Part 7
Thomas Lawrence was born in the city of Bristol, in May, 1769. He was the youngest of a family of sixteen children, and was remarkable from his infancy for his winning manners. His father took much pains in teaching the child passages from the poets, and at five years old he could repeat any speech in Milton’s _Pandemonium_. The child was equally clever with his pencil; observing which, a Derbyshire baronet, struck with the boy’s genius, offered to send him to Rome at an expense of £1000, but his father replied that “his son’s talents required no cultivation.” At so young an age of five years his drawings of eyes were so good as to make Fuseli remark with enthusiasm: “But, by G--t, he paints eyes better than Titian!” In 1785, young Lawrence received the Society of Arts Medal with five guineas for the most successful copy from the old masters, being a crayon drawing of the “Transfiguration” of Raphael; he also received “the greater silver palette gilt,” by special vote of the committee. Having become a student of the Royal Academy at the age of eighteen, he sent in the year 1787 the extraordinary number of seven pictures; in the following year he sent six portraits; thirteen in 1789, and twelve pictures in 1790. At the express desire of His Majesty, Lawrence was admitted an Associate of the Royal Academy, by the suspension of a law against the admission of an Associate under the age of twenty-four. Although supported by Sir Joshua Reynolds, his election was much opposed by several academicians. Shortly before Lawrence’s return in 1820 from Rome, where he had been engaged on the great work of painting the Allied Sovereigns, Benjamin West, the President of the Royal Academy, died full of honours. Lawrence was unanimously chosen to succeed him, and the King, in approval of the choice, added a superb gold chain and medal of himself. In addition to the honour of knighthood by the Prince Regent, and admission to the Academy of St. Luke, in Rome, he became, in 1817, a member of the American Academy of the Fine Arts. He was elected by the Academy of Florence, a member of the first class. The Academy of Venice added their election in 1823; that of Bologna followed; and Turin in 1826. He was also elected a member of the Imperial Academy at Vienna, and received the diploma of the Danish Academy; and finally made a chevalier of the Legion of Honour, in France. He died on the 7th January, 1830.
_ROYAL FAVOURS._
Lawrence received many valuable presents from foreign princes and nobles, as marks of admiration of the great painter’s genius: the following list was made out by his sister,--
“By the King of France (Charles X.), in the autumn of 1825, he was presented with the Legion of Honour (the medal or jewel of which is in my son John’s possession); a magnificent French clock, nearly two feet high; two superb green and gold china jars; and a dessert set of Sèvres porcelain, which Sir Thomas left to the Royal Academy.
“By the Emperor of Russia, a superb diamond ring, of great value.
“By the King of Prussia, a ring, with His Majesty’s initials, F. R., in diamonds.
“He likewise received presents from the foreign ministers assembled at Aix-la-Chapelle, where he painted all of them; from the Archduchess Charles and Princess Metternich at Vienna; from the Pope, a ring, and the Colosseum in mosaic, with his Holiness’ arms over the centre of the frame; from the Cardinal Gonsalvi, besides other presents, a gold watch, chain, and seals of intaglios, and many beautiful bonbonniere boxes of valuable stones set in gold, gold snuff-boxes, etc.; a fine gold snuff-box from Lord Whitworth, many years before.
“From the Dauphin, in 1825, a breakfast-set of porcelain, and a tea-tray painted with the court of Louis XIV.
“By Canova, at Rome, some magnificent casts, valuable engravings, etc.”
_MISS FANNY KEMBLE._
In a letter to Mr. Angerstein, Lawrence gives his opinion of this celebrated actress’s successes in the following terms,--
“We have little stirring in town, one novelty excepted, which enlivens the evenings of this otherwise dull period. Your respect and regard for Mrs. Siddons and Mr. Kemble will make you glad to know that the genius and sense of both are recalled to us by the really fine acting of Miss Fanny Kemble, the daughter of their brother Charles. She is not quite nineteen, yet has so satisfied the judgment of the warmest patrons and ablest critics of the stage, that, in its worst season, she has drawn full houses (and continues to draw them) for upwards of twenty-two nights, three nights in each week, without intermission, to one of Shakespere’s finest, but certainly most hackneyed plays, _Romeo and Juliet_, and the boxes are already taken to Wednesday se’nnight.
“Her face is not regularly handsome, but she has a fine and flexible brow, with hair and eyes like Mrs. Siddons in her finest time. In stature she is rather short, but with such admirable courage and invariable grace of action, that on the stage she appears fully of woman’s height. Her voice is at once sweet and powerful; and blest with a clear ‘Kemble’ understanding (for it is peculiar to her family), she has likewise fine literary talent, having written a tragedy of great interest, besides lighter pieces of admirable verse. Her manner in private is characterized by ease, and that modest gravity which I believe must belong to high tragic genius, and which, in Mrs. Siddons, was strictly natural to her; though, from being peculiar in the general gaiety of society, it was often thought assumed.
“I have for many years given up the theatre (not going above once or twice in the year), but this fine genius has drawn me often to it, and each time to witness improvement and new beauties. If she is not taken from the stage, there is probability that she may remain on it a fine actress for twenty years, and thus have supported the ascendency of one family in the highest department of the drama for upwards of twenty years!”
_HOAXING LAWRENCE._
Mr. John Bernard, in his “Retrospections of the Stage,” gives the following anecdote of Lawrence’s cleverness in sketching likenesses at the early age of nine years:--
“The young artist collected his materials very quickly, and essayed my visage the first. In about ten minutes he produced a faithful delineation in crayon, which for many years I kept as a curiosity. He next attempted Edwin’s, who, startled at the boy’s ability, resolved (in his usual way) to perplex him. This he did by changing the form of his features--raising his brows, compressing his lips, and widening his mouth. Tom no sooner perceived the change than he started in supreme wonder, attributing it to a defect in his own vision. The first outline was accordingly abandoned, and a second commenced. Tom was now more particular, and watched him narrowly; but Edwin, feature by feature, and muscle by muscle, so completely ran, what might be called the gamut of his countenance (as the various compartments of its harmony), that the boy drew and rubbed it out, till his hand fell by his side, and he stood silently looking in Edwin’s face, to discover, if possible, its true expression. Edwin could not long maintain his composure at his scrutiny, and revealed the hoax with a burst of merriment and mimic thunder.”
_FUSELI’S ENVY._
In Lawrence’s great picture of “Satan addressing the Fallen Angels,” Fuseli complained that the figure of Satan was his own--that Lawrence had copied some one of his designs. The following account of the matter, however, was given by Lawrence in a conversation with Cunningham, and seems a sufficient explanation:--
“Fuseli, sir, was the most satirical of human beings; he had also the greatest genius for art of any man I ever knew. His mind was so essentially poetic that he was incapable of succeeding in any ordinary object, That figure of Satan, now before you, occasioned the only interruption which our friendship of many years’ standing ever experienced. He was, you know, a great admirer of Milton, from whom he had many sketches. When he first saw my Satan, he was nettled, and said, ‘You borrowed the idea from me!--‘In truth, I did take the idea from you,’ I said; ‘but it was from your person, not from your paintings. When we were together at Stackpole Court, in Pembrokeshire, you may remember how you stood on yon high rock which overlooks the bay of Bristol, and gazed down upon the sea, which rolls so magnificently below. You were in raptures; and while you were crying “Grand! Grand! Jesu Christ, how grand! how terrific!” you put yourself in a wild posture. I thought on the devil looking into the abyss, and took a slight sketch of you at the moment: here it is. My Satan’s posture now, was yours then.’”
_HIS PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE._
Allan Cunningham gives the following description of the habits and practice of the great artist:--
“He rose early, and he worked late; for though no one excelled more in rapid sketches, he had a true enthusiasm for his art, and would not dismiss hastily anything for which he was to be paid as a picture. He detained his sitters often for three hours at a time; had generally eight or nine of these sittings; and all the while studied their looks anxiously, and seemed to do nothing without care and consideration. His constant practice was to begin by making a drawing of the head, full-size, on canvas, carefully tracing in dimensions and expression. This took up one day; on the next he began to paint--touching in the brows, the nose, the eyes, and the mouth, and finally the bounding line, in succession. Lawrence sometimes, nay often, laid aside the first drawing of a head, and painted on a copy. This was from his fear of losing the benefit of first impressions, which in such cases are often invaluable. It may be added that he stood all the while, and was seldom so absorbed in his undertaking that he did not converse with his sitter, and feel either seriousness or humour, whilst giving thought to the brow, or beauty to the cheek. He adhered to the old rule of receiving half payment at the beginning of a portrait.
“The distinguished person who favoured him with _forty sittings_ for his head alone, was Sir Walter Scott. The picture was painted for George IV., and Lawrence was anxious to make the portrait the best of any painted from so celebrated a character.
“At other times, however, he was as dexterous as any artist. He once told Burnet that he painted the portrait of Curran in _one day_: he came in the morning, remained to dinner, and left at dusk; or, as Lawrence expressed it, quoting his favourite author
‘From morn till noon, From noon till dewy eve.’
“The following were his progressive prices:--
Three-quarters. Half-length. Whole length. Guineas. Guineas. Guineas. 1802 30 60 120 1804 35 70 140 1806 50 100 200 1808 80 160 320 1810 100 200 400
“The following were his latest prices:--
“For a head-size, or three-quarters, the great painter received £210; for a kit-cat, £315; for a half-length, £420; for a bishop, half-length, £525; and for a full-length, £630; for an extra full-length, £735.
“Lord Gower paid Lawrence fifteen hundred guineas for his admirable portrait of his lady and child; and six hundred guineas was the sum paid by Lord Durham for his portrait of Master Lambton.”
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_LIOTARD (JOHN STEPHEN)._
John Stephen Liotard was born in the year 1702, at Genoa, At first he studied without instruction, but in 1715 he visited Paris, and became a pupil of the celebrated Massé. Here he attracted the notice of the Court painter, Lemoine, who introduced him to the Marquis Puysieux, and he afterwards accompanied that nobleman to Naples. Here he employed himself in painting miniatures on ivory. He afterwards visited Rome and painted portraits of the Pope and the Stuart family. In 1738 he accompanied Lord Duncannon to Constantinople. During his residence here he allowed his beard to grow, and adopted the Turkish costume, which he never afterwards relinquished. In 1742 he was summoned by the Prince of Moldavia to Jassy, and after a short time there, proceeded to Vienna, where he was patronized by the Empress Maria Theresa, who rewarded him richly for his portraits of the imperial family. He again returned to Paris, and his magnificent beard and oriental dress made him for a time the lion of that capital, and procured him the bye-name of “The Turkish Painter.” Among the ladies who entrusted him with their portraits was the celebrated Madame Pompadour, who was by no means satisfied with the likeness, Liotard having followed nature so closely as to reproduce even freckles and other accidental blemishes. From Paris he repaired to London. The best picture he executed in England was that of the Princess of Wales and her sons. Perhaps his most popular painting is that of “The Chocolate Girl,” which is seen on fire-screens, snuff-boxes, articles of porcelain, etc. In 1756 he visited Holland, and sacrificed his long-cherished beard on the altar of Hymen, without, however, laying aside his Turkish dress. In 1772 he returned to England, painting numerous portraits, principally in crayons. His works in enamel, etc., are very numerous, and are to be found in the various private and public collections of almost every country in Europe. He died in the year 1776.
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_LIVERSEEGE (HENRY)._
Henry Liverseege was born at Manchester, in September, 1803. Of humble parentage, he was indebted to the benevolent care of an uncle for a liberal education. His career as an artist began with copying fine paintings of old masters. With the exception of a few visits to London, he passed the whole of his life in his native town of Manchester. When in London he received considerable attention from those to whom his genius was known; among others, from Etty, the R.A. Heath, appreciating his genius, gave him a commission to paint twelve subjects for the “Book of Beauty,” which, however, he did not live to commence. His paintings, which appeared at the Society of British Artists in London, attracted general approval and admiration; but in January 1832, before the completion of his twenty-ninth year, this promising artist breathed his last.
_A DEAR MODEL._
“Henry Liverseege had the soul and sense to take nature for his everlasting model; when he originated, he originated out of the heart of life; when he illustrated, he made life sit for his illustrations. In his paintings from Shakspeare, Scott, Gay, and Butler, and more especially in the more difficult of them, he always procured living models. Take, for instance, the two subjects of ‘Christopher Sly and the Hostess,’ and ‘The Black Dwarf,’ two of his most admirable paintings: we have it on record that even for these he found life representatives, and the anecdotes that attach to each picture are sufficiently amusing. As regards Christopher Sly, it was long before he could find such a cobbler as he desired. At length he met with a man he thought would suit; and, having placed him in his studio, set down a bottle of gin beside him, saying, ‘Drink whenever you please.’ The spirit of the cobbler, being one of those that must lie in sleep some time, and become half corrupted before it rises, refused to stir; he sat sober as a worshipful judge upon the bench. Another bottle of gin disappeared in the same way as the former, but the son of Crispin sat steady as ever. ‘Begone!’ exclaimed the painter in a passion; ‘it will cost me more to make you drunk than the picture will procure me!’
“‘The Black Dwarf,’ it will readily be believed, was a sort of poser in the way of tumbling upon an original; but notwithstanding the difficulty of procuring a sitter sufficiently hideous or misshapen, he at last discovered a miserable dwarf who afterwards sat to him, and displayed on the completion of his likeness, great wrath and indignation at what he considered the malicious mode in which his person was delineated: he would not believe that it was anything like _him_, and left the room unpaid, in high dudgeon, grumbling hoarsely as far as he could be heard,--for this fragment of humanity had the voice of a giant.”
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_LOUTHERBOURG (PHILIP JAMES DE), R.A._
Philip James De Loutherbourg, a distinguished landscape painter, was born at Strasburg, in the month of October, 1740. His father, who was a miniature painter, gave him a superior education. He at first studied with Tischbein, then under Casanova, who, at that time, was much admired as an historical painter. But Loutherbourg’s peculiar _forte_ lay in landscape. He obtained considerable reputation at Paris, and exhibited his works at the Louvre. He was admitted a member of the French Academy in the year 1768. Having come over to England, he was, in the year 1771, elected a Royal Academician, and was for some short time engaged as scene-painter at the Opera House. Soon after his settling in England, he got up, under the name of the “Eidophusikon,” a novel and highly interesting exhibition, displaying the changes of the elements and their phenomena in a calm, by moonlight, at sunset, and in a storm at sea. This pictorial contrivance anticipated our present dioramas, although upon a smaller scale. It has been said of this painter: “His vigorous style of execution, poetical imagination, and his perfect knowledge of scenic effect, well qualified him for a department of art which demands them all, and which is held to be a subordinate one, chiefly because its productions are soon laid aside, and entirely forgotten.” He died at Hammersmith, March 11th, 1812, in his seventy-third year.
_GILRAY._
The following is an extract from Holcroft’s Diary:--“Went with Geiseveiller to see the picture of the ‘Siege of Valenciennes,’ by Loutherbourg. He went to the scene of action accompanied by Gilray, a Scotchman, famous among the lovers of caricature; a man of talents, however, and uncommonly apt at sketching a hasty likeness. One of the merits of the picture is the portraits it contains, English and Austrian. The Duke of York is the principal figure, as the supposed conqueror; and the Austrian general, who actually directed the siege, is placed in a group, where, far from attracting attention, he is but just seen. The picture has great merit; the difference of costume, English and Austrian, Italian, etc., is picturesque. The horse drawing a cart in the foreground has that faulty affected energy of the French school, which too often disgraces the works of Loutherbourg. Another picture by the same artist, as a companion to this, is the ‘Victory of Lord Howe on the 1st of June.’ Both were painted at the expense of Mechel, printseller at Basle, and of V. and R. Green, purposely for prints to be engraved from them. For the pictures they paid £500 each, besides the expenses of Gilray’s journeys to Valenciennes, Portsmouth, etc.”
_LOUTHERBOURG’S ECCENTRICITY._
One day, when he was painting, he observed his footman driving a poor, half-starved cat out of the area. He immediately called out, “John, bring the cat back.” “He was stealing a piece of meat, sir.” “Then he is hungry, and you must feed him.” “Sir, he has got the mange.” “Then the animal has a double claim on our commiseration. Bring him back, and you must feed and cure him too; and when he is cured, let me see him. I have an excellent receipt to cure that complaint.”
_ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING._
On another occasion, he was painting a snake pursuing a traveller, and could not please himself in regard to the attitude. He rang the bell for John, and, on his appearance, immediately caught him by the collar. The footman started back. “Your attitude is excellent,” cried his master. “That is all I wanted.”
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_OPIE (JOHN), R.A._
John Opie, born May, 1761, was a native of Truro, in Cornwall, where his father resided in an obscure situation. Dr. Wolcot took a fancy to the boy, and finding he had a turn for painting, the doctor employed him to paint his own portrait, and recommended others. This employment enabled Opie to save £30, which he brought to London, and soon became noticed as a genius of the first order. Success now smiled on his labours. Through Mrs. Delaney, the young artist was presented to His Majesty, who bought some pictures of him. In 1786 he was known as an exhibitor at Somerset House, soon after which he aspired to academical honours. He accordingly became, first, an Academician Elect, and then a Royal Academician. When the Royal Institution was formed, it became necessary that an artist should be found out who could deliver lectures on the subject of painting, and Opie was accordingly selected for that purpose. On the appointment of Fuseli to the office of Keeper of the Academy, Opie was elected without any difficulty to the vacant Professorship. He was twice married. The first was a most unhappy union; for the wife, within a few years after marriage, encouraged a paramour, which led to a separation and a lawsuit. His next match was formed under more propitious circumstances. He became united to Miss Alderson, of Norwich, who is said to have possessed a fine taste for poetry and music. There was no child of either marriage. While enjoying high reputation in his art, he was suddenly seized with a mortal disease, and expired April 9, 1807.
_THE AFFECTED SITTER._
When a lady whose portrait he was painting was mustering all her _smiles_ to look charming, the irritated artist could endure the constrained and affected features no longer; but starting up, and throwing down his brush, exclaimed, in his broad style, “I tell ye what it is, ma’am, if ye grin so I canna draw ye.”
_REYNOLDS (SIR JOSHUA), P.R.A._
Joshua Reynolds was born in July, 1723. His father, the Rev. Samuel Reynolds, was much esteemed for his urbane and benevolent disposition, and possessed much keen humour. At the early age of eight years, Joshua gave promise of that genius which in subsequent life gained him such eminence, and so well entitled him to be regarded as “the Founder of the British School of Painting.” It was in 1735, when the young artist was but eleven years of age, that he painted his first portrait, that of the Rev. Thomas Smart. This portrait is represented to have been painted from a drawing taken in church on the artist’s thumbnail. The celebrated portrait painter, Hudson, had Joshua for his articled pupil, with whom he received a premium of £120, and who soon displayed signs of his after excellence in the line of face painting. He started for Rome in the year 1749. Afterwards he visited Bologna, Genoa, Parma, Florence, and Venice, returning to and establishing himself in England in 1752. From this time Reynolds had abundant employment, and his celebrity advanced in proportion. Although since his return from his travels, Hudson, the former master of Reynolds, with many others, expressed the opinion that he did not paint so well as before he left England, they all candidly confessed within a very short time the error of their opinion. After enjoying a career of unusual success and prosperity, this eminent artist, after a long illness, died on the 23rd of February, 1792, in the 69th year of his age.
_ASTLEY._