saw it, it was with a -horror and agony not to be expressed. Of course I need not tell _you_, -my dear fellow, Warden has no business in the elopement scene. _He_ was -never there! In the first hot sweat of this surprise and novelty, I was -going to implore the printing of that sheet to be stopped, and the -figure taken out of the block. But when I thought of the pain this might -give to our kind-hearted Leech, and that what is such a monstrous -enormity to me, as never having entered my brain, may not so present -itself to others, I became more composed; though the fact is wonderful -to me. No doubt a great number of copies will be printed by the time -this reaches you, and therefore I shall take it for granted that it -stands as it is. Leech otherwise is very good, and the illustrations -altogether are by far the best that have been done for any of my -Christmas Books...." - - - - -The Haunted Man, 1848. - - -"The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain"--the last of the Christmas -stories--contains five designs by Leech, and one of the original -sketches is here reproduced, through the courtesy of the Museum -authorities at Nottingham Castle. They are not among Leech's happiest -efforts, and do not compare favourably with the vignettes in "A -Christmas Carol." -PLATE XLVII - -"THE TETTERBYS" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "The Haunted Man" by - -JOHN LEECH - -_By Permission of the Art Museum Committee of the -Corporation of Nottingham._ - -[Illustration] - - -Like Cruikshank, "Phiz," and other contemporary book-illustrators, John -Leech never worked from models, relying chiefly upon his retentive -memory; he seldom made sketches of any kind, but merely jotted down such -useful memoranda of bits of scenery and character, details of particular -costume, &c, as could be recorded in a little note-book which he -invariably carried about with him. When developing an idea for a -drawing, he would first make a slight outline of the subject upon paper -of the size required, then trace it down upon the wood-block, and -finally complete the picture with care and deliberation. The only -lessons in etching he ever had he received from George Cruikshank; but -it was as a draughtsman on wood that he excelled, his etchings (of which -those in the "Carol" are among the best) not being technically equal to -those of either Cruikshank or "Phiz," nor do they exhibit that sense of -freedom and spontaneity visible in his published drawings. The late -George du Maurier, his friend and colleague on _Punch_, tells us that -Leech "drew straight on the wood block, with a lead-pencil; his delicate -grey lines had to be translated into the uncompromising coarse black -lines of printer's ink--a ruinous process; and what his work lost in -this way is only to be estimated by those who know." In giving an -account of Leech's work, Professor Ruskin points out a fact not -generally known, viz., that from an artistic standpoint his first -sketches for the woodcuts are much more valuable than the finished -drawings, even before those drawings sustained any loss in engraving. -"The first few lines in which he sets down his purpose are invariably, -of all drawing that I know," says the eminent critic, "the most -wonderful in their accurate and prosperous haste." Dickens remained -a constant admirer of Leech's genius, and when, in 1848, there appeared -a collection of lithographs, where the artist humorously depicted "The -Rising Generation," the novelist indited for _The Examiner_ a glowing -eulogium upon the work of his friend, in the course of which he declared -that he was "the very first Englishman who had made beauty a part of his -art." It was from Dickens that Leech occasionally accepted happy -thoughts for _Punch_, and it will be remembered that he frequently -availed himself (as did Sir John Tenniel subsequently) of "Phiz's" -designs for Dickens, whenever he thought they could be appropriately -converted into political cartoons. - -John Leech occasionally associated himself with the amateur theatrical -performances organised by Dickens, but it must be admitted that, owing -to his naturally modest and retiring disposition, he did not achieve -great distinction as an actor. In 1849, while on a visit to the novelist -at Bonchurch, he was stunned by a huge wave when bathing, and was put to -bed with "twenty of his namesakes on his temples." Congestion of the -brain ensued, and Dickens, who proved one of the most attentive of -nurses during this anxious time, proposed to Mrs. Leech to try -magnetism. "Accordingly," he wrote to Forster, "in the middle of the -night I fell to, and after a very fatiguing bout of it, put him to sleep -for an hour and thirty-five minutes. A change came on in the sleep, and -he is decidedly better. I talked to the astonished Mrs. Leech across -him, when he was asleep, as if he had been a truss of hay." - -Incessant brain-work induced in John Leech a peculiar irritability, and -he was so much affected by street noises, even such as would escape -ordinary attention, that he was compelled at length to resort to the -device of double windows. Eventually this abnormal sensitiveness told so -seriously upon his health that he was ordered to Homburg for change of -scene; but, on returning to his London home in the autumn of 1864, he -was still strangely susceptible to noise of all kinds. In addition to -this, the artist suffered acutely from _angina pectoris_, and on -October 29, 1864, he was seized with an attack of that terrible disease, -which, alas! proved fatal. Dickens was sadly overcome by the death of -this kindly man, and attributed, thereto his inability to make progress -with "Our Mutual Friend," upon which he was then engaged. Around the -artist's grave there assembled, on a bright autumn day, many who were -distinguished in Art and Literature, in honour of him they sincerely -mourned, grieving for the loss of a spirit, so gentle and graceful, that -had just passed away. - - * * * * * - -The portrait of John Leech reproduced for this work is from a beautiful -water-colour drawing by his friend, the late Sir John E. Millais, -P.R.A., representing the artist in the prime of life. This interesting -and valuable presentment of the great pictorial humorist was purchased -in 1892 by the Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery, and during the -previous year a reproduction of it was given, at my suggestion, as the -frontispiece to the biography of John Leech by Mr. W. P. Frith, R.A. -Another intimate friend of Leech, Mr. Holman Hunt, informs me that he -considers this drawing by Millais as undoubtedly the best portrait of -the artist. - - -[Illustration: R. Doyle] - -[Illustration: D. Maclise] - -PLATE XLVIII - -RICHARD DOYLE - - From a Photograph by - G. JERRARD - -_Lent by Mrs. Henry Doyle._ - -D. MACLISE, R.A. - - From the Painting by - E. M. WARD. R.A., 1846 - - - - -RICHARD DOYLE - - Inherits a Talent for Drawing--Not Permitted to Study from - Models--No Regular Training in Art--A Skilful - Amateur--Precocious Sense of Humour--Fanciful Designs--Doyle - Joins the _Punch_ Staff--Instructed in Drawing on Wood--His - Sign-manual--Retirement from _Punch_--Not Acquainted with - Dickens--His Illustrations for "THE CHIMES"--Elves and - Goblins--An Oversight by the Artist--"THE CRICKET ON THE - HEARTH" and "THE BATTLE OF LIFE"--Doyle's Original Sketches - for the Christmas Books Dispersed. - - -With the single exception of John Leech, Richard Doyle contributed the -greatest number of illustrations to the Christmas Books, three of these -little volumes containing, in the aggregate, ten designs by him. He was -born in London in 1824, his father, John Doyle, being the famous -caricaturist, "H.B.," whose political cartoons created much sensation in -their day. At an early age Richard Doyle proved that he inherited a -talent for drawing, and was encouraged in this direction by his father, -who (strange to say) would not allow him to study from the living model, -preferring that the boy should be taught "to observe with watchful eye -the leading features of the object before him, and then some little time -after to reproduce them from memory as nearly as he could." He had no -regular training in art, except such as he was privileged to enjoy in -his father's studio, the result being that (as Mr. M. H. Spielmann -reminds us in his "History of _Punch_") he never attained a higher -position than that of an extremely skilful amateur, "whose shortcomings -were concealed in his charming illustrations and imaginative designs, -but were startlingly revealed in his larger work and in his -figure-drawing.... He was saved by his charm and sweetness, his -inexhaustible fun and humour, his delightful though superficial -realisation of character, and his keen sense of the grotesque." - -Richard Doyle's precocious sense of humour is exemplified in his -illustrations for the Comic Histories, executed by him when fifteen -years of age, but which were posthumously published. An extraordinary -power of fanciful draughtsmanship distinguishes the majority of his -designs, so that his pencil was in frequent request for works which -demanded the display of this special faculty, such as Leigh Hunt's "Jar -of Honey," Ruskin's "King of the Golden River," "Pictures from the Elf -World," Planche's "Old Fairy Tales," &c. In 1843, when the artist was -only nineteen, he was installed as a member of the regular pictorial -staff of _Punch_, and received instruction in drawing on wood from -Joseph Swain, the engraver for that journal. Richard Doyle was -familiarly known to his intimate friends as "Dicky Doyle," which -probably suggested his sign-manual of a little dicky-bird perched upon -his initials, R.D.,--a signature that may be found appended to a very -considerable number of cuts designed for _Punch_ during a period of -seven years--that is, until his retirement therefrom in 1850. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Chimes, 1845.=] - -Although Doyle furnished illustrations to three of Dickens's Christmas -Books, there is no evidence that he was ever personally acquainted with -the novelist. No reference is made to the artist by Forster, nor does it -appear that any correspondence passed between him and Dickens, the -necessary instructions being apparently transmitted through the -publishers. The earliest Christmas story with which we find him -associated is "The Chimes," to which he supplied four illustrations, -viz., "The Dinner on the Steps," "Trotty at Home," "Trotty Veck among -the Bells," and "Margaret and her Child." His designs embellish the -initial pages of each chapter, and are treated in a decorative and -fanciful manner. In the first of these it will be noticed that the upper -portion consists of a representation of the tower of St. Dunstan's -Church in Fleet Street,--a subject repeated by Clarkson Stanfield, R.A., -in a subsequent illustration. In the other woodcuts the artist exhibits -his acknowledged skill in delineating elves and goblins, that depicting -Trotty among the Spirits of the Bells affording a delightful example of -his wonderful power in portraying goblin-like creatures, with their -weird expressions and varied postures. _Apropos_ of this engraving, a -curious oversight has been discovered by the Rev. H. R. Haweis, for -Doyle has introduced only three bells, thus seeming to have forgotten -that four are required to ring a quarter! The subject of the remaining -design, where Margaret, with her babe, kneels at the river's brink, is -replete with pathos, the impression of desolation and despair being -admirably rendered by means of a few simple lines. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Cricket on the Hearth, 1846.=] - -The next Christmas story, "The Cricket on the Hearth," contains three -illustrations by Doyle, one for each chapter, as before. The first -really comprises two distinct subjects, separated by a quaintly-designed -initial letter; in the upper drawing is seen John Peerybingle's cart on -its journey, preceded by Boxer, while below we are presented with an -ideal scene of domestic happiness, where John and Dot are seated before -the fire in their humble home. The first page of "Chirp the Second" -contains a capital picture of Caleb Plummer and his blind daughter -Bertha, busily at work among the toys; in the last design, illustrating -the opening lines of "Chirp the Third," the honest carrier is observed -reclining his head upon his hand in silent grief, while comforting -spirits hover around him. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Battle of Life, 1846.=] - -Dickens's fourth Christmas Book, "The Battle of Life," includes three -designs by Doyle, which are also introduced as embellishments of the -initial pages of the different chapters. They are much bolder in -treatment, however, than the artist's earlier drawings, and do not -possess the artistic charm appertaining to his illustrations in "The -Cricket on the Hearth." The most successful are the vignette subjects at -the top of each page, which are charming little studies. - -It is unfortunate that no original sketches for these illustrations are -available for reproduction. A member of the artist's family declares -that they were dispersed, principally as gifts to friends, and that -their present destination is unknown. - -On December 10, 1883, Richard Doyle was struck down by apoplexy as he -was quitting the Athenaeum Club, and died on the following day. Thus -passed away not only one of the most graceful limners of Fairyland that -England has produced, but one who will long be remembered for his many -noble qualities of heart and mind. - - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - -PLATE XLIX - -CLARKSON STANFIELD, R.A. - -From a Photograph - -_Lent by Mr. Field Stanfield._ - - -FRANK STONE, A.R.A. - -From a Photograph - -_Lent by Mrs. Kate Perugini._ - - - - -CLARKSON STANFIELD, R.A. - - Apprenticed to a Heraldic Painter--Goes to Sea--Meets - Douglas Jerrold--Scene-painting--Exhibits at the Royal - Academy--Becomes Acquainted with Dickens--A Memorable Trip - to Cornwall--The Logan Stone--Illustrations for "The - Chimes"--A Labour of Love--A Present and a Letter from - Dickens--Illustration for "The Cricket on the Hearth"--A - Quaint Epistle, signed "Henry Bluff"--Illustrations for "The - Battle of Life"--Dickens's Opinion of Stanfield's - Designs--Illustration for "The Haunted Man"--Another Gift - from Dickens to the Artist--A Drawing of the "Britannia" - Steam-ship--Private Theatricals--A Remarkable - Act-Drop--Declining Health--Death of the Artist--Dickens's - Eulogium--"The Most Lovable of Men." - - -First a sailor, then an artist and a Royal Academician, William Clarkson -Stanfield acquired the reputation of being the greatest marine-painter -of his time. Born in 1793, he was brought up to the sea, and at sea -(curiously enough) was thrown into the companionship of Douglas Jerrold, -who, like himself, was ordained to make his mark in a very different -profession. - -When about twelve years old Clarkson Stanfield was apprenticed to a -heraldic painter in Edinburgh, but an intense longing for the career of -a sailor resulted in his entering the merchant service in 1808. Four -years later he was pressed into the Royal Navy, and while on board the -King's ship _Namur_ in 1814 (where he first met Jerrold, then a -midshipman), his talent for drawing was discovered, whereupon he was -sent ashore at Sheerness to assist in the painting and decoration of the -Admiral's ball-room, his work giving so much satisfaction that he was -promised his discharge from the Navy--a promise, however, that was not -fulfilled. After another interval of three or four years he finally left -the sea, having been temporarily disabled by a fall, and procured an -engagement as scene-painter at the East London Theatre, for he had -already essayed this branch of Art on board ship. So eminently -satisfactory were his pictorial achievements in East London that he -obtained a similar position at the Edinburgh Theatre, and thence, in -1822, in conjunction with his friends David Roberts and Nasmyth, he was -employed in a like capacity at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. From that -time his success in Art was assured. - -Stanfield had already exhibited in the Royal Academy, and year by year -his work in this and other Institutions continued to excite interest and -admiration, by reason of the simple truthfulness of all his -representations. Usually, but not invariably, he preferred to depict -scenes in which his nautical experience could be made available, and his -natural gifts permitted him to combine with the genuine sailor-like -feeling displayed in the treatment of his subjects a poetical sentiment -which considerably enhanced the charm of his productions. In 1832 -Stanfield was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy, and three years -later he attained full honours. It will thus be seen that he had gained -a very dignified position in the world of Art before even the name of -Charles Dickens became known to the reading public,--as a matter of -fact, the future novelist was at that date writing the earliest of those -wonderful sketches which appeared under the _nom de guerre_ of "Boz." - -Clarkson Stanfield, who was Charles Dickens's senior by about nineteen -years, made the acquaintance of the novelist late in the "Thirties," -when began those affectionate relations subsisting between the two -distinguished men. "I love you so truly," observed Dickens to the -artist, in a letter dated August 24, 1844, "and have such pride and joy -of heart in your friendship, that I don't know how to begin writing to -you." Two years previously Stanfield joined Dickens and his friends -Forster and Maclise in their famous trip to Cornwall,--three memorable -weeks, overflowing with enjoyment and fun; the artists made sketches of -the most romantic of the halting-places, one of these being a drawing of -the Logan Stone by Stanfield (now in the Forster Collection at South -Kensington), where are seen the figures of himself and his three -fellow-travellers. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Chimes, 1845.=] - -In 1844 Dickens conceived the idea of a second Christmas Book, "The -Chimes," and what more natural than that he should desire to enlist the -services, as illustrator, of so skilled a draughtsman as Clarkson -Stanfield? It was decided to depart from the plan adopted in regard to -the "Carol," by engaging more than one artist, thus imparting an -agreeable variety to the designs. Stanfield, eager to gratify his -friend, did not require much persuasion to co-operate in the pictorial -embellishment of the little volume, for which he provided two choice -drawings, viz., "The Old Church,"--a faithful representation of the "old -London belfry" of St. Dunstan's in Fleet Street,--and "Will Fern's -Cottage,"--a pretty bit of landscape scenery, such as the artist knew so -well how to depict. With these Dickens was charmed, and in a letter to -his wife he said: "Stanfield's readiness, delight, wonder at my being -pleased with what he has done is delicious." - -Stanfield, it appears, would not accept payment for these drawings, -preferring that they should be considered as tokens of friendship. -Dickens, however, could not pass over so generous an act without some -acknowledgment, and this took the form of a silver claret-jug, which was -presented (as the inscription records) "In Memory of 'The Chimes.'" -Accompanying the gift was the following letter, dated October 2, 1845, -where allusion is made to the succeeding Christmas Story:-- - - "MY DEAR STANNY,--I send you the claret-jug. But for a - mistake, you would have received the little remembrance - almost immediately after my return from abroad. - - " ... I need not say how much I should value another little - sketch from your extraordinary hand in this year's small - volume, to which Mac again does the frontispiece. But I - cannot hear of it, and will not have it (though the - gratification of such aid to me is really beyond all - expression), unless you will so far consent to make it a - matter of business as to receive, without asking any - questions, a cheque in return from the publishers. Do not - misunderstand me--though I am not afraid there is much - danger of your doing so, for between us misunderstanding is, - I hope, not easy. I know perfectly well that no terms would - induce you to go out of your way, in such a regard, for - perhaps anybody else. I cannot, nor do I desire to, vanquish - the friendly obligation which help from you imposes on me. - But I am not the sole proprietor of these little books; and - it would be monstrous in you if you were to dream of putting - a scratch into a second one without some shadowy reference - to the other partners, ten thousand times more monstrous in - me if any consideration on earth could induce me to permit - it, which nothing will or shall. - - "So, see what it comes to. If you will do me a favour on my - terms, it will be more acceptable to me, my dear Stanfield, - than I can possibly tell you. If you will not be so - generous, you deprive me of the satisfaction of receiving it - at your hands, and shut me out from that possibility - altogether. What a stony-hearted ruffian you must be in such - a case!--Ever affectionately yours, - - "CHARLES DICKENS." - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Cricket on the Hearth, 1846.=] - -The "small volume" here alluded to was "The Cricket on the Hearth," for -which Stanfield prepared one illustration, viz., "The Carrier's Cart." - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Battle of Life, 1846.=] - - -PLATE L - -"WAR" AND "PEACE" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Sketches for "The Battle of Life" by - -C. STANFIELD, R.A. - -_Lent by Mr. Field Stanfield._ - -[Illustration] - - -To the fourth Christmas Book, "The Battle of Life," Stanfield -contributed three beautiful little designs, representing respectively -"War," "Peace," and "The 'Nutmeg Grater' Inn." Happily, I am enabled to -present _facsimiles_ of the original sketches (very slight in treatment) -of the first two subjects, through the courtesy of the artist's son, Mr. -Field Stanfield. The story was written at Lausanne, and, during -Dickens's absence in Switzerland, Forster succeeded in enlisting -Stanfield as one of the illustrators as a glad surprise for the -author, who, on being informed of the fact, wrote to his biographer: -"Your Christmas Book illustration-news makes me jump for joy." Forster -intimates that these "three morsels of English landscape," delineated by -Stanfield, had a singular charm for Dickens at the time, who referred to -the illustrations altogether as by far the best that had been done for -any of the Christmas Books. "It is a delight," he remarked concerning -Stanfield's designs, "to look at these little landscapes of the dear old -boy. How gentle and elegant, and yet how manly and vigorous they are! I -have a perfect joy in them." - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Haunted Man, 1848.=] - -The last of the Christmas Books, viz., "The Haunted Man," contains three -illustrations by this artist, viz., "The Lighthouse," "The Exterior of -the Old College," and "The Christmas Party in the Great Dinner Hall." In -the first subject, which is decidedly the most successful, Stanfield -found a most congenial theme, for here his knowledge of sailors and of -the dangers of the sea proved serviceable. With regard to his designs -for these little annuals, it appears that the artist could not be -prevailed upon to accept payment for them, Dickens's protests -notwithstanding. He consequently became the recipient of another gift--a -pair of handsome silver salvers, bearing the simple inscription, -"Clarkson Stanfield from Charles Dickens," in recognition of his -friendly collaboration, and these are now in the possession of one of -the artist's sons. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =American Notes, 1850.=] - -There is another illustration by Stanfield to which some allusion must -be made. This is an admirable water-colour drawing of the _Britannia_, -the steamship that conveyed Dickens to America in 1842. The drawing was -made with a view to reproduction as the frontispiece for the first cheap -edition of "American Notes," and the following hitherto unpublished -letter (dated May 11, 1850) to Edward Chapman (of Chapman & Hall), is -of interest in this connection:-- - - "DEAR SIR,--Mr. Stanfield will draw the packet-ship for the - frontispiece to the 'American Notes.' He says lithograph is - better than wood for that kind of subject; please let me - know immediately whether it will suit us to lithograph - it.--Faithfully yours, - - "CHARLES DICKENS." - -The suggestion was found impracticable, so it was decided that the -drawing should be made on wood. The block was therefore forwarded to the -artist, who complained to Dickens of its imperfect surface, whereupon -the novelist despatched to Edward Chapman this brief missive, dated May -22:-- - - "DEAR SIR,--Mr. Stanfield wonders you didn't send him a - paving-stone to draw upon, as send a block in this - unprepared state. I send you his drawing to do the best you - can with. It costs nothing, and I wish it to be kept very - clean and returned to me.--Faithfully yours, - - "CHARLES DICKENS." - -It may be inferred from this letter that the drawing was copied upon the -wood-block by the engraver himself, whose name (T. Bolton) is appended -to the frontispiece. The original picture was purchased at the sale of -Dickens's effects in 1870 for the sum of L110, 5s., by the late Earl of -Darnley, for many years the novelist's friend and neighbour. - -Clarkson Stanfield, whose intimacy with the Dickens family was very -close, used to take part in their Christmas sports and gambols, and in -connection with the private theatricals at Tavistock House his services -as scene-painter were invaluable. _Apropos_ of this, the novelist once -wrote to Frank Stone, A.R.A.: "Stanfield bent on desperate effects, and -all day long with his coat off, up to his eyes in distemper colours." -Again: "If Stanfield don't astonish 'em [the audience], I'm a Dutchman. -O Heaven, if you could hear the ideas he proposes to me, making even -_my_ hair stand on end!" For Wilkie Collins's drama, "The Lighthouse," -produced at Tavistock House, the artist painted a very remarkable -act-drop representing the Eddystone Lighthouse, concerning which it may -be observed that, although it occupied the great painter only one or two -mornings, it realised at the novelist's death nearly a thousand guineas! - -Dickens, when writing to Stanfield, frequently adopted nautical -expressions, in allusion to the artist's experiences as a seaman. He -sometimes addressed him as "Old Tarpaulin," "Old Salt," "Messmet," &c., -and as an example of this I here reprint a letter, written on an -occasion when Stanfield innocently demanded of Dickens to be informed of -the amount due for a pair of candlesticks that the novelist had sent -him:-- - - "MY DEAR STANNY,--In reference to the damage for the - candlesticks, I beg to quote (from 'The Cricket on the - Hearth,' by the highly popular and deservedly so Dick) this - reply: - - "'I'll damage you if you inquire.' - - "Ever yours, - - "My block-reeving, - Main-brace splicing, - Lead-heaving, - Ship-conning, - Stun'sail-bending, - Deck-swabbing, - Son of a sea-cook, - - "HENRY BLUFF, - "H.M.S. _Timber_."[39] - - Footnote 39: From "The Letters of Charles Dickens." Mr. Field - Stanfield informs me that it is quite certain the - candlesticks were not a gift from Dickens to his father. It - would seem most probable that there may have been some - accident during theatrical preparations, for which the artist - considered himself responsible, and that Dickens undertook to - repair the misfortune himself. - -During the last ten years of his life Stanfield's health became less -strong, and he was obliged in some measure to retire from the congenial -circle of his artistic and literary associates, continuing, however, to -take great delight in his art. Stanfield breathed his last on May 18, -1867. His death proved a great blow to Dickens, who, in a note of -sympathy to Mr. George Stanfield, observed: "No one of your father's -friends can ever have loved him more dearly than I always did, or can -have better known the worth of his noble character." To the famous -painter, for whom he ever entertained a strong affection, the novelist -had dedicated "Little Dorrit," and, as a tribute to his memory, wrote -(in _All the Year Round_) a sympathetic eulogium upon his departed -friend of thirty years, where, after alluding to the artist as "the -National historian of the Sea," he says: "He was a charitable, -religious, gentle, truly good man. A genuine man, incapable of pretence -or of concealment. He was the soul of frankness, generosity, and -simplicity. The most genial, the most affectionate, the most loving, and -the most lovable of men." - - - - -DANIEL MACLISE, R.A. - - His Precocious Talent--Studies Anatomy--Enters the Royal - Academy Schools--Gains a "Travelling Studentship"--Elected a - Royal Academician--Declines the Presidency--Introduced to - Dickens--A Lifelong Friendship--"MASTER HUMPHREY'S - CLOCK"--Maclise Essays an Illustration--"THE CHIMES"--A - Reading by Dickens and a Sketch by Maclise--His Original - Drawings--"THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH"--An Unpublished Letter - from Maclise--"THE BATTLE OF LIFE"--Dickens's Appreciation - of Maclise's Illustrations--The Artist's Correspondence with - Forster Respecting his Designs--His Anxiety Concerning the - Engraving--An Indignant Letter--"Little Dirty - Scratches"--Maclise Dispenses with the Living - Model--Dickens's Relations with the Artist--A Memorable - Trip--Picture of the Waterfall at St. Nighton's Cave--A - Portrait of Dickens--An Interesting Pencil-Drawing--Death of - "Grip"--The Raven Immortalised by Maclise--A Letter of - Sympathy--The Artist's Declining Health--His Death a Severe - Shock to Dickens--The Novelist's Tribute to his Memory. - - -Among a host of intimate friends, none was more beloved by Dickens than -the warm-hearted Irish artist, Daniel Maclise, whose fine genius and -handsome person charmed all who knew him. Maclise was the son of a -Scotch soldier quartered at Cork, and was born in that city on January -25, 1811, being thus the novelist's senior by about a year. As a child -he exhibited great facility in executing caricatures, and was soon -enabled to support himself by the sale of his sketches. It was at first -intended that he should adopt the surgical profession, with which object -he studied anatomy under Dr. Woodroffe, but, like John Leech, he did not -take kindly to the science of healing, preferring (as did Leech) the -more congenial pursuit of Art. Accordingly, in 1827, Maclise entered the -Royal Academy Schools, where he made such rapid progress, that two years -later his work was admitted to the Exhibition of the Royal Academy. -Although, in 1831, the fortunate young painter received the gold medal -entitling him to the "Travelling Studentship," he elected to remain in -England, having already visited Paris and studied at the Louvre and the -Luxembourg. Achieving success after success as a painter of Shakesperian -scenes, portraits, &c., he became an Associate of the Royal Academy in -1836, and attained full honours in 1840. In 1866 he was offered the -Presidency, but, as did Sir Edwin Landseer during the previous year, he -declined that distinction. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Master Humphrey's Clock, 1840-41=.] - -It was in the year of his election as Associate that Maclise was -introduced by Forster to Charles Dickens, and we learn that the tastes -and pursuits of the three friends were so congenial that thenceforth -they were inseparable,--this affectionate intercourse being maintained -without interruption for nearly thirty years. When, in 1840, Dickens -contemplated the publication of "Master Humphrey's Clock," it was his -intention to endeavour to secure the valuable co-operation of Maclise as -an illustrator of that work, in conjunction with George Cattermole. -Forster states that there seems to have been a desire on Maclise's part -to try his hand at an illustration, but he did not remember that it bore -other fruit than "a very pleasant day at Jack Straw's Castle, where -Dickens read one of the later numbers to us." That Maclise's wish was -actually realised, however, is proved by the fact that in the -fifty-fifth chapter of "The Old Curiosity Shop" there is a design by him -representing Little Nell and the Sexton. Why this should have been his -only contribution to the pages of "Master Humphrey's Clock" has never -been explained, but it is not improbable that the artist was too busily -occupied with his paintings just at this time, and therefore unable to -devote serious attention to black-and-white work. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Chimes, 1845.=] - - -PLATE LI - -"THE TOWER OF THE CHIMES" - -AND - -"THE SPIRIT OF THE CHIMES" - -_Facsimiles_ of the Original Drawings for "The Chimes" by - -D. MACLISE, R. A. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - - -Maclise had been much engaged in book-illustration (sometimes signing -himself "Alfred Croquis") when, in 1844, it was proposed that he should -provide designs for Dickens's second Christmas Book, "The Chimes." This -little story was written in Italy, and, during Dickens's absence, -the necessary arrangements respecting the illustrations were made by -Forster. It may be incidentally mentioned that, eager to try the effect -of the story, the novelist journeyed to England for the express purpose -of reading it aloud to his friends at Forster's residence in Lincoln's -Inn Fields, the memorable incident being depicted by Maclise in an -amusing pencil-sketch, afterwards reproduced for Forster's biography. -Maclise became responsible for the frontispiece and decorative -title-page of "The Chimes," both of these fanciful designs gracefully -portraying elves and fairies, spirits of the bells, and allegorical -figures typifying Love, Life, and Death. The original drawings, now in -South Kensington Museum, were delicately executed in pencil, and -engraved on steel by F. P. Becker. With reference to these -illustrations, the artist wrote:-- - - "MY DEAR FORSTER,--I wonder if it would be possible to make - the paper of the book an inch bigger, that is, to increase - the width of margin around the letterpress, without much - additional expense. I wish you to put the question. I do not - think my design too large, but it would marvellously - increase the elegance of the look of the book. I must say - the 'Carol' book is the very climax of vulgarity in its - _mise en planches_.--_Au revoir._. - - "D. M."[40] - - Footnote 40: This and the succeeding letters from Maclise to - Forster are now printed for the first time. - -It was, of course, considered inadvisable to depart from precedent by -acting upon the above suggestion. Dickens was highly pleased with the -artist's designs, and, writing to his wife on December 2, 1844, he said: -"Mac's frontispiece is charming." - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Cricket on the Hearth, 1846.=] - -To the third Christmas Book, "The Cricket on the Hearth," Maclise also -contributed the frontispiece and decorative title-page, which were -engraved on wood instead of steel. These designs are replete with quaint -fancy, the frontispiece being especially worthy of attention, -comprising, as it does, no less than ten miniature _tableaux_, the -chief of these representing a homely scene, where the Carrier and his -wife are seated by the fireside, their babe being rocked in its cradle -by the fairies, while above the steaming kettle is perched that good -spirit, the Cricket. The following undated letter is interesting on -account of its connection with this Christmas story:-- - - "MY DEAR FORSTER,-- ... I write to ask if you have a moment to see - B[radbury] and E[vans] about these blocks for my little designs. I - wrote to D[ickens] Saturday, and there came to me such a small pair - that I instantly sent them back. Then on Saturday evening two more - came; _one of them will do_--but as you understand the matter, and - last year even got the book enlarged a little,[41] I want you to say - that I _must have a block_ for the _frontispiece_ the exact size of - the leaf on which the frontispiece of the 'Chimes' is. I have made a - little sketch to be placed on the wood, and some of the little - shapes come as close to the edge of the page as this line I - make--[Symbol: long vertical line]. I want the wood as high and as - wide as that page--but oh! my I--on, if it could but be--the _page_ - I mean, not the _wood_,--a little--_so_ much larger, ah! I should be - happy for life. Tell B. and E. this and ask D. to insist on it. - Mind, I am not exceeding the present paper of the 'Chimes,' but for - the look of the book it would be very important--and they have sent - me a block much smaller than that page, whereas I cannot afford - one-hundredth part of a pin's point. I know 'tis vain to write to - them--so trouble you, and I want the blocks--in an hour!!!--Ever - most faithfully, - - "D. M." - - Footnote 41: There was practically no enlargement. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Battle of Life, 1846.=] - -The artist prepared for "The Battle of Life" not only the customary -frontispiece and title-page, but two additional designs for the later -portion of the story. Dickens, who was in Paris at the time, was -delighted when he heard of this, and in a letter to a friend observed: -"Forster writes me that Mac has come out with tremendous vigour in the -Christmas Book, and took off his coat at it with a burst of such -alarming energy that he has done four subjects!" Of these, the principal -is the frontispiece, representing the Dance round the Appletree, but the -most successful design is that depicting "The Sisters,"--a graceful -composition, and the last drawing produced by the artist for Dickens. - -Remembering the novelist's keen appreciation of Maclise's illustrations -in the preceding Christmas Books, it seems somewhat strange that the -artist should have thus emphatically expressed himself to Forster in the -following letter, evidently indited in a moment of pique:-- - - "MY DEAR F.,--It is clear to me that Dickens does not care - one damn whether I make a little sketch for the book or not. - However, if _you_ think that the appearance of the volume - should be as like the former ones as possible, I will with - even pleasure gulp down my jealousy and draw on the wood - that apple-tree, &c, for a frontispiece. In which case you - must _shut up that_ same subject to Doyle--as I saw in his - sketch last night. But I do this at your bidding, and not at - all for D., and on the whole would much prefer not engaging - in the matter at all.--Yours truly, - - "D. M." - -Apparently some little misunderstanding had hurt the susceptibilities of -the artist, but, happily, it was speedily removed, for he presently -wrote in a more conciliatory spirit:-- - - "MY DEAR FORSTER,--I have received the blocks and will make - the design of the apple-tree and the girls dancing--so keep - that subject sacred to me. B[radbury] and E[vans] have sent - the block as large as the last, but as I do not approve the - look of the design without margin, I intend to keep this one - within bounds. They have sent me a smaller one for - title-page. Now I propose, and I know it will improve the - appearance of the little book, not to cram in another design - there with the title--a printed title in type has always - still been necessary--but if you like I will make another - design for the body of the book. That one, perhaps, the - lover of Marion's interview with her--and Clemency. I hope - very much you will see no good objection to this - proposition--or will _you_ propose a second subject?--Ever - yours truly - - "D. M." - -Again, a few days later:-- - - "MY DEAR FORSTER,-- ... I write to say that you will find me - at the Athenaeum to-morrow at five o'clock. Do not be later. - I hope _then_ to bring with me the drawing on the block for - the frontispiece--the girls dancing; for the other, I will - do what you like, the girls and the Doctor, Marion reading, - &c, or the lover of Marion's interview with her, and - Clemency outside the door, &c. We will agree - to-morrow.--Very truly yours, - - "D. MACLISE. - - "I hope there may be time enough then not to hurry it." - -The following letter probably refers to the allegorical design on the -title-page, depicting the triumph of Virtue over Vice, in which the -figures (with one exception) are nude: although, from an allusion to -"that tree," it might be suggested that it was the frontispiece:-- - - "MY DEAR FORSTER,--I suppose the stern moralist, Thackeray, - would have described the last design I made lecherous, - libidinous, lustful, lewd, and loose; but I meant it to be - pure and 'mi-ld as the moo-n-beams.' - - "... I only write to tell you, if you can exercise any - control over its fate, that it may be placed in the hands of - as good a wood-man as possible, and that he be recommended - to spare _that_ tree-e-. - - "I fear that my character is gone abroad, and that I am a - dog with a bad name....--Ever yours, - - "DANIEL MACLISE." - -Both the frontispiece and title-page were excellently rendered on wood -by John Thompson, one of the foremost engravers of the day. Maclise, -however, had hoped the work would have been entrusted to others, for he -observed to Forster: "I am annoyed that neither Williams nor Dalziel are -to do that little design. Some one called here and took it away on -Monday, and he said that there was not time (the old excuse) to do it -justice." Judging from the following trenchant remarks, the artist was -anything but gratified by the engraved reproductions of these drawings -when they appeared in print:-- - - "MY DEAR F.,--I can never hope to get you to understand how - I am mortified and humiliated by the effect of these - damnable cuts. It really is too much to be called upon to - submit to, to be shown up in these little dirty scratches - and to have one's name blazoned as if one was proud of them. - I wish to Heaven you would have my name cut out from the - corners, that at least I might have the benefit of the doubt - as to which of the blots is mine. I would give anything that - I had kept to my original notion and had nothing to do with - the thing.... I wish you had left me that last one; I would - have tried to beguile myself with a belief that it might be - improved. My curses light upon the miserable dog that - produced it--I don't mean myself.--Ever yours, - - "D. MACLISE. - - "And what is the good of employing Thom[p]son--if the demon - printers are to ruin them with their diabolic press?" - -Maclise, like other draughtsmen on wood, doubtless often experienced a -sense of disappointment when their delicately-pencilled drawings were -hurriedly engraved and submitted to the arbitrary treatment of printer's -ink. In this way those subtle touches upon which the artist prided -himself were lost for ever, so that the designs appear coarse and crude. -Such was obviously the case with regard to the illustrations now under -consideration, notwithstanding the fact that they bear the signatures of -thoroughly experienced engravers. It is a fact worth recording here that -Maclise did not draw from life the figures in his designs for the -Christmas Books. Indeed, it was a matter of astonishment to his brother -artists that, even when working upon his more important canvases, he -very rarely resorted to the use of the living model, his singular -facility in composition leading him, perhaps, too often to dispense with -the study of the human form; yet his works, although possessing a -mannered look, are distinctively marked by characteristics of individual -as well as general nature. - -As already intimated, the friendship subsisting between Dickens and -Maclise was of a kind the most sincere, and it was naturally coupled -with a true admiration which each entertained for the genius of the -other. Dickens never tired of praising the talent of the artist, whom he -thought "a tremendous creature, who might do anything," and recalled -with delight those halcyon days when Maclise accompanied Clarkson -Stanfield, Forster, and himself on that memorable Cornish trip in 1842, -one result of which was a charming painting (now in the Forster -Collection at South Kensington) of the Waterfall at St. Nighton's Keive, -near Tintagel, into which the artist introduced as the principal feature -a young girl carrying a pitcher, the model for whom was Dickens's -sister-in-law, Miss Georgina Hogarth. It should be remembered that one -of the finest of the early portraits of Dickens himself was painted by -Maclise in 1839, at the instigation of Chapman & Hall, with a view to an -engraving for "Nicholas Nickleby," the reproduction duly appearing as -the frontispiece. The original picture was presented to Dickens by his -publishers, and at the sale of the novelist's effects in 1870 this very -interesting canvas was purchased for L693 by the Rev. Sir E. R. Jodrell, -by whom it was bequeathed to the National Gallery, where it may now be -seen. Maclise is responsible also for another excellent portrait of the -novelist at the same youthful period--a slight pencil-drawing (executed -in 1843) representing him with his wife and her sister. - -The premature death of Dickens's raven, immortalised in "Barnaby Rudge," -was formally notified to Maclise by the novelist in the form of a letter -narrating the details of that domestic calamity. The artist forwarded -the missive to Forster, together with a sketch purporting to represent -"Grip's" apotheosis, while to Dickens himself he dispatched (March 13, -1841) the following letter, which does not appear in the published -collection, and is one of a very few letters extant that were addressed -by him to the novelist:[42]-- - - Footnote 42: Replying to Mr. W. J. O'Driscoll's application - for the loan of any of the artist's correspondence, with a - view to publishing them in his Memoir of Maclise, Dickens - stated that a few years previously he destroyed an immense - correspondence, expressly because he considered it had been - held with him and not with the public. Thus we have been - deprived of valuable records which would have thrown - additional light upon the friendly intercourse subsisting - between the novelist and many of his distinguished - contemporaries. - - "MY DEAR DICKENS,--I received the mournful intelligence of - our friend's decease last night at eleven, and the shock was - great indeed. I have just dispatched the announcement to - poor Forster, who will, I am sure, sympathise with us in our - bereavement. I know not what to think of the probable cause - of his death,--I reject the idea of the Butcher Boy, for the - orders he must have in his (the Raven's) life-time received - on account of the Raven himself must have been considerable. - I rather cling to the notion of _felo de se_--but this will - no doubt come out upon the post-mortem. How blest we are to - have such an intelligent coroner as Mr. Wakley. I think he - was just of those melancholic habits which are the - noticeable signs of your intended suicide, his solitary - life, those gloomy tones,--when he did speak, which was - always to the purpose. Witness his last dying speech, - 'Hallo! old girl,' which breathes of cheerfulness and - triumphant recognition,--his solemn suit of raven black, - which never grew rusty. Altogether his character was the - very prototype of a Byron hero--and even of a Scott--a - Master of Ravenswood. He ought to be glad he had no family. - I suppose he seems to have intended it, however, for his - solicitude to deposit in those Banks in the garden his - savings was always very touching. I suppose his obsequies - will take place immediately. - - "It is beautiful, the idea of his return, even after death, - to the scene of his early youth and all his associations, - and lie with kindred dusts amid his own ancestral graves - after having made such a noise in the world, having clearly - booked his place in that immortality-coach driven by - Dickens. Yes, he committed suicide; he felt he had done it - and done with life. The hundreds of years! what were they to - him? There was nothing more to live for--and he committed - the rash act.--Sympathisingly yours, - - "DAN. MACLISE." - -It is evident from the following epistle, addressed to Forster at the -time when "Dombey and Son" was appearing in monthly numbers, that -Maclise, while acknowledging his intense admiration of the novelist's -powers, could not bring himself to appreciate certain of his youthful -creations:-- - - "MY DEAR FORSTER,--I think it very great--the old - nautical-instrument-seller novel, and most promising. I'm - never up to his young girls--he is so very fond of the age - of 'Nell,' when they are most insipid. I hope he is not - going to make another 'Slowboy'--but I am only trying to say - something, and to find fault when there is none to find. _He - is absolutely alone._--Ever yours, - - "D. M." - -In 1870 Maclise's health began seriously to fail him; he appeared -languid and depressed, and in April of that year he succumbed to an -attack of acute pneumonia, predeceasing the novelist by only a few -weeks. - -Dickens experienced a severe shock on hearing of the death of this -steadfast and genuine friend, and when, three days later, he returned -thanks for "Literature" at the Royal Academy dinner (his final -appearance in public), he offered a most affectionate, graceful, and -eloquent tribute to the memory of him who had just passed away. "For -many years," he said, "I was one of the two most intimate friends and -most constant companions of the late Mr. Maclise. Of his genius in his -chosen art I will venture to say nothing here, but of his prodigious -fertility of mind and wonderful wealth of intellect, I may confidently -assert that they would have made him, if he had been so minded, at least -as great a writer as he was a painter. The gentlest and most modest of -men, the freshest as to his generous appreciation of young aspirants, -and the frankest and largest-hearted as to his peers, incapable of a -sordid or ignoble thought, gallantly sustaining the true dignity of his -vocation, without one grain of self-ambition, wholesomely natural at the -last as at the first, 'in wit a man, simplicity a child,' no artist, of -whatsoever denomination, I make bold to say, ever went to his rest -leaving a golden memory more pure from dross, or having devoted himself -with a truer chivalry to the art-goddess whom he worshipped." These were -the last public words of Charles Dickens, and they were uttered when the -speaker was far from well, and when, indeed, he was himself nearing the -brink of the Great Unknown. - - - - -SIR JOHN TENNIEL - - Cartoons for _Punch_--Book Illustrations--A Self-Taught - Artist--Becomes Acquainted with Dickens--Designs for "The - Haunted Man"--A Wonderful Memory of Observation--An - Interview with Dickens--Knighthood. - - -Sir John Tenniel, the _doyen_ of the _Punch_ staff, is undoubtedly best -known as the designer and draughtsman of the cartoon published weekly in -that journal. This famous pictorial satirist succeeded Richard Doyle on -_Punch_ in 1850, and since 1861 (with the exception of a few brief -intervals) he has supplied the subject of the principal engraving with -unfailing regularity. Confining himself almost entirely to -black-and-white drawing, Sir John has produced, during a long and active -career, a large number of book-illustrations, such as those embellishing -certain editions of "AEsop's Fables," "The Ingoldsby Legends," "Lalla -Rookh," and "The Arabian Nights," while those charming designs in the -late "Lewis Carroll's" "Alice in Wonderland," with its sequel, "Through -the Looking-Glass," will be readily remembered. In _Once a Week_ may -also be found many of his illustrations. - -Sir John Tenniel was born in London in 1820. Although for a time he -attended the Royal Academy Schools, he is practically a self-taught -artist, and exhibited his first picture when sixteen years of age. After -this initial success he continued to paint and exhibit pictures both in -oil and water-colours, but soon realised that he could exercise his -facile pencil with greater advantage, his designs possessing a -refinement and good taste, coupled with a sense of -humour--characteristics suggesting the thought that to him may be -attributed the establishment of the connection between "High" Art and -what may be termed "Grotesque" Art. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Haunted Man, 1848.=] - -Prior to joining the _Punch_ staff--that is to say, in 1847--Sir (then -Mr.) John Tenniel became acquainted with Charles Dickens, who invited -the young artist to contribute (in conjunction with Clarkson Stanfield, -R.A., John Leech, and Frank Stone, A.R.A.) some designs to "The Haunted -Man," published in 1848. Accordingly, in this Christmas Book we find him -represented by six illustrations, consisting of the frontispiece, -engraved title-page, and four other designs, the latter appearing at the -opening of the chapters. The frontispiece is a remarkable achievement in -respect to the decorative border surrounding the central picture,--a -beautifully-fanciful treatment of elf-like and other figures, typifying -Good and Evil, the drawing being admirably engraved on wood by Martin -and Corbould. In the second chapter the artist has represented the -Tetterby family, which it is interesting to compare with a similar group -of the Tetterbys by John Leech in the same chapter. Sir John Tenniel's -final drawing is a successful attempt to portray, in the form of -allegory, Night receding before Dawn. - -Except in painting, Sir John Tenniel never resorts to the use of the -living model for his figures, but depends entirely upon a wonderful -memory of observation. _Apropos_ of his collaboration with the novelist, -he has favoured me with the following note:-- - - "My 'artistic association' with Charles Dickens began and - ended simply with my poor little contributions towards the - illustration of 'The Haunted Man.' There was no written - correspondence between us that I can remember, and I believe - I had but one interview with Dickens on the subject, when he - gave me certain hints as to treatment, &c. &c. &c. Only - that, and nothing more! - - "As to what became of the original sketches I have not the - remotest idea; probably I gave them away--or, more probably - still, they were one day consigned to the waste-paper - basket. At all events, and after an interval of about - forty-five years, it is perhaps scarcely surprising that I - should have long since forgotten all about them." - -It should be mentioned that, as in the case of Leech, many of Sir John -Tenniel's _Punch_ cartoons are adapted from illustrations in the works -of Dickens, these happily suggesting the political situation of the -moment. This subject is fully treated in my paper on "Dickens and -_Punch_" in the _English Illustrated Magazine_, August 1891. - -Sir John is one of the oldest members of the Royal Institute of Painters -in Water-Colours. In June 1893 the distinction of knighthood was -conferred upon the veteran artist, his name having been included in the -list of Royal birthday honours, at the recommendation of Mr. Gladstone, -whose face and figure he has so frequently delineated; thus for the -first time were the claims of black-and-white draughtsmen deservedly -recognised. Sir John Tenniel's busy pencil continues to be effectively -employed in the pages of _Punch_; but he remains, alas! the sole -survivor of the band of clever artists whose designs adorn the Christmas -Books of Charles Dickens. - - - - -FRANK STONE, A.R.A. - - Early Career--Intimacy with Dickens--Illustrations for "THE - HAUNTED MAN"--Selects his Own Subjects--A Letter from - Dickens--His Approbation of the Drawing of "Milly and the - Old Man"--Hints from the Novelist to the Artist--Amateur - Theatricals--Frank Stone's Portrait of Lieutenant Sydney - Dickens--His Election as Associate of the Royal Academy--His - Portraits of 'Tilda Price, Kate Nickleby, and Madeline - Bray--His Frontispiece for the First Cheap Edition of - "Martin Chuzzlewit"--Sudden Death. - - -Frank Stone, A.R.A., father of Mr. Marcus Stone, R.A., was privileged to -join the ranks of Dickens Illustrators. This distinguished artist, born -in 1800, was the son of a Manchester cotton-spinner, which business he -also followed until twenty-four years of age, when he abandoned -mercantile pursuits in favour of Art. During the early portion of his -professional career, which was begun in London under very modest and -unassuming conditions, he made pencil-drawings for Heath's "Book of -Beauty," and presently became successful as a painter in water-colours. -His engaging personality and innate abilities caused him to be welcomed -in both literary and artistic circles, and in this way he secured the -warm friendship of Dickens, Thackeray, and other celebrities of the day. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Haunted Man, 1848.=] - -Frank Stone's intimacy with Charles Dickens was especially close. In -1845 the artist, with his family, went to reside in Tavistock House, -Tavistock Square, remaining there until 1851, when it became the home of -Dickens. In the interval the novelist's fourth Christmas Book, "The -Haunted Man," was published, for which Frank Stone prepared three -designs, representing respectively "Milly and the Old Man," "Milly and -the Student," and "Milly and the Children." As indicated by the -following letter (dated November 21, 1848), the novelist dispatched -proofs of the letterpress to the artist, in order that he might select -his own subjects:-- - - "MY DEAR STONE,--I send herewith the second part of the - book, which I hope may interest you. If you should prefer to - have it read to you by the Inimitable rather than to read - it, I shall be at home this evening (loin of mutton at - half-past five), and happy to do it. The proofs are full of - printer's errors, but, with the few corrections I have - scrawled upon it, you will be able to make out what they - mean. - - "I send you on the opposite side a list of the subjects - already in hand from the second part. If you should see no - other in it that you like (I think it important that you - should keep Milly, as you have begun with her), I will in a - day or two describe you an unwritten subject for the third - part of the book." - - "_Subjects in hand for the Second Part._ - - "1. Illuminated page. Tenniel. Representing Redlaw going - upstairs, and the Tetterby family below. - - "2. The Tetterby Supper. Leech. - - "3. The boy in Redlaw's room, munching his food and staring - at the fire." - - * * * * * - - A preliminary sketch (in pencil and indian-ink) for the - first subject was immediately submitted to the novelist for - approval, and elicited the following reply:-- - - "We are unanimous. - - "The drawing of Milly on the chair is CHARMING. I cannot - tell you how much the little composition and expression - please me. Do that, by all means. - - -PLATE LII - -"MILLY AND THE OLD MAN" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "The Haunted Man" by - -FRANK STONE, A.R.A. - -_Lent by Mr. Marcus Stone. R.A._ - -[Illustration] - - - "I fear she must have a little cap on. There is something - coming in the last part about her having had a dead child, - which makes it yet more desirable than the existing text - does that she should have that little matronly sign - about her. Unless the artist is obdurate indeed, and then - he'll do as he likes. - - "I am delighted to hear that you have your eye on her in the - students' room. You will really, pictorially, make the - little woman whom I love...." - - The original sketch of Milly on the chair has fortunately - been preserved, and has been kindly lent for reproduction by - Mr. Marcus Stone, R.A. The drawing of the old man in the - published engraving is hardly so satisfactory as the - delineation of him in the sketch. The second illustration, - "Milly and the Student," was duly executed; it is a very - graceful design, the pose of the male figure being - excellently rendered. Respecting the third illustration, the - novelist communicated to the artist the following facts, to - assist him in realising the principal theme:-- - - "There is a subject I have written to-day for the third - part, that I think and hope will just suit you. - Scene--Tetterby's. Time--morning. The power of bringing back - people's memories of sorrow, wrong, and trouble has been - given by the ghost to Milly, though she don't know it - herself. As she comes along the street, Mr. and Mrs. - Tetterby recover themselves and are mutually affectionate - again, and embrace, closing _rather_ a good scene of quarrel - and discontent. The moment they do so, Johnny (who has seen - her in the distance and announced her before, from which - moment they begin to recover) cries 'Here she is!'and she - comes in, surrounded by the little Tetterbys, the very - spirit of morning, gladness, innocence, hope, love, - domesticity, &c. &c. &c. &c. - - "I would limit the illustration to her and the children, - which will make a fitness between it and your other - illustrations, and give them all a character of their own. - The exact words of the passage I enclose on another slip of - paper. Note: There are six boy Tetterbys present (young - 'Dolphus is not there), including Johnny; and in Johnny's - arms is Mulock, the baby, who is a girl.... Don't wait to - send me the drawing of this. I know how pretty she will be - with the children in your hands, and should be a stupendous - jackass if I had any distrust of it...." - - (_Slip of paper enclosed._) - - "'Hurrah! here's Mrs. Williams!' cried Johnny. - - "So she was, and all the Tetterby children with her; and as - she came in, they kissed her and kissed one another, and - kissed the baby, and kissed their father and mother, and - then ran back and flocked and danced about her, trooping on - with her in triumph. - - "(After which she is going to say, 'What, are _you_ all glad - to see me too! Oh, how happy it makes me to find every one - so glad to see me this bright morning!')" - - * * * * * - -The amateur theatricals brought author and artist constantly together, -Frank Stone being an actor of some ability. The immortal Mrs. Gamp, in -describing the members of that famous company of players, alludes to -Frank Stone as "a fine-looking portly gentleman, with a face like an -amiable full moon." He became the recipient of many nicknames, that of -"Pump" (or "Pumpion") being one by which Dickens sometimes addressed -him, and it was both pleasantly intended and jocularly received. In 1849 -the artist painted the portrait of the novelist's fifth son, Lieutenant -Sydney Dickens, who was buried at sea in 1872, his death being due to a -sharp attack of bronchitis when on his way home. - -Frank Stone exhibited at the Society of Painters in Water-Colours from -1833 to 1846, and was elected a member of that Society in 1842. He first -exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1838, his election as an Associate -taking place in 1851. The artist, on receiving a commission from Dickens -for a picture, painted a presentment of "'Tilda Price," the _fiancee_ of -the genial John Browdie in "Nicholas Nickleby," the picture realising -the sum of L42 at the sale of the novelist's effects in 1870. This and -two other paintings by Stone (portraits of Kate Nickleby and Madeline -Bray) were engraved on steel by Finden, and published ("with the -approbation of Charles Dickens") by Chapman & Hall in 1848; the plates -were intended for insertion in the first cheap edition of "Nicholas -Nickleby." Besides his illustrations for "The Haunted Man," he also -designed the frontispiece for the first cheap edition of "Martin -Chuzzlewit" (1849), which depicts Mark Tapley on the sick-bed; this -drawing was engraved on wood by T. Bolton. - -The sudden death of Frank Stone in 1859 caused Dickens heartfelt sorrow. -"You will be grieved," he wrote to Forster on November 19, "to hear of -poor Stone. On Sunday he was not well. On Monday went to Dr. Todd, who -told him he had aneurism of the heart. On Tuesday went to Dr. Walsh, who -told him he hadn't. On Wednesday I met him in a cab in the Square here -[Tavistock Square], and he got out to talk to me. I walked about with -him a little while at a snail's pace, cheering him up; but when I came -home, I told them that I thought him much changed, and in danger. -Yesterday at two o'clock he died of spasm of the heart. I am going up to -Highgate to look for a grave for him." - - - - -SIR EDWIN LANDSEER, R.A. - - First Acquaintance with Dickens--Designs an Illustration for - "THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH"--Elected a Royal - Academician--Receives the Honour of Knighthood--Declines the - Presidency of the Royal Academy--Severe Illness and Death. - - -Charles Dickens first became acquainted with Sir Edwin Henry Landseer -during the "Nickleby" period, and ever entertained the highest -admiration and personal regard for this famous artist, to whom Thackeray -once referred as "a sort of aristocrat among painters." Sir Edwin was an -artist by hereditary right and family instinct, being the eldest son of -the well-known engraver, John Landseer, A.R.A. He was born in London in -1802, and at the age of thirteen exhibited two pictures at the Royal -Academy, thus proving that he possessed most exceptional powers as a -draughtsman even at this early period. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =The Cricket on the Hearth, 1846.=] - -It is perhaps not generally remembered that Sir Edwin Landseer has a -just claim to be numbered among the Illustrators of Dickens. Though he -made but a single design, it is indubitably a masterpiece, and suffices -to indicate the admirable skill acquired by this great painter in -depicting what may be considered his favourite subject--the dog. The -charming little woodcut of "Boxer"--the irrepressible companion of John -Peerybingle, in "The Cricket on the Hearth"--defies criticism. - - -PLATE LIII - -SIR JOHN TENNIEL, R.I. - -From a Photograph by - -MESSRS. BASSANO - -_Lent by the Artist._ - - -SIR EDWIN LANDSEER, R.A. - -From the Painting by - -SIR FRANCIS GRANT, P.R.A. - -The dog's head was added by Sir Edwin himself. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - - -In 1825, Sir Edwin (then Mr.) Landseer was elected an Associate of the -Royal Academy, and five years later he attained the full honours, from -which date might be chronicled a long and regular catalogue of pictures -exhibited by him, year by year, either at the British Institution -or on the walls of the Royal Academy. In 1850 he received the honour of -Knighthood, and, at the death of Sir Charles Eastlake in 1865, was -offered the Presidency of the Royal Academy,--a distinction which he -could not be induced to accept. In 1871 a severe illness paralysed his -powerful pencil; from this illness the artist never recovered, and two -years later the mournful intelligence of his death was announced, his -mortal remains being interred in St. Paul's Cathedral. In private life -Sir Edwin was one of the most kind and courteous of men and warmest of -friends,--qualities of mind and heart which endeared him to all with -whom he came in contact. - - - - -SAMUEL PALMER - - A Self-taught Artist--Exhibits at the British Institution - and the Royal Academy--Marriage with John Linnell's - Daughter--Visits Italy--His Sketches of Italian - Scenery--Elected an Associate, and afterwards a Member, of - the Society of Painters in Water-Colours--An Etcher and - Draughtsman on Wood--His Designs for "PICTURES FROM - ITALY"--A Letter from Dickens--The Artist's Method of - Work--The Villa D'Este--His Drawings Difficult to - Reproduce--Elaborate Instructions to Engravers--Literature a - Favourite Amusement--Fondness for Reading Aloud--Admires the - Novels of Dickens--Illness and Death. - - -During Charles Dickens's very brief connection with the _Daily News_, at -the time of its foundation in 1846, he contributed to its columns a -series of "Travelling Sketches," descriptive of his experiences in -Italy, and of his impressions concerning the scenery, institutions, and -social aspects of the people in that beautiful country. Shortly after -the publication of the concluding paper, these "Sketches" were re-issued -in book form, under the title of "Pictures from Italy," with vignette -illustrations on wood by Samuel Palmer. - - -PLATE LIV - -F. W. TOPHAM - -From a Photograph by - -MESSRS. ELLIOTT & FRY - -_Lent by Mr. F. W. W. Topham._ - - -SAMUEL PALMER - -From a Photograph - -_Lent by Mr. A. H. Palmer._ - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - - -Samuel Palmer, who was born in Newington, London, in 1805, was to a -great extent a self-taught artist, his first successes dating from his -fourteenth year, when he was represented by two pictures at the British -Institution and three at the Royal Academy, his work from that time -being frequently seen at one or the other gallery. In 1837 (that is, -while "Pickwick" was in course of publication) he married the eldest -daughter of John Linnell, the famous portrait and landscape painter, -leaving England soon afterwards with his young wife for Italy. Here they -stayed two years--years of such persistent and enthusiastic study that -the sketches and elaborate drawings of some of the finest Italian -scenery which the artist brought back, very numerous though they -were, are no measure of the influence which the sojourn in the land of -his favourite poet, Virgil, had upon his after-life and upon his -artistic labours. - -Samuel Palmer is chiefly remembered by his charming water-colour -drawings, but it seems that in his early years he preferred painting in -oils, whence he afterwards gradually drifted into the use of the former -medium, his election as Associate of the Society of Painters in -Water-Colours in 1843[43] determining his future career. He was a most -successful etcher, his plates being admired by the _connoisseur_ for the -beauty of _technique_ therein displayed. Concerning his efforts with the -needle, Mr. P. G. Hamerton says that Samuel Palmer was one of the most -accomplished etchers who ever lived, and that "there is more feeling, -and insight, and knowledge in one twig drawn by his hand than in the -life's production of many a well-known artist."[44] It must be admitted, -however, that the occasional drawings executed by him for the -wood-engraver do not indicate equal ability as a draughtsman on wood. In -early days he actually attempted, in emulation of his intimate friend -Edward Calvert, to engrave upon wood some of his own designs, this fact -testifying to the extraordinary influence exercised by William Blake -over the contemporary work of such young artists as Palmer, Calvert, and -the rest of the "Ancients," as they jocosely dubbed themselves. - - Footnote 43: Palmer was elected a Member of this Society in - 1854. - - Footnote 44: "Etching and Etchers," 3rd edition, 1880. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Pictures from Italy, 1846.=] - -The first drawings executed upon the wood-block by Palmer and intended -as book-illustrations were apparently the designs for "Pictures from -Italy;" these are four in number, representing the Street of the Tombs, -Pompeii; the Villa D'Este at Tivoli, from the Cypress Avenue; the -Colosseum of Rome; and a Vineyard Scene. One of the artist's -memorandum-books contains an entry recording the receipt from the -publishers of twenty guineas for these drawings. Samuel Palmer and -Charles Dickens were never on terms of intimacy; however the -acquaintance originated has never transpired, nor does the artist's son, -Mr. A. H. Palmer, remember his father ever referring to the subject. It -is probable that the novelist's attention had been directed to Palmer's -excellent rendering of Italian scenery, which had attracted considerable -notice among artists, and that, having met him, he found a degree of -warm enthusiasm for that scenery which was so unusual, that he felt -convinced that the illustrating of the "Pictures" could not be placed in -better hands. Palmer accepted the commission, but, like all his drawings -that were destined to be engraved on wood, it somewhat perplexed him, -for reasons presently to be explained. A correspondence of a formal -business character ensued, and of the few letters still extant I am -enabled to print the following, which endorses the belief that an -interview had taken place between author and artist. - - "DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, - _Wednesday, Thirteenth May, 1846_. - - "DEAR SIR,--I beg to assure you that I would on no account - dream of allowing the book to go to press without the - insertion of your name in the title-page. I placed it there - myself, two days ago. - - "I have not seen the designs, but I have no doubt whatever - (remembering your sketches) that they are very good. - - "Dear sir, faithfully yours, - - "CHARLES DICKENS. - - "SAMUEL PALMER, Esq." - -Two of the woodcuts, viz., those printed on the first and last pages of -the little book, were designed to allow the text to be dropped in. -Sketches (or rather finished drawings) were made on paper before the -subjects were copied by the artist upon the wood-blocks, which drawings, -by the way, are much inferior to the artist's water-colours of the same -or similar subjects. It seems evident, from the word "On" being -tentatively introduced at the top of the original sketch of the Villa -D'Este, that this illustration was at first intended to be placed at -the beginning of the chapter entitled "Going through France," instead of -appearing (as it eventually did) in conjunction with the opening lines -of the preliminary chapter,--"The Reader's Passport." It was apparently -Palmer's proposal to insert on the block a decorative letter "S," but -Dickens, in a letter to the artist, says, "I am afraid I cannot -comfortably manage an S. What do you say to the word 'On'? Could you -possibly do that?" - -With regard to the treatment of these illustrations, there is no doubt -that they are faithful representations of Nature, adapted from sketches -made on the spot. As a matter of fact, it was directly contrary to the -artist's habit and principles to transcribe a sketch detail for detail. -Although the character of his drawing was somewhat involved, rendering -more difficult the work of the engraver, the woodcuts (which bear no -signature) are most carefully executed. Notwithstanding this, Mr. A. H. -Palmer assures me that these designs, and the rendering of them by the -wood-engraver, were not of a kind to which the artist could look back -with much satisfaction. - -Mr. A. H. Palmer still retains in his possession a drawing on wood by -his father of the Villa D'Este, the second illustration in "Pictures -from Italy," which was apparently discarded because the artist had -omitted to reverse his design, and therefore could not be properly -adapted to the particular page for which it was prepared. Those who are -familiar with the freedom and vigour of Samuel Palmer's work from Nature -will realise at a glance that he was not at his ease upon wood. In the -margin of this drawing the artist pencilled the following instructions -to the engraver, who had not entirely succeeded in producing the more -subtle effects:-- - -"I wish the thin cypress to be very much as it _appears upon the -block_--not lighter. Now that the trees have been darkened, it will be -necessary to leave the lines of the building _quite_ as thick as they -are drawn, letting them gradually gain more strength as they come -downwards towards the steps. The degree of sharpness with which the -drawing terminates toward the letterpress is just what I wish." - -From this and the following notes, minutely written upon the two -retouched proofs of the engraving of this subject, we discover how very -much too sanguine the artist was as to the result of the translation of -his work, the voluminous directions clearly indicating his solicitude -respecting the treatment of microscopic details in his design, the -alleged importance of which would be quite beyond the comprehension of -an ordinary engraver. Palmer subsequently learnt by experience that his -drawing on wood was practically untranslatable as he preferred to offer -it for engraving. - - -_MS. Notes on the First Proof._ - -"(1.) In both proofs the top of the cypress is very indistinct, which -greatly injures the design. - -"(2.) From A to B the illuminated side of the cypress has lost its tint -in both impressions, which is ruinous to the effect, as the eye can no -longer follow it as a simple object distinct from the building from the -top to the bottom of the design. The top of the building, too, in both -impressions, is nearly invisible, as if the inking had failed. It is -very important that this should be rectified, so as not to appear in the -printing of the work, as otherwise it will spoil the whole work. I have -worked upon building and cypress a little in pencil to show how they -ought to have come even in a faint impression. - -"(3.) Opposite this mark the light on the cypress stems has been carried -down a little lower, and two or three fine threads of light have been -introduced into the shadowed side (which are intended to be scarcely -perceptible) to remove a blottiness in the dark. - -"(4.) The touches on the steps, the statue, and the whole of the lower -part of the trees and ground, though not very numerous, are very -important to the finish of the foreground. - - -PLATE LV - -"THE VILLA D'ESTE" - -_Facsimile_ of an Original Design for "Pictures from Italy" by SAMUEL -PALMER - -_Lent by Mr. A. H. Palmer._ - -[Illustration] - - -"(5.) The darkest lines in the great vase have been thinned in the -_slightest degree_. - -"(6.) Close to C the thickness of a black line on the edge of the -cypress has been split. - -"(7.) From E down to F a minute speck of light has here and there been -inserted on the outline of the cypress foliage to split some blots of -dark which will be seen on the untouched proofs, and which were rather -harsh. - -"(8.) The light flashing on the steps ought to make thinner without -removing the outline of the arm of the statue. The foot resting upon the -pedestal should be indicated. The action of the other leg thrown back is -shown in the retouching by the removal of the black line. - -"(9.) The getting the upper part of the slender cypress of as full a -tint as I have given it here seems to me so important that if it can be -done in no other way, I think a piece should be inserted into the block -to effect it. In the drawing on the block it was like this, which I have -retouched with pencil." - - -_Second Proof._ - -"(1.) Opposite are a few touches on the slender cypress--two very thin -lines of light on the stem. Specks of light on the foliage. - -"(2.) There is a thick black line on the block, thus [Symbol: -left-bowing arc] which I have here crossed with specks of white; -although it is in the body of the tree, it kills the fine work on the -Villa. - -"(3.) The thickness of outline on the light side of this vase unfinishes -the foreground. I have altered it. - -"(4.) The thick outline on this leaf unfinishes everything about it." - - * * * * * - -Thus we discover how fastidious to a degree was the artist in his desire -that every subtle touch of his poetic pencil should be reproduced--a -result which, as he quickly perceived, it was impossible to achieve. - -Samuel Palmer took a still keener delight in Literature than he did in -Art. An insatiable but punctilious reader, the novels of Dickens and -Scott were among the very few works of fiction which he read aloud to -members of his own household. Mr. A. H. Palmer informs me that he has -known his father to be so engrossed by reading aloud one of Dickens's -finer and more exciting passages, that the announcement and entry of a -visitor served to stop the reading only for a few moments; the crisis -past, he laid down the book and apologised. Literature, indeed, -constituted the chief pleasure of his simple life--a life that, at one -period at least, would have been almost insupportable without the -consolation afforded by books. Early in May, 1881, he became, alas! too -ill to work, and on the twenty-fourth of that month he passed peacefully -away, leaving behind him a reputation which is blameless. - - - - -F. W. TOPHAM - - Illustrations for "A CHILD'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND"--Begins - Life as a Writing-Engraver--Designs for Books--Exhibits at - the Royal Academy--Elected an Associate of the New Society - of Painters--Retires from the Society--Elected a Member of - the Old Society of Painters in Water-Colours--First Visit to - Spain--Fatal Illness--Some Pictures Inspired by Dickens's - Stories--Histrionic Ability--The Artist as a Juggler. - - -[Sidenote: =A Child's History of England, 1852-53-54.=] - -During the years 1851-52-53, there appeared in the pages of _Household -Words_ one of Charles Dickens's less familiar writings, "A Child's -History of England." On its completion as a serial, the little work was -issued in three 16mo volumes, each containing a frontispiece by F. W. -Topham. These illustrations were engraved on wood, each consisting of a -circular design, printed in black, and surrounded by an ornamental -border of a light mauve colour, the latter enclosing familiar scenes -from English History, viz., Alfred in the Neatherd's Cot; Canute -reproving his Courtiers; Edwy and Elgiva; Eleanor and Fair Rosamond. The -decorative border with its four _tableaux_ remained unchanged, but the -subject of the central illustration varied, that in the first volume -depicting a girl reading to two children; in the second, Alfred the -Great receiving instruction in reading from his mother, Queen Osburgha; -while in the third there is a more modern representation of a similar -incident. - -Francis William Topham, who was born at Leeds in 1808, enjoyed the -privilege of being numbered among the personal friends of Charles -Dickens. He entered professional life as a writing-engraver, and his -first design was for a label required by a well-known firm of pin -manufacturers. From this modest beginning he advanced to more artistic -work, and was soon busily engaged in engraving plates for pocket-books, -&c. During the several years he was thus occupied he engraved many -original designs for book-illustrations, and in 1832 began to exhibit -pictures; his works after this date being frequently seen at the Royal -Academy and other London galleries. In 1842 he was elected an Associate -of the New Society of Painters in Water-Colours, of which body he became -a full member in the following year. He, with several other members, -left the New Society after a comparatively short time, and was -immediately elected into the Old Society of Painters in -Water-Colours--the present Royal Water-Colour Society--to the -Exhibitions of which the majority of his more important productions were -contributed. It was in Spain, whither he first went in 1852-53, that he -found subjects most congenial to his tastes, and there, in that land of -sunny skies, he was seized with a fatal illness in 1877, expiring at -Cordova on March 31st of that year. - -Topham was a great admirer of the works of Charles Dickens, and selected -from them the subjects of some of his most successful pictures. One of -these--a water-colour drawing executed in 1851--illustrates a scene in -"Barnaby Rudge," where children flock round the half-witted hero as he -and his mother pass through her native village; the drawing was -presented by the artist to Dickens, and realised at the sale of the -novelist's effects the sum of L115, 10s. This picture was followed by -another from "The Old Curiosity Shop," representing Little Nell and her -Grandfather in the tent, making bouquets for the racecourse, which was -also a gift to Dickens, being subsequently disposed of at the -above-mentioned sale for L288, 15s. It is also recorded that the artist, -in 1856, produced a drawing portraying "Little Nell in the Churchyard," -which some five years after the novelist's death found a purchaser for -L325, 10s. - -F. W. Topham proved a welcome addition to Dickens's company of -distinguished amateur actors, and concerning his histrionic ability the -artist's son, Mr. Frank W. W. Topham (himself an eminent painter), thus -writes: "My father had, from quite a young man, a great love of acting, -at which he was considered unusually good. One of my earliest -recollections of a play was one acted at the St. James's Theatre, in -which my father, Sir John Tenniel, the late Francis Holl, A.R.A. (the -engraver), and others took part, for the benefit of the Artists' -Benevolent Fund. I do not know if my father owed his introduction to -Dickens to his acting, but have an impression that he did,--certainly it -was the cause of their after intimacy." - -_Apropos_ of their "splendid strolling," and the fun incidental thereto, -Dickens observed to his wife, in a letter dated from Clifton, November -13, 1851: "I forgot to say that Topham has suddenly come out as a -juggler, and swallows candles, and does wonderful things with the poker -very well indeed, but with a bashfulness and embarrassment -extraordinarily ludicrous." - - - - -MARCUS STONE, R.A. - - The Artist's Boyish Admiration of Dickens's Stories--His - Delineation of Jo, the Crossing-Sweeper--A Present and a - Letter from Dickens--First Success as a Painter--Death of - his Father--Desires to Become an Illustrator of - Books--Befriended by Dickens--Initial Attempt at Drawing - upon Wood--Frontispiece for the First Cheap Edition of - "Little Dorrit"--The Artist's _Debut_ as a Black-and-White - Draughtsman--His Designs for "OUR MUTUAL FRIEND"--The - Pictorial Wrapper--Suggestions from Dickens--Portrait of - Silas Wegg--Preliminary Sketches for the - Illustrations--Valuable Hints for the Artist--Realism in his - Designs--The Prototype of Mr. Venus--Photography upon - Wood--Defective Engraving--Sale of the Original - Sketches--Illustrations for Cheap Editions--Relinquishes - Black-and-White Drawing--Elected a Royal - Academician--Popularity of his Pictures--Intimacy with - Dickens--Private Theatricals. - - -It will be remembered that "A Tale of Two Cities," the last of Dickens's -novels containing Hablot Browne's designs, was succeeded by "Our Mutual -Friend," the initial number of which appeared on May 1, 1864. In this -story Dickens repeated an early experience in having woodcut -illustrations instead of the customary etchings, availing himself of the -services of an artist whose style and method of work differed very -considerably from those of "Phiz." The new recruit was Mr. Marcus Stone, -who now holds high rank among Royal Academicians. - - -PLATE LVI - -MARCUS STONE, R.A. - -From a Photograph specially taken for this Work by - -JAMES HYATT - -[Illustration] - - -As the son of the novelist's cherished friend, Frank Stone, A.R.A., who -partly illustrated "The Haunted Man," Mr. Marcus Stone was brought by -force of circumstances into early communication with the author of -"Pickwick." Born in 1840, he soon indicated by his _penchant_ for Art -that he inherited his father's talent, becoming in course of time a -painter even more distinguished; for Frank Stone did not live to attain -full honours of the Royal Academy. Mr. Marcus Stone proudly confesses -that, even as a mere lad, Charles Dickens's romances proved most -fascinating to him, and he recalls an interesting incident as -evidence of this influence. When, in 1852-53, the dramatic story of -"Bleak House" appeared in serial form, he eagerly read each number as it -came out, and was much attracted by the novelist's rendering of Jo, the -crossing-sweeper, being quick to perceive the artistic capabilities of -the scenes in which that pathetic character is introduced. In the -eleventh chapter a specially touching reference is made to the poor -outcast--that memorable occasion when he softly sweeps the step of the -gateway leading to the loathsome graveyard in which was buried the man -who had been "wery good" to him. Dickens's vivid description of the -weird picture at once induced Marcus Stone (then twelve years of age) to -try his hand at depicting it with his pencil. While so engaged the -novelist entered the room, and, looking over his shoulder, he -immediately recognised the subject of the sketch, whereupon he -encouragingly observed, "Well, now, that is very good. You will have to -give that to me." Accordingly, on completion, the little drawing was -sent to Tavistock House.[45] About a year afterwards the young artist -received a copy of "A Child's History of England," containing the -author's autograph, and accompanied by the following note, dated -December 19, 1853:-- - - "MY DEAR MARCUS,--You made an excellent sketch from a book - of mine which I have received (and preserved) with great - pleasure. Will you accept from me _this_ little book? I - believe it to be true, though it may be sometimes not as - genteel as history has a habit of being.--Faithfully yours, - - "CHARLES DICKENS." - - Footnote 45: Curiously enough, "Phiz" had already selected - the same subject as an illustration for the succeeding - number, an early proof of which was forwarded by Dickens to - Mr. Marcus Stone, in order to direct his attention to the - coincidence. - -Even at the early age of three or four, Mr. Marcus Stone evinced a -desire to become an artist,--a wish that was never discountenanced. In -his seventeenth year he ostensibly began his career as a painter, but -his father, who was then an invalid, could not for that reason -efficiently direct the course of his son's studies. Indeed, Mr. Marcus -Stone never had any systematic training in the details of his -profession, and what he learnt during his boyhood was, for the most -part, casually "picked up" in his father's studio. At this time he -painted a picture called "Rest," representing a knight in armour lying -under a tree, and this, the first of his productions accepted by the -Royal Academy, excited much favourable comment, the work being -especially remarkable on account of the juvenility of the artist, who, -as he himself intimates, was really ten years before his time. - -In November 1859, shortly after his initial success in the world of Art, -Mr. Marcus Stone mourned the death of his father, an event rendering it -imperative that, in entering upon a career which not unfrequently fails -to yield a golden harvest, he should have a powerful helping hand. Among -those of his father's friends who recognised this necessity was Charles -Dickens, who, with characteristic promptitude and energy, exerted his -influence on behalf of the young man. Besides other kind actions, the -novelist introduced him to Thomas Longman, the publisher, to whom he -wrote: "I am very anxious to present to you, with the earnest hope that -you will hold him in your remembrance, young Mr. Marcus Stone, son of -poor Frank Stone, who died suddenly but a little week ago. You know, I -daresay, what a start this young man made in the last Exhibition, and -what a favourable notice his picture attracted.[46] He wishes to make an -additional opening for himself in the illustration of books. He is an -admirable draughtsman, has a most dexterous hand, a charming sense of -grace and beauty, and a capital power of observation. These qualities in -him I know well to my own knowledge. He is in all things modest, -punctual, and right; and I would answer for him, if it were needful, -with my head. If you will put anything in his way, you will do it a -second time, I am certain." - - Footnote 46: This picture was entitled "Silent Pleading" and - represents a tramp with a child in his arms, who are - discovered asleep in a shed by the squire and the village - constable. - - -PLATE LVII - -STUDIES FOR - -"MR. VENUS SURROUNDED BY THE TROPHIES OF HIS ART" - -_Facsimile_ of Original Sketches for "Our Mutual Friend" by - -MARCUS STONE, R.A. - -_Lent by the Artist._ - -[Illustration] - - -[Sidenote: =Little Dorrit, 1861.=] - -The opportunity soon arrived when the novelist's interest in the -son of "poor Frank Stone" assumed a very practical form, for at -this juncture it occurred to him to test the artistic capabilities of -Marcus Stone, probably without any intention of permanently ousting -"Phiz." The young _protege_, however, possessed no knowledge of etching, -and, indeed, had gained but little experience in any other form of -illustration. Fortunately, the art of drawing upon wood (then much in -vogue, but now practically obsolete) needed very little training in the -hands of one skilled in the use of the pencil, so that Dickens was -induced to favour Marcus Stone by agreeing to the adoption of the -readiest means of producing his designs for the engraver. It is not -generally known that the artist's first attempt at drawing on wood was -the frontispiece for the first cheap edition of "Little Dorrit" (1861), -which, although showing marked ability, is by no means equal to his -subsequent efforts. Marcus Stone was fortunate in making his _debut_ as -a black-and-white draughtsman at the time when a remarkable array of -talent presented itself in the pages of the _Cornhill Magazine_, just -then launched by Thackeray, the illustrations for which were supplied by -Millais, Fred. Walker, Sandys, and Leighton--a new school of designers, -whose admirable pencillings could not fail to inspire the younger -members of the craft. - -[Sidenote: =Our Mutual Friend, 1864-65.=] - -Mr. Marcus Stone, who was scarcely twenty-one years of age when he first -essayed the art of book-illustration, rightly considers that one of the -most important events of his life was the receipt of the commission to -illustrate "Our Mutual Friend," and, doubtless, he fully realised at the -time how valuable was the _prestige_ arising from such collaboration -with so popular a writer as Charles Dickens. This story, like those -which preceded it, was issued in monthly parts, the first instalment -appearing in May 1864. At the beginning the novelist was about four -numbers in advance, but he lost his advantage as the tale progressed, -until at length he found himself in a position necessitating the -preparation of each number month by month, as required by the -exigencies of publication. Before the initial number could be -circulated, a pictorial wrapper was requisitioned, for which Mr. Stone -designed a series of _tableaux_ embodying somewhat allegorically the -leading characters and incidents, and displaying prominently in the -centre the title of the story, the word "Our" being dropped in over one -of the subjects. A preparatory sketch was submitted to Dickens, who, -while thoroughly approving thereof, made certain proposals tending to -its improvement. Writing to the artist (February 23, 1864) he said: - -"I think the design for the cover _excellent_, and do not doubt its -coming out to perfection. The slight alteration I am going to suggest -originates in a business consideration not to be overlooked. The word -'Our' in the title must be out in the open like 'Mutual Friend,' making -the title three distinct large lines--'Our' as big as 'Mutual Friend.' -This would give you too much design at the bottom. I would therefore -take out the dustman, and put the Wegg and Boffin composition (which is -capital) in its place. I don't want Mr. Inspector or the murder reward -bill, because these points are sufficiently indicated in the river at -the top. Therefore you can have an indication of the dustman in Mr. -Inspector's place. Note, that the dustman's face should be droll, and -not horrible. Twemlow's elbow will still go out of the frame as it does -now, and the same with Lizzie's skirts on the opposite side. With these -changes, work away!..." - - -PLATE LVIII - -MONSIEUR DEFARGE AND DOCTOR MANETTE - -_Facsimiles_ of the Original Studies by - -MARCUS STONE, R.A. - -These Studies were prepared for the First Cheap Edition of "A Tale of -Two Cities." - -_Lent by the Artist._ - -[Illustration] - - -Before executing this drawing for the wrapper, the artist had received -from Dickens a few general hints as to the points to be illustrated, -beyond which he had little to guide him. "Give a vague idea," said the -novelist, "the more vague the better." Mr. Stone desired to introduce -Silas Wegg into his composition, but the description of the mercenary -old ballad-monger was so indefinite that he was compelled to ask Dickens -if he had absolutely decided in his own mind whether Silas's wooden leg -was the right or the left one. Judging by his reply, the novelist had -evidently overlooked this detail, for he said, "It's all right--please -yourself;" whereupon the doubtful point was settled by the artist, -who placed the timber limb on Wegg's left side. Mr. Stone recalls an -interesting circumstance in the fact that Dickens laid special stress -upon a certain incident which he desired should be hinted at by the -artist in his design for the monthly cover. "One of the strongest -features of the story," observed the novelist, "will be the death of -Eugene Wrayburn after the assault by the schoolmaster. I think," he -added, "it will be one of the best things I have ever done." Dickens, -however, changed his mind, for Wrayburn does not die. - -It is a recognised fact among illustrators of works of fiction that -authors are usually devoid of what Mr. Stone aptly designates a sense of -"pictorialism,"--that is to say, the subjects selected by them for -illustration invariably prove to be unsuitable. Charles Dickens -(according to Mr. Stone's experience) was a noteworthy exception to the -rule, although he usually afforded the artist free scope in this matter, -sending him the revised proof-sheets of each number, that he might make -his own choice of the incidents to be depicted; and it is worthy of -remark that in no instance did the novelist question the propriety of -his selection. A preliminary sketch for each illustration was forwarded -to Dickens, who returned it to the artist with suggestions, and with the -title inscribed by him in the margin. The finished drawings upon the -wood were never seen by the novelist, as they were dispatched by Mr. -Stone to the engravers immediately on completion. - -Mr. Marcus Stone affirms that he was much hampered by Dickens with -respect to these designs, for the novelist, hitherto accustomed to the -diminutive scale of the figures in Hablot Browne's etchings, was -somewhat imperative in his demand for a similar treatment of the -illustrations for "Our Mutual Friend." The author, it seems, was usually -in an appreciative mood whenever a sketch was submitted for approval, -now and then favouring his illustrator with information that often -proved indispensable. With reference to the drawing entitled "The Boffin -Progress," he wrote: "Mrs. Boffin, as I judge of her from the sketch, -'very good indeed.' I want Boffin's oddity, without being at all -blinked, to be an oddity of a very honest kind, that people would like." -Concerning a second sketch for another proposed illustration, he -observed: "The doll's dressmaker is immensely better than she was. I -think that she should now come extremely well. A weird sharpness not -without beauty is the thing I want." Towards the close of the first -volume Dickens wrote to the artist from Paris the following letter -respecting subsequent designs:--"The sooner I can know about the -subjects you take for illustration the better, as I can then fill the -list of illustrations to the second volume for the printer, and enable -him to make up his last sheet. Necessarily that list is now left blank, -as I cannot give him the titles of the subjects, not knowing them -myself.... I think the frontispiece to the second volume should be the -dustyard with the three mounds, and Mr. Boffin digging up the Dutch -bottle, and Venus restraining Wegg's ardour to get at him.[47] Or Mr. -Boffin might be coming down with the bottle, and Venus might be dragging -Wegg out of the way as described." - - Footnote 47: This subject was chosen. - -The story, when concluded, was issued in two volumes, each containing -twenty illustrations, engraved by Dalziel Brothers and W. T. Green in -almost equal proportions. Mr. Marcus Stone regards these early efforts -in black-and-white art as very immature, and believes he could have -achieved greater results if he had been less handicapped by certain -harassing restrictions. That these clever designs possess the charm of -unconventionality is undeniable, while in addition to this they are -marked by an originality of treatment which may be attributed to the -fact that each drawing is the fruit of many careful studies of figures -and accessories, these imparting an air of reality to the scenes -depicted. Notable instances of this may be observed in the first -frontispiece, entitled "The Bird of Prey," in which is represented a -characteristic portion of the river-bank below London Bridge (probably -Rotherhithe), and in the last engraving "Not to be Shaken Off," the -snow-covered lock-gates in this illustration having been drawn from -a sketch of the gates still existing on the Regent's Canal, Hampstead -Road. - - -PLATE LIX - -"BLACK AND WHITE" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing by - -MARCUS STONE, R.A. - -This Study was prepared for the Library Edition of "American Notes." - -_Lent by the Artist._ - -[Illustration] - - -Mr. Stone enjoys the distinction of having introduced to Dickens's -notice the original of that remarkable personage, Mr. Venus. Early in -1864, the artist was engaged upon a painting representing a "loafing" -deserter being marched off under arrest, while some busy workmen -temporarily suspend their labours in order to watch the military -procession as it wends its way along a public thoroughfare.[48] The -artist desired to introduce into the composition a begging dog, but, not -succeeding to his own satisfaction, he consulted a brother-artist (well -known for his clever delineation of animals), who said, "Why don't you -go to Willis? He will soon find you a dog, and 'set him up' for you." -Willis was a taxidermist, who lived on the north side of St. Andrew's -Street, near Seven Dials, and to him Mr. Stone at once stated his -requirements, with the result that in the course of a few days the -stuffer of skins went to Mr. Stone's studio accompanied by a dog such as -the artist had described. The animal being deemed suitable, its fate was -sealed, and there is a touch of pathos in the recollection that the -little creature made such friendly overtures to the artist during the -interview that he felt very much averse to authorising its destruction. -However, sad to relate, he hardened his heart, and the poor beast was -"set up" accordingly. On the evening of the day when Mr. Stone first -called upon Willis, and observed the strange environment resulting from -the man's occupation, he was invited by Dickens to go with him to the -play, and between the acts the novelist enquired if he knew of any -peculiar avocation, as he wished to make it a feature of his new -story,--"it must be something very striking and unusual," he explained. -The artist immediately recalled Willis as he appeared when "surrounded -by the trophies of his art," and informed Dickens that he could -introduce him to the very thing. Delighted with the suggestion, the -novelist appointed "two o'clock sharp" on the following day, for a -visit to Willis. It happened that the man was absent when they called, -but Dickens, with his unusually keen power of observation, was enabled -during a very brief space to take mental notes of every detail that -presented itself, and his readers were soon enjoying his vivid portrayal -of that picturesque representative of a curious profession, Mr. Venus. -The novelist was so elated by the discovery that he could not refrain -from confiding the secret to Forster: "While I was considering what it -should be," he wrote, "Marcus, who has done an excellent cover, came to -tell me of an extraordinary trade he had found out, through one of his -painting requirements. I immediately went with him to St. Giles's to -look at the place, and found--what you will see." - - Footnote 48: This picture, called "Working and Shirking," was - exhibited at the Royal Academy during the same year. - -Mr. Stone visited Willis's shop two or three times for the purpose of -sketching, in order that he might effectively introduce the more salient -features into his drawing. The illustration gives an approximate -representation of that dingy interior, with its "bones warious; bottled -preparations warious; dogs, ducks, glass eyes, warious;" but, in -delineating the proprietor, the artist did not attempt to give a true -presentment of Willis, whom, by the way, Dickens never saw, and who -never suspected that it was his own establishment which figures in the -story. - -In all the illustrations there is that happy delineation of character -which indicates how admirably the artist understood his author. Perhaps -the most successful designs are those where Rogue Riderhood appears, -particularly that in which we behold the thankless ruffian at the moment -of his recovery from "that little turn-up with Death;" while among other -drawings deserving attention special mention must be made of those -containing the quaint and pathetic figure of Jenny Wren, and of that -entitled "The Boofer Lady," the latter denoting Mr. Stone's ability, -even at this early date, in depicting a pretty woman,--an art in which -he has since displayed such consummate skill. - - -PLATE LX - -"TAKING LEAVE OF JOE" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for the Library Edition of "Great -Expectations" by - -MARCUS STONE, R.A. - -In the engraved version of this Design, Pip is seen wearing a "bowler" -hat. - -_Lent by the Artist._ - -[Illustration] - - -Mr. Marcus Stone claims the credit of bringing into repute the now -universal custom of duplicating drawings upon wood-blocks by means of -photography, his illustrations for Anthony Trollope's story, "He Knew He -was Right," being the first thus treated. The adoption of this plan -secures the preservation of the original designs, and therefore renders -them available for comparison with the engraved reproductions. Mr. -Stone, nevertheless, is by no means satisfied with the engraver's -treatment of his work, nor is this surprising when we critically examine -such deplorable examples of wood-engraving as instanced in the -illustrations entitled "The Garden on the Roof" and "Eugene's Bedside." -In one of the designs, that representing "The Boffin Progress," it will -be noticed that the wheels on the "off-" side of the Boffin chaise are -omitted, an oversight (explains Mr. Stone) for which the engraver is -really responsible. - -The original sketches for "Our Mutual Friend" were disposed of by the -artist, many years ago, to the late Mr. F. W. Cosens, who desired to add -them to his collection of Dickensiana. At the sale in 1890 of that -gentleman's effects at Sotheby's, the series of forty drawings (some of -which were executed in pen-and-ink and others in pencil) sold for L66, -the purchaser acting for a well-known firm of American publishers. The -drawings were subsequently bound up in a copy of the first edition of -the story, and the treasured volume now reposes in the library of a New -York collector. - -[Sidenote: =Illustrations for Cheap Editions.=] - -Mr. Stone is naturally best known as a Dickens illustrator through his -designs for "Our Mutual Friend." In addition to these, however, he has -essayed some illustrations (engraved on wood by Dalziel Brothers) for -cheap issues of the works of the great novelist, of which the following -is a complete list:-- - - LITTLE DORRIT--_First Cheap Edition_, 1861. Frontispiece. - GREAT EXPECTATIONS--_Library Edition_, 1862. Eight Illustrations. - PICTURES FROM ITALY--_Library Edition_, 1862. Four Illustrations. - AMERICAN NOTES--_Library Edition_, 1862. Four Illustrations. - A CHILD'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND--_Library Edition_, 1862. Eight - Illustrations. - A TALE OF TWO CITIES--_First Cheap Edition_, 1864. Frontispiece. - -From this record it will be seen that (with the exception, perhaps, of -the frontispiece for "A Tale of Two Cities") all the above-mentioned -designs were executed prior to those for "Our Mutual Friend." It was -hardly to be anticipated that Mr. Stone's pencil would rival the work of -his more experienced contemporaries, yet it will be seen that these -illustrations are characterised by the very essential quality of always -telling their story. Mr. Stone much regrets that he never had the -opportunity of doing himself justice in black-and-white Art. Needless to -say, he revels in subjects appertaining to a bygone age, as they afford -considerable scope for pictorial treatment, and one of the novels he -would have most enjoyed to illustrate is "Barnaby Rudge," because of the -picturesque period in which the story is laid. In response to my enquiry -why he did not undertake the illustration of Dickens's next and final -romance, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," Mr. Stone explains: "I had -entirely given up black-and-white work when 'Edwin Drood' was written, -and was making an ample income by my pictures. I was not in the field at -all." Indeed, black-and-white drawing possessed little to attract the -young artist, who, preferring the more alluring charm of colour, had -already begun to acquire a reputation as a painter. In 1877 he was -elected an Associate of the Royal Academy, and ten years later was -advanced to the full rank of Academician. During the last twenty years -his most popular pictures have been his groups of interesting lovers and -pathetic maidens; for, after exhibiting in eighteen Academy Exhibitions -various presentments of human passion, he at last decided to limit -himself to the one which makes the widest appeal to all sorts and -conditions of men and women, such as those subtle domestic dramas in -which love plays the leading _role_. - -Mr. Marcus Stone's intimacy with Charles Dickens originated while his -father, Frank Stone, and the novelist were living not more than a couple -of houses apart; but it should be understood that the elder artist and -the author of "Pickwick" were friends many years before they were -neighbours. From the days of his childhood until the famous writer -breathed his last, Mr. Stone spent a portion of every year of his life -at Dickens's abode. "I saw him," he observes, "under the most natural -and simple conditions, and my affection and regard for him were intense. -Dickens was one of the shyest and most sensitive of men, as I have -reason to know, for I saw him constantly at his own home, often for -weeks together. He used to treat me as though I were his son. Nothing -was more delightful than the way in which he shared our pleasures and -pursuits. His influence was like sunshine in my life whilst his own -lasted." Mr. Stone occasionally took part in private theatricals at -Tavistock House, where the novelist had installed "The Smallest Theatre -in the World," and the artist has pleasant recollections of his own -share in the various plays, such as Planche's fairy extravaganza, -"Fortunio," in which he impersonated the Captain of the Guard, and -Wilkie Collins's "The Frozen Deep," where, as an Officer in the British -Navy, he had but three words to say. - - - - -LUKE FILDES, R.A. - - An Illustrator Required for "THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN - DROOD"--Charles Alston Collins Offers his Services--His - Design for the Wrapper--He Prepares Sketches for the First - Number--Ill-Health--The Project abandoned--Death of Mr. - Collins creates a Dilemma--"The Fellow for 'Edwin Drood'" - Discovered--Luke Fildes, R.A.--His Drawing of "Houseless and - Hungry"--Specimens of his Black-and-White Drawings Submitted - to Dickens--A Complimentary Letter from the Novelist--Mr. - Fildes Elected to Illustrate "Edwin Drood"--First Meeting of - Author and Artist--A Pen-Portrait of Dickens--A Memorable - Interview--Pictorial Exactness--Working under - Difficulties--Studies from the Life--Successful Realisation - of Types--The Opium-Smokers' Den--Cloisterham--The Artist's - Method of Executing his Designs--The Engraved - Reproductions--The _Finale_ of the Story Hinted at--Mr. - Fildes Invited to Gad's Hill--Suggestion for the Last - Drawing--Death of Dickens--"The Empty Chair"--A Visit to - John Forster--A Curious Coincidence--Pleasing Reminiscences - of Dickens--Mementoes of the Novelist--Unpublished Drawings - for "Edwin Drood." - - -PLATE LXI - -LUKE FILDES, R.A. - -From a Photograph specially taken for this Work by - -JAMES HYATT - -[Illustration] - - -When Mr. Marcus Stone, R.A., had completed his designs for "Our Mutual -Friend," he determined to relinquish black-and-white drawing and to -concentrate his energy upon painting; but for this, it is probable that -his skilled pencil would have been requisitioned for Charles Dickens's -last story, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." That the re-engagement of -Hablot Browne as illustrator of that unfinished romance was not -contemplated may be attributed chiefly to the fact that, in 1867, the -clever artist whose name and fame will ever be associated with the -writings of Dickens was unhappily struck with severe paralysis, and -consequently his hand had lost its cunning. The assistance of either of -these draughtsmen being, therefore, out of the question, the novelist -was compelled to seek a new illustrator, and at this crisis his -son-in-law, Charles Alston Collins (brother of Wilkie Collins), -intimated that he would like to undertake the necessary designs for -"Edwin Drood," or rather to test his powers in that direction. Although -he occupied himself, in a desultory fashion, with both Literature -and Art, Charles Collins had been bred a painter, and achieved a notable -position among the young artists of the Pre-Raphaelite School. He -favoured the pen, however, rather than the pencil, his fugitive pieces -being distinguished for the most part by humour of a charming quality. -Dickens had great faith in his artistic talent, and accordingly (on -September 14, 1869) sent his publishers the following note: "Charles -Collins wishes to try his hand at illustrating my new book. I want him -to try the cover first. Please send down to him at Gad's Hill any of our -old green covers you may have by you." The pictorial wrapper was -satisfactorily completed, whereupon Charles Collins began to prepare -sketches for the first number, an undertaking which he looked upon -rather as an experiment. Ill-health, alas! proved a serious obstacle, -and, after making a futile endeavour to realise his conceptions, he was -compelled to abandon the project altogether. It has been suggested that, -as the leading incidents portrayed by him on the cover were intended to -prefigure the course of the narrative, Charles Collins must have -obtained a clue to the "mystery" involved in the story. As a matter of -fact, there is no evidence that he had the faintest notion of the -meaning of the enigmatical little _tableaux_ of which his design -consists; on the contrary, it is asserted that he merely received the -novelist's verbal directions without obtaining any hint as to their real -significance. Charles Alston Collins died in 1873 in his forty-fifth -year, having "borne much suffering, through many trying years, with -uncomplaining patience." He was a son-in-law of Charles Dickens, whose -younger daughter, Kate, he married in 1860, the occasion being -signalised by much rejoicing on the part of the novelist's friends and -neighbours at Gad's Hill. - - * * * * * - -The speedy relinquishment by Charles Collins of the illustrating of -"Edwin Drood" caused something of a dilemma. Dickens being again without -an illustrator, he appealed for advice to his friends Mr. (afterwards -Sir John) Millais, R.A., and Mr. W. P. Frith, R.A., who promised to aid -him in searching for a suitable artist. Shortly afterwards there was -published in the initial number of _The Graphic_ an engraving entitled -"Houseless and Hungry," depicting a crowd of vagrants of both sexes -awaiting admission to the workhouse,--a picture at once so powerfully -conceived and so pathetic in sentiment that it immediately attracted the -attention of Sir John Millais, who immediately hastened in a cab to -Dickens's rooms at Hyde Park Place, bearing in his hand a copy of the -new journal. Striding into the study, and waving _The Graphic_ above his -head, the famous painter exclaimed, "I've got him!" - -"Got whom?" inquired the novelist. - -"The fellow for 'Edwin Drood,'" replied Millais, as he threw the paper -down on the table. - -No sooner had Dickens examined the picture than he became similarly -enthusiastic in his praise, and wrote forthwith to his publishers, -requesting them to communicate with the artist, Mr. Samuel Luke Fildes, -now a popular Royal Academician, but who was then comparatively unknown -in the world of Art. At the period referred to, Mr. Fildes was a young -man of five-and-twenty, who had but just begun to make his mark as a -draughtsman in black-and-white. After some desultory study of drawing -and painting at Chester and Warrington, he came to London in 1862 for -the purpose of seeing the Great Exhibition, and was so impressed that he -determined to make his future home in the Metropolis. In the following -year he gained a scholarship at the South Kensington Schools, and -afterwards became a student of the Royal Academy. _The Cornhill, Once a -Week_, and other magazines then in the ascendant, owed much of their -popularity to the beautiful designs by Millais, Leighton, and similarly -distinguished artists, and these remarkable productions inclined Mr. -Fildes to adopt book-illustration as a stepping-stone towards painting. -Good-fortune attended his efforts, and in June 1869, by which time he -had achieved a position as a black-and-white draughtsman, he received an -intimation from Mr. W. L. Thomas that he had conceived the idea of -publishing a new illustrated paper, eventually called _The Graphic_, -and suggested that he should draw something effective, the subject to be -the artist's own choice, for publication therein. - - -PLATE LXII - -STUDY FOR THE HEAD OF - -NEVILLE LANDLESS - -_Facsimile_ of an Original Sketch for "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" by - -LUKE FILDES, R.A. - -_Lent by the Artist._ - -[Illustration] - - -"I went home," says Mr. Fildes, "and, at ten o'clock on a terribly hot -night, I sat with a piece of paper and sketched out the idea for 'The -Casuals.' Some few years before, when I first came to London, I was very -fond of wandering about, and remember beholding somewhere near the -Portland Road, one snowy winter's night, the applicants for admission to -a casual ward." Recollecting the incident, Mr. Fildes endeavoured to -reproduce this scene as a subject likely to prove acceptable to the -manager of _The Graphic_, and it was that very picture which, as already -related, led to the artist's introduction to the famous novelist. - -Messrs. Chapman & Hall, who had been authorised to write to Mr. Fildes -respecting the illustration of "Edwin Drood," desired him to submit -specimens of his black-and-white work, and at the same time expressed a -hope that, as they had no recollection of having seen representations of -beautiful women in any of his drawings, he would enclose a few examples -of his ability in that direction, for the very important reason that in -Charles Dickens's new story would appear two attractive heroines. Mr. -Fildes immediately dispatched a parcel containing various illustrations -designed by him for the magazines, and promised to execute, for the -novelist's inspection, two or three drawings of scenes from one of his -stories. A few days later the artist became the recipient of a very -complimentary letter, in which Dickens said: "I beg to thank you for the -highly meritorious and interesting specimens of your art that you have -had the kindness to send me. I return them herewith, after having -examined them with the greatest pleasure. I am naturally curious to see -your drawing from 'David Copperfield,' in order that I may compare it -with my own idea. In the meanwhile, I can honestly assure you that I -entertain the greatest admiration for your remarkable powers." - -In accordance with his own proposal, Mr. Fildes prepared two or three -designs from "Copperfield," one of which fulfilled the requisite -condition that it should contain a representation of a pretty girl, the -subject selected being the scene depicting Peggotty embracing Little -Em'ly after the announcement of her betrothal to Ham. Dickens considered -these drawings so eminently satisfactory that he desired the artist to -call upon him at his temporary residence, No. 5 Hyde Park Place, for the -purpose of consulting him regarding the illustrations for "Edwin Drood." -The eventful day at length arrived when author and artist met for the -first time, and the auspicious occasion is thus pleasantly recalled in -the following note from Mr. Fildes (written for "Charles Dickens by Pen -and Pencil"), in response to my inquiry respecting his earliest -impressions of the novelist's personality:-- - -"I can tell you so little of Dickens that is 'terse, graphic, or vivid.' -It's so long ago! He passed by me so like a vision. At least it seems so -to me now. When I first saw him, I felt a little oppressed--I don't know -why--he loomed so large, and was so great in my imagination. He rose -from his writing-table to greet me. He was dressed in dark clothes; I -cannot quite recall the cut of coat, but it was loose and unbuttoned,--a -black silk neckerchief was loosely tied, with hanging ends, round his -throat. His general appearance, with the 'cut' of his head, gave me the -idea--perhaps reminded me somehow--of one who was, or had been, -connected with the sea. But I thought so much of the Man, and had so -affectionate a respect, that it never occurred to me then nor since to -take an inventory of his features or the details of his clothes. I could -possibly be contradicted on nearly every point were I to attempt it. -What I do remember--and it is as clear to me as yesterday--is the -indescribable sweetness and kindness of manner--a frank affectionate way -that drew me towards him the moment I saw him. I don't know what it was, -or how--perhaps his smile, the clasp of his hand, the drawing me down to -sit beside him--but I felt like one does with one's own father, that you -'get on with' when a boy. That impression never left me." - - -PLATE LXIII - -STUDIES FOR - -EDWIN DROOD - -_Facsimile_ of Original Sketches by - -LUKE FILDES, R.A. - -This figure appears in the Illustration entitled 'At the Piano.' _Vide_ -"The Mystery of Edwin Drood." - -_Lent by the Artist._ - -[Illustration] - - -When, at this memorable interview, Dickens had expressed his -requirements, Mr. Fildes (as he himself informs me) explained to the -novelist that, while fully appreciating the honour of being selected as -illustrator of "Edwin Drood," he would be compelled most reluctantly to -forego the privilege if it were really a _sine qua non_ that the designs -should be of a humorous character, following the lead of the versatile -"Phiz." He conceived it advisable to make it clearly understood, there -and then, that comic drawing was not his _metier_, and ventured to -remind the novelist that his stories, in view of the fact that they -possessed an intensely serious side as well as a jocular one, lent -themselves admirably to a graver style of Art. After pondering for a -moment, Dickens observed that he was "a little tired" of being regarded -by his illustrators mainly as a humorist,--a remark, however, which he -qualified in a manner that did not at all suggest dissatisfaction with -those artists, but implied, rather, that he was not averse to the more -solemn incidents in his writings being considered by his pictorial -interpreters; his agreement with Mr. Fildes in this respect might well -have arisen from what he knew would be the leading characteristic of his -last romance (certainly not humorous), which would give scope only to -the "serious" artist. The interview resulted in the appointment of Mr. -Fildes as illustrator of the forthcoming story, and in a letter to James -T. Fields (of Boston, U.S.A.) the novelist said: "At the very earnest -representations of Millais (and after having seen a great number of his -drawings), I am going to engage with a new man; retaining, of course, C. -C.'s [Charles Collins's] cover." So content was Dickens with his choice -of this artist, that he could not refrain from expressing his -satisfaction to his friends. - -[Sidenote: =The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 1870.=] - -As the date fixed for the publication of the first number of "Edwin -Drood" was rapidly approaching, it became necessary that Mr. Fildes -should immediately begin to prepare his designs. Receiving the -proof-sheets of each number, he studied them so diligently and carefully -that he allowed no incident or personal trait to escape him. Indeed, -Dickens himself (as Mrs. Meynell tells us in _The Century_ of February -1884) was astonished at the way in which his mind found itself mirrored -in that of his coadjutor, both as regards the pictorial exactness of -inanimate things and the appreciation of individual human character. The -artist, however, was at first considerably perplexed in being kept in -total ignorance of the plot, as Dickens volunteered no information -respecting either the characters or the various parts they played, and -although Mr. Fildes was much puzzled, before the plot began to develop, -in discovering who was the hero and who the villain of the story, he -hesitated to interrogate the novelist, because he surmised that there -was a particular motive for his reticence. "He did, at my solicitation," -observes Mr. Fildes, "occasionally tell me something--at first -charily--for he said it was essential to carefully preserve the -'mystery' from general knowledge to sustain the interest of the book, -and later he appeared to have complete confidence in my discretion." - -Dickens, it seems, was seldom in advance with his manuscript, and each -number was barely completed in time for the printers, thus necessitating -excessive promptitude on the part of the engravers as well as the -designer. The subjects of the earlier illustrations were selected by the -author, who marked on the proofs the particular incidents to be -depicted. In thus trotting after the novelist, the artist experienced a -sense of restraint, and felt unable to do himself justice. At length, -when Dickens proposed that one of the incidents to be delineated should -be that in which John Jasper steals up a winding staircase in absolute -darkness with murder on his face, Mr. Fildes courteously protested by -pointing out the artistic disadvantages of illustrating such a scene, -adding that it was already so graphically recounted that further -elucidation became superfluous. _Apropos_ of this, Mr. M. H. Spielmann -remarks: "It is curious to observe how Dickens's dramatic sense obtruded -itself when arranging for the drawings. He would always wish that scene -or _tableau_ to be illustrated on which he had lavished the whole force -and art of his descriptive powers--naturally the one that least -required or justified illustration." By this time the novelist realised -the advisability of leaving the responsibility of selection in the hands -of the artist, who thenceforth was relieved of the limitations and -restrictions hitherto imposed upon him. - - -PLATE LXIV - -STUDIES FOR - -MR. JASPER - -_Facsimile_ of Original Sketches by - -LUKE FILDES, R.A. - -The figure on the right was introduced in the Illustration entitled "On -Dangerous Ground." - -_Vide_ "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." - -_Lent by the Artist._ - -[Illustration] - - -The requisite consultations between Dickens and his illustrator were -invariably held at Hyde Park Place. Whenever practicable, Mr. Fildes -made sketches from the life of suitable types for the characters in the -story, and was fortunate in securing living models for the principal -personages. Over the type of Jasper there was much discussion, the -artist making several attempts before he obtained an exact portrait of -the choirmaster; and so successful and sympathetic were this and other -delineations of character, that Dickens was delighted with them, -declaring them to be like veritable photographs of the people -themselves. The backgrounds, too, were drawn from actual scenes, as, for -example, the opium-smokers' den which figures in the first and last -illustrations; this was discovered by the artist somewhere in the East -End of London; the exact spot he cannot recall, nor does he believe that -Dickens had any particular den in his mind, but merely described from -memory the general impression of something of the kind he had observed -many years before. The architectural details introduced in the -illustration, "Durdles Cautions Mr. Sapsea against Boasting," were drawn -from a careful sketch made within the precincts of Rochester Cathedral, -although in the published design there is substituted a gateway -different from that existing at this spot, in order to assist, no doubt, -in promoting the novelist's obvious intention of disguising the identity -of "Cloisterham." In the engraving entitled "Good-bye, Rosebud, -darling!" it is very easy to recognise the quaint courtyard of Eastgate -House in Rochester High Street. In the river scene we obtain a glimpse -of Putney Church and of the picturesque wooden bridge which, until a few -years ago, spanned the Thames at that point;[49] while in a third -illustration, "Under the Trees," the artist availed himself of a sketch -(made some time previously) of the cloisters at Chester Cathedral. - - Footnote 49: By a curious coincidence, this scene is almost - identical with that depicted by Seymour on the wrapper for - the monthly parts of "Pickwick." - -Concerning another of these designs, viz., "Mr. Grewgious Experiences a -New Sensation," it may be mentioned that not only was this cosy interior -actually drawn from a room in Staple Inn, but that the original of the -capacious arm-chair in which Rosa is seated still remains in the -artist's possession, it being almost the sole survivor of the furnishing -items which formed part of his bachelor establishment. - -It is interesting to learn that Dickens, who placed such great -confidence in his illustrator, did not consider it essential that -preliminary sketches should be submitted to him. Mr. Fildes's original -studies for his designs were vigorously executed with chalk upon tinted -paper, the high-lights being emphasized with chinese-white; the finished -drawings were made upon paper and then photographed upon boxwood blocks. -The engraving was at first entrusted to Dalziel Brothers, one of the -best-known firms of wood-engravers of that day, but after the first two -engravings were completed, Mr. Fildes intimated to the novelist a wish -that the work of reproduction might be transferred to a former colleague -of his, Charles Roberts, whereupon Dickens thus wrote to the late -Frederick Chapman, of Chapman & Hall: "Mr. Fildes has been with me this -morning, and, without complaining of Dalziel, or expressing himself -otherwise than as being obliged to him for his care in No. 1, represents -that there is a brother-student of his, a wood-engraver, perfectly -acquainted with his style and well understanding his meaning, who would -render him better. I have replied to him that there can be no doubt that -he has a claim beyond dispute to our employing whomsoever he knows will -present him in the best aspect. Therefore, we must make the change; the -rather because the fellow-student in question has engraved Mr. Fildes's -most successful drawings hitherto." - - -PLATE LXV - -STUDY FOR - -"GOOD-BYE, ROSEBUD, DARLING" - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Sketch for "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" by - -LUKE FILDES, R.A. - -_Lent by the Artist._ - -[Illustration] - - -An examination of the illustrations discloses the fact that ten out of -the full complement of twelve bear the signature of C. Roberts. In some -instances, however, the result is disappointing, for the delicate -tone-values which mark the original drawings are not apparent in the -reproductions. This defect is chiefly due to the technical difficulties -caused by the thick photographic film covering the surface of the -wood-blocks, which curled up under the point of the graver; unengraved -portions of the picture were thus lost, and the engraver, although -carefully copying the missing portions, seldom succeeded in reproducing -the characteristic touch of the artist. Mr. Fildes, perhaps, is -hypercritical, for those who had not compared the engraved _replicas_ -with the original designs were delighted with these decidedly effective -illustrations, while Mr. W. P. Frith, R.A., quick to recognise the -unusual ability displayed in them, wrote to the novelist complimenting -him on securing so facile and graceful an interpreter of his text,--a -comment with which Dickens was much gratified. As events proved, Mr. -Fildes was as receptive as Dickens was impressive, and "vividly as -Dickens saw the creatures of his brain, he saw them no otherwise than as -they lived by this quick and sympathetic pencil." - -For reasons already explained, Dickens never wholly confided to his -illustrator his intentions respecting the plot of the story. A part of -the "mystery," however, was (in a sense) surprised out of him by the -keenness and care with which the artist took up a suggestion. Mr. Fildes -informs me that it happened in this way: "I noticed in the proof of the -forthcoming number a description of Jasper's costume so markedly -different from what I had been accustomed to conceive him as likely to -wear, that I went at once to Dickens to ask him if he had any special -reason for so describing him. It was a matter of a neck-scarf. Whereupon -Dickens, after some little cogitating, said he had a reason, and that he -wished the scarf to be retained, and, after some hesitation, told me -why. He seemed to be rather troubled at my noticing the incident, and -observed that he feared he was 'paying out' the 'mystery' too soon, -unconsciously doing so; for, he said, he trusted to the 'mystery' being -maintained until the end of the book. He seemed to me to think it was -essential to do so, and especially enforced me to secrecy respecting -anything I knew or might divine. This description of my interview with -the novelist on the occasion in question gives, of course, only the -sense of what transpired, and I do not pretend to quote exactly any of -his words, or any phrase he may have used." The scarf was, in fact, the -instrument of murder, employed by Jasper as the means of strangling the -young breath of Edwin Drood on the night of the great gale. - -Mr. Luke Fildes having made so shrewd a guess respecting the important -part to be played by Jasper in the story, Dickens thought fit to confide -in him some details concerning the final scene. Principally, perhaps, -with this object in view, he invited the artist to spend a few days with -him at Gad's Hill, in order that he might become familiar with the -neighbourhood in which many of the scenes in "Edwin Drood" are laid. The -novelist promised him that, if he were a good pedestrian, he would -introduce him to some of the most charming scenes in Kent, and they -would visit together the picturesque Hall at Cobham with its famous -gallery of paintings, Cobham Park and village, and other interesting -places in that locality. In the course of conversation during this -interview, Dickens (who evidently anticipated much enjoyment from the -little holiday) recalled that, when a boy, he had seen in Rochester a -gaol or "lock-up," and significantly added that Mr. Fildes should make a -note of one of the prison cells, which would do admirably to put Jasper -in for the _last illustration_--thus pretty clearly foreshadowing the -conclusion of the story. "I want you to make as good a drawing," said -Dickens, "as Cruikshank's 'Fagin in the Condemned Cell,'"--a suggestion -which Mr. Fildes did not approve, as any attempt on his part to treat -the subject in the Cruikshankian manner might be resented as an obvious -plagiarism, although a comparison of the two designs would have proved -interesting. - - -PLATE LXVI - -STUDY FOR - -MR. GREWGIOUS - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Sketch by - -LUKE FILDES, R.A. - -This figure appears in the Illustration entitled "Mr. Grewgious has his -Suspicions." _Vide_ "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." - -_Lent by the Artist._ - -[Illustration] - - -It was decreed, alas! that Mr. Fildes's visit to Charles Dickens's -"little Kentish freehold" would never be realised while the great writer -lived. On the morning of the appointed day, Dickens intended making -his usual weekly call at the office of _All the Year Round_, and was to -have been accompanied on his return by Mr. Fildes. That very day, -however, the artist (whose luggage was packed ready for departure) took -up the newspaper, and was startled to read the melancholy intelligence -that Dickens was no more. This terribly sudden death changed everything; -but in order to fulfil the novelist's express desire, the artist was -invited (after the funeral) to stay with the Dickens family. "It was -then," remarks Mr. Fildes, "while in the house of mourning, I conceived -the idea of "The Empty Chair," and at once got my colours from London, -and made the water-colour drawing a very faithful record of his -library."[50] - - Footnote 50: An engraved reproduction of this picture - appeared in _The Graphic_ Christmas number, 1870. - -The death of Dickens had an extraordinary effect on Mr. Fildes, for it -seemed as though the cup of happiness had been dashed from his lips. -Following the example of Mr. Marcus Stone, he decided to abandon -black-and-white illustration and direct his entire attention to -painting, with what success all the world knows. In 1879 he was elected -an Associate of the Royal Academy, and attained full honours eight years -later. The first picture that brought him into notice was "Applicants -for Admission to a Casual Ward" (exhibited at the Royal Academy in -1874), this being elaborated from _The Graphic_ drawing, "Houseless and -Hungry," which, as already described, led to his acquaintance with the -author of "Pickwick." While occupied with this important canvas, Mr. -Fildes was desired by Forster to call upon him, and, on entering the -study, he was interrogated respecting his welfare; for Forster -apparently opined that the demise of the novelist, and the consequent -termination of his illustration-work for "Edwin Drood," might have -caused the young artist some embarrassment. After listening intently to -Mr. Fildes's description of the subject he was then painting, Forster -suddenly exclaimed, "How very strange! You are exactly depicting a scene -witnessed by Dickens himself many years ago. I have just copied his -letter referring to it, which has never been out of my possession;" and -from an accumulation of papers on his desk (for he was then preparing -his biography of the novelist) he abstracted the missive in which the -novelist alluded to the unfortunate outcasts as "dumb, wet, silent -horrors--sphinxes set up against that dead wall, and none likely to be -at the pains of solving them until the general overthrow." Mr. Fildes -was so struck by this coincidence, that he sought and obtained -permission to quote Dickens's forcible sentence under the title of his -picture when printed in the Academy Catalogue. - -Mr. Luke Fildes has many pleasant recollections of Charles Dickens to -impart. "He was extremely kind to me," observes the artist, "and, when -living in Hyde Park Place, asked me to many of his entertainments. He -was almost fatherly, seeming to throw a protecting air over me, and -always elaborately introducing me to his guests." The artist still -cherishes, as valued mementoes, a little memorandum porcelain slate -bound in leather, a quill pen with the blue ink dried upon it, and a -square sheet of blue paper, which were given to him by Miss Hogarth, who -found them on the novelist's desk just as he had left them. - -When Dickens died, only three numbers of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" -had been published. The illustrations for the ensuing portion of the -story, as completed up to the time of his brief but fatal illness, had -yet to be executed, and it is interesting to know that the titles for -these were composed by the artist. With a view to future numbers, Mr. -Fildes had made several drawings in Rochester, including the choir of -the Cathedral and the exterior of Eastgate House (_i.e._ "The Nuns' -House"), which were never utilised; he also painted a view of Rochester -Castle and Cathedral as seen from the Medway, this being reproduced as a -vignette for the engraved title-page. The artist invariably signed his -drawings "S. L. Fildes;" but in the vignette here referred to the -signature incorrectly appears as "J. L. Fildes." - - -PLATE LXVII - -STUDY FOR - -MR. GREWGIOUS - -_Facsimile_ of the Original Sketch by - -LUKE FILDES, R.A. - -This figure appears in the Illustration entitled "Up the River." _Vide_ -"The Mystery of Edwin Drood." - -_Lent by the Artist._ - -[Illustration] - - -It will readily be conceded that Mr. Fildes's illustrations for -Dickens's final romance are remarkable for a serious and sound -draughtsmanship, while the life-like delineation of the various -characters, as well as the pictorial exactitude of backgrounds and -accessories, invite careful study and examination. Without unduly -disparaging the excellent etchings by Cruikshank and "Phiz," it must be -admitted that there is a vitality appertaining to Mr. Fildes's designs -which imparts to them a reality not always discoverable in the -illustrations produced by those admirable artists. - - - - -APPENDIX - -I - -ILLUSTRATORS OF CHEAP EDITIONS - - C. R. LESLIE, R.A.--Design for "Pickwick"--Washington - Irving's Tribute to the Artist--Portrait of "Dickens as - Captain Bobadil"--T. WEBSTER, R.A.--His Picture of - "Dotheboys Hall"--A. BOYD HOUGHTON--Illustrations for "Hard - Times" and "Our Mutual Friend"--G. J. PINWELL--Illustrations - for "The Uncommercial Traveller"--Interesting Portrait of - the Novelist--F. WALKER, A.R.A.--Illustrations for - "Reprinted Pieces" and "Hard Times"--Illustrators of the - Household Edition--C. GREEN, F. BARNARD, J. MAHONEY, E. G. - DALZIEL, F. A. FRASER, G. THOMSON, H. FRENCH, A. B. FROST, - and J. M^CL. RALSTON--Charles Green's Illustrations for "The - Old Curiosity Shop," "Great Expectations," and the Christmas - Books--F. BARNARD, the _Premier_ Illustrator of Dickens--The - Novels Illustrated by him--His Favourite Model--Tragic Death - of the Artist--An American Household Edition--New Designs by - C. S. REINHART, T. WORTH, W. L. SHEPPARD, E. A. ABBEY, A. B. - FROST, and T. NAST--Illustrations by J. M^CLENAN--F. O. C. - DARLEY--His Reputation as a Draughtsman--His Designs for an - American Household Edition Engraved on Steel--Independent - Illustrations--Death of the Artist--Sir JOHN GILBERT'S - Designs for "Holiday Romance"--G. G. WHITE--S. - EYTINGE--Prolific Contributor to Books and Periodicals--His - Picture of "Mr. Pickwick's Reception"--Designs for the - Diamond Edition, &c.--Character Sketches--Dickens's - Admiration of the Artist's Conceptions--Gives a Sitting for - his Portrait--A Unique Print--Eytinge Visits Gad's - Hill--Illustrations by H. BILLINGS for "A Child's Dream of a - Star"--The "Christmas Carol" Designs by GAUGENGIGL and - CHOMINSKI--"The Cricket on the Hearth" Designs by MAROLD and - MITTIS, and L. ROSSI--Some Dickens Illustrations by J. NASH, - T. W. WILSON, J. E. CHRISTIE, and G. BROWNE--Designs by E. - J. WHEELER for "Tales from Pickwick"--Illustrations by PHIL - MAY, MAURICE GREIFFENHAGEN, and HARRY FURNISS--Coloured - Frontispieces for the Temple Library Edition. - - -[Sidenote: =C. R. Leslie, R.A.=] - -Besides the illustrators of the original issues of Charles Dickens's -novels there are other distinguished artists concerning whose designs -for the cheaper editions some mention should be made in the present -work. Besides Clarkson Stanfield, R.A., who has already been referred to -as supplying the frontispiece to the first cheap issue of "American -Notes," Dickens was under a similar obligation to two other Royal -Academicians, Leslie and Webster, for frontispieces to the first cheap -edition of "Pickwick" (1847) and "Nicholas Nickleby" (1848) -respectively. Charles Robert Leslie, of whom Thackeray once said that no -artist possessed so much as he "the precious quality of making us laugh -kindly," found a suitable subject in the twelfth chapter of "The -Pickwick Papers," his illustration representing Mrs. Bardell fainting -in the arms of Mr. Pickwick,--an incident that had already been depicted -by "Phiz." The original picture by Leslie--which was a commission from -Dickens--is a cabinet-painting in grisaille or monochrome; it realised -L137, 11s. at the sale of the novelist's effects in 1870, and is now the -property of Mr. William Wright, of Paris. It seems probable that Dickens -owed his introduction to this artist through the friendly intervention -of Washington Irving, who, in May 1841, thus wrote to the novelist: "Do -you know Leslie the painter, the one who has recently painted a picture -of Queen Victoria? If you do not, I wish you would get acquainted with -him. You would like one another. He is full of talent and right feeling. -He was one of my choice and intimate companions during my literary -sojourn in London. While I was making my early studies with my pen, he -was working with his pencil. We sympathised in tastes and in feelings, -and used to explore London together, and visit the neighbouring -villages, occasionally extending our researches into different parts of -the country. He is one of the purest and best of men, with a fine eye -for nature and character, and a true Addisonian humour." In 1846 Leslie -produced his well-known picture of Dickens as Captain Bobabil, in Ben -Jonson's play, "Every Man in his Humour," which was exhibited in the -Royal Academy the same year; shortly afterwards the painting was -reproduced in lithography by T. H. Maguire, impressions of which -(especially those that were coloured) are now very scarce. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =T. Webster, R.A.=] - -The first cheap edition of "Nicholas Nickleby" was embellished by means -of a frontispiece engraved on wood by T. Williams from the picture by T. -Webster, R.A., which (like Leslie's) was painted for the novelist. This -exquisite painting (measuring only ten inches by seven inches) depicts -the familiar scene at Dotheboys Hall, where Mrs. Squeers administers the -much-dreaded brimstone and treacle; at the Dickens sale the interesting -little picture realised the substantial sum of L535, 10s. It is said -that the artist was so thorough and so persistent in illustrating the -humours of boys' schools that he earned the _sobriquet_ of "Dotheboys -Webster." - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =A. B. Houghton and G. J. Pinwell=] - -[Sidenote: =F. Walker, A.R.A.=] - -The first cheap editions of later works were graced with frontispieces -from the pencils of two artists better known as draughtsmen than as -painters. These were A. Boyd Houghton, who designed the frontispiece for -"Hard Times" (1865) and "Our Mutual Friend" (1867), and G. J. Pinwell, -who furnished an illustration for "The Uncommercial Traveller" -(1865)--all of which were engraved on wood by the Dalziel Brothers. In -1868 Pinwell likewise contributed four excellent woodcut illustrations -to the Library Edition of the same work,[51] and it is interesting to -note that in one of these, "Leaving the Morgue," he has introduced a -full-length presentment of the novelist.[52] Associated with the Library -Edition we find the name of Fred. Walker, A.R.A., whose position as a -designer in black-and-white stands high in the first rank of English -masters. This clever artist prepared four illustrations respectively for -"Reprinted Pieces" and "Hard Times" (1868), and for refinement of -execution they have probably never been excelled. Fred. Walker, the -painter of those world-famous pictures known as "The Harbour of Refuge," -"The Bathers," "The Lost Path," &c., died prematurely of consumption in -1875, at the age of thirty-five, a loss which all artists and art-lovers -have never ceased to deplore. The Library Edition of the "Christmas -Stories" is illustrated by F. A. Fraser, H. French, E. G. Dalziel, J. -Mahoney, Townley Green, and Charles Green, fourteen woodcuts in all. - - Footnote 51: The later volumes of the Library Edition were - issued at intervals during 1862-1868. - - Footnote 52: The Library Edition of "The Uncommercial - Traveller" also contains four illustrations signed "W.M.," - which are much inferior to Pinwell's designs. - -After Dickens's death, that is, during 1871-79, Chapman & Hall issued a -Household Edition of his novels, ensuring their further popularity by -inserting entirely fresh illustrations. The artists selected for this -undertaking were Charles Green, Fred. Barnard, J. Mahoney, E. G. -Dalziel, F. A. Fraser, Gordon Thomson, H. French, A. B. Frost, and J. -M^{c}L. Ralston, nearly all of whom had already been represented in the -Library Edition. In commenting upon these designs, it may be remarked -that, of his numerous illustrators, Dickens has never been more -sympathetically interpreted than by Charles Green and Fred. Barnard. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Charles Green.=] - -The thirty-two illustrations contributed by Charles Green to the -Household Edition of "The Old Curiosity Shop" contrast most favourably -with those by "Phiz" in the original issue; these drawings, which, for -the most part, were made upon paper by means of the brush-point, are -entirely free from the gross exaggeration and caricature which impart -such grotesqueness to the majority of the figure subjects by Hablot -Browne for this story. Mr. Green's design for the wrapper enclosing each -part of the Crown Edition of the novelist's works (subsequently -published by Chapman & Hall) is cleverly conceived, for here he has -introduced all the leading personages, happily grouped around the -principal figure, Mr. Pickwick, who occupies an elevated position upon a -pile of books representing the novels of Dickens. A few years ago -Messrs. A. & F. Pears commissioned Mr. Green to design a number of -illustrations for a series of their Annuals, the artist's services being -specially retained for the following reprints of Dickens's Christmas -Books: "A Christmas Carol" (1892), twenty-seven drawings; "The Battle of -Life" (1893), twenty-nine drawings; "The Chimes" (1894), thirty -drawings; and "The Haunted Man" (1895), thirty drawings. His latest -productions as a Dickens illustrator consist of a series of ten new -designs, reproduced by photogravure for the Gadshill Edition of "Great -Expectations," recently published by Chapman & Hall. Undoubtedly Mr. -Green's most important work in connection with Dickens is to be found in -his water-colour drawings of scenes from the novels, of which a complete -list is given in the chapter entitled "Dickens in Art."[53] - - Footnote 53: During the printing of this work, the death was - announced of Mr. Charles Green, R.I., who succumbed to a - painful illness of long standing. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Fred. Barnard.=] - -Fred. Barnard has come to be considered, _par excellence_, the -illustrator of the famous novelist; indeed, he has been not inaptly -termed "the Charles Dickens among black-and-white artists." Like Dickens -himself, he was essentially a humorist, and his designs, although never -lacking in infectious humour, had always something in them which raised -them above the commonplace. To his skilful and vigorous pencil the -Household Edition is indebted for the majority of the illustrations -appearing therein, as the following list testifies: "Sketches by Boz," -"Nicholas Nickleby," "Martin Chuzzlewit," "Barnaby Rudge," "Master -Humphrey's Clock" (incidental chapters), "David Copperfield," "Dombey -and Son," "Bleak House," "Christmas Books," "A Tale of Two Cities," -"Hunted Down," "Holiday Romance," and "George Silverman's -Explanation,"--making a grand total of nearly four hundred and fifty -drawings. There is no doubt that Fred. Barnard "knew his Dickens" as -well as any man, and he produced (independently of the foregoing -designs) a number of pictures and drawings of characters and scenes from -the novels, to which special reference is made in the next chapter. - -Mr. M. H. Spielmann informs me that, for the purposes of his Dickensian -subjects, the model who sat to Barnard was the late well-known French. -The tragic death (in his fiftieth year) of this popular artist in -September 1896 is not yet forgotten. He had accustomed himself to the -pernicious habit of smoking in bed, and falling asleep (under the -influence of a powerful drug) while his pipe was yet alight, the bedding -caught fire, with the result that he was suffocated by the smoke, his -body being much burned. - -[Sidenote: =American "Household Edition."=] - -The Household Edition was simultaneously published in London and New -York, Harper & Brothers having arranged with Chapman & Hall to be -supplied with _cliches_ of the illustrations. For some reason, however, -the English engravings do not appear in several of the volumes thus -issued in America, there being substituted for them a similar number of -entirely new designs by the following American artists: C. S. Reinhart -("Nicholas Nickleby," "The Uncommercial Traveller," and "Hard Times"), -Thomas Worth ("The Old Curiosity Shop"), W. L. Sheppard "Dombey and -Son"), E. A. Abbey, R.A. ("Christmas Stories"), A. B. Frost "Sketches by -Boz"), and Thomas Nast ("Pickwick" and "American Notes"). - -Mr. Nast has also illustrated various Dickens subjects for American -magazines, and independent works such as "Gabriel Grub" (from -"Pickwick"), issued by M^cLoughin as a Christmas book. Mr. Frost is -likewise responsible for twelve illustrations engraved on wood for an -edition of "Pickwick" published a few years ago by Ward, Lock & Co., of -London and New York; and there is a design by him in _Scribner's -Magazine_, December 1897, entitled "That Slide," and depicting the -familiar scene described in the thirtieth chapter of "Pickwick." In 1859 -Harper & Brothers printed "A Tale of Two Cities" as a serial in -_Harper's Weekly_, with thirty-four woodcut illustrations by a New York -artist, J. M^cLenan, and in the following year the same firm similarly -produced "Great Expectations," with twenty-seven illustrations by that -artist, the first chapter appearing in November 1860. Both stories were -subsequently issued in volume form by T. B. Peterson & Brothers, of -Philadelphia. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =F. O. C. Darley.=] - -Perhaps the best of Dickens's American illustrators was Felix Octavius -Carr Darley, a most eminent and successful "character" draughtsman, -whose productions are both original and clever. When, in 1860, an octavo -edition (also designated the Household Edition) was prepared by W. A. -Townsend & Co. of New York, it was proposed that the services of Darley -and Mr. (afterwards Sir) John Gilbert should be secured as illustrators -for the new venture, this resulting in the American artist executing -nearly the whole of the vignette designs, all of which assumed the form -of frontispieces. He had already prepared more than five hundred -illustrations for an edition of Cooper's novels, so it is probable that -the excellence of those drawings led to his engagement in a like -capacity for this Household Edition of Dickens. His designs, which were -beautifully engraved on steel, are very refined both as regards -conception and execution, and are especially interesting as indicating -an intelligent appreciation, on the part of a Transatlantic artist, of -the novelist's characterisation, the extravagant and grotesque being -instinctively avoided. Darley, although born in Philadelphia in 1822, -was the son of an English actor; his natural gift for drawing was -properly encouraged, and he developed into one of the most efficient -book-illustrators of his time; in addition to this he achieved a -distinct reputation through the production of large prints, such as "The -Village Blacksmith," "The Unwilling Labourer," "The Wedding Procession," -"Washington's Entry into New York," and other popular subjects. The -Dickens series of designs have recently been reprinted by Houghton, -Mifflin & Co. (Boston and New York) for their Standard Library Edition. -Darley also prepared six drawings for a little work entitled "Children -from Dickens's Novels," and subsequently painted a series of eight -familiar scenes from Dickens, which were reproduced as photo-etchings -and issued in sets; these afterwards appeared in an Imperial Edition of -the novelist's works by Estes & Lauriat, Boston, U.S.A. Darley -continued to occupy himself with his art up to the end of his life, but -withdrew in his latter years from the cities to his home at Clayton, -Delaware, where he died, March 27, 1888.[54] - - Footnote 54: For many of these particulars I am indebted to - Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin & Co.'s Standard Library Edition of - Dickens's Works. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Sir John Gilbert, R.A.=] - -The small number of frontispieces furnished by Sir John Gilbert to W. A. -Townsend & Co.'s Household Edition are reprinted, with those of Darley, -in Houghton, Mifflin & Co.'s Standard Library Edition. It is perhaps not -generally known that, in 1868, four woodcut illustrations were specially -designed by Sir John for one of Dickens's minor productions, "Holiday -Romance,"--a short story written expressly for _Our Young Folks_, a -magazine published by Ticknor & Fields, of Boston, U.S.A. In the -original announcement we read that the artist had "consented to waive -his decision not to draw again on wood, in order to give additional -interest to Mr. Dickens's 'Romance,'" by which it may be inferred that -these are among the last examples of Sir John's skill in that direction. -For the initials in "Holiday Romance," a Transatlantic artist, G. G. -White, was responsible. Sir John Gilbert, R.A., P.R.W.S., also produced -a series of "Pickwick" illustrations, now exceedingly rare, particulars -of which will be found in the next chapter. This accomplished painter -and prolific designer died so recently as October 5, 1897, in his -eightieth year, and of him it has been truly observed that in his most -distinctive line--viz., illustration--we can look in vain for his equal. -It is recorded that he must have contributed no fewer than thirty -thousand subjects to the pages of _The Illustrated London News_ alone, -besides supplying innumerable designs to _The London Journal_ and other -publications. It is therefore no exaggeration to say that Sir John -Gilbert stands out pre-eminently the great popular illustrator of the -Victorian era. - - * * * * * - -[Sidenote: =Sol. Eytinge.=] - -Among the American illustrators of the writings of Dickens, an important -place must be conceded to Sol. Eytinge, who was born in New York in -1833. He began to draw at a very early age, and for forty years was a -most industrious illustrator of books, papers, and magazines. For a long -time he was connected with Harper & Brothers, but subsequently became -the chief artist of _Every Saturday_, published by Fields, Osgood & Co., -to which he contributed many Dickensian subjects, notably a large -picture entitled "Mr. Pickwick's Reception," representing Sam Weller -introducing to Pickwick the leading characters in the various novels. To -the Diamond Edition of Dickens's works, launched by Ticknor & Fields in -1867, Eytinge made several full-page drawings, each of the principal -stories containing sixteen illustrations, all of which were engraved on -wood. He also made some drawings for a volume of "The Readings of Mr. -Charles Dickens," and subsequently prepared a series of character -sketches, which were etched for the "Dickens Dictionary [of -Characters]," published by Houghton, Mifflin & Co. in their Standard -Library Edition. Concerning Sol. Eytinge's illustrations Dickens said: -"They are remarkable alike for a delicate perception of beauty, a lively -eye for character, a most agreeable absence of exaggeration, and a -general modesty and propriety which I greatly like." On the whole these -pictures are well done, although it must be admitted that the artist has -not always succeeded in satisfactorily interpreting his author. When the -novelist last visited America (1867-68), his portrait was painted by -Eytinge, probably from sittings, and it is now in the possession of Mr. -W. E. Benjamin of New York. A lithographic reproduction of this -painting, by the artist himself, was published by Ticknor & Fields of -Boston and New York in 1868, copies of which are now seldom met with. I -am enabled, through the kindness of Mr. Stuart M. Samuel, to include in -this volume a _replica_ of a particularly interesting impression of this -rare print, on which Dickens has written the concluding words of "A -Christmas Carol:" "And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every -One." In the summer of 1869 Eytinge visited the novelist at Gad's Hill, -in company with Lowell and Fields, on which occasion they together -explored the slums of East London, including the opium-dens so -faithfully described in "Edwin Drood." The artist has now been dead for -some years; during the latter part of his career he lived in retirement, -on account of ill-health. - -I have not attempted to enumerate all the illustrators who have executed -drawings for the innumerable editions of the works of Charles Dickens, -produced by various publishing houses both at home and abroad, as their -name is Legion. There are, however, two or three artists, not already -mentioned, to whom a slight reference may fittingly be made. In 1871, -Fields, Osgood & Co. reprinted Dickens's beautiful and pathetic sketch -entitled "A Child's Dream of a Star," with ten full-page drawings by an -American artist, Hammatt Billings, which were engraved on wood by W. J. -Linton. The imprint of another Transatlantic publisher, S. E. Cassino, -appears on the title-page of a choice edition of "A Christmas Carol," -1887, quarto size, containing twenty-four photogravure reproductions of -new designs by J. M. Gaugengigl and T. V. Chominski, which forms an -attractive item for the collector of fine books. This work was also on -sale in England by G. Routledge & Sons, who, in 1894, brought out a -diminutive edition of "The Cricket on the Hearth," very tastefully -printed by Guillaume of Paris, and containing several little woodcuts -designed by Marold and Mittis. The same story was included in the -reprints of Dickens's Christmas Books published by A. & F. Pears, having -twenty-five clever illustrations by Lucius Rossi, carried out in a style -somewhat similar to those by Charles Green. Particular interest attaches -to certain volumes published by Cassell & Co., entitled "Gleanings from -Popular Authors" (1882, &c.), as they contain several illustrations of -Dickens scenes by Joseph Nash, Fred. Barnard, T. Walter Wilson, J. E. -Christie, and Gordon Browne, the son of the famous "Phiz." To a booklet -entitled "Tales from Pickwick" (G. Routledge & Sons, 1888), Mr. E. J. -Wheeler contributed seven original and well-executed designs. - -Messrs. Chapman & Hall's recently-published Gadshill Edition of "Hunted -Down" and "George Silverman's Explanation" contains three designs by Mr. -Maurice Greiffenhagen, who, like Mr. Phil May, now figures as an -illustrator of Dickens for the first time. Mr. Greiffenhagen is also -preparing six original drawings for "American Notes" and "Pictures from -Italy," which will be reproduced by photogravure for the same Edition, -while another well-known artist, Mr. Harry Furniss, has been -commissioned to provide four illustrations of a like character for "The -Uncommercial Traveller." - -As I write, another edition of "David Copperfield" is announced for -early publication by Mr. George Allen, the special feature of which will -be the thirty-six designs by a new Dickens illustrator, Mr. Phil May, -whose admirable draughtsmanship is familiar to us; there will also be -issued a limited number of sets of the illustrations,--full-size -_facsimiles_ of the drawings, signed by the artist and accompanied by -descriptive text. Messrs. J. M. Dent & Co. are preparing an edition of -Dickens's Works for their Temple Library, an interesting feature of -which will be a series of coloured frontispieces, from original drawings -by Miss L. M. Fisher, Mr. F. C. Tilney, and W. C. Cooke. - - - - -APPENDIX - -II - -CONCERNING "EXTRA ILLUSTRATIONS" - - Independent Publications--Unauthorised Designs--List of - Additional Illustrations--Dickens's Calendars, Relief - Scraps, &c.--"ALFRED CROWQUILL"--His Etchings in _Bentley's - Miscellany_--An Admirable Vocalist--His Illustrations for - "Pickwick Abroad"--KENNY MEADOWS--"The Nestor of _Punch's_ - Staff"--His Drawings in the _Illustrated London News_--His - Work Criticised--A Civil-List Pension--A Delightful - _Raconteur_--T. ONWHYN--His Signatures of "Sam Weller, - Junr.," and "Peter Palette"--Illustrates Cockton's - Novels--Plates for "Pickwick" Recently Discovered--"JACOB - PARALLEL"--A Punning Advertisement--His Designs for "Charley - Chalk"--F. W. PAILTHORPE--The only Survivor of the "Old - School"--A Friend of George Cruikshank--Coloured Plates--C. - D. GIBSON--His Drawing of the Pickwick Club--His - Individuality of Style. - - -Since the publication of "The Pickwick Papers" there have appeared, from -time to time, a number of designs illustrating the novels of Charles -Dickens which were issued independently of the particular stories that -inspired them, and generally without letterpress. Artists and publishers -alike thus availed themselves of the enormous popularity achieved by -Dickens's writings, confident in the belief that financial success would -attend their efforts. Among those responsible for the designing of what -are usually termed "Extra Illustrations" were many well-known -draughtsmen of the day, including Hablot K. Browne ("Phiz"), Sir John -Gilbert, R.A., Onwhyn, Kenny Meadows, Alfred Forrester ("Crowquill"), -and, more recently, Fred. Barnard and F. W. Pailthorpe. It must, -however, be admitted that, with regard to certain productions by artists -less skilled in the use of the pencil or etching-needle, such attempts -to interpret Dickens's conceptions conspicuously fail. - -In particular instances the publication of supplementary plates was -approved by Dickens, but, for the most part, these independent -illustrations were really unauthorised, the booksellers merely trading -on the popularity of the novels (especially the earlier ones), which -afforded unlimited scope for pictorial treatment. That there must have -been a fairly constant demand for them is proved by their number and -variety, nearly every form of reproductive art being made available for -these designs, including steel-engraving, etching, wood-engraving, -lithography, chromo-lithography, photogravure, &c. Some of the scarcer -sets realise high prices, and are naturally much in request. In the -following list, which, I believe, is practically complete, I have -included a few Dickens illustrations that were published in periodicals, -in some cases with letterpress; although these cannot strictly be -regarded as "Extra Illustrations," they are not without interest to the -collector of such ephemeral productions. The names of the artists are -alphabetically arranged. - - -J. ABSOLON AND F. CORBEAUX. - - BARNABY RUDGE.--Four engravings on steel by Finden, from - drawings by Absolon and Corbeaux. Crown 8vo, green wrapper, - price one shilling. To accompany the first Cheap Edition, - 1849. London: Chapman & Hall, 186 Strand, N.D. - - These designs were portraits of the principal characters, - viz., Dolly Varden and Barnaby Rudge, by J. Absolon; Emma - Haredale and Miss Miggs, by F. Corbeaux--the latter plate - forming the frontispiece. - - -F. BARNARD. - - CHARACTER SKETCHES FROM DICKENS.--Six lithographs, portraits - of Mrs. Gamp, Alfred Jingle, Bill Sikes and his Dog, Little - Dorrit, Sidney Carton, Pickwick. Elephant folio. London: - Cassell, Petter & Galpin, N.D. [1879]. Afterwards issued as - photogravures (20 in. by 14-1/2 in.), price one guinea. - Reproductions on a reduced scale, etched by C. W. Walker, - were published by Estes & Lauriat, New York, N.D. - - CHARACTER SKETCHES FROM DICKENS.--Second Series. Six - photogravures. Portraits of the two Wellers, Caleb Plummer - and his Blind Daughter, Rogue Riderhood, Mr. Peggotty, - Little Nell and her Grandfather, Mr. Pecksniff. Same - publishers, 1884. - - CHARACTER SKETCHES FROM DICKENS.--Third Series. Six - photogravures. Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, Uriah Heep, Dick - Swiveller and the Marchioness, Betsy Trotwood, Captain - Cuttle, Mr. Micawber. Same publishers, 1885. - - The entire series of eighteen plates were republished in Mr. - Thomas Archer's "Charles Dickens: Gossip about his Life, - Works, and Characters," issued by the same firm. Sixteen of - these Character Sketches were subsequently reproduced in a - cheap form, and presented to the readers of _Cassell's - Family Magazine_ upon the occasion of its enlargement in - December 1896. - - -PLATE LXVIII - -ALFRED CROWQUILL (A. H. FORRESTER) - -From a Photograph by - -J. F. KNIGHTS - -FREDERICK BARNARD, R.I. - -From a Photograph by - -J. W. ROLLER - -_Lent by Mrs. F. Barnard._ - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - - - Two series of "Character Sketches," reproduced by - photogravure, were included in "Gebbie's Select - Portfolios of Literature and Art," Gebbie & Husson Co. - (Limited), Philadelphia, 1888-89. Eighteen of these were - executed from the above designs by F. Barnard, five from - drawings by other artists, and one from a photograph, the - six additional subjects being portraits of characters not - comprised in Barnard's gallery, viz., Henry Irving as - Jingle, Mr. Toole as the Artful Dodger, Lotta as the - Marchioness, Jo the Crossing-Sweeper, Newman Noggs, Mr. - Squeers and Mr. Snawley, Montagu Tigg introduces himself to - Martin Chuzzlewit and Tom Pinch. - - The India-Proof Edition was issued in portfolios, green and - buff, with embossed design in gold and colour. - - THE SHAKESPEARE-DICKENS COMBINATION COMPANY.--Published in - _Lika Joko_, an Illustrated Weekly Conducted by Harry - Furniss, from November 17, 1894, to February 23, 1895. - - -W. G. BAXTER. - - STUDIES FROM CHARLES DICKENS. Two series of portraits of the - principal characters, twenty-two in each series. Published - in _Momus_, an illustrated comic weekly periodical, - Manchester, from September 25, 1879, to February 2, 1882. A - selection from these portraits were reprinted in _C. H. - Ross's Variety Paper_, February 1888. - - -C. B. BRACEWELL. - - BARNABY RUDGE.--Etching of Barnaby, with a view of the - "Boot" Inn. (The only impression I have seen is in Mr. J. F. - Dexter's Collection.) - - -H. K. BROWNE ("Phiz"). - - PICKWICK.--"Illustrations to the Cheap Edition of the Works - of Mr. Charles Dickens." Six Illustrations to The Posthumous - Papers of the Pickwick Club, Engraved [on wood] from the - Original Drawings by "Phiz." Green wrapper, small 8vo, price - one shilling, N.D. [1847]. London: Darton & Clark, Holborn - Hill; Joseph Cundall, 12 Old Bond Street; John Menzies, - Edinburgh; Cumming & Ferguson, Dublin; James Macleod, - Glasgow. And sold by all Booksellers in Town and Country. - The word "misletoe" is mis-spelt in the title on one of the - woodcuts. (_See p. 72._) - - THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP.--"Four Plates, engraved [in stipple] - under the superintendence of Hablot K. Browne and Robert - Young, to illustrate the first Cheap Edition of 'The Old - Curiosity Shop.'" Price one shilling. Green wrapper. The - subjects are: Little Nell and her Grandfather, the - Marchioness, Barbara, and The Death of Little Nell. - "Published with the Approbation of Mr. Charles Dickens." - London: Chapman & Hall, 1848. Also proofs on india-paper, - one shilling each portrait. A few sets coloured, now very - scarce. (_See p. 85._) - - BARNABY RUDGE.--"Four Plates, engraved [in stipple] under - the superintendence of Hablot K. Browne and Robert Young, to - illustrate the Cheap Edition of 'Barnaby Rudge.'" Portraits - of Emma Haredale, Dolly Varden, Barnaby and Hugh, Mrs. - Varden and Miggs. "Published with the Approbation of Mr. - Charles Dickens." London: Chapman & Hall, 186 Strand, 1849. - Issued in green wrapper, price one shilling. A few sets - coloured, now very scarce. These and the preceding designs - were re-engraved by E. Roffe in 1889. (_See p. 85._) - - "LITTLE NELL" and "DOLLY VARDEN." Engraved on steel by Edwin - Roffe, from hitherto unpublished drawings by Hablot K. - Browne. On india-paper, the impression limited to 100 - proofs, with _remarques_ printed in black, and 100 with - _remarques_ in brown, after which the _remarques_ were - cancelled. These plates were accompanied by explanatory - text, and issued in a leatherette case, price 10s. 6d. - Published by Frank T. Sabin, 3 Garrick Street, W.C., and - John F. Dexter, 16 Minford Gardens, West Kensington, 1889. - - DOMBEY AND SON.--"The Four Portraits of Edith, Florence, - Alice, and Little Paul. Engraved [on steel] under the - superintendence of R. Young and H. K. Browne. From Designs - by Hablot K. Browne. And Published with the Sanction of Mr. - Charles Dickens." London: Chapman & Hall, 186 Strand, 1848. - In green wrapper, price one shilling. These engravings were - also published as proofs on india-paper, 4to, price one - shilling each portrait. Some sets coloured. - - DOMBEY AND SON.--"Full-length Portraits of Dombey and - Carker, Miss Tox, Mrs. Skewton, Mrs. Pipchin, Old Sol and - Captain Cuttle, Major Bagstock, Miss Nipper, and Polly. In - Eight Plates, Designed and Etched by Hablot K. Browne, and - published with the Sanction of Mr. Charles Dickens." London: - Chapman & Hall, 186 Strand, 1848. In green wrapper, price - two shillings. Some sets coloured. The series of twenty - plates, viz., "The Old Curiosity Shop," "Barnaby Rudge," and - "Dombey and Son," were recently reprinted on india-paper, - and issued by F. T. Sabin in a portfolio, price L2, 10s. - (_See pp. 100-101._) - - -"BRUSH." - - MASTER HUMPHREY'S CLOCK.--No. 1. Portraits of Master - Humphrey, Little Nell, and the Old Man, with remarks on each - character, and an address, stating that "The following - sketches are the commencement of a series illustrating the - principal characters in 'Master Humphrey's Clock,' to appear - at monthly intervals, in parts similar to the present." - Etchings by "Brush." London, printed for the proprietor by - W. T. Davey, 16 Great Sutton Street, Clerkenwell; published - by W. Britain, 11 Paternoster Row, 1840. Price one shilling. - - -ALFRED BRYAN. - - CHARACTERS FROM DICKENS.--Full-length studies of the - principal characters. Published in _Jack and Jill_, 1886. - - -CHRISTOPHER COVENY. - - TWENTY SCENES FROM THE WORKS OF DICKENS.--Designed and - etched by Christopher Coveny, with letterpress descriptions. - Sydney: Printed for Thos. H. Fielding by John Sands, 374 - George Street, 1883. 4to. - - The subjects of eleven of these plates are taken from - "Pickwick." A duplicate plate (No. 7), representing Mr. - Pickwick and his friends on the ice, is also included, the - subject being re-etched and the design altered because the - first plate too much resembled "Phiz's" rendering of this - scene. - - -"ALFRED CROWQUILL" (Alfred Henry Forrester). - - PICTURES PICKED FROM THE PICKWICK PAPERS.--Forty lithographs - (etchings on stone) by Standidge & Co., from drawings by - "Alfred Crowquill," comprising nearly two hundred subjects. - Issued in ten parts (or sheets), buff illustrated wrappers, - from May 1 to November 9, 1837. Price of each part, one - shilling plain, two shillings coloured. Published complete - in lavender-tinted wrapper, demy 8vo, and in cloth. London: - Ackermann & Co., 96 Strand [1837]. The plates in Part I. - only are signed. Reproductions have also been issued, etched - on copper by F. W. Pailthorpe and published by F. T. Sabin, - 1880. Price, coloured, L2, 15s., uncoloured, L1, 18s. Within - the last few years sets of the "Crowquill" plates have been - catalogued at twenty guineas. (_See also_ "Thomas Onwhyn.") - - -F. O. C. DARLEY. - - SCENES FROM DICKENS.--Eight photo-etchings, from original - paintings--the last productions of this American artist. - Issued in a portfolio, and afterwards printed in the - Imperial Edition of the novelist's works by Estes & Lauriat, - Boston, U.S.A. - - -A. DULCKEN. - - SCENES FROM THE PICKWICK PAPERS.--Designed and drawn on - stone by Augustus Dulcken. Four plates, oblong folio, - illustrated wrapper. Under each plate is a descriptive - quotation. London: Bickers & Bush, 1 Leicester Square, N.D. - [1861]. Proofs, 10s. 6d. Very scarce. The subjects of the - designs are: (1) Death of the Chancery Prisoner; (2) Meeting - of the Ebenezer Temperance Association; (3) The Leg of - Mutton "Swarry;" (4) The Old Man's Tale about a Queer - Client. On the wrapper are depicted portraits of Pickwick, - Sam Weller, and Alfred Jingle; and scenes representing the - Shooting Party at Wardle's, and Mrs. Weller entertaining - Stiggins. - - -J. W. EHNINGER. - - DICKENS CHARACTERS.--Photographic reproductions of drawings - by J. W. Ehninger. Cabinet size, price one shilling each - portrait. Published by W. A. Mansell & Co., 316, 317 (now - 405), Oxford Street, London, 1876. The series included the - following: Mr. Pickwick, Sam Weller, The Fat Boy, Rev. - Stiggins, Mrs. Gamp, Mr. Pecksniff, Little Nell and her - Grandfather, Dolly Varden, Florence and Paul Dombey, Edith - Dombey (two versions), Little Em'ly, and Little Dorrit. - - -C. D. GIBSON. - - THE PEOPLE OF DICKENS.--Six large photogravures from - original drawings. Issued in a portfolio, proofs, 20s. - London: John Lane; New York: R. H. Russell, 1897. These - drawings were originally made for an American publication - called _The Ladies' Home Journal_, and were reprinted in - _Black and White_ at intervals during 1896-97. - - -SIR JOHN GILBERT, R.A. - - PICKWICK.--"Appleyard's Edition. Price 2d. Plates to - illustrate the Cheap Edition of the Works of Mr. Charles - Dickens. From original designs by John Gilbert, Esq. - Engraved [on wood] by Messrs. Greenaway & Wright." Eight - monthly parts, post 8vo, each containing four plates - engraved on wood. Buff illustrated wrappers. Part 4 was - issued with Part 5 in one wrapper, and the same condition - was observed regarding Parts 7 and 8, the price of these - double numbers being fourpence. Some of the designs are - printed on the front of the wrappers, and on the inside of - the back of the last wrapper appears a list of the - thirty-two plates, with pagination. A limited number were - printed on india-paper. London: E. Appleyard, 86 Farringdon - Street, N.D. [1847]. These excellent plates are extremely - rare. - - NICHOLAS NICKLEBY.--"Appleyard's Edition. Price 2d. Plates - to illustrate the Cheap Edition of the Works of Mr. Charles - Dickens." Thirty-two designs, engraved on wood by Greenaway - & Wright, and published in parts. Post 8vo. The first - instalment (with portrait of Squeers on a buff illustrated - wrapper) contains four designs, which were all that Gilbert - produced, the remainder (unsigned) being by inferior - artists, the majority engraved by C. M. Gorway. Published - complete in a yellow illustrated wrapper by E. Appleyard, 86 - Farringdon Street, London. Price 1s. 6d. - - -PLATE LXIX - -F. W. PAILTHORPE - -From a Photograph by - -F. W. CLARK - -_Lent by the Artist._ - -CHARLES GREEN, R.I. - -From a Photograph - -_Lent by Mr. Townley Green, R.I._ - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - - - "THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH."--Six woodcut Portraits of the - Principal Characters. Unsigned. _The Pictorial Times_, Dec. - 27, 1845. - - -W. HEATH. - - "PICKWICKIAN ILLUSTRATIONS."-Twenty etched designs, demy - 8vo. Ornamental paper wrapper, having title printed in gold - on a black label. Price 5s. London: T. McLean, Haymarket, - 1837. All the plates bear the title, "Pickwickian - Illustrations" as a headline, and, with the exception of the - last four, are numbered; the last four bear the publisher's - imprint. A set of these scarce etchings was recently - catalogued at twenty guineas. - - -"KYD" (J. Clayton Clarke). - - THE CHARACTERS OF CHARLES DICKENS.--A series of original - water-colour drawings, signed with monogram, J.C.C. A - collection of these, 241 in number, realised ten guineas at - the Cosens sale in 1890. Mr. Thomas Wilson possesses 331 - drawings by "Kyd," which probably include those formerly - owned by the late Mr. F. W. Cosens. - - A series of twenty-four of these drawings were reproduced by - chromo-lithography, small 4to, illustrated boards, and - published by Raphael Tuck & Sons, London, Paris, and New - York, N.D. - - THE CHARACTERS OF DICKENS.--Studies of a few of the leading - personages in the novels. _The Fleet Street Magazine_, 1887. - - -W. MADDOX and H. WARREN. - - "LITTLE NELL" and "MRS. QUILP."--Engraved by Finden from - drawings by W. Maddox and H. Warren respectively, for the - first Cheap Edition of "The Old Curiosity Shop," 1848. - London: Chapman & Hall. Kenny Meadows designed a portrait of - "Barbara" for the same work. - - -KENNY MEADOWS. - - DICKENS CHARACTERS.--"Gallery of Comicalities."--"London - Particulars." This series of portraits (some of which are - signed with the artist's initials) include Fagin, the Artful - Dodger, Charley Bates, Sam Weller, Oliver Twist, Mr. Bumble. - Each portrait is accompanied by a poem of forty lines. - Published in _Bell's Life in London_, 1838. - - HEADS FROM "NICHOLAS NICKLEBY."--Portraits of twenty-four of - the principal characters, "from drawings by Miss La Creevy." - Six parts, demy 8vo, price 6d. each. London: Robert Tyas, - Cheapside, N.D. [1839]. The separate parts were enclosed in - a buff illustrated wrapper, having at each corner a portrait - of a member of the Nickleby family, and in the centre a - representation of Miss La Creevy, seated before a portrait - of "Boz" (after S. Laurence). Included among the - advertisements in the first number is an announcement of - this production, with an engraving depicting Miss La Creevy - at work. The illustrations are here said to be "etched by A. - Drypoint," but they are really woodcuts. The following - explanatory statement, which forms part of the announcement, - is not without interest: "These 'Heads' will comprise - Portraits of the most interesting individuals that appear in - 'The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby,' selected at - the period when their very actions define their true - character, and exhibit the inward mind by its outward - manifestations. Each Portrait will be a literal transcript - from the accurate and vividly minute descriptions of this - able and graphic author, and will present to the eye an - equally faithful version of the maiden simplicity of Kate - Nickleby--the depravity of Sir Mulberry Hawk--the imbecility - of his dupe--the heartless villainy of the calculating - Ralph--the generosity of the noble-minded Nicholas--the - broken spirit of poor Smike--and the brutality of Squeers. - These and many others furnish subjects for the display of - the Artist's genius, and will form an interesting and most - desirable addition to the work." The "Heads" were also - issued in a collected form, in a green wrapper and in cloth, - and were republished in "The Scrap Book of Literary - Varieties," the names of the characters being changed into - brief descriptive titles, such as "Miniature Painter" - instead of "Miss La Creevy." Cloth, 8vo. London: Edward - Lacy, 74 St. Paul's Churchyard, N.D. - - "BARBARA."--Engraved by Finden, and published with two - plates by W. Maddox and H. Warren to illustrate the first - Cheap Edition of "The Old Curiosity Shop," 1848. Price 7d. - London: Chapman & Hall. - - -THOMAS ONWHYN ("Sam Weller," "Peter Palette"). - - ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE PICKWICK CLUB.--Thirty-two plates by - "Samuel Weller." "The local scenery sketched on the spot" - The majority are signed "Samuel Weller, delt.;" a few bear - the artist's initials, "T.O.," while others have no - signature appended. Issued in eight monthly parts, green - wrappers, demy 8vo, one shilling each, and published - complete in one volume, boards, price 9s. London: E. - Grattan, 51 Paternoster Row, 1837. According to the - announcement on the cover of Part I., there were to have - been ten parts, and india-proof impressions, 4to, price 2s. - Some of the unsigned plates are much inferior to those - bearing Onwhyn's signature. A set of these "Pickwick" - plates, in the original parts, have been catalogued at - fifteen guineas. Lithographic _replicas_ were issued in - small 8vo by J. Newman, 48 Watling Street, 1848, for - insertion in the first Cheap Edition of "Pickwick." Twelve - of these plates (etched by J. Yeager) were included in a - "new edition" of "Pickwick" published by Carey, Lea, & - Blanchard, Philadelphia, 1838, and reprinted in 1850. (_See - also_ "Alfred Crowquill.") - - ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE PICKWICK CLUB.--Twelve etchings on - steel, 1847. Published in green wrapper by A. Jackson, 224 - Great Portland Street, in 1894. Prices, per set, - india-proofs 30s.; coloured by Pailthorpe, 25s.; plain, 18s. - - ILLUSTRATIONS TO "NICHOLAS NICKLEBY."--"Edited by 'Boz.' By - Peter Palette, Esq." Forty etchings, comprising ten - portraits and thirty scenes. Issued in nine parts, demy 8vo, - price one shilling each, green and buff wrappers, having a - design representing an easel with a palette affixed. - Published at intervals from June 30, 1838, to October 31, - 1839, and subsequently as a volume. London: E. Grattan, - Paternoster Row, 1839. The publisher, when launching these - designs, seemed unable to determine the exact number of - parts in which they should appear. On the wrappers of Parts - 1 to 5 it is stated that they would be completed in eight - parts; on the wrappers of Parts 6 and 7, in ten parts; and - on that of Part 8, in nine parts. Parts 1 to 5 contain four - plates each, 6 to 8 contain five plates each, and 9 contains - five plates, thus making the full complement of forty - designs. The work was afterwards republished by Grattan & - Gilbert, 51 Paternoster Row, and again reprinted (_circa_ - 1847)--thirty-two plates only, which were styled - "proofs"--in small 4to, on buff paper. About the same time a - similar number of these designs were issued as lithographs, - in eight parts, small 4to. Newman, N.D. - - In 1897, Mr. George Allen, of 156 Charing Cross Road, issued - india-proof impressions from the thirty-two original steel - plates for "Pickwick," and from thirty-eight for "Nickleby," - the edition being strictly limited to 250 sets for each - work. Price L5, 5s. per set. Cloth portfolio, 12 by 9 - inches, with title-page and list of subjects. The plates - have been well preserved. - - -H. M. PAGET. - - PICKWICK PICTURES.--Six character sketches, printed in - colours, with letterpress. Crown 8vo. Illustrated wrapper. - London: Ernest Nister, 24 St. Bride Street, E.C. New York: - E. P. Dutton & Co., 31 West Twenty-Third Street, N.D. - - -F. W. PAILTHORPE. - - PICKWICK.--Twenty-four etchings, from original drawings, of - scenes not previously illustrated. Impl. 8vo. Illustrated - wrapper. London: Robson & Kerslake, 1882. Price two guineas - the set, proofs on india-paper (before letters), three - guineas. - - PICKWICK.--Three vignette titles, etched in 1892 for an - extended version of the Victoria Edition. An original tinted - drawing (unpublished) of "Gabriel Grub and the Goblin" is - included in Mr. Thomas Wilson's Collection. - - OLIVER TWIST.--Twenty-one etchings. London: Robson & - Kerslake, 23 Coventry Street, Haymarket, 1886. Only fifty - sets printed, a few of which were coloured by the artist, - also proofs on india-paper, in portfolio. - - GREAT EXPECTATIONS.--Twenty-one etchings. London: Robson & - Kerslake, 23 Coventry Street, Haymarket, 1885. Only fifty - sets printed, a few of which were coloured by the artist; - also proofs on india-paper, in portfolio. - - Mr. Pailthorpe has designed and etched frontispieces (some - coloured) for reprints of the following: "The Strange - Gentleman" and "The Village Coquettes," 1880 (C. Hindley); - "Is She His Wife?" "Mr. Nightingale's Diary," and "The - Lamplighter," 1887 (Robson & Kerslake). The first set of - impressions of the frontispiece for "The Village Coquettes" - was coloured, after which the plate disappeared, so that no - plain impressions could be issued. The only uncoloured - print, taken before the completion of the etching, is - included in Mr. Thomas Wilson's Collection. This plate was - the artist's second attempt at designing. - - Mr. Pailthorpe has etched a portrait of Samuel Weller - writing his love-letter, for "The Origin of Sam Weller" - (Jarvis & Son), 1883; the frontispiece and vignette-title - for "A New Piljian's Projiss, written by Mrs. Gamp, edited - by Charles Dickens," 1890 (unpublished); etched borders - containing characters and scenes from Dickens, for Mr. - William Wright, of Paris. The artist also designed six new - plates for the "Memoirs of Grimaldi," which, however, were - only edited by Dickens. - - -"JACOB PARALLEL." - - "JACOB PARALLEL'S HANDS TO HUMPHREY'S CLOCK; or, Sketches - from the Clock Case."--Twelve etchings on steel, - illustrating "The Old Curiosity Shop" and "Barnaby Rudge." - Two parts, Impl. 8vo, green illustrated wrappers, price two - shillings each. London: G. Berger, Holywell Street, Strand, - N.D [1840-41]. A series of illustrations of the principal - scenes and portraits of the characters, ten for the first - story and two for the second. The design on the wrapper - represents Master Humphrey standing on a chair winding up - the clock, against which rests a framed portrait of "Boz." - - -E. RICHARDSON. - - BARNABY RUDGE'S PORTRAIT GALLERY.--During the serial issue - of "Barnaby Rudge," Mr. W. Britain, 11 Paternoster Row, - advertised on one of the weekly wrappers (August 28, 1841) a - series of twenty "splendid engravings" by this artist, price - twopence, but I have never seen them. - - -THOMAS SIBSON. - - "SIBSON'S RACY SKETCHES OF EXPEDITIONS, FROM THE PICKWICK - CLUB."--Ten etchings, with letterpress, demy 8vo, green - illustrated wrappers, price 2s. 6d. London: Sherwood, - Gilbert & Piper, 1838. The design on the wrapper depicts - Dickens standing on Mr. Pickwick's head, holding aloft an - enormous quill pen, the pseudonym "Boz" appearing on his - coat-sleeves." The above title is printed on the wrapper, - but on the title-page it runs thus: "Sketches of - Expeditions, from the Pickwick Club." The Preface reads as - follows: "Originally the Pickwick Club appeared with four - Illustrations: but since Death chilled the life-depicting - hand of poor Seymour, two Embellishments have disappeared, - while eight pages of letterpress have been added. These - papers, thus arranged, bursting as they do with incident, - and intoxicated as they are with wit, must have come before - the public without Illustrations for many of their most - striking scenes. Reader, were it not so, these Sketches had - never seen the light of your eyes. The artist's hope is (may - you find it not a vain one) that these humble efforts may - afford some of the pleasure he enjoyed when imagining - them.--11 Buckingham St., Portland Place, London. January - 1st, 1838." A copy of this scarce work realised L18 at - Sotheby's in 1895. - - "ILLUSTRATIONS OF MASTER HUMPHREY'S CLOCK."--Seventy-two - etchings, issued during the publication of this work, - 1840-41. Eighteen parts, each containing four plates, some - with _remarques_. Impl. 8vo, green wrappers, price one - shilling each part. Afterwards issued in two volumes. - London: Robert Tyas, Paternoster Row, 1842. Only seventy - plates are mentioned on the title-page and in the index. On - some of the wrappers is a vignette of a clock, and on others - we find a representation of Master Humphrey sitting on a - chair. These plates are exceedingly scarce in the original - parts as issued, sets having been catalogued at twenty-five - guineas. Copies of some of the Sibson designs were etched by - J. Yeager for contemporary publication in a Philadelphia - edition of "Barnaby Rudge," together with similar _replicas_ - of a few of "Phiz's" woodcuts which appeared in the - authorised English edition. - - -F. STONE, A.R.A. - - NICHOLAS NICKLEBY.--"Three Portraits of Kate Nickleby, - 'Tilda Price, and Madeline Bray, from original paintings by - Frank Stone, engraved [on steel] by Edward Finden, and - published with the approbation of Mr. Charles Dickens." For - the first Cheap Edition of "Nicholas Nickleby." Crown 8vo, - green wrappers, price one shilling. Proofs on india-paper, - 4to, one shilling each portrait. London: Chapman & Hall, - 186 Strand, 1848. The engraved titles are as follow: "Kate - Nickleby sitting for her Portrait," "'Tilda Price dressing - for the Tea Party," and "Madeline Bray pausing in her Work." - (_See pp. 178-9_). - - -"STYLUS." - - "THE DICKENS AQUARELLES. FIRST SERIES."--"Twelve Original - Character Illustrations of the Pickwick Papers." Portfolio, - illustrated boards. New York. J. W. Bouton, 1152 and 706 - Broadway, 1888. - - "THE DICKENS AQUARELLES. SECOND SERIES."--"Twelve Original - Character Illustrations of 'The Old Curiosity Shop.'" - Portfolio, illustrated boards. Same publisher and date. - These inferior drawings are crudely coloured by hand, the - name of each Character being written in the margin. - - -WELD TAYLOR. - - NICHOLAS NICKLEBY.--"The Baron von Grogzwig." Lithograph, - Impl. 8vo. "Sketches by Weld Taylor, No. 1." London: J. - Mitchell, 33 Old Bond Street, N.D. In 1838 Weld Taylor - reproduced by lithography the beautiful portrait of "Boz" by - S. Laurence. - - -C. H. WALL. - - MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT.--Four woodcuts, 8vo, green illustrated - wrapper, price sixpence. London: Hexall & Wall, 113 Strand. - - -NELSON P. WHITLOCK. - - DICKENS ILLUSTRATIONS.--"Twenty-four Original Sketches from - the Writings of Charles Dickens." 4to. No publisher's - imprint, N.D. - - -T. C. W. - - "ILLUSTRATIONS TO MASTER HUMPHREY'S CLOCK."--Four - lithographs, illustrating the first portion of the story. - Impl. 8vo. No publisher's imprint, N.D. Issued without a - wrapper. Only two of these plates are signed (T. C. W.), and - under each appears a descriptive quotation. - - -W. C. W. - - PICKWICK.--Twelve woodcut portraits of "Pickwick" - characters, first published in "Sam Weller's Jest Book," - issued in penny numbers, and afterwards in Nos. 48, 51, 52 - of a weekly paper called _The Casket_ (Dec. 2, 23, 30, 1837) - in twopenny numbers. London: Berger & Co., Holywell Street, - and Piggott & Co., Fleet Street, 1837. - - -ANONYMOUS. - -"ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE PICKWICK PAPERS."--Four parts, each -containing four designs. Price 2d. each part. Small 8vo. Green -illustrated wrapper, depicting portraits of fourteen Pickwickian -characters. London: W. Strange, Paternoster Row, N.D. [1847]. These -woodcuts were intended for binding in the first Cheap Edition. On the -wrapper of Part I. it is announced that the work would be completed in -eight parts, and that four engravings would be issued monthly; but it is -believed that the fourth part was the final one. - -In 1838, a number of woodcut portraits of Dickens Characters were -published in _The Penny Satirist_ and in _Cleave's Penny Gazette of -Variety_ (_Late the London Satirist_), afterwards called _Cleave's -Gazette of Varieties_. These woodcuts consist of a series of twelve -"Portraits of Oliver Twist" and twelve "Characters from 'Nicholas -Nickleby,'" with descriptive quotations, &c., and were enlarged copies -of the figures in the original etchings by Cruikshank and "Phiz." They -were afterwards re-issued on a broad sheet, with the title, "Cleave's -Twelfth-Night Characters," and sold by J. Cleave, 1 Shoe Lane, Fleet -Street. - -In 1841, Cleave issued a work called "Parley's Penny Library," in which -were introduced selections (in the form of dialogues) from "The Old -Curiosity Shop" and "Barnaby Rudge," then in course of publication. They -were illustrated by means of wood-engravings, the majority of those in -"Barnaby Rudge" being enlarged copies from "Phiz's" original designs. -These woodcuts (twelve in number) were also reprinted, with the title, -"Cleave's Gallery of Comicalities--Recollections of Barnaby Rudge." - -On the wrapper of the fourth weekly number of "Master Humphrey's Clock" -(April 25, 1840) appears the following announcement: "Cheap -illustrations of Boz. Now publishing, on a broad-sheet, nearly as large -as _The Times_, price 2d. 'The Twist and Nickleby Scrap Sheet,' with -twenty-four engraved portraits. Also, price 2d., 'Sam Weller's Scrap -Sheet,' containing forty portraits of all the Pickwick characters. The -above sheets are enriched with poetic effusions by A. Snodgrass, Esq., -M.P.C., and will be found worthy the attention of all who desire 'to -laugh and grow fat;' they are alike fit for the scrap-book of the -mansion or the walls of the cottage." These scarce sheets were issued by -Cleave, having doubtless first been published in his _Gazette_. - -Certain dramatised versions of Dickens's stories, by E. Stirling and -others (published by John Duncombe & Co., 10 Middle Row, Holborn), -contain frontispieces etched by Findlay, which are worthy of the -Collector's attention. Besides these, innumerable Dickens illustrations -have appeared from time to time, embracing every form of reproductive -art. Calendars, relief scraps, booklets, &c, &c, both in colour and in -black-and-white, are brought out by enterprising firms year by year, and -merely to catalogue them would now be practically impossible. - - -NOTES ON SOME OF THE ARTISTS. - -"ALFRED CROWQUILL."--The actual name of the artist who favoured this -pseudonym was Alfred Henry Forrester. Born in 1804, he began his career -as a draughtsman when eighteen years of age, distinguishing himself -rather by his correctness than by serious forms of illustration. At the -death of Seymour in 1836, he competed with "Phiz," Thackeray, Leech, and -others for the vacant post as illustrator of "Pickwick," but without -success. For a time he belonged to the staff of _Bentley's Miscellany_, -and many of his etchings appeared in that journal during 1840-43. He was -able to use his pen and pencil with equal facility and ability; in -addition to this he was an admirable vocalist, and we are told that most -of the Christmas pantomimes of his day were indebted to him for clever -designs, devices, and effects. Forrester was also a member of the -_Punch_ staff, where, owing to his happy and genial disposition, he was -highly popular. Besides his "Pickwick Pictures," there are other designs -by him possessing a Dickensian interest, viz., the illustrations which -he supplied to a curious production entitled "Pickwick Abroad; or, The -Tour in France," which was launched by G. W. M. Reynolds in 1839. -"Alfred Crowquill" died in 1872, aged sixty-eight. - -KENNY MEADOWS.--This clever draughtsman (who abandoned the use of his -first Christian name, Joseph), was the son of a retired naval officer, -and was born at Cardigan in 1790. He has been described as "the Nestor -of _Punch's_ staff," and not only did he contribute many humorous -designs to the pages of the Fleet Street journal during the 'forties, -but he frequently prepared elaborate drawings for the _Illustrated -London News_, in the early volumes of which may be found his most -successful delineations. His representations of fairy subjects, although -marked by mannerisms, were in great request. His work is hardly -remembered in this generation, but to speak of Kenny Meadows "is to -recall the typical art of the illustrator and (such as it was) of the -comic draughtsman of the first half of the century." - -During his last years Kenny Meadows's services as an illustrator of -books were rewarded by a pension from the Civil List of L80 per annum. -He was a boon companion, a delightful _raconteur_ when at the club, and -a jovial, roystering Bohemian when he left it. This generous and -kind-hearted man died in 1874, when he had almost completed his -eighty-fifth year. - -It is worth recording that a highly-finished drawing, in pen and ink and -sepia, of Ralph Nickleby, designed by Kenny Meadows as an illustration -for his series of "Heads from 'Nicholas Nickleby,'" realised L7, 10s. at -Sotheby's in 1893, the drawing being about twice the size of the -engraving. - -T. ONWHYN.--This artist, best known perhaps by his Extra Illustrations -to "Pickwick" and "Nicholas Nickleby," was the son of a bookseller in -Catherine Street, Strand. He signed his Dickens etchings with a -pseudonym, adopting in the one instance that of "Sam Weller, Junr.," and -in the other that of "Peter Palette." Onwhyn also prepared several -plates for "Valentine Vox" and other novels by Cockton. He occasionally -contributed to _Punch_, but was more accustomed to the etching-needle -than the pencil, his drawing on wood being hard and unsympathetic. This -popular book-illustrator died in 1886, having then relinquished drawing -for a period of sixteen years. - -The twelve plates etched by Onwhyn in 1847 to illustrate the first Cheap -Edition of "Pickwick" were intended for independent publication, to -compete with the series of extra engravings by Gilbert; but before there -was time to complete the necessary arrangements the set of etchings -produced by him in 1837 were re-issued. This took the artist by -surprise, and he therefore abandoned the idea of circulating the new -designs. The plates were put aside, and their existence forgotten until -1893, when they were unearthed by the Onwhyn family, and subsequently -purchased by Mr. Albert Jackson, of Great Portland Street, who published -them in 1894. - -"JACOB PARALLEL."--The etched illustrations by this artist for "Master -Humphrey's Clock" are decidedly crude, contemporary criticisms -notwithstanding. Their publication was announced in a somewhat original -manner on the wrappers of Dickens's work, when the latter was launched -in weekly numbers. One of these advertisements begins thus: "A clock is -of no use without hands! Then, buy 'Hands to Master Humphrey's Clock.'" -Concerning these curious illustrations a contemporary critic punningly -observed: "These 'Hands' are, upon the _face_ of them, a very _striking_ -matter, and no clock ought to be _wound up_ without them.... They give -the finish that was wanted to the 'Clock,' and the public will, we have -no doubt, keep them going." - -In 1840, a book was published in parts (by G. Berger, Holywell Street), -entitled "Charley Chalk; or, The Career of an Artist," with -illustrations by "Parallel." These designs were declared to be "superior -to many in 'Nickleby,'" while the volume itself was described by -reviewers as "another 'Pickwick,'" and as "the only work fit to stand by -the side of 'Boz.'" - -F. W. PAILTHORPE.--This essentially humorous artist and etcher, who is -still living, may be correctly designated the only survivor of the "old -school" of book-illustrators, as represented by Cruikshank and "Phiz." -Mr. Pailthorpe was a personal friend of the former, to whom he sometimes -alludes as "dear old George Cruikshank," and doubtless this association -with the famous designer considerably influenced the style and manner of -Mr. Pailthorpe's work. Indeed, this seems obvious to any one who -compares the many Dickens plates drawn and etched by him with similar -designs by the illustrator of "Sketches by Boz" and "Oliver Twist." A -noteworthy feature of Mr. Pailthorpe's illustrations for Dickens's works -is that a limited number of impressions have been coloured by his own -hand, and the designs so treated are, in that respect, reminiscent of -John Leech's plates for "A Christmas Carol." - -Mr. Pailthorpe, by reason of his unique position as the sole -representative of the "old school" of book-illustrators, has received -commissions from publishers to copy the etched designs by other artists, -in cases where the original plates have been lost or are otherwise -inaccessible. He has thus reproduced "Crowquill's" "Pickwick" -illustrations, the two cancelled designs by Buss for the same work, two -of Onwhyn's illustrations for "Nickleby," and, quite recently, the two -etchings by Cruikshank for the Mudfog Papers; these _replicas_ have just -appeared in the Gadshill Edition now being issued by Chapman & Hall. - -CHARLES DANA GIBSON.--This young American artist, who has frequently -contributed to a New York journal called _Life_, recently essayed to -illustrate Dickens by means of a series of cleverly-executed drawings -representing some of the principal characters and incidents. The most -satisfactory is his picture of the Pickwick Club, the portrait of Mr. -Pickwick himself being capitally depicted. There is a distinct -individuality of style in Mr. Gibson's work, rendered for the most part -in pen-and-ink, and marked by a simplicity of treatment which is -eminently attractive and effective. Although great ability in -draughtsmanship distinguishes all his drawings, it may be contended that -he is not invariably fortunate in realising the novelist's conceptions. -Mr. Gibson's drawings of Dickens subjects have been excellently -reproduced on both sides of the Atlantic. - - - - -APPENDIX - -III - -DICKENS IN ART - - Paintings of Scenes and Characters in Dickens's - Novels--Portraits of Dolly Varden and Kate Nickleby Painted - for the Novelist by Mr. W. P. Frith, R.A.--A Humorous - Advertisement--Sale of the Two Pictures--Mr. Frith's - Recollections--Mr. James Hamilton Presents to Dickens his - Sketch of "What are the Wild Waves Saying?"--The Artist - Rewarded for his Generosity--Water-Colour Drawings by - Charles Green--How they Originated--An Interesting Series. - - -The novels of Charles Dickens are an interminable storehouse of subjects -for pictures, so it is not surprising that they have always exercised a -fascination over painters. The following is a list merely of those -pictures that have come under my notice,--a collection which, doubtless, -could be much amplified by reference to the catalogues of the Royal -Academy and other important Art galleries. - - W. A. ATKINSON.--"Little Nell and the two Gravediggers" - ("The Old Curiosity Shop"). Royal Academy, 1856. - - FRED. BARNARD.--"Sidney Carton" ("A Tale of Two Cities"). - Exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1882. - - "Horatio Sparkins" ("Sketches by Boz"). Institute of - Painters in Water-Colours, 1885. - - W. H. BARTLETT.--"'The sea, Floy, what is it always - Saying?'" ("Dombey and Son"). - - EDGAR BUNDY, R.I.--"Barnaby Rudge at the Country Justice's." - Institute of Painters in Oil-Colours, 1896. - - R. W. BUSS.--"Peerybingle, Dot, and Tilly Slowboy" ("The - Cricket on the Hearth"). - - "Joe Willet taking leave of Dolly Varden" ("Barnaby Rudge"). - - "Trotty Veck and his Dinner" ("The Chimes"). (_See p. 55._) - - G. CATTERMOLE.--"Little Nell's Home" ("The Old Curiosity - Shop"), 1842. - - "Little Nell's Grave" (companion picture), 1842. (_See p. - 134._) - - HORACE H. CAUTY.--"Bebelle looking out for the Corporal" - ("Somebody's Luggage"). Society of British Artists, 1880. - - HERBERT DICKSEE. "The Grandfather at the Grave of Little - Nell." Royal Academy, 1887. - - W. MAW EGLEY.--"The Marchioness Playing Cribbage in Dick - Swiveller's Sick-Room" ("The Old Curiosity Shop"). Royal - Academy, 1898. - - F. EDWIN ELWELL.--"Charles Dickens and Little Nell." A - bronze group, purchased by the Fairmount Park Art - Association for the Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, U.S.A. The - figure of Little Nell was exhibited at the Art Club, - Philadelphia, and awarded the Gold Medal, while the entire - group obtained a prize at the Columbian Exhibition. When - exhibited in England, this work of Art met with warm - approval, and the sculptor offered it to the London County - Council, but the emphatic wish of Dickens (as expressed in - his Will) prohibited their acceptance of this interesting - memorial. - - W. P. FRITH, R.A.--"Dolly Varden," 1843. Also _replicas_ and - other portraits, including one representing her with Emma - Haredale. (_See pp. 246-7._) - - "Kate Nickleby at Madame Mantalini's." Royal Academy, 1843. - - "The Jailer's Little Daughter Feeding 'the Birds in the - Cage.'" ("Little Dorrit"). - - "Little Dorrit Visits Arthur Clennam at the Marshalsea." - - The first portrait of Dolly Varden was engraved by C. E. - Wagstaffe in 1843; the third (now in South Kensington - Museum) was reproduced in mezzotint by S. W. Reynolds; the - fourth, "Dolly Varden and Emma Haredale," was engraved by S. - W. Reynolds and G. S. Shury in 1845. The second portrait of - Dolly, which was painted for Dickens, has never been - engraved; there are in existence, however, a few impressions - of a chromo-lithographic reproduction (now very scarce) of - Mr. Frith's original sketch for the picture, the publication - of which was unauthorised. The portrait of Kate Nickleby was - engraved by W. Holl, A.R.A., and published in 1848 - exclusively for the members of the National Art Union for - Ireland. - - The "Dorrit" pictures were painted in 1859, and engraved on - steel by Lumb Stocks, R.A., as vignettes for the Library - Edition, then in course of publication. - - W. GALE.--"Mr. F.'s Aunt" ("Little Dorrit"). Royal Academy, - 1857. - - When Wilkie Collins saw this clever picture at the Academy, - he was so much impressed that he wrote at once concerning it - to Dickens, who replied (May 22, 1857): "I am very much - excited by what you tell me of Mr. F.'s Aunt. I already look - upon her as mine. Will you bring her with you?" The painting - was purchased by Dickens through Collins, and realised at - the sale of the novelist's effects the sum of sixty guineas. - - FLORENCE GRAHAM.--"Little Nell seated in the Old Curiosity - Shop." Engraved in mezzotint by Edward Slocombe, and - published by Buck & Reid, 179 New Bond Street, 1888. - - -_Large Drawings in Water-Colours._ - - CHARLES GREEN, R.I.--"Gabriel Varden Preparing to go on - Parade" ("Barnaby Rudge"). - - "Tom Pinch and Ruth" ("Martin Chuzzlewit"). - - "Nell and her Grandfather at the Races" ("The Old Curiosity - Shop"). - - "Captain Cuttle and Florence Dombey." - - "Little Dorrit's Visit to her Sister at the Theatre." - - "Mr. Turveydrop's Dancing Academy" ("Bleak House"). - - "Mr. Mantalini and the Brokers" ("Nicholas Nickleby"). - - "The Pickwick Club." - - -_Small Drawings in Water-Colours._ - - "Barnaby Rudge with the Rioters." - - "Simon Tappertit addressing the Rioters at the 'Boot' - Tavern" ("Barnaby Rudge"). - - "Dolly Varden's Visit to Miss Haredale" ("Barnaby Rudge"). - - "Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness" ("The Old Curiosity - Shop"). - - "Dick Swiveller and Fred. Trent in the Old Curiosity Shop." - - "Sam Weller's Valentine." - - JAMES HAMILTON.--"What are the Wild Waves Saying?" ("Dombey - and Son"). - - EDGAR HANLEY.--"Dolly Varden." Royal Academy, 1883. - - E. HUNTER.--"Little Charlotte's Writing-Lesson" ("Bleak - House"). Royal Academy, 1858. - - C. R. LESLIE, R.A.--"Mr. Pickwick and Mrs. Bardell." Painted - for Dickens and engraved for the first Cheap Edition of the - "Pickwick Papers." (_See p. 220._) - - ELEANOR E. MANLY.--"'It's Cobbs! It's Cobbs!' cries Master - Harry. 'We are going to be married, Cobbs, at Gretna Green. - We have run away on purpose'" ("Boots at the Holly Tree - Inn"). Royal Institute of Painters in Water-Colours, 1893. - - MRS. M^CIAN.--"Little Nell Reading Inscription on the - Tombstone." Presented to Dickens by the artist. - - FRED. MORGAN.--"Little Nell and her Grandfather." Royal - Academy, 1883. - - R. H. NIBBS.--"Peggotty's Hut" ("David Copperfield"). Royal - Academy, 1852. - - CHARLES W. NICHOLLS.--"What are the Wild Waves Saying?" - ("Dombey and Son"). Engraved by G. H. Every, and published - by A. Lucas, 37 Duke Street, Piccadilly, 1881. - - KATE PERUGINI.--"Brother and Sister.--'Oh, Floy!' cried her - brother, 'how I love you! how I love you, Floy!' 'And I you, - dear.' 'Oh, I am sure of that, Floy'" ("Dombey and Son"). - Royal Academy, 1893. - - "Little Nell." Institute of Painters in Water-Colours, 1885. - - MARY S. PICKETT.--"Little Nell in the Old Church." Royal - Academy, 1898. - - A. J. RAEMAKER.--"What are the Wild Waves Saying?" - Sculpture. - - J. HALFORD ROSS.--"Our Mutual Friend." Eight Original - Drawings in Water-Colour, illustrating incidents in the - story. - - H. R. STEER, R.I.--"The Ball at Dr. Blimber's Establishment" - ("Dombey and Son"). - - "Little Nell and her Pet Bird." Royal Institute of Painters - in Water-Colours, 1888. - - "Nicholas Nickleby Interposes on Smike's Behalf." Royal - Institute of Painters in Water-Colours, 1897. - - LAWSON STEWART.--"'A Quiet Happy Place--A Place to Live and - Learn to Die In.'" The Graveyard in "The Old Curiosity - Shop." Institute of Painters in Water-Colours, 1885. - - FRANK STONE, A.R.A.--"'Tilda Price," "Madeline Bray," and - "Kate Nickleby." These three pictures were painted for - Dickens. (_See pp. 178-9._) - - F. W. TOPHAM.--"Barnaby Rudge and his Mother." Presented to - Dickens by the artist. (_See p. 190._) - - "Little Nell and her Grandfather in the Tent, making - Bouquets for the Racecourse." Presented to Dickens by the - artist. (_See p. 190._) - - H. WALLIS.--"The Devotion of Sydney Carton" ("A Tale of Two - Cities"). - - T. WEBSTER, R.A.--"Dotheboy's Hall: The Brimstone and - Treacle Scene." Painted for Dickens, and engraved for the - first Cheap Edition of "Nicholas Nickleby." (_See p. 220._) - -In the above list the most interesting picture, in many respects, is Mr. -Frith's "Dolly Varden." The artist was quite a young man, just rising -into fame, when (in 1843) he made great success with several charming -presentments of the locksmith's bewitching daughter, and on seeing one -of these (described by Dickens as "Dolly with the bracelet"), the -novelist so much admired it that he commissioned Mr. Frith to paint -another portrait of her, together with a companion picture of Kate -Nickleby. Writing shortly afterwards to the artist, whose acquaintance -Dickens then made, he said, in reference to an engraving of the subject -by C. E. Wagstaffe: "I saw an unfinished proof of Dolly at Mitchell's -some two or three months ago: I thought it was proceeding excellently -well then. It will give me great pleasure to see her when completed." -The two pictures, when finished, were hung in the dining-room of the -novelist's house. At the expiration of a few years, the portrait of Kate -Nickleby was sent to Ireland (by Mr. Frith's desire) for the purpose of -being engraved, and was delayed there so long that Dickens began to feel -impatient. Accordingly, one morning he forwarded to the artist the -following document, indited by himself:-- - -"ADVERTISEMENT.--To K--e N--y.--The Young Lady in Black, K.N.--If you -will return to your disconsolate friends in Devonshire Terrace your -absence in Ireland will be forgotten and forgiven, and you will be -received with open arms. Think of your dear sister Dolly, and how -altered her appearance and character are without you. She is not the -same girl. Think, too, of the author of your being, and what he must -feel, when he sees your place empty every day! - -"_October Tenth, 1848._" - -For each of these remarkable canvases Mr. Frith received the by no means -extravagant sum of twenty pounds, that being the price demanded by him. -At the sale of Dickens's effects, however, the portrait of Dolly Varden -realised a thousand guineas, while that of Kate Nickleby found a -purchaser, on the same eventful occasion, for two hundred guineas--a -tribute alike to author and artist. Mr. Frith has favoured me with some -interesting information respecting his presentments of Dolly Varden:-- - -"The picture of 'Dolly Varden' which I painted for Dickens was never -engraved. Before I began it I made a study of the figure, but only the -half-length, down to below the waist. This study was bought by Sir R. -Rawlinson, who allowed (without asking my permission) a most villainous -chromo-lithograph to be made from it, and one day to my horror I saw it -in a shop-window. For anything I know to the contrary, many of these -things may have been sold.[55] The original completed picture never left -Dickens's possession from the time it was finished till he died, nor was -it ever exhibited. The portrait of Dolly (the 'laughing' Dolly) now in -the South Kensington Museum, was bequeathed by Forster, who had it from -Frank Stone, for whom I painted it. I painted two copies of the -'laughing' Dolly, but I don't know what became of them. I also painted -two pictures in which Dolly figures in company with Emma Haredale--in -one she is feeling in her pocket for a letter addressed to Miss -Haredale, and in the other she is disdainfully treating Miss Haredale's -hints about Joe Willet--she throws up her head and 'hopes she can do -better than that, indeed!' I have just remembered another--a small -half-length--in which she is looking at herself in a mirror and giving -her curls a 'killing twist.' I have no idea where these pictures are. I -may add that when Dickens came to see (on completion) my portraits of -Dolly Varden and Kate Nickleby, which I painted expressly for him, he -told me they were 'exactly what he meant.' This, of course, delighted -me. They led to a friendship which lasted till his death." It will be -remembered that in 1859 the novelist gave sittings for his portrait by -Mr. Frith, which was painted as a commission from Forster, by whom it -was bequeathed to the Nation. This portrait, now at South Kensington, -occupies the most important place between the earlier portraits of -Dickens by Samuel Laurence, Maclise, and R. J. Lane, and the later -presentments of him by photography. - - Footnote 55: That Mr. Frith did not always entertain such an - absolute objection to this reproduction is testified by the - following memorandum written by him on a copy of the print - now in the collection of Mr. W. R. Hughes:--"This is a very - good chromo-lithograph from the first study for the picture - painted by me for the late Charles Dickens. (Signed) W. P. - FRITH, December 23, 1884." - -It is not generally known that Mr. Frith once had the privilege of -illustrating a Dickens novel, _apropos_ of which the artist writes: "I -told Dickens one day when he was sitting for his likeness that I should -like to be allowed to illustrate one of his books. He seemed pleased, -and proposed 'Little Dorrit.' I forget to whom I sold the pictures, and -where they are now I know not." The two paintings were beautifully -engraved on steel by Lumb Stocks, R.A., as vignettes for the Library -Edition, 1858-59. - -The sketch by an American artist, Mr. James Hamilton, of "What are the -Wild Waves Saying?" has a little history attached to it. While Dickens -was in Philadelphia, during his last visit to America, he expressed a -wish to purchase a painting of this subject,--one of the artist's most -successful productions,--but, much to the novelist's regret, it had -already been sold. The original sketch was still available, however, and -with this Dickens was so greatly pleased that he immediately offered to -buy it; whereupon the artist insisted on presenting it to the famous -author of "Dombey and Son." Soon afterwards, Mr. Hamilton was agreeably -surprised to receive a set of Dickens's novels, containing a pleasant -inscription in the novelist's autograph. - -The titles of Mr. Charles Green's admirable series of Dickens pictures -were supplied to me by the artist himself, who favoured me with a -complete list shortly before his death. In reference to these remarkable -drawings I have received the following communication from Mr. William -Lockwood, of Apsley Hall, Nottingham, for whom they were painted on -commission: "The first work of Mr. Green's that really attracted my -attention was his famous water-colour Race drawing, entitled, I believe, -'Here they come!' I saw that at a friend's house, and was so struck with -admiration of Mr. Green's delicate sense of humour, subtle rendering of -character, and fine drawing, that I at once told my friend of my great -appreciation of Charles Dickens, and saw that, in my opinion, Mr. -Charles Green would make the very best illustrator of his day of that -great man's work. I then sought an introduction to Mr. Green, which -resulted not only in my beautiful series of drawings, but in a warm -friendship with the artist. In the execution of these pictures Mr. Green -found most congenial work, and I think fully justified my judgment of -his special power. When the series was exhibited at our local museum, it -attracted universal admiration and the delighted appreciation of all -classes." Mr. Lockwood has generously lent these pictures to many London -galleries, including the English Humorists' Exhibition, held at the -Royal Institute of Painters in Water-Colours in 1889. - - - - -INDEX - - - Abbey, E. A., R.A., 222. - Absolon, J., 228. - Ainsworth, H., 21, 23, 24, 54, 65, 113. - _All the Year Round_, 111, 160, 215. - "American Notes," designs for, 157-158, 202, 219, 221, 222, 226. - "Artist and the Author, The," 22. - _Athenaeum, The_, 33, 43, 44, 60, 76. - Atkinson, W. A., 243. - - Barnard, Fred, 221, =222=, 226, 227; - character sketches, 228-229; - pictures, 243. - Bartlett, W. H., 243. - "Battle of Life, The," designs for, 142-145, 151, 156-157, 164-168, - 221. - Baxter, W. G., 229. - Becker, F. P., 137, 163. - Bell, Mackenzie, 33. - _Bell's Life in London_, 3, 30, 139, 233. - Benjamin, W. E., 225. - Bentley, Richard, 9, 61. - _Bentley's Miscellany_, 9-10, 11, 17, 19, 21, 25-26, 61, 240; - designs by G. Cruikshank, 25, 242. - Bicknell, E., 114. - Billings, H., 225. - Bolton, T., 158. - Bonchurch, 118, 147. - Bracewell, C. H., 229. - Browne, Dr. E. A., 99, 101. - Browne, Gordon, 226. - Browne, Hablot K. ("Phiz"), 25, 52, 54, =59-120=, 122, 123, 124, - 132, 146, 147, 192, 193, 195, 197, 204, 209, 217, 221, 226, 227, - =229-230=, 239, 240, 242; - biographical sketch, 113-118; - remuneration, 116; - illness, 116; - applies for pension, 117; - death, 117; - personal characteristics, 117-118; - water-colour _replicas_ of Dickens illustrations, 118; - "extra illustrations," 229-230. - Browne, Hablot K.," Life and Labours of," 96, 111, 119-120. - Browne, W. G. R., 111. - Brune, Morton, 61. - "Brush," 230-231. - Bryan, Alfred, 231. - Bull and Mouth Street, St. Martin's le Grand, 48. - Bundy, E., 243. - Burnett, H., 47. - Buss, Frances Mary, 49, 57. - Buss, Rev. A. J., 51, 56, 57. - Buss, Robert W., =47-57=, 58, 60, 62, 63, 64; - remuneration for the "Pickwick" designs, 51; - his pictures, 55-56, 243; - his illustrations, 56; - death, 57. - - Calvert, E., 183. - Cambridge, 59. - Camden Street, Camden Town, 57. - Cancelled designs--by G. Cruikshank, 16-17, 22; - by R. W. Buss, 50-51, 242; - by J. Leech, 141. - Canonbury Tower, 30. - Canterbury Cathedral, 105. - _Casket, The_, 239. - Caswell, E., 74. - Cattermole, G., 80, 82, 83, =121-135=, 162; - pictures, 134, 243; - illness and death, 134. - Cauty, H. H., 243. - _Century, The_, 210. - Chapman, E., 32, 37, 38, 42, 44, 45, 47, 61, 83, 128, 139, 158. - Chapman, F., 139, 212. - Character Studies--by F. Barnard, 228-229; - by W. G. Baxter, 229; - by A. Bryan, 231; - by J. W. Ehninger, 232; - by C. D. Gibson, 232, 239, 242; - by "Kyd," 233; - by "Stylus," 238 (and _see_ 243-248.) - "Charles Dickens by Pen and Pencil," 208. - "Charles Dickens: Gossip about his Life, Works, and Characters," 228. - "Charley Chalk: or the Career of an Artist," 242. - Charterhouse, The, 138. - Cheap editions, illustrators of, 219-226. - Cheltnam (engraver), 137. - "Children from Dickens's Novels," designs by F. O. C. Darley, 223. - "Child's Dream of a Star, A," designs by H. Billings, 225. - "Child's History of England, A," designs for, 189, 193, 202, 221. - Chominski, T. V., 225. - "Chimes, The," designs for, 141, 144, 150-151, 155-156, 162-163, 221; - picture by Buss, 55, 243. - Christie, J. E., 226. - Christmas Books, designs for, 119, 222. - "Christmas Carol, A," designs for, 140, 144, 146, 221, 225, 242. - Christmas Stories, designs for, 221, 222. - Clarke, J. Clayton. _See_ "Kyd." - Clint, G., A.R.A., 48. - Colborn, Henry, 25. - Collins, C. Alston, 204, 205, 209. - Collins, Wilkie, 159, 203, 204, 244. - Cooke, W. C., 226. - Corbeaux, F., 228. - Corbould (engraver), 137, 173. - Cornwall, Logan Stone in, 154; St. Nighton's Keive in, 168. - Cosens, F. W., 13, 77, 86, 118, 201, 233. - Coveny, C, 231. - "Cricket on the Hearth, The," designs for, 141-142, 151, 156, 163-164, - 180, 225, 233; - picture by R. W. Buss, 55, 243. - "Crowquill, Alfred," _see_ "A. H. Forrester." - Cruikshank, George, =1-28=, 33, 47, 54, 55, 60, 68, 91, 114, 133, 146, - 214, 217, 239, 242; - portraits of, 5-6; - Fairy Tales, 26-27; - described by Mrs. Gamp, 27-28; - as an actor, 28; - remuneration, 28; - death, 28; - bust by Adams, 28. - - _Daily News_, 99, 182. - Daly, Augustin, 37, 38. - Dalziel Brothers, 137, 167, 198, 201, 212. - Dalziel, E. G., 221. - Darley, F. O. C, =223-224=, 231; - pictures by, 223. - Devonshire Terrace, Regent's Park, 246. - Dexter, J. F., 85, 86, 89, 93, 98, 100, 108, 111, 112, 141, 229. - "Dickens and _Punch_," 174. - Dickens, Charles, portraits of, 5-6, 56, 74, 168, 220, 221, 225, 236, - 237, 238, 247. - Dickens, Frederick, 44, 45. - Dickens, Kate, 205 (and _see_ "Kate Perugini"). - Dickens, Lieut. Sydney, 178. - Dickens, Mrs. Charles, 44, 45, 191. - Dickleburgh, 121. - Dicksee, H., 244. - Dobson, Austin, 15. - Dolly Varden, notes on portraits by W. P. Frith, R.A., 246-247. - Doyle, J. ("H. B."), 149. - Doyle, R., 137, 141, 142, =149-152=, 165, 172. - Drury Lane, Theatre Royal, 154. - Duchess of St. Albans, The, 85, 98, 104, 107. - Duke Street, Grosvenor Square, 56. - Dulcken, A., 231-232. - Du Maurier, G., 146. - - Eastlake, Sir C., 181. - East London Theatre, 153. - Eddystone Lighthouse, C. Stanfield's act-drop, 159. - Edinburgh, 153; theatre, 154. - Edwards (engraver), 85, 100. - Egley, W. M., 244. - Ehninger, J. W., 232. - Elderton, Miss, 121. - Elwell, F. E., 244. - "Empty Chair, The" 215. - "English Graphic Satire," 57. - "Etchings and Sketchings," by John Leech, 39. - Etty, William, R.A., 63. - Everitt, Graham, 26. - Eytinge, Sol., =224-225=. - - "Fagin in the Condemned Cell," 15-16, 21-22, 23, 214. - "Fairy Library, The," 27. - Fennell, J. G., 62, 117. - Field Lane, 21. - Fields, J. T., 209, 225. - Fildes, Luke, R.A., 117, =204-217=; - recollections of Dickens, 208, 216; - his drawing of "The Empty Chair," 215. - Finden, E. & W., 60, 62, 63, 64, 74, 114, 119, 120, 179, 228, 233. - Findlay (engraver), 10, 240. - Fisher, Miss L. M., 226. - Flaxman, 138. - Fleet Market, 132. - Forrester, A. H. ("Alfred Crowquill"), 59, 227, =231=, =240=. - Forster, John, 18, 19, 22, 24, 51, 92, 93, 94, 107, 118, 127, 134, - 143, 144, 145, 147, 150, 154, 156, 157, 162, 163, 164, 165, 168, - 169, 170, 200, 215, 247. - "Fortunio," 203. - Fraser, F. A., 221. - "Frauds on the Fairies," 26. - French, 222. - French, H., 221. - Frith, W. P., R.A., 148, 205, 213; - pictures, 244. - Frost, A. B., 221, 222, 223. - "Frozen Deep, The," 203. - Furniss, H., 226. - Furnival's Inn, 36, 39, 45, 59, 91, 119. - - "Gabriel Grub," ("Pickwick"), designs by T. Nast, 223. - Gad's Hill, 205, 214, 225. - Gale, W., 244. - Gaugengigl, J. M., 225. - "George Silverman's Explanation," designs by F. Barnard, 222; - by M. Greiffenhagen, 226. - Gibson, C. D., =232=, =242=. - Gilbert, Sir John., R.A., 223, =224=, 227, 232-233, 241. - "Gleanings from Popular Authors," Dickens illustrations by J. Nash, - F. Barnard, T. W. Wilson, J. E. Christie, and G. Browne, 226. - Gorway, C. M., 233. - Graham, Florence, 244. - _Graphic, The_, 206, 207, 215. - Gray, C., 61, 80, 137. - "Great Expectations," designs for, 201, 221, 222, 223, 236. - Greenaway (engraver), 232. - Green, Charles, =221-222=, 225; - pictures, 245, 248. - Green, Townley, 221. - Green, W. T., 85, 137, 198. - Greiffenhagen, M., 226. - Groves (engraver), 137. - - Hablot, Colonel, 114. - Hall, Mr. (Chapman & Hall), 44, 49, 116. - Hamerton, P. G., 2, 183. - Hamilton, Colonel, 6. - Hamilton, J., 245, 248. - Hampstead Road, 199. - Hanley, E., 245. - "Hard Times," designs for, 220, 221, 222. - Harley, J. P., 73. - Harrison, F., 80, 82. - "Haunted Man, The," designs for, 146, 157, 173, 175-178, 221. - Haweis, Rev. H. R., 151. - Heath, W., 233. - "Heiress, The," 32, 38. - Highgate Cemetery, 116, 179. - "History of _Punch_," 149. - Hodder, G., 15. - Hogarth, Miss G., 100, 168, 216. - "Holiday Romance," designs by F. Barnard, 222; - by Sir J. Gilbert and G. G. White, 224. - "Holly Tree Inn, The," picture by Eleanor E. Manly, 245. - Hood, Tom, 113, 140. - "Hook and Eye" Club, The, 6. - Hook, Theodore, 32. - Houghton, A. Boyd, =220=. - _Household Words_, 23, 26, 189. - Hove, 117. - Hughes, W. R., 247. - "Hunted Down," designs by F. Barnard, 222; - by M. Greiffenhagen, 226. - Hunter, E., 245. - Hunt, Holman, 148. - Hunt, Leigh, 32, 107, 150. - Hyde Park Place, 206, 208, 211, 216. - - _Illustrated London News_, 224, 240. - Irving, Washington, 220. - Islington, 31, 35, 38. - "Is She His Wife?" design by F. W. Pailthorpe, 236. - Italy, 162, 182. - - "Jack Ketch," 33. - Jackson, John, 4, 36, 41, 48, 54, 56. - Jackson, Mason, 60. - "Jacob Parallel," =236=, =241-242=. - "Jack Straw's Castle," Hampstead, 162. - Jerrold, Blanchard, 24. - Jerrold, Douglas, 140, 153. - Jodrell, Rev. Sir E. R., 168. - - Kate Nickleby, notes on the portraits by W. P. Frith, R.A., 246-247. - Keeley, Robert, 142. - Kennington, 113. - Kensal Green, 28. - "Ketch Papers, The," 33. - Knight (engraver), 85, 100. - Knight, Admiral Sir John, 114. - Knight, Charles, 56. - "Kyd" (pseudonym of J. Clayton Clarke), 233. - - "Lamplighter, The," 25; design by F. W. Pailthorpe, 236. - "Lamplighter's Story, The," 25-26. - Landells, E., 46, 80. - Landseer, Sir E., R.A., 135, 137, 162, =180-181=. - Lane, R. J., A.R.A., 247. - Lang, A., 92. - Laurence, S., 238, 247. - Leamington, 96. - Lee, 59. - Leech, John, 59, 60, 114, =138-148=, 161, 173, 176, 240; - extraordinary blunder in "The Battle of Life" by, 145; - "The Rising Generation," 147; - as an actor, 147; - accident to, 147; - death, 148; - portrait by Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A., 148. - Leighton, Lord, P.R.A., 195, 206. - Leslie, C. R., R.A., =219-220=, 245. - Letters:-- - Browne (H. K.) to W. G. R. Browne, 111-112; - to Morton Brune, 61; - to Dickens, 83, 84, 115; - to R. Young, 113, 120. - Cattermole (G.) to Dickens, 130. - Chapman (E.) to Dickens, 43. - Chapman (F.) to _Anon._, 139. - Cosens (F. W.) to author, 118. - Cruikshank (G.) to Dickens, 14; - to _The Times_, 19-22. - Dickens (C.) to _Anon._, _re_ "Pickwick," 36-37; - to _The Athenaeum_, 43-44; - to H. K. Browne, 88-89, 93, 94, 96-97, 99, 100, 111, 115-116; - to G. Cattermole, 122-134; - to Chapman & Hall, 205; - to E. Chapman, 83-84, 158; - to F. Chapman, 212; - to G. Cruikshank, 16-17; - to C. Dickens the younger, 44-45; - to Mrs. C. Dickens, 191; - to J. T. Fields, 209; - to L. Fildes, R.A., 207; - to J. Forster, 24, 92, 94, 103, 145, 147, 157, 179, 200; - to T. Longman, 194; - to S. Palmer, 184; - to R. Seymour, 39-40; - to C. Stanfield, R.A., 154, 155-156, 159; - to F. Stone, A.R.A., 158-159, 176-178; - to M. Stone, R.A., 193, 196, 197-198; - to Wilkie Collins, 244. - Fennell (J. G.) to author, 62. - Leech (J.) to J. Forster, 143-144. - Lockwood (W.) to author, 248. - Maclise (D., R.A.) to C. Dickens, 169-170; - to J. Forster, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 170. - Young (R.) to author, 64. - "Letters of Charles Dickens, The," 159. - Lever, Charles, 65, 113. - "Library of Fiction, The," 3, 33, 45-46, 54-55, 61-62. - "Lighthouse, The," 159. - Lincoln's Inn Fields, 163. - Linnell, J., 182. - Linton, W. J., 137, 140, 144 (and see note 144), 225. - "Little Talk about Spring and the Sweeps, A," designs by Buss and - Cruikshank, 54-55. - Liverpool Road, Islington, 35. - Lockwood, W., 248. - - Mackenzie, Dr. S., 17-18, 19. - Maclise, D., R.A., 74, 122, 134, 137, 143, 144, 154, =161-171=, 247; - amusing sketch by, 163; - portrait of Dickens by, 168; - letter _re_ "Grip," 169-170; - death, 170; - Dickens's tribute, 170-171. - Macready, W., 127. - Macrone, J., 3, 4, 25, 115. - Maddox, W., 233. - Maguire, T. H., 220. - Mahoney, J., 221. - Manly, Eleanor E., 245. - Marold, 225. - Marshalsea, The, 111. - Martin (engraver), 137, 173. - "Maxims and Hints for an Angler," 31, 38. - Mayhew, Horace, 15, 32. - M^cIan, Mrs., 245. - M^cLean, 32. - M^cLenan, J., 223. - Meadows, Kenny, 227, =233-234=, =240-241=. - "Memoirs of Grimaldi," designs by G. Cruikshank, 24; - by F. W. Pailthorpe, 236. - Meynell, Mrs., 210. - Millais, Sir J. E., P.R.A., 148, 195, 205, 206. - Minories, The, 97. - Mittis, 225. - _Monthly Magazine, The,_ 3, 116. - Morgan, F., 245. - _Morning Chronicle, The_, 3, 4, 33. - "Mr. Nightingale's Diary," design by F. W. Pailthorpe, 236. - Mudfog Papers, The, designs by G. Cruikshank, 25, 242. - - Nash, J., 226. - Nasmyth, 154. - Nast, T., 222, 223. - "Nemo" (pseudonym of H. K. Browne), 65. - Newman Street, 62. - "New Piljian's Projiss, A," 27; - designs by F. W. Pailthorpe, 236. - Nibbs, R. H., 245. - Nicholls, C. W., 245. - Nickleby, Kate, Notes on the Portraits by W. P. Frith, R.A., 246-247. - - Onwhyn, T., 227, =234-235=, =241=. - "Origin of Sam Weller, The," design by F. W. Pailthorpe, 236. - _Our Young Folks_, 224. - - Paget, H. M., 235. - Pailthorpe, F. W., 6, 73, 227, 231, =235-236=, =242=. - Palmer, A. H., 184, 185, 188. - Palmer, Samuel, =182-188=; - his water-colour drawings, 183, 184; - etchings, 183. - "Parallel, Jacob," =236=, =241-242=. - Payn, James, 108. - Peggotty's Boat, 103. - Perugini, Kate, 245 (and _see_ "Kate Dickens"). - "Peter Palette" (pseudonym of Thomas Onwhyn), 227, =234-235=. - Phillips, Watts, 111. - "Phiz," 65 (and _see_ "Hablot K. Browne"). - Pickett, Mary S., 245. - Pickwick, Mr., prototype of, 38-39; - Sketches by H. K. Browne, 72; - by C. D. Gibson, 242. - "Pickwick Papers, The, An Account of the Origin of," 42. - "Pickwick, Tales from," designs by E. J. Wheeler, 226. - "Pic Nic Papers, The," 25, 115. - Pictures of Dickens subjects, 243-248. - "Pictures from Italy," 182; - designs by H. K. Browne, 119; - by S. Palmer, =183-187=; - by M. Stone, R.A., 202; - by G. Thomson (Household Edition), 221; - by M. Greiffenhagen, 226. - Pinwell, G. J., =220=. - Planche, 150, 203. - Portraits:-- - Cruikshank (G.) 5-6, 28; - Dickens (C.), 5-6, 56, 74, 168, 220, 221, 225, 236, 237, 238, 247; - Dickens (Lieut. Sydney), 178; - Leech (J.), 148; - Seymour (R.) 37. - _Punch_, 75, 136, 138, 139, 140, 147, 150, 172, 173, 174, 240, 241. - "_Punch's_ Valentines," 75. - Putney Bridge, 211; church, 42, 211. - - "Quiz" (pseudonym of Dickens), 74. - - Raemaker, A. J., 246. - Ralston, J. M^cL., 221. - "Readings of Mr. Charles Dickens, The," designs by S. Eytinge, 224. - Regent's Canal, 199. - Reinhart, C. S., 222. - "Reprinted Pieces," designs by F. Walker, A.R.A., 221; - by E. G. Dalziel (Household Edition), 221. - Richardson, E., 236. - "Rising Generation, The," by John Leech, 147. - Roberts, C., 212. - Roberts, D., R.A., 154. - Rochester, 214; - Castle, 216; - Cathedral, 211, 216; - Eastgate House, 211, 216; - High Street, 211. - Roe (engraver), 59. - Roffe, E., 230. - Ross, J. Halford, 246. - Rotherhithe, 198. - Ruskin, Prof. John, 1, 16, 82, 121, 146, 150. - - Sala, G. A., 4, 28, 67, 142. - "Sam Weller" (pseudonym of Thomas Onwhyn), 227, =234-235=; - "The origin of," 236. - "Sam Weller's Jest Book," 239. - Sands (engraver), 63. - Sandys, F., 195. - Scenes (various) from Dickens, depicted by C. Coveny, 231; - by F. O. C. Darley, 231; - by N. P. Whitlock, 238; - by C. D. Gibson, 232, 242; - miscellaneous, 240; - pictures, 243-248. - "Scrap Book of Literary Varieties, The," 234. - Seymour, Mrs., 42, 44; - her "Pickwick" pamphlet, 42-45. - Seymour, R., =29-46=, 47, 51, 54, 60, 64, 66, 211, 240; - death of, 35, 36-37, 139; - tribute to, 35; - final drawing, 36; - remuneration, 40; - portrait of, 46. - Seymour, R., jun., 43. - Shaw, William, prototype of Squeers, 75-76. - Sheppard, W. L., 222. - Shury, G. S., 244. - Sibson, T., =237=. - "Sketches of Young Couples," designs by H. K. Browne, 74. - "Sketches of Young Gentlemen," designs by H. K. Browne, 74. - "Sketches of Young Ladies," designs by H. K. Browne, 74. - Smith (engraver), 137. - Smith, Orrin, 61. - "Somebody's Luggage," picture by H. H. Cauty, 243. - Spielmann, M. H., 60, 77, 149, 210, 222. - "Squib Annual, The," 43. - St. Andrew's Street, Seven Dials, 199. - St. Bartholomew's Hospital, 138. - St. Dunstan's Church, Fleet Street, 150, 155. - St. James's Theatre, 73, 191. - St. James's, Westminster, 20, 21. - St. Martin's Lane, 63. - St. Nighton's Keive, near Tintagel, 168. - St. Paul's Cathedral, 28, 181. - Stanfield, C., R.A., 137, 150, =153-160=, 168, 173, 219; - presents from Dickens, 155, 157, 159; - drawing of S.S. _Britannia_, 158; - Eddystone Lighthouse, act drop, 159; - nicknames, 159; - death, 160; - Dickens's tribute, 160. - Stanfield, F., 156, 159. - Stanfield, G., 160. - Staple Inn, 212. - Steer, H. R., 246. - Stewart, Lawson, 246. - Stone, F., A.R.A., 137, 158, 173, =175-179=, 192, 194, 195, 203, - =237-238=, 247; - as an actor, 178; - Mrs. Gamp's description of, 178; - nicknames, 178; - his portrait of Lieut. Sydney Dickens, 178; - death, 179; - pictures, 246. - Stone, Marcus, R.A., 113, 175, 177, =192-203=, 204, 215; - his first design for Dickens, 195; - his drawings for "Our Mutual Friend," =195-201=; - the prototype of Mr. Venus, 199-200; - private theatricals, 203. - "Strange Gentleman, The," =73=; - designs by H. K. Browne, 73; - by F. W. Pailthorpe, 236. - "Stroller's Tale, The" ("Pickwick"), 36, 39-40. - "Stylus," 238. - "Sunday Under Three Heads," =61-62=. - Swain, Joseph, 106, 137, 150. - - Talfourd, Sergeant, 84. - Tavistock House, 158, 159, 175, 203; - Square, 179. - Taylor, Weld, 238. - Tenniel, Sir John, 136, 137, 147, =172-174=, 176, 191. - Thackeray, W. M., 12-13, 15, 28, 59, 62, 135, 138, 139, 166, 175, 180, - 195, 219, 240. - Theatrical entertainments, 27, 158-159, 178, 190, 191, 203. - Thomas, W. L., 206. - Thomson, D. C, 96, 111, 119. - Thomson, Gordon, 221. - Thompson, J., 137, 166. - Tilney, F. C., 226. - "Timothy Sparks" (Dickens's pseudonym), 61. - Topham, F. W., =189-191=; - pictures of scenes in "Master Humphrey's Clock," 190, 246; - love of acting, 190-191; - ability as a juggler, 191. - Topham, F. W. W., 190. - "Travelling Sketches" ("Pictures from Italy"), 182. - Trollope, Anthony, 113, 201. - "Tuggses at Ramsgate, The," 33, 54; - designs by Seymour and Cruikshank, 46. - - "Uncommercial Traveller, The," designs for, 220, 221, 222, 226. - - Varden, Dolly, notes on portraits by W. P. Frith, R.A., 246-247. - Vasey (engraver), 80. - "Village Coquettes, The," design by F. W. Pailthorpe, 236. - - Walker, C. W., 228. - Walker, F., A.R.A., 195, =221=; - pictures by, 221. - Wall, C. H., 238. - Wallis, H., 246. - Warren, H., 233. - Weatherhead (engraver), 64. - Webster, T., R.A., 219, =220=, 246. - Wedmore, F., 6, 7. - "Weller, Sam" (pseudonym of Thomas Onwhyn), 227, =234-235=; - "The Origin of," 236. - Wheeler, E. J., 226. - White, G. G., 224. - Whitehead, C., 33, 45. - "Whole Hogs," 23. - Williams, S., 80, 123. - Williams, T., 133, 137, 167, 220. - Willis (prototype of Mr. Venus), 199-200. - Wilson, Thomas, 233, 236. - Wilson, T. Walter, 226. - Worth, T., 222. - Wright (engraver), 232. - Wright, W., 4, 105, 220, 236. - W., T. C., 238. - W., W. C., 239. - - Yarmouth Denes, 103, 106. - Yates, Edmund, 60. - Yeager, J., 235, 237. - Young, Robert, 63, 64, 85, 87, 100, 113, 117, =119-120=, 229. - - - - -REFERENCES TO THE PRINCIPAL WORKS - - - "Barnaby Rudge," =81-86=, =127-133=, 169, 202. - Designs by Hablot K. Browne, 85-86, 230; - by George Cattermole, 127-133; - by Frederick Barnard, 222; - by Absolon and Corbeaux, 228; - by C. B. Bracewell, 229; - by E. Richardson, 236; - by T. Sibson, 237; - Anon., 239. - Pictures by E. Bundy, 243; - by R. W. Buss, 55, 243; - by W. F. Frith, R.A. 244, 246-247; - by C. Green, 245; - by E. Hanley, 245; - by F. W. Topham, 190, 246 - (and _see_ "Master Humphrey's Clock"). - - "Bleak House," =106-109=, 193. - Designs by H. K. Browne, 106-109; - by F. Barnard, 222. - Pictures by C. Green, 245; - by E. Hunter, 245. - - "David Copperfield," =102-106=, 207, 208. - Designs by H. K. Browne, 102-106; - by F. Barnard, 222; - by Phil May, 226. - Picture by R. H. Nibbs, 245. - - "Dombey and Son," =90-101=, 170. - Unpublished designs by R. W. Buss, 55; - designs by H. K. Browne, 90-101, 230; - by F. Barnard, 222; - by W. L. Sheppard, 222. - Pictures by H. K. Browne, 99; - by W. H. Bartlett, 243; - by C. Green, 245; - by J. Hamilton, 245, 248; - by C. W. Nicholls, 245; - by K. Perugini, 245; - by A. J. Raemaker (sculpture), 246; - by H. R. Steer, 246. - - "Little Dorrit," =109-111=, 160. - Designs by H. K. Browne, 109-111; - by M. Stone, R.A. 195, 201; - by J. Mahoney (Household edition), 221; - by W. P. Frith, R.A., 244, 247. - Pictures by W. P. Frith, R.A., 244; - by W. Gale, 244; - by C. Green, 245. - - "Martin Chuzzlewit," =86-90=. - Designs by H. K. Browne, 86-90; - by F. Stone, A.R.A., 179; - by F. Barnard, 222; - by C. H. Wall, 238. - Picture by C. Green, 245. - - "Master Humphrey's Clock," =79-86=, 239-240. - Designs by H. K. Browne, 79-86; - by G. Cattermole, 122-134, 162; - by D. Maclise, R.A., 162; - by F. Barnard, 222; - by "Brush," 230-231; - by "Jacob Parallel," 236, 241-242; - by T. Sibson, 237; - by T. C. W., 238 - (and _see_ "The Old Curiosity Shop" and "Barnaby Rudge"). - - "Mystery of Edwin Drood, The," 202, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, - =209-216=, 225. - C. A. Collins's design for wrapper, 205; - designs by L. Fildes, R.A., 208-217. - - "Nicholas Nickleby," =74-78=, 168, 180. - Designs by H. K. Browne, 76-78; - by F. Stone, A.R.A., 178-179, 237-238; - by T. Webster, R.A., 220; - by F. Barnard, 222; - by C. S. Reinhart, 222; - by Sir John Gilbert, R.A., 232; - by K. Meadows, 233-234, 241; - by T. Onwhyn, 235, 242; - by W. Taylor, 238; - Anon., 239. - Pictures by W. P. Frith, R.A., 244, 246-247; - by C. Green, 245; - by H. R. Steer, 246; - by F. Stone, A.R.A., 178-179, 246; - by T. Webster, R.A., 220, 246. - - "Old Curiosity Shop, The," =80-81=, =123-127=; - Designs by H. K. Browne, 80-81, 85, 221, 229-230; - by G. Cattermole, 123-127, 133; - by D. Maclise, R.A., 162; - by C. Green, 221; - by T. Worth, 222; - by W. Maddox and H. Warren, 233; - by K. Meadows, 234; - by "Stylus," 238; - Anon., 239; - Water-colour drawings by H. K. Browne, 86. - Pictures by G. Cattermole, 134, 243; - by W. A. Atkinson, 243; - by H. Dicksee, 244; - by W. M. Egley, 244; - by F. E. Elwell (sculpture), 244; - by F. Graham, 244; - by C. Green, 245; - by Mrs. M^cIan, 245; - by F. Morgan, 245; - by M. S. Pickett, 245; - by K. Perugini, 245; - by H. R. Steer, 246; - by L. Stewart, 246; - by F. W. Topham, 190, 246 - (and _see_ "Master Humphrey's Clock"). - - "Oliver Twist," =9-24=, 60. - Designs by G. Cruikshank, 9-24; - sale of original drawings, 13; - water-colour _replicas_, 13; - _Edition de luxe_, 13; - The Cancelled Plate, 16-17, 22; - Cruikshank's Account of the Origin of the Story, 17-24. - Designs by H. K. Browne, 119; - by J. Mahoney (Household edition), 221; - by F. W. Pailthorpe, 236; - Anon., 239. - - "Our Mutual Friend," 148, 192, =195-201=, 204. - Designs by A. B. Houghton, 220; - by J. Mahoney (Household edition), 221. - Pictures by J. H. Ross, 246. - - "Pickwick Papers, The," 29, =32-45=, 47, 48, =49-54=, =58-61=, 139, - 182, 211, 213, 240. - Designs by R. Seymour, 36-37, 41, 50, 64; - by R. W. Buss, 50-54, 62, 64, 242; - by J. Leech, 60, 139; - by H. K. Browne, 62-73, 229; - by C. R. Leslie, R.A., 219, 220; - by T. Nast, 222; - by A. B. Frost, 223; - by E. J. Wheeler, 226; - by C. Coveny, 231; - by "Crowquill," 231, 242; - by A. Dulcken, 231-232; - by Sir John Gilbert, R.A., 232, 241; - by W. Heath, 233; - by T. Onwhyn, 234-235; - by H. M. Paget, 235; - by F. W. Pailthorpe, 235-236; - by T. Sibson, 237; - by "Stylus," 238; - by W. C. W., 239; - Anon., 239. - Pictures by C. Green, 245; - by C. R. Leslie, R.A., 200, 245. - - "Sketches by Boz," =3-9=, 23, 24, 32, 46, 60, 73. - Designs by G. Cruikshank, 3-9, 54; - by H. K. Browne, 118-119; - by F. Barnard, 222; - by A. B. Frost, 222. - Picture by F. Barnard, 243. - - "Tale of Two Cities, A," =111-113=, 192. - Designs by H. K. Browne, 112-113; - by M. Stone, R.A., 202; - by F. Barnard, 222; - by J. M^cLenan, 223. - Pictures by F. Barnard, 243; - by H. Wallis, 246. - - -THE END - - Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO. - Edinburgh & London - - * * * * * - -TRANSCRIBER NOTES: - - Missing punctuation has been added and obvious punctuation - errors have been corrected without note. - - Archaic words and alternate spellings have been retained with - the exception of those noted below. - - Page 13: "Syke's" changed to "Sykes's" for spelling - consistentcy (Sykes's[3] farewell to his dog;). - - Page 67: "especally" changed to "especially" (the original - designs, especially if he saw an opportunity for improving - them.) - - Page 73: "than" changed to "that" (It was under such - distressing conditions that in 1873-74 he executed a - commision). - - Page 81 and 88: "apropos" changed to "apropos" for - consistentcy ("Phiz" was often apropos) and (sly touches of - humour peculiarly apropos of the principal theme.) - - Page 136: "encourged" changed to "encouraged" (Its - extraordinary popularity encouraged him to prepare a similar - story). - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Dickens and His Illustrators, by Frederic G. 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