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1094 Life of Thomas Stothard. With personal Reminiscences by Mrs. Bray. 
 
 1 vol. in 2, 8vo., inlaid to roy. folio, with portrait and numerous text-illustrations; extra 
 illustrated by the insertion of 197 engravings, an A.L.s. and 13 original drawings all inlaid 
 to size and bound in; half levant morocco, rubbed. 1851 £60 SI 68.00 
 
 The engravings range in size from 1}" x H" to 144" x 3' 1" and in subject from cupids 
 and putti to Robinson Crusoe. They include plates from the Vicar of Wakefield, the 
 Decameron, Pilgrim's Progress, the Novelists' Magazine, 7 proofs of the Wellington shield, 
 and large engravings of the Canterbury Pilgrims and John Gilpin. The a.l.s. is a book 
 binding order from Stothard to Cadell and Davis. The originals by Stothard are all of 
 good quality and include a pen and wash drawing of George III surrounded by the 
 cardinal virtues, some impressive studies of nudes and drapery, a drawing of the skeleton 
 of a mammoth, and a very fine pen and ink sketch of Hermes and an old man asleep. 
 
 The collection has been intelligently selected and gives a very good idea of Stothard's 
 best work. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2010 with funding from 
 
 Research Library, The Getty Research Institute 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/lifeofthomasstot01bray 
 

 
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HARLOW . ?rNX? 
 
LIFE 
 
 THOMAS STOTHARD, R.A 
 
 WITH PERSONAL REMINISCENCES 
 
 By MRS. BRAY, 
 
 Author of " The Borders of the Tamar and the Tary." " Memoirs of Charles A. Stothard, F.S.A , 
 "Trelawny." " Trials of the Heart," i;c.,i:o. 
 
 WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS FROM HIS WORKS. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 
 
 1851. 
 
BBADBUB? AND EVANS, 
 
 PRINTERS EXTRAORDINARY TO THE Ql BEN, 
 
 WHITEFK1ABS. 
 
V 
 
-^ 
 
ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 TN the year 1 836, two articles of mine, entitled lc Reminifcences of 
 Stothard," were publifhed in the May and June numbers of Black- 
 wood's Magazine. In 1845, Mr. Alfred Stothard, fon of the late 
 hiftorical painter, and himfelf a medallift of great ability, parTed 
 fome little time with us at Taviflock. During his vifit, he 
 exprefTed his regret that he had not been made acquainted with my 
 intention to write the articles on his father, as he could have 
 furnifhed me with fome additional information. Thefe, therefore, 
 I revifed, corrected, and re-modelled ; and embodied in them not 
 only the particulars I received from fo authentic a fource, but added 
 alfo many from my own recollections ; till at length, the work 
 grew fo much upon me, that I determined to throw it into a more 
 biographical form. 
 
 After I had thus enlarged and completed my talk, it was 
 fuggefted to me by Mr. Murray, that it would be defirable, if 
 porTible, to obtain fome original letters of Stothard. In the hope 
 of being enabled to do this, I applied to Mr. Alfred Stothard, 
 
Advertifement. 
 
 who kindly lent all the papers he had of his late father. Thefe 
 principally confifted of letters to and from his wife ; with fome 
 rude drafts of others to various perfons on matters of bufinefs 
 connected with his profeffion ; and two very briefly written diaries 
 of journeys to Edinburgh and Derby mire, whilft engaged in his 
 purfuits. All thefe documents I moft carefully examined. 
 
 I found the letters addrefTed to Mrs. Stothard evinced kind and 
 good feelings as a hufband and a father ; but, for the greater 
 part, fo much were they of a private nature, as to contain little 
 information for the public. From thefe, therefore, I felected only 
 a few extracts, to mow how ftrong were his domeftic affections. 
 
 Refpecting letters and papers of a more general or profeflional 
 character, I grieve to fay, I could find but few that were in a 
 ftate for publication, or would have pofTefTed any intereft with the 
 reader. Moft of them were fragments, unfinifhed drafts, or rude 
 memoranda, and ufually without dates ; fome with fo many 
 obliterations, and in fo imperfect a ftate, that they could not be 
 clearly underftood, and thus were ufelefs. I have, therefore, been 
 compelled to give but very few. 
 
 In juftice to myfelf I have ftated this; as it will, in fome 
 meafure, account for a want of exact regularity as to the order in 
 which they are placed. Indeed, I have frequently felt the difficulty, 
 in fome inftances the impoftibility, of following the principal events 
 
Advertisement. 
 
 of Stothard's life in ftricl: chronological order. Thofe who were 
 moft intimately acquainted with the early part of his career are no 
 longer living ; and, from natural modefty and referve, he feldom, 
 if ever, talked about himfelf. 
 
 The plan of giving illuftrations from the works of a great painter, 
 with fome account of his life, originated with Mr. Leflie, R.A., 
 in his Memoirs of Conftable ; Mr. Murray has, in fome meafure, 
 adopted it as the precedent and example in the ftyle of illuftrating 
 the prefent volume. To that eminent artift I am indebted for two 
 or three characteriftic anecdotes of his brother Academician, and 
 for the extract from a ledlure which he recently delivered at the 
 Royal Academy refpecting the productions of Stothard's pencil. 
 
 To Mr. Carpenter, of the Britifh Mufeum, my thanks are due 
 for his great kindnefs and attention in enabling me to profit by the 
 engravings from the works of Stothard, under his care, in the print- 
 room of that National Inftitution. To Mifs Denman, Mr. Rogers, 
 and Mr. Windus, I am alfo indebted for having moft obligingly 
 allowed fome of his defigns, in their pofleflion, to be copied for 
 thefe pages. 
 
 ANNA ELIZA BRAY. 
 
 The Vicarage, Tavistock, 
 November, i8ci . 
 
VIII 
 
■ 
 
REMINISCENCES 
 
 THOMAS STOTHARD, 
 
 :<*« 
 
 LIST OF CONTENTS. 
 
 From tbe Illustrations to Milton. 
 
■ 
 

 4lf /-,<ff/„ ,^,,/rr/ GOD. 
 
 y/<7 -,,.//,: 
 
 -'-'■;•-'.€:-"} 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 •*SSi< 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Parentage and Birth of Stothard — Sent to nurfe at Acomb — The old ftore-room and 
 its attraction — Brought to London; placed at School — His father dies — 
 Apprenticed to a pattern draftfman — Deligns from Homer and Spenler — His 
 mailer dies — He continues with the widow — Takes (ketches for her — Two 
 gentlemen call on her — Refults of the meeting — His early friends — Apprentice- 
 ship expires — Employed on the NoveliiVs Magazine — Exhibits his full picture 
 — Becomes a ftudent in Maiden Lane — His love of literature — Rambles in 
 North Wales — Sketches from nature — Boating excurlion — Falls in love — 
 Marries — Alderman Boydell — Goes to a Manfion Houfe Ball — Elected an 
 Aflbciate of the Royal Academy— His progreis and works . 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Stothard removes to Newman Street — Robbery of his plate — Elected an Academician 
 — Illuftrates the Pilgrim's Progrefs — The Sylph and the Butterfly — His fond- 
 neis for Nature — Defigns for plate — Studies in the fchool of Rubens — The 
 Marquis of Exeter employs him to paint the great ftaircafe at Burleigh — 
 Engaged by Heath on Shakefpeare — His ion Charles (ketches the efligies in the 
 churches near Burleigh — Stothard's letter to the Marquis on the terms of his 
 painting — Extracts from letters to his wife — His mother dies .... 
 
Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Stothard's Death of Nelfon — His Robinfon Crufoe making his Long Boat — Vifits 
 the Englifh Lakes and Scotland — His Jubilee Transparency — Defigns from 
 FroifTart — Vifits Hafod — Col. Johnes — Death of Mifs Johnes — Stothard's 
 defign for her monument — His letters from Hafod . , . . -49 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Archdeacon Markham and Stothard's friends and patrons — Extracts from his letters 
 — His modeft eftimate of himfelf — Recommends the ftudy of Raphael and 
 Albert Durer — The cartoon of St. Paul preaching to the Athenians — The 
 Transfiguration — Stothard's opinion of the fame — His letter on his journey to 
 Paris 59 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Stothard's advice to itudents on drawing the figure — BeHhazzar's Feaft — Importance 
 of outline — Gothic fculpture — Extracts from Stothard's notes on painting — His 
 Sketches from dancers — His admiration of Rubens ; and of Sir Jofhua Reynolds 
 — Callcott — Turner — Barker and Harlowe — His opinions of high finifh and 
 perfpeclive — His Fete Champetre — Purchafed by Lady Svvinburn . . -77 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Stothard's mind contemplative — His opinions of Beauty — Remarks on exprefilon — 
 Mrs. Fitzherbert and Mrs. Siddons — His drawing of the latter — Flaxman's cart 
 of her face — Stothard's want of popularity — whence it arofe — Sir Jofhua's 
 remark on the genius of Stothard — His ftudy of Raphael — Similarity and imita- 
 tion — His pictures in the fchool of Watteau— His Sans Souci . . . -93 
 
xji 
 
W^BaeS* 
 
 FublLsktd March o^iSo2,bv ladeR &Da\ ies . ~tr, md . 
 
Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Stothard illuftrates Bell's Shakefpeare and Poets — His feries of paintings from the 
 former — His comic humour — Characters from Shakespeare, the Spectator, and 
 Don Qjaixote — His ftudy of ancient coftume — His works found in remote parts 
 of the world — He depicts his dream — His Una — Children in the Wood — 
 Phillis and Brunette — Raving and Melancholy Madnefs — Boadicea, &c. . .105 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Canterbury Pilgrims — The fubject fuggefted by Cromek — The characters 
 introduced — Remarks on the fame — Hoppner and Stubbs — Schiavonetti com- 
 mences the engraving of the Pilgrims — Dies — The plate finifhed by Heath — 
 Stothard's letter on his picture — His Flitch of Bacon — Defign for Young's 
 Night Thoughts . ........... 129 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Jubilee of 18 14 — Temple of Concord — The Wellington Shield — His defigns and 
 models for it — Etches the fubjects from his own drawings — Duke and Duchefs 
 of Wellington come to fee the work — The Shield prefented— Stothard's letter 
 to the Duke — Refult of an interview with his Grace — Defigns for plate, for 
 George the Fourth's Salver, and for the Wellington Vafe — Elected Librarian 
 of the Royal Academy, 1817 . . . . . . . . . 147 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Stothard engaged to paint the ceiling of the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh — His 
 letter on the fubject — Goes to Dovedale to make drawings in illuftxation of 
 Walton's Angler — Extracts from his Journal — Defigns for the frieze of the 
 New Palace, and for the Throne-room — George the Fourth's remark on 
 Stothard's unchanged powers — Defigns for fculpture — The Children in 
 Lichfield Cathedral 165 
 
Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Stothard's ftudies of animals — Remarks of* the would-be critics on his works — 
 Anecdote of an amateur — Vaft number of his compositions — His comic power — 
 Compared with Hogarth — Diverfity of his genius — General remarks on the 
 character of his drawings and his oil paintings — His pictures of Beckett, and the 
 Sleeping Diana — The Italian and Engliih fchools contrafted . . . .185 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Stothard's family — His eldelt lbn, Thomas — His melancholy fate — His^lecond fon, 
 Charles — His talents — Worth — And death — His children, Henry, Alfred, 
 Robert, and Emma — The kindnefs of Stothard to young ltudents and friends 
 — Refpect paid to him by his brother Academicians — Death of his friend 
 Flaxman — And his wife — His forrovv for her lofs — His health fails — Laft 
 attempt to handle the pencil — His death and burial — His character as a man, 
 and genius as a painter — Sale of his works after his death . . . 1 9 J 
 
F 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Initial Letter for the Amicable Infurance Company ..... i 
 
 The Schoolmiftrefs ........... 5 
 
 Youvvarka Towing the Boat . . . . . . . . .10 
 
 Mrs. Jordan, as Prifcilla Tomboy . . . . . . . . . 12 
 
 Royal Academy Exhibition Room . . . . . . . 1 3 
 
 Cupid Chained . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 
 
 Robinfon Crufoe and his man Friday . . . . . . . 19 
 
 Stothard and his Friends when Prifoners . . . . . . 20 
 
 The King's Ball at St. James's . . 23 
 
 Scene from the Pilgrim's Progrefs (the Alarm) . . . . . . 24 
 
 Confirmation ............ 27 
 
 Head-drefses ............. 28 
 
 Rape of the Lock . .......... 35 
 
 Boaz and Ruth ............ 4.1 
 
 Queen Charlotte and the Royal Family ....... 49 
 
 Scene from the Pilgrim's Progrefs (the Reception) . . . . . . 51 
 
 Scene from the Pilgrim's Progrefs (the Reflection) . . . . -53 
 
 The Wits' Afsembly ........... 57 
 
 The Seafons ............ 60 
 
 Cupid and Campafpe . . . . . . . . . . . 63 
 
 Adam and Eve in Paradife . . .65 
 
 The Angels appearing to the Shepherds . . . ..... 69 
 
 St. John Preaching in the Wildernefs . . . . . . . -75 
 
Lift of Illujtrations. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Defigns for Clarifsa Harlowe . 80 
 
 Bacchanalian Group . . . . 85 
 
 The Sunflower and the Ivy . . . . . . . . . -95 
 
 Vignette 102 
 
 Sans Souci . . . . . . . . . • • • .103 
 
 Scene from Triftram Shandy . . . . 106 
 
 Scene from Richard III. . . . .112 
 
 Scene from the Spectator . . . . . . . . . . 114. 
 
 Jacob's Dream . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 
 
 Cupid Bound 119 
 
 Robinfon Crufoe on his Raft . . . . . . . . .121 
 
 The Rival Beauties . . . . . . . • . ..123 
 
 Madnefs 125 
 
 Boadicea . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 
 
 Canterbury Pilgrims . . . . . . . . . . .139 
 
 Intemperance ............ 146 
 
 Decanter Labels ........... 161, 163 
 
 A Nymph . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 
 
 Scene from the Pilgrim's Progrefs (the Diffidence) . . . . .169 
 
 Scene from the Midfummer Night's Dream . . . . . . . 171 
 
 Marriage of Henry VII. . . . . . . . . . .179 
 
 Apollo and the Mufes . . . . . . . . . ..181 
 
 The Sleeping Children . ......... 183,184. 
 
 A Sketch 189 
 
 Narcifsus ... .......... 190 
 
 Widow Wadman . . . . . . . . . . ..193 
 
 Scene from the Pilgrim's Progrefs (Christian and Hopeful) .... 203 
 
 Scene from the Pilgrim's Progrefs (the Consolation) . . . . . 225 
 
 Adam and Eve . . . . . . . . . . . .227 
 
 Vignettes . . . . . . . . . . . ..233 
 


 ME i ; JT S ' 
 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The writer's early and long connexion with Stothard — By what circumftance firft known 
 to him — A club of oddities of the old fchool — Introduction to the great painter — 
 His willingnefs to aflirr. the young ffudent in Art — Stothard as a critic — His 
 painting-room — Collection of butterflies — His remarks on the harmony of colour 
 feen in them — Fondnels for flowers — Practice of Iketching them — Stothard's 
 countenance expreflive ; its general character — Anecdote of his impartiality as a 
 judge of Art. 
 
 The circumftance of having been not only intimately acquainted, 
 and for many years, with the great and good man whofe name 
 ftands at the head of thefe pages, but alfo, in early life, having been 
 the wife and widow of his lamented fon Charles, firft induced me 
 to throw together a few reminifcences reflecting him. Thefe, I 
 truft, will be found of fome intereft, not only to thofe who 
 perfonally knew him, but to many who were his admirers as an 
 artift, and who feel defirous to learn what they can of the private 
 as well as public life of fuch eminent perfons as have done honour 
 to their country by the exertion of their genius, their influence, 
 and their moral worth. 
 
 In all thefe refpects the name of Stothard deferves veneration ; 
 fince he was excellent, not lefs as a man than as a painter : and as 
 
Introduction. 
 
 my acquaintance with him commenced by a circumftance that 
 evinced a kind and amiable trait in his character, I truft I may be 
 pardoned in relating it here ; the more fo, as it will occupy but a 
 brief fpace in my narrative, and will not, I hope, be found tedious 
 to my readers. It may alfo be of fome ufe to the young fludent 
 in art, when he fees with how much good-nature and confideration 
 the really eminent encourage the efforts of induftry, and will 
 condefcend to advife and direct thofe who are anxious to follow a 
 well-regulated courfe in their ftudies and purfuits. 
 
 In early youth I had a great fondnefs for drawing, which had 
 never been cultivated by any inftruction ; and I attempted to paint 
 a picture (in miniature) without knowing a fingle rule of Art. It 
 is almoft needlefs to fay it was a very wretched performance ; but 
 it mowed a love of the Art, and my dear father (who had fome 
 tafte and fkill in the Arts himfelf, though not in heads and figures, 
 to which I inclined) fancied that he faw in my "Madonna and Child" 
 — for fuch was the ambitious fubject — more than any one elfe 
 could have difcovered, namely, a promife of talent beyond the 
 ordinary run in young perfons who have a wifh to excel in 
 painting. No critic would be very fevere upon a parent for fuch 
 an error as this. 
 
 My dear father viewed my attempt with great fatisfaction ; and 
 it fo happened that, on the very day I had prefented it finifhed 
 before him, he was going to dine in the neighbourhood of 
 St. James's, at a houfe where he ufed to meet fome acquaintances 
 

 

Introduction. 
 
 of the old fchool, who had formed themfelves into a club. This 
 little fociety contained fo many oddities, that, had Addifon been 
 living in thefe latter times, he might have found in it many a hint 
 for the richnefs of his humour in his own picture of a club 
 recorded in the Spectator. 
 
 One of the members was a gentleman in the army ; a Captain 
 Watkins (for my father's club, like his juft named, had a Captain 
 in it), who had the honour of being brother-in-law to Thomas 
 Stothard, the great hiftorical painter ; and the fubject of the 
 following reminifcences. This gentleman was of the party on the 
 day to which I have already referred, when my father, who ufually 
 filled the prefident's chair, being feated therein, and inverted with 
 all due honour, after giving the King and the Church, drew from 
 his pocket, with a much higher eulogium than it deferved, my very 
 poor and juvenile performance of the <c Madonna and Child." How 
 complacent are men and critics when feated round a bottle of wine ! 
 None of the company knew much about the Arts ; my father was by 
 far the beft judge of the party ; but he looked at the painting through 
 the fpectacles of parental affection, and thofe are never formed 
 of diminifhing glafTes. The picture was handed round, and by all 
 prefent pronounced, nem. con. (the youth of the artift confidered), 
 to be indicative of a tafte deferving encouragement and cultivation ; 
 and Captain Watkins concluded his remarks upon it, by faying — 
 " Let me be of ufe : let me introduce picture and artift to my 
 brother-in-law, Mr. Stothard, the Academician, and hear what he 
 
Introduction. 
 
 has to fay about it ; he is ever ready to do all he can to benefit a 
 ftudent or lover of the Arts." 
 
 My father was pleafed with the propofal, and afked the Captain 
 to dinner. He came as invited; the appointment was fpeedily 
 made to wait on Mr. Stothard ; and thus, reader, to my father's 
 club was I indebted for my introduction to our great hiftorical 
 painter, at his own houfe in Newman Street ; where, for the firft 
 time, I faw our Englifh Raphael feated in his painting-room, and 
 bufied over his fine picture of cc Hedlor and Andromache." 
 
 " Hamlet. — Methinks I fee him now ! 
 
 " Horatio. — O ! where, my Lord ? 
 
 " Hamlet. — In my mind's eye, Horatio." 
 
 So may I fay of Stothard, for well do I remember him at that firft 
 meeting. I remember the morning I prepared to go to him ; how 
 I looked at my poor picture, this way, that way, in the glafs, out 
 of the glafs ; how I tried to look it into fomething much better 
 than it was, before it appeared at the bar of judgment. I carried 
 it in my hand all the way we were rumbling along ; it was fhut up 
 in a fmall box, with a Aiding lid, that had been my grandmother's. 
 The box was a piece of family pride, for it had originally belonged 
 to Queen Anne, and was traditionally faid to have been given by 
 her Majefty to my great-aunt ; with a little old-fafhioned mirror, 
 covered at the back with chafed filver monkies. I never ihall 
 forget the feeling of trepidation with which I drew out that lid of 
 my grandmother's box, to fhow the picture to Mr. Stothard ; for 
 
^ 
 
THE FALSE ALARM 
 
Introduction. 
 
 I can truly fay, that I did not think my performance to be the 
 wonder it had been pronounced to be by the company at my 
 father's club. But Stothard was not the man to difcourage or 
 difhearten any one. In him, I foon found, as in all truly great 
 men, that there was a good-nature about him towards the ftudent 
 which foon difpelled all fear, and made the young afpirant feel 
 perfectly at eafe in his prefence. 
 
 He did not expect to meet with great things from little means ; 
 he did not criticise on a beginner as he would on a mailer. He 
 considered the attempts of an uneducated artift as attempts only, 
 and eftimated them not for what they were, but for what they 
 indicated the hand that had achieved them might become under a 
 judicious fchooling in art. Stothard, in this refpect, refembled fome 
 great men I could name in literature, who are ever more ready 
 to commend and to encourage than the little critics, thofe I mean 
 who deem themfelves critics, and who often porTefs not one efTential 
 requisite for true criticism ; the firft qualification for fuch an office 
 being (as Stothard himfelf has not unfrequently remarked) a 
 thorough acquaintance with the fubjecl: on which the critic is to fit 
 in judgment. To throw a ftone is an eafy thing, but to hit the 
 mark requires a practifed eye, as well as a true hand. 
 
 The generofity, the kindnefs, and the manly judgment (never 
 flattering nor needleflly fevere) of Stothard as a critic are well 
 known to all who fought his opinion or his advice, with a view to 
 their own benefit. In his difpofition there was not even the 
 
Introduction. 
 
 fhadow of envy. He loved the art in which he excelled ; he 
 admired it for its own excellence, and by whom it was produced 
 was to him indifferent. His own fons never received a flattering 
 commendation from him becaufe of their affinity ; nor did any 
 perfonal oppofition ever draw from him a disparaging remark on 
 the works of another, if they deferved praife for their intrinsic 
 merit.* It was to fuch a critic and fuch a man that I was 
 introduced by Captain Watkins. 
 
 The great artift was in his painting-room when we arrived. 
 That room in which, as a more than ordinary favour, we were 
 permitted to take a peep. The painting-room was tolerably large, 
 it porTefTed the very necefTary advantage of an excellent light, and 
 was fo filled with pictures, drawings, portfolios, books, prints, and 
 all the et cetera of a Audio, that there was not, literally, a vacant 
 chair for a viiitor, who was favoured by being admitted into the 
 
 * An inftance of this was related to me 
 by Mr. Alfred Stothard himfelf. In 1823 
 he was a competitor for the premiums 
 awarded by the Royal Academy in two 
 feveral departments of art. He was fuc- 
 ceffful in gaining both. Thefe premiums 
 were awarded by the votes of the Acade- 
 micians. In the Bas-relief competition, 
 ten fpecimens were laid before the members. 
 The celebrated sculptor, Mr. Flaxman, 
 inquired of Mr. Stothard for whom he 
 proposed voting, and added, " of courfe 
 for your fon. " Mr. Stothard faid, in anfwer, 
 " In a matter of this nature, my fon is not 
 my fon ; it muft not be a thing of courfe. 
 
 His bas-relief does not feem to me to be of 
 fo bold a character as any one of the other 
 nine. I mail not vote for him." " Before 
 you fay fo," replied Mr. Flaxman, " come 
 with me and clofely examine it, and you 
 will fee it is executed more in the ftyle for 
 which the competition has been propofed 
 (a bas-relief in low relief) than any other, 
 and deferves the premium. " Mr. Flaxman 
 then led Mr. Stothard to the model, and 
 they examined it together. The premium 
 was awarded to the fon of the latter ; and 
 much the fame thing happened in refpecl: 
 to the other prize he gained in another 
 branch, that of medal engraving. 
 

,1' 
 

Introduction. 
 
 fanctum fanctorum. In fome drawers in the fame apartment there 
 was, beautifully preferved, a moft gorgeous collection of butterflies, 
 collected by Stothard himfelf, in the fields near Norwood and 
 Highgate. Thefe, he faid, were not only beautiful objects 
 in themselves, but that they afforded fine ftudies for the arrange- 
 ment and harmony of colour ; for nothing could exceed thofe to be 
 found on the wings of thefe infects. Stothard was a great obferver 
 of the harmony of colour in the order of nature. Flowers were, 
 likewife, favourite objects with him, for the fame reafon ; and he 
 generally had his china jars filled with fome moft beautiful nosegays, 
 that he was in the habit of choofing himfelf, and purchafing in 
 Covent Garden market, early in the fpring and fummer mornings. 
 He mowed us fome mafterly fketches in oil, that he had painted 
 haftily, as any choice flower in thefe nofegays had happened to 
 ftrike his fancy. He told me that fketching flowers in this way, 
 from nature, was a good method to acquire facility of pencilling ; 
 and, by fuch advice, I afterwards practifed it in oil. 
 
 On firft feeing Stothard on that memorable day, I was much 
 ftruck with the marked and impreffive character of his head. 
 The brows, that deeply overfhadowed the eyes, were replete with 
 thought. He looked like a man you would expect to find 
 abftracted and often abfent in his manner ; but there was a gentle 
 and benevolent, as well as intellectual, expreffion in his countenance, 
 that was exceedingly pleafing. As a whole, his was, ftrictly 
 fpeaking, a philosophical head : for it polTeffed that union of 
 
Introduction. 
 
 thoughtfulnefs and repofe, which mows how much the paffions 
 and feelings of the man are in conftant subjection to his reason. 
 His eye was very fine, and the mouth indicated great fweetnefs 
 of temper — his was a countenance that invited truft, it was fo 
 thoroughly expreflive of a guilelefs Simplicity of heart, — and fuch 
 a heart he poflerTed ! for no man ever more deferved the praife 
 conveyed in that celebrated line — 
 
 "In wit a man, fimplicity a child ! " 
 
 M - ■■■;v\'ll 
 
 Alfred in the Danish Camp: from the original in the possession of Thomas Windus, Esq 
 

CHAPTER I. 
 
 Parentage and Birth of Stothard — Sent to nurfe at Acomb — The old ftore-room and its 
 attraction — Brought to London ; placed at fchool — His father dies — Apprenticed to 
 a pattern draftlinan — Defigns from Homer and Spenfer — His mafter dies — He 
 continues with the widow— Makes (ketches for her — Two gentlemen call on her — 
 Remits of the meeting — His early friends — Apprenticelhip expires — Employed on 
 the Novelift's Magazine — Exhibits his firft picture — Becomes a ftudent in 
 Maiden Lane — His love of literature — Rambles in North Wales — Sketches from 
 nature — Boating excurfion — Falls in love — Marries — Alderman Boydell — Goes to a 
 Manfion Houfe Ball — Elected an Aflbciate of the Royal Academy — His progrefs 
 and works. 
 
 HE father of Thomas Stothard was 
 a native of Stutton, near Tadcafter, 
 in Yorkfhire ; and though of an 
 old and good family, so much 
 reduced in circumftances, that (like 
 the father of Sir Thomas Lawrence) 
 he followed no higher calling than 
 keeper of an inn. His wife, whofe 
 maiden name, I believe, was 
 Reynolds, was a native of Shrews- 
 bury ; highly refpeclable both in 
 her family and connexions. In 1750, they removed to London; 
 where, during the few years that the elder Stothard lived, he 
 carried on his bufinefs in Long Acre, with considerable fuccefs ; 
 
 Initial letter (These presents) for the Policies of the 
 Amicable Insurance Company, 1799. 
 
Reminifcences of S tot hard. [chap. i. 
 
 fo that at his death he was enabled to leave fome provifion for 
 his family. 
 
 His only child, Thomas, was born in London on the 17th of 
 Auguft, 1755-* In a biographical fketch where, like the prefent, 
 the fubject of it is more endowed by nature than diftinguifhed by 
 birth, it is often attempted (though not always very fatisfactorily) to 
 raife him by a reference to the dignity of his anceftors. In this 
 inftance, however, there is no need to have recourfe either to fancy 
 or tradition, in order to bring our artifl: within the pale of gentle 
 blood and honourable lineage, as the following facts will atteft. 
 
 On a failure of heirs male, in a not very diftant branch, Thomas 
 Stothard ftood as the heir-at-law to an old family manfion and a 
 large landed property, I believe, in Gloucefterfhire. Many years 
 ago that failure took place, and he was advifed to afTert his claims, 
 and take the ufual legal meafures in fuch a cafe. But he not only 
 felt a great repugnance to difturb the tranquillity of his own mind, 
 
 * A doubt exifted ref'pefting the birth- are preferved refpefting him ; one of them 
 
 place of Stothard ; as fome of his family is nothing more than a flip of paper, on 
 
 believed it was Acomb, near York : which he wrote a few particulars of his 
 
 the queftion has been fet at relt by early life, at the requeft of the late Mr. 
 
 Mr. Peter Cunningham, who took the Balmanno, in 1829, and in which, from 
 
 trouble to fearch the regifters of St. Mar- failure of memory at lb advanced an age, 
 
 tin's-in-the-Fields, the parifh in which the (being then in his feventy-fixth year) 
 
 greater part of Long Acre lies. There he made fome flight errors and omiflions. 
 
 he found the entry of Stothard's birth and The other document is a fliort account of 
 
 baptifm. With a copy of this, he had the him that appeared in fome magazine 
 
 kindnefs to fend me fome few intereft- feveral years ago, to a copy of which 
 
 ing memoranda concerning the childhood Stothard annexed corrections and additions 
 
 of Stothard, which his father, the late on the margin ; in the latter were a few 
 
 Mr. Allan Cunningham, made on the 6th particulars not ftated by him to Mr. Allan 
 
 of July 1830, being the day he received Cunningham; and also a few discrepancies, 
 
 fuch information from Stothard himfelf. but not of fo material a nature as to require 
 
 In the Britifh Mufeum two documents fpecial notice. 
 
V 
 
chap, i.] Sent to Nurfe at Acomb. 
 
 and the delightful indulgence of his imagination at the eafel, with 
 the turmoil and hazard and vexatious delays of a lawfuit, but 
 a generous motive alfo prevailed with him ; as, at the time he was 
 fo much urged to proceed in the affair, he remarked, with the 
 accuftomed Simplicity of his character, " that he mould not like to 
 difturb with law the three maiden ladies who had the property in 
 pofTeffion." Burke would not have faid that a fpirit of chivalry 
 was dead in England, could he have heard this anecdote of Stothard. 
 To return from this digreffion. 
 
 Thomas being a delicate child, his father, anxious about his health, 
 fent him, when five years old, to his uncle at York, who placed him 
 " under the care of an old lady, a good woman and a ftaunch 
 prefbyterian." She lived in the little village of Acomb, near that 
 city. "There," faid Stothard, <f I grew ftronger. She had two 
 fons in the Temple, London, who fent her a prefent of fome of the 
 heads of Houbraken, framed and glazed ; likewife an engraving of 
 the blind Belifarius, by Strange ; and fome religious pictures from 
 the unrivalled graver of the fame artift. I looked often and earnestly 
 at thofe productions ; for the old lady admitted me freely into her 
 room, and feemed pleafed with my admiration of them. I gazed 
 till a love of Art grew within me, and a defire to imitate what was 
 on her walls. I got bits of paper and pencils, and made many 
 attempts. I could fee that my hand was improving, and I had 
 fketched fome things not amifs, when, at eight years old, I was 
 removed to Stutton, the birth-place of my father. Before this, I 
 mould have mentioned that my father, pleafed with my attempts, 
 had fent me boxes of colours, which I knew fo little how to ufe, 
 that I applied to a houfe-painter for fome mixed paint, which he 
 gave me in an oyster-mell, and the firft man I painted was in black. 
 
4 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. i. 
 
 I had no examples ; you know how neceflary they are ; Literature 
 may be taught by words, Art muft come through figns." Such 
 was the account given by this eminent man concerning his 
 childhood, to Mr. Allan Cunningham, in 1830. The following 
 circumstances refpecting an old picture which alfo made a Strong 
 impreffion on Stothard's infant mind, whilft at Acomb, were 
 communicated to me by his fon Alfred, who allured me that he 
 received them from his father's own lips. They probably occurred 
 at an earlier period than that of the prefent of the engravings to 
 the old lady, which he attempted to " imitate," or copy. 
 
 It appears that Stothard's nurfe at Acomb was a widow, named 
 Stainburn,* who lived in an antiquated farm-houfe, and kept a 
 day-fchool to aid her fmall means. 
 
 From the earlieft period of his childhood, Thomas was of fo 
 quiet and docile a fpirit, that the good widow at Acomb delighted 
 in mowing him any little kindnefs in her power, which, however, 
 was but limited. It principally confifted in granting one of two 
 very oppofite indulgences ; that of affording him, occafionally, the 
 company of a little boy of his own age, who, like himfelf, was 
 meek and gentle in difpofition, and to whom he was much 
 attached ; or, an admiffion to an old {lore-room in the houfe, with 
 a certain portion of the contents of which his mind afTociated its 
 earlieft impreflions ; and this, it is not improbable, led to the 
 firft dawn or manifestation of his extraordinary genius. When his 
 good-natured nurfe gave little Tommy the choice of one of the 
 
 * Her name is ftated by Stothard in his have been depi&ed in one of his very early 
 
 marginal notes in the old magazine. May and beautiful defigns (which was engraved) 
 
 not his recolleftions of the good widow of from Shenftone's Schoolmiftrefs ? 
 Acomb, and her day-fchool of little nifties, 
 
Amatron old , whom we Sclioahrustrefs name, 
 TVlio boasts uiirulv "brats with "birch, to tame . 
 
 
CHAP. I.] 
 
 The Old Store- Room's At tr aft ion. 
 
 above-named enjoyments, he would generally give the preference to 
 the {tore-room. 
 
 And what was the attraction it porTerTed for one of his tender 
 years ? Simply this ; there hung in it an old picture, oppofite to 
 
 The Schoolmistress : an illustration of Shenstone's poem. 
 
 which flood a fmall low (tool ; feated on this, the child would 
 remain for hours together in folitude, contemplating fomething 
 which laid hold of the fpirit within him : as his infatiable eye 
 pafTed from one point to another of the old painting with unwearied 
 
Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. i. 
 
 delight ; and there would he fit until the door opened, and his 
 nurfe called him to fupper and to bed. 
 
 In after life it is fomewhat lingular, that though Stothard dwelt 
 much on this incident of his early days, he had no recollection of 
 the mailer, nor even of the fubject of the picture, which had 
 conftituted the charm of his childhood. But the imprefllon it 
 made on his young mind proved indelible ; and its character, in 
 point of art, was never forgotten. 
 
 When eight years old, Thomas being ftill delicate in conftitution, 
 was again removed to the care of two kind aunts, who were very 
 fond of him, at Stutton ; and was daily fent to fchool at Tadcafter. 
 When he was in his thirteenth year, his father vifited his native 
 place ; and on his return to London, took his fon with him, and 
 placed him at a genteel boarding fchool, at Ilford in EfTex, where 
 they profefTed to teach all the languages and accomplifhments ; 
 there he was half-ftarved ; and there, he ufed to fay, he learned 
 to dance of the father of that wonder of pantomimic action — 
 Grimaldi. Thomas had not been more than a year at Ilford, before 
 his father died. The latter for fome time had been in a precarious 
 ftate of health, but, being fond of angling, he went, rather imprudently 
 perhaps, on a fifhing excurfion to Colnbrook. He caught cold 
 whilft engaged at that fport; and returning to the village, was feized 
 with fo fudden and violent an illnefs, that in two or three days he 
 was a corpfe. He was buried in the neighbouring church-yard of 
 Langley in 1770, as the ftone on his grave ftill attefts. He left 
 fome provifion for his widow, and twelve hundred pounds in the 
 funds for his fon. On the lofs of his father, the boy was taken 
 from fchool, and lived at home with his mother, who, in order to 
 be near an aged aunt, took up her refidence at Stepney Green. 
 

 S^t^--, 
 

chap, j.] Apprenticed to a Pattern Draft/man. 
 
 Thomas having difplayed, before the death of his father, fuch 
 a decided fondnefs for drawing, his mother thought it would be 
 beft to place him in fome way of life where it would be required. 
 In this determination, fhe evinced fo much fenfe and obfervation, 
 that I doubt not fhe was a woman of more than ordinary good 
 underftanding. She confulted with her friends, and as brocaded 
 drefles were then much in fafhion, at fifteen years of age Thomas 
 was apprenticed to a draftfman of patterns for fuch filks. His 
 mafter's refidence was in Spital Square, the term of the apprentice- 
 fhip feven years. 
 
 It was not till about two years before the expiration of his 
 indentures, that flowered filks loft their vogue, when the bufinefs 
 of drawing for them became flack and unprofitable, and Thomas, 
 confequently, had lefs to do ; yet, from the firft, every leifure 
 moment he could find, he devoted to the improvement of his 
 mind and his fancy in his own way. His mafter, obferving that 
 the lad fpent his hours of an evening in ftudy, not in drawing 
 from the patterns, but in making defigns, principally from 
 Homer's Iliad and Spenfer's Faery Queen, indulged him by 
 allowing him to paint in oil from thefe compofitions. In his 
 fketches he delighted in battle-pieces, (lightly warning them in 
 with Indian ink, in order to give them fome degree of effect ; 
 thefe were moftly made on the leaves of an old account-book. 
 Some of thefe early defigns are frill in the pofielTion of his fon 
 Alfred, who tells me that they indicate a tafte and ftyle formed in 
 the fchool of Mortimer, a painter of much imagination, who was 
 confidered the Salvator of his day. 
 
 The mafter, who, to the honour of his memory be it fpoken, 
 thus faw and encouraged thefe dawning efforts of genius, died 
 
8 Reminifcences of S tot hard. [chap, i, 
 
 before Stothard was out of his time. Early difficulties feemed to 
 open upon him, for the widow decided on carrying on the bufinefs 
 at a period when there was a very uncertain profpect of fuccefs. 
 Her youthful apprentice did his beft to ferve her, and was as 
 remarkable for the fteadinefs of his conduct and the fweetnefs of 
 his difpofition, as when he won the heart of the nurfe of his 
 infancy to open to him the treafures of the ftore-room. After the 
 work of the day was done, it was ftill his cuftom to read for awhile 
 Homer, or Spenfer, or any good book that he could procure, and 
 then to indulge in fketching defigns that were the offspring of his 
 own imagination, and frequently illuftrative of what he had juft 
 read. By an overruling Providence, thefe youthful flights of fancy 
 were made the firft ftep to his remarkable career, and his future 
 eminence. 
 
 He ever fpoke of his miftrefs in terms of grateful efteem, and 
 his good conduct had fecured for him her moft fincere regard. 
 Whilft he was thus engaged in fketching of an evening, fhe would 
 often watch his hand, and afked him to give her one or two of his 
 drawings, that fhe might place them for an ornament over her 
 mantel-piece, in the beft parlour. Her wifh was granted, and the 
 fketches were hung up. 
 
 Not long after, two gentlemen called at her houfe : one of 
 them to give her a commiflion in the way of bufinefs ; and, whilft 
 he was talking to her, the other gentleman amufed himfelf with 
 examining the fketches over the mantel-piece. His attention being 
 completely abforbed by them, his friend came up and looked alfo. 
 On hearing the aftonifhment expreffed by the former at their ftyle 
 and execution, the miftrefs of the houfe felt fuch a pride in her 
 youthful apprentice, that fhe exclaimed, " Sir, you are admiring 
 
Drawn by T.Stothard.RA. Pa#e 159. Engraved "by J Stalker. 
 
 ©UnLO^ElES T]KAW]L§ , 
 
 I HON; 
 Tor Hector M'le 
 1923. 
 
chap, i.] Becomes acquainted with Harrifon. 9 
 
 my lad's work. That is the way in which he occupies himfelf 
 every evening." " Does he fo ? " replied the ftranger ; " pray let 
 me fee him." 
 
 Thomas was then introduced, and the perfon who had fo 
 admired his defigns over the chimney-piece drew from his pocket 
 a book. This he placed in the hands of the youth, (who ftood 
 before him not a little abafhed by hearing his own commendations) 
 and begged him to read it carefully ; and when he met with a 
 fubject which ftruck his fancy, to make a defign for it in Indian 
 ink. He then took his leave, faying that he would call again at 
 the end of a week. The book (a novel) was read, and inftead of 
 one, three defigns were executed and ready for the gentleman ; 
 who, true to his time and word, called again. The drawings were 
 examined and approved ; half-a-guinea was put into his hand ; 
 and Stothard's future lot was decided. 
 
 The ftranger was no other than the well-known Mr. Harrifon, 
 the editor (and I believe proprietor) of the Novelift's Magazine ; 
 published many years ago, and long before that feries, edited by 
 Mrs. Barbauld, with a critique by herfelf appended to each work. 
 
 When Stothard was about twenty years old, he formed an 
 intimacy with Samuel Shelly, who, fome years after, became 
 celebrated as a miniature painter. Alfo with an artift of the fame 
 clafs, Mr. Darcey.* Another of his friends was a Mr. Scarlett, 
 who drew very beautifully, and fubfequently became a clerk in the 
 Bank of England. Thefe young men were of great afliftance to 
 
 * Mr. Darcey was the father of the late him a moft beautiful feries of his own 
 General Darcey, of the Royal Engineers, drawings, illuftrative of the Court and the 
 who, many years ago, accompanied the people of that remote country, 
 embafly to Perlia, and brought home with 
 
 c 
 
TO 
 
 Reminifcences of S tot hard. 
 
 [CHAP. I. 
 
 each other in the feveral branches of art they purfued. Whatever 
 was taken in hand, or if any new attempt was made to facilitate a 
 progrefs in ftudy, by any one of their number ; it was imparted to 
 the others and became a fubject of emulation and difculTion among 
 them. For a time, at leaft, their ftudies might almoft be faid to 
 be in common. 
 
 At the expiration of his apprenticefhip, Stothard's mother had 
 
 apartments at Bethnal 
 Green, where he refided 
 with her ; to ufe his own 
 words, cc ftudious of the 
 art of painting, and add- 
 ing a little to my narrow 
 income, by now and then 
 painting fome fmall family 
 portraits amongft my ac- 
 quaintances." Whilft he 
 lived with his mother, 
 they vifited Shrewsbury 
 together, the place of her 
 birth ; and thence made 
 an excursion into North 
 Wales for ten days. 
 
 Stothard now bade 
 adieu to all thoughts of 
 making drawings for bro- 
 caded filks. In 1778 he paid a vifit to his friend Darcey, then 
 living at Portfmouth ; and beginning his career, as an artift, fuc- 
 cessfully in that place. It is not improbable that this vifit might 
 
 Feter Wilkina Youwarka towing the Boat. From the 
 Novelist's Magazine, published 1783. 
 
chap, i.] Employed in illujlrating Books. 1 1 
 
 have confirmed him in a previoufly half-formed refolution to do as 
 Darcey did, and adopt art as a profelTion. At all events, on his 
 return to town, he no longer continued to refide with his mother, 
 but, in company with his friend Shelly, took lodgings in the 
 Strand. It feems that at this period he managed to fubfift on 
 the intereft of his twelve hundred pounds, vefled for him by his 
 father in the funds, with, as he ftated, fuch additions as he could 
 now and then gain by painting portraits. 
 
 Although there can be no queftion that the fpark of encourage- 
 ment firfl (truck out by Harrifon kindled the flame of emulation 
 in the breaft of young Stothard, which gave expansion to a bound- 
 lefs power of imagination, and led the way to his eventually 
 becoming the greateft hiftorical painter this country ever produced, 
 yet it does not appear that he was regularly employed on the 
 Novelift's Magazine till July, 1780; but, from that period 
 to 1783, he was much engaged in the illuftration of books. 
 Another important confequence attendant on his connexion with 
 Harrifon, was that of introducing beautiful illuftrations as an accom- 
 paniment to the popular literature of England ; and in this refpect 
 he was deftined to become the father of the Britiih fchool. The 
 dellgns made by this eminent man for thefe publications, the early 
 volumes of which have become exceedingly fcarce, are ftill the 
 admiration, not only of the learned in Art, but of every one having 
 a heart alive to Nature, and capable, even in a remote degree, of 
 eftimating the higheft order of poetic compofition. It will fur- 
 prife modern collectors, who now give almoft any price that may 
 be demanded for thefe early drawings, to learn how little he 
 received for them. Stothard ftates, in fome old memoranda 
 of accounts found in his own handwriting, that he made one 
 
12 
 
 Reminijcences of Stothard. 
 
 [CHAP. I. 
 
 hundred and forty-eight defigns for the Novelift's Magazine, at 
 one guinea each ; * that for twenty-fix defigns for the Poetical 
 
 Magazine he had the fame rate of 
 payment ; that for twenty theatrical 
 frontifpieces (and thefe were always 
 portraits of the chief actors and actreiTes 
 of the day) he received {tvtn millings 
 each ; and that for every feparate border 
 or vignette his remuneration was fix 
 millings ! 
 
 It is uncertain whether it was before or 
 after he lived with Shelly, that he exhi- 
 bited his firft picture (A Holy Family) 
 
 Ldra. Jordan in the character of 
 Priscilla Tomboy. 
 
 at the Society of Artifts ; but I have 
 feen it ftated by himfelf, that foon 
 after he did fo, he was admitted as a ftudent at Maiden Lane ; where 
 (before the eftabliihment of the Royal Academy at Somerfet 
 Houfe) the artifts held their meetings, and the young men drew 
 from the living model and from the antique. Mofer (the father 
 of the beautiful flower-painter, afterwards Mrs. Lloyd) and Wilfon, 
 the landfcape-painter, were then the librarians of this rifing 
 inftitution. 
 
 Mr. Leflie the Royal Academician, who was on terms of intimate 
 acquaintance with Stothard, and highly eftimated both his genius 
 and his moral worth, fays, concerning this period of our artift's career, 
 that in early life he was frequently at the houfe of the Prefident, Sir 
 Jofhua Reynolds, as indeed were any of the ftudents of the Academy 
 
 * Thefe exquiiite productions are now in the collection of Mr. Windus, of Tottenham 
 Green. 
 
I"i 
 
CAS SINO. 
 
CHAP. I.] 
 
 Noticed by Sir Jojhua Reynolds. 
 
 *3 
 
 who were defirous of benefitting by his advice and converfation, for 
 Sir Jofhua kindly allowed young artifts to call on him early in the 
 morning before he had himfelf commenced painting. He criticised 
 their works ; and, as Mr. Oliver, who was at that time a ftudent, 
 told Mr. Leflie, Sir Jofhua's manner was, as Goldfmith defcribed 
 
 The Exhibition-room of the Royal Academy in 1780 
 
 it, " gentle, complying, and bland." Stothard participated in thefe 
 great advantages, and likewife, when a ftudent, had the benefit of 
 occafionally receiving advice from Wilfon. 
 
 Stothard's method of ftudy was peculiarly his own ; he adopted 
 
14 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. i. 
 
 not the pra&ice fo general with the ftudents, to fit down and draw 
 from a fingle figure for fix or eight weeks. He would place himself 
 oppofite to it, and in a fmall fketch-book would make a careful 
 outline in pen and ink, about five inches in height. He faid that he 
 had recourfe to this method, becaufe it obliged him well to confider 
 the lines and the proportions before they were drawn, and that thus 
 they became ftrongly imprefTed upon the memory. He difap- 
 proved the practice of rubbing out, and maintained that an eye 
 and a hand well trained in making pen and ink outlines would be 
 characterifed by truth, carefulnefs, and a good flow of line ; in 
 fhort, would be mafterly. 
 
 Having in lefs than an hour's time thus taken one view of the 
 figure before him, he would change his pofition fo as to command 
 a different view of it ; and then, being efpecially careful to mark 
 the change of contour in his fubject, he would begin another 
 fketch, and thus continue to work till he produced feven or 
 eight drawings of the fame figure. He frequently remarked, 
 that any one who adopted this method of ftudy would, 
 after a little practice, be furprifed by the knowledge he had 
 attained. At the fame time, he would by no means have the 
 ftudent neglect light and fhade, and rounding well the figure: 
 but truth of outline, in its varied forms, was moft effential ; and, 
 after having acquired it, he might pafs with fafety to the living 
 model, as the imperfections of nature would be immediately 
 difcovered and corrected by the knowledge previoufly gained. 
 
 Stothard was ever a clofe obferver of nature ; but it was nature 
 in action that he moft ftudied and admired ; and thought that, 
 however good might be the defign or the conception of a picture, 
 (frequently difplayed with freedom in the original fketch,) it was 
 

chap, i.] His early Studies. 15 
 
 often fpoilt by preferring, in the figures which compofed it, all 
 the ftiffhefs of the lay figure, and all the rigidity and fixed attitude 
 of the living model, from which the artift worked. He would 
 remark, that action was momentary, — it could not be fixed ; to be 
 well exprefTed, it muft be caught at once by the mind. It is generally 
 known that he never painted from a model. Even at Burleigh 
 Houfe, where his figures, on the grand ftaircafe, are nearly eight 
 feet in height, not one in any of the groups was painted from a 
 model ; and thefe rank amongft the fineft and nobleft productions 
 of his pencil.* 
 
 It muft alfo be ftated, that, at an early period, he ftudied much 
 Albert Durer, in whofe works he delighted ; more efpecially in his 
 draperies. 
 
 From a very early age, Stothard was an afTiduous ftudent. As 
 we have feen, he had received little or no instruction in the ordinary 
 branches of knowledge ; for his mort fchooling at Ilford, where, 
 under a hard mafter, the boys were flogged to make them hold 
 their tongues, left they fhould prate to their friends at home of the 
 ftarvation they fufFered at fchool, could not be confidered as any 
 education at all. But his want of regular and proper teaching 
 does but raife him the more in our eftimation, when we confider 
 through what impediments he broke, and made his own way to 
 
 * An eminent artift now living, when remarks on a work in hand. The gentle- 
 painting a large hiftorical picture, requefted man who made this requeft, on being 
 Mr. Alfred Stothard to beg his father to informed that the painter whofe criticifm 
 come and give his opinion of its merits, he was defirous to obtain, never ufed a 
 He exprefTed a wifh that he fhould come model, and difapproved the practice, ex- 
 whilft the living model was ftanding ; ob- preffed his aftonifhment; exclaiming, "Then 
 ferving, that he knew artifts preferred this he ftands alone; I can now underftand how 
 method when they were about to make it is all Stothard's works are fo graceful." 
 
1 6 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. i. 
 
 honourable distinction. Perhaps after all it is not fo much to be 
 regretted, that a mind fuch as his was left to educate itfelf ; and 
 he never loft any opportunity of improvement in that courfe 
 which was of his own choofing. He read all the ftandard authors, 
 in poetry or profe, that he could procure, in his own language ; and 
 though his mind was more intent on the fubjecl than the words, 
 and he had not perhaps a quick eye or ear for them, (for he 
 fometimes fpelt careleffly ; and correct orthography, in his day, was 
 not thought to be fo neceflary as in our own,) yet was he fond of 
 writing.* From an early period, almoft to the clofe of his life, he 
 copied into little books, — poems, anecdotes from hiftory, letters 
 from friends, or anything that ftruck him ; and wherever he went, 
 generally kept a brief journal of his excurfion or his tour. I have 
 feen one little book entirely filled by the copies he made of letters 
 from his fon Charles ; another with a whole feries written by fome 
 young man to his father, a friend of his, during a journey abroad. 
 Another fmall MS. volume was filled by references to Greek, 
 Roman, and Englifh hiftory ; and a vaft collection of facts and 
 dates, that he had gleaned from various biographical dictionaries 
 and other fources, ftill in the pofTeflion of his fon, was formed into 
 a manufcript book, as a foundation for a dictionary which he once 
 propofed himfelf to write of the Lives of the Painters. It was 
 evident in all this how much he delighted in ftudy ; indeed nothing 
 feemed to efcape him that offered a fubject worthy of inveftigation 
 to his moft enquiring mind ; and all was treafured that became 
 interefting to him from the love of knowledge or from motives of 
 affection. 
 
 * Even Pope frequently fpelt incorreftly ; fpelling the fame word two or three dif- 
 ferent ways in his letters. 
 


CHAP. I.] 
 
 His Love of Exercife. 
 
 17 
 
 He was, I have been aflured, fo economical at the outfet of life 
 that he contrived to live very refpectably on what he termed his 
 " narrow means," and yet he not unfrequently afTifted a friend, 
 even when his own purfe was at a very low ebb ; and was 
 never in debt. Though fo delicate in childhood, his parents (who 
 were fenfible as well as moft refpeclable people) wifely kept him in 
 the fine bracing air of York/hire during his infant years, a pre- 
 caution which proved eventually of the utmoft advantage to him; it 
 
 Ritson's Semis •■ Cupid Chained " Published 1783. 
 
 gave health and ftrength to an originally weak conftitution ; and 
 his naturally placid, patient, and equal temper, with the blefling 
 of having a conftant purfuit, was altogether friendly not only to 
 his mental vigour, but to the longevity he enjoyed. 
 
 He was, from a boy, fond of exercife ; and, on the whole, 
 took a good deal. But this very " medicine " (for fo he called it) 
 
1 8 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. i. 
 
 he turned to account in his purfuits. Intent on the ftudy of 
 nature, he could not even take a walk, but living and furrounding 
 objects would arreft his eye, engage his mind, and fupply food 
 for memory and reflection. Whilft yet but a very young man, 
 as foon as the Academy clofed, he would make his way into 
 Worcefterfhire , and there purchafing a fure-footed Welih pony, 
 would fet off on a tour in North Wales. The pony was retained 
 until he came back to the Borders, where it was fold ere he once 
 more returned to London. 
 
 In thefe excurfions Stothard delighted to roam through the 
 wilder! and grandeft fcenery that mountain and valley, ftream and 
 cataract, could prefent. He drew, all the way he went, everything 
 which moft ftruck his fancy, making his fketches with great care ; 
 and paufing amid rocks, woods, and ravines, fuch as a Salvator 
 would have delighted to pourtray. Carmarthen and Conway Caftles, 
 Bangor, and other celebrated places, were all vifited and pictured 
 with that fine feeling for nature, and truth of reprefentation, for 
 which he was fo remarkable in all he did throughout life. On the 
 fketches thus made, and recollections thus acquired, at a more 
 mature age, he founded thofe moft beautiful backgrounds, introduced 
 in his illuftrations of Robinfon Crufoe, his Fete Champetre, the 
 Decameron, and other fubjects of that clafs. 
 
 Thefe early fketches were retained by him for many years with 
 great intereft ; they were kept apart from others in a portfolio, in 
 his painting-room. And though it will be digrefting, I cannot 
 refift here paufing a moment to tell the reader their fate. One 
 winter's morning (when Stothard lived in Newman Street) 
 he came rather unexpectedly into his room, when he found an 
 Irifh houfemaid engaged in lighting his fire with the contents of 
 
\M* 
 
 J^VU 
 
 ^V'K 
 
 1 w> 
 
 7 
 
 - 
 
 = 
 
 ©fills 
 
 
CHAP. I.] 
 
 Fate of his Weljh Sketches. 
 
 l 9 
 
 his portfolio of North Wales ! His vexation and furprife may 
 well be conceived ; he could not help exprefling them, but the 
 
 
 
 
 £ 
 
 . 
 
 Robinson Crusoe and Friday making a boat. Engraved by Medland in 1790. 
 
 damfel very civily excufed herfelf by telling him, me thought they 
 were wafte papers. cc Woman ! " exclaimed Stothard, " you are 
 
20 
 
 Reminifcences of Stothard. 
 
 [CHAP. I. 
 
 the greateft incendiary I ever knew in all my life ; you have burnt 
 Conway and Carmarthen Catties, and the whole town of Bangor, 
 in this one morning's work." From that time forth the painting- 
 room door was kept locked — and the key in its matter's pocket ; 
 and never was a fervant allowed to enter its precincts for the 
 purpofe of fweeping, &c, without being watched, and at very 
 dittant periods ; and truly on this account, the apartment often 
 wore a very dim and dufty afpect. To return to the fubject. 
 
 In the early times of which I am now fpeaking, Stothard would 
 occafionally fpend a few days with his friends in failing up the 
 Medway, landing and fketching as they pleafed. In one of thefe 
 excurfions he was accompanied by his old friend Mr. Ogleby, 
 
 ^ 
 
 Stothard and friends prisoners during a boating excursion at Upnor Castle 
 on the Medway, from an etching by himself. 
 
 and Blake, that amiable, eccentric, and greatly gifted artift, who 
 produced fo many works indicative of a high order of genius, 
 and fometimes no lefs of an unfound mind. Whilft the 
 
EffiNTRY &.' MiRY. 
 
 : 
 
 
 
 . Y0 fr>rr //.'i/^r / r,i /,/ /ty/t./ri,- .'/,,■)-,■ /y/'ivvrvj;/y 
 
chap, i.] Falls in Love. i\ 
 
 trio were one day engaged with the pencil on more, they were 
 fuddenly furprifed by the appearance of fome foldiers, who very 
 unceremoniously made them prifoners, under the fufpicion of their 
 being fpies for the French government ; as this country was then 
 at war with France. In vain did they plead that they were only there 
 fketching for their own amufement ; it was infifted upon that they 
 could be doing nothing lefs than furveying for purpofes inimical to 
 the fafety of Old England. Their provisions were brought on 
 more, and a tent was formed for them of their fails, fufpended over 
 the boat-hook and oars, placed as uprights in the ground. There 
 were they detained, with a fentinel placed over them, until intelli- 
 gence could be received from certain members of the Royal 
 Academy, to whom they appealed, to certify they were really 
 peaceable Subjects of his Majefty King George, and not fpies for 
 France. 
 
 Stothard made a very fpirited pen and ink drawing of this fcene, 
 whilft under detention. On their liberation, they fpent a merry 
 hour with the commanding officer, to whom the artift remarked, 
 that an opportunity had been given him for making a (ketch he 
 had not anticipated ; whilft Ogleby declared that once being 
 taken prifoner was quite enough for him ; he would go out no 
 more on fuch perilous expeditions.* 
 
 It was not poffible that a young man of Stothard's poetic order 
 of mind could long be infenfible to the fafcinations of youth and 
 beauty. He fell in love with a Mifs Watkins, a lady who was 
 
 * In the Britifh Mufeum, amongft the be by Blake ; but Alfred Stothard fays it 
 
 folios containing Stothard's works in the was by his father. The drawing was fold 
 
 Print Room, an etching from this drawing at Chriftie's fale, and is now in the 
 
 may be feen, called A Boating Ex- pofleflion of Mr. William Sharpe, of 
 
 curfion. The etching is there ftated to Highbury. 
 
ii Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. i. 
 
 handfome and agreeable ; and like her brother, the Captain, 
 porTerTed a good deal of fhrewd obfervation, natural humour, and 
 vivacity. She was an Anabaptift. Her father, a man of good 
 fortune, was fo infatuated by a fondnefs for all forts of difTenting 
 minifters, that he opened his houfe rather too liberally, and fpent his 
 money rather too freely, on gentlemen of that defcription ; fome 
 of whom were not the fincereft or beft of their kind. He had 
 not the happinefs to be acquainted with men fo excellent as Wefley 
 and Robert Hall. 
 
 Stothard, it feems, did not immediately win the object of his 
 choice. But the affections of fuch a heart as his were incapable 
 of change. For fome time he patiently preferred his fuit, and at 
 length gained the hand of the fair Rebecca. But, though his love 
 was true and deep, it was always more or lefs accompanied with 
 that ferenity which formed a marked feature in his character. 
 After he had led his beloved to the altar, not to lofe an hour from 
 his frudies, even on his wedding-day, he conducted home his bride, 
 and then very quietly walked down to the Academy, to draw 
 from the antique till three o'clock, the hour at which it then clofed. 
 There he fat, by the fide of a fellow- fbudent named Scott, with whom 
 he was intimate, and, after drawing the ufual time, at length said to 
 his friend, " I am now going home to meet a family party. Do 
 come and dine with me, for I have this day taken to myfelf a wife." 
 
 His marriage was productive of many joys and many forrows. 
 Eleven children were the fruit of it ; only fix of them lived 
 beyond infancy ; and of the truly melancholy fate of two of thofe 
 who furvived to riper years, I fhall have to fpeak in due time and 
 place. Here it will fufHce to fay, that fo increafing a family 
 obliged him constantly to labour, and often to accept commifhons 
 
Dxr r L c '/' &I. o xr pB s teh, 
 

CHAP. I.] 
 
 Pocket-book Illuftrations. 
 
 n ~3 
 
 that were too trifling, and of too minute an order, for a painter of 
 his matter mind and hand : for inftance, fuch commiflions as 
 defigning for pocket-books, ladies' fafhions, fketches of court 
 balls, and amufements, royal huntings, and for ordinary magazines 
 and play-books. But, fo great was Stothard's love of art and the 
 
 il v^ aK^ ;p 
 
 A Vie-*- of the Kind's Ball at St James's, on the King's Birthday, June 4, J782. 
 
 fimplicity of his character, that he made his defigns for thefe with 
 the fame care, and threw into them the fame exquifite grace, which he 
 beftowed on the higher! order of his works. He felt the truth of 
 that admirable remark, I believe by Johnfon, " that what is worth 
 doing at all, is worth doing well." Yet, if we confider how much 
 below his merit were fome of the tafks in which, at this period, 
 he engaged, it is ever to be lamented that good King George 
 the Third (who fo munificently patronifed Weft, fancying he 
 was encouraging the greateft living artift) had not beftowed his 
 royal countenance and bounty on Stothard ; as, by giving him 
 
2 4 
 
 Reminifcences of Stothard. 
 
 [CHAP. I. 
 
 commiffions, he would have given him independence, and enabled 
 him to employ, on a fcale and on fubjects worthy of his genius, 
 thofe aftonifhing powers with which he was endowed. 
 
 A circumftance alfo which might have contributed to injure him 
 in the early part of his career, was that an amateur landfcape painter, 
 Sir George Beaumont, whofe rank and fortune gave more authority to 
 his opinions, than, from his own talents, they were entitled to claim, 
 never could understand nor acknowledge the genius of Stothard. And 
 
 Pilgrims Progress: Trie Alarm. Engraved 1788. Christian, alarmed at having read that the city in which he 
 lived was threatened with destruction, expresses his great anxiety to his Wife and Children. 
 
 as Sir George's opinions very much fet the fafhion of his day in art, 
 as to who was, or was not, to be admired, in all probability Stothard 
 fuffered by foaring above his comprehenfion, and therefore being 
 deprived of his praife. 
 
chap, i.] Goes to a Manfion Houfe Ball. 25 
 
 I know not when he firft became acquainted with Alderman 
 Boydell ; by whom he was employed for thofe beautiful illustrations 
 of Shakefpeare, of which more will be faid hereafter ; but he ufed 
 to relate a circumftance reflecting the attention he received from 
 him, that was not a little amufing, and, as it is connected with his 
 purfuits, it mail here find a place. 
 
 At the time Boydell became Lord Mayor of London, our 
 artirr. was refiding in Henrietta Street, Covent Garden. He was 
 one day greatly furprifed, by feeing the private carriage of his 
 lordfhip drive up to the door empty. A note was delivered 
 informing him that my Lord Mayor was about to give that 
 evening (April 12th, 1791 ) a ball and entertainment at the 
 Manfion Houfe ; and fo earnestly defired to have the pleafure of his 
 friends Mr. and Mrs. Stothard's company, that he had fent his own 
 carriage for them. Accordingly they went, and were mod kindly 
 and gracioufly received. Everything was grand and fplendid. 
 But although Stothard had in former days learnt to dance of 
 Grimaldi's father, he retained no tafte for the amufement in his own 
 perfon. Notwithftanding all the fplendour of a civic ball and 
 banquet, the evening would have been a very dull one to a grave 
 and fedate man like himfelf, had he not brought with him, what 
 he averred no artirr. Should ever be without — his Sketch-book ; and 
 he foon found employment for his pencil. 
 
 Brooke Watfon was prefent, the lion of the evening ; and as 
 people came to fee and to wonder at him, very probably he 
 determined that they mould have fomething to wonder at ; for 
 he danced away with his wooden leg all the evening, to the 
 admiration and amazement of the company ; unconfcious that this 
 Singular difplay of one-legged agility afforded a fubject for 
 
26 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. i. 
 
 Stothard's fketch-book; and to the ftudies of that night, may in 
 all probability be traced thofe worthy citizens of " Cheape," who 
 are fo characteriftically introduced in his celebrated picture of 
 the Canterbury Pilgrims.* 
 
 In 1792, he was elected an AfTociate of the Royal Academy; 
 and that year he exhibited his beautiful picture of Confirmation, j- 
 
 He had now wholly emancipated himfelf from the fchool of 
 Mortimer ; and the very fpirit of Raphael (whofe compofitions he 
 had fo deeply ftudied) feemed to live and breathe again in the works 
 of Stothard. To name only a few of them will be fufficient to fhow 
 what were his labours at this period, how rapid had been his progrefs, 
 and how great the productions of his imagination and his pencil. 
 
 His defigns for Milton's Paradife Loft (than which nothing was 
 ever more purely conceived or beautifully executed) were engraved 
 by Bartolozzi. His Ruth firft beheld by Boaz whilft Gleaning ; 
 St. John Preaching in the Wildernefs ; Jacob's Dream ; and 
 The Angels appearing to the Shepherds, were all of the fame 
 date : the two laft named will bear a comparifon with the compofi- 
 tions of the great mafter of the facred fchool, Raphael. 
 
 Soon after, Comus was also illuftrated, and feveral ftriking events 
 
 * Brooke Watfon loft his leg by being was fpeaking to Sir Edwin Landfeer, with 
 
 purfued by a (hark whilft bathing : the great admiration, of one of Stothard's 
 
 monfter mapped it off, at the veiy moment works, before which we were both ftand- 
 
 when lbme of his friends, who came to ing, when he faid, " But come here, and 
 
 his refcue, were helping him into the boat, look at this." Sir Edwin then led me to 
 
 I do not know in what place the accident the picture of Confirmation, and exclaimed, 
 
 happened. " Nothing in beauty or grace can go 
 
 -f- I cannot refill here mentioning a beyond that.' 1 This precious painting 
 
 little circumftance connected with this is now in the poffeffion of the Rev. 
 
 painting, which occurred at Chriftie's fale W. Ruffel, of Shepperton. 
 of Stothard's works after his death. I 
 


 
CHAP I.] 
 
 Hiftorical Illuftrations. 
 
 '■I 
 
 in Englifh hiftory, fuch as the Marriage of Henry V. with 
 Catherine of France ; Richard I.'s Return from Palestine ; that 
 
 Confirmation. Painted in ITS 
 
 chivalrous King's meeting with Ifaac Prince of Cyprus ; fix defigns 
 from Telemachus ; the Dryads finding NarcilTus, and various other 
 works. The laft ten cited were exhibited at the Royal Academy ; 
 
28 
 
 Reminifcences of Stothard. 
 
 [CHAP. I. 
 
 and great mufl have been the gratification of Sir Jofhua Reynolds, 
 when he faw works not unworthy the fchools of Raphael and 
 Parmegiano produced by one whom, but a few years before, he 
 had fingled out as the moft promifing of all the ftudents in that 
 Academy of which he was the head. 
 
 Six fashionable Head dresses for 1797. 
 


 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 Stothard removes to Newman Street — Robbery of his plate — Elected an Academician — 
 Illuftrates the Pilgrim's Progrefs — The Sylph and the Butterfly — His f'ondnefs for 
 Nature — Defigns for plate — Studies in the ichool of Rubens — The Marquis of 
 Exeter employs him to paint the great (taircafe at Burleigh — Engaged by Heath on 
 Shakelpeare — His fon Charles Iketches the effigies in the churches near Burleigh — 
 Stothard's letter to the Marquis on the terms of his painting — Extracts from letters 
 to his wife — His mother dies. 
 
 While Stothard was thus bufily engaged in works of fo important 
 a nature, his family was fail increafmg. He had now three 
 children, and, wanting more room for them, decided on re- 
 moving to a larger and more convenient houfe. It happened 
 that one (a freehold property, No. 28, in Newman Street,) was to 
 be fold, with a confiderable quantity of handfome furniture, 
 efpecially that of the drawing-room, for the very moderate fum of 
 one thoufand pounds : the proprietor was about to live abroad, 
 and felt anxious to get the houfe off his hands. Stothard at once 
 decided on the purchafe ; and, in order to effect it, fold out of the 
 funds nearly all the capital left him by his father. And now did 
 he experience the benefit of early economy and prudence, in never 
 having touched the money till the moment when it could be 
 turned to fuch good account. On his removal, his widowed 
 mother, upon whom years and decay were fart dealing, and to 
 whom he had ever been a mod dutiful fon, formed one of his 
 domeftic circle, and continued to reflde with him till her death. 
 Thus was he fairly eftablimed in Artifts' Street ; for, in a few 
 
30 Reminifcences of S 'tot hard. [chap. ii. 
 
 years, fo was Newman Street defignated by the neighbourhood in 
 familiar difcourfe ; and well might it be fo. Weft (the prefident 
 of the Royal Academy) had lived there feventeen, and Bacon 
 (the fculptor) eighteen years, before Stothard bought his houfe ; 
 and, in a comparatively fhort period, RufTell, Ward, Howard, 
 Jackfon (all Academicians), Dawe, and a hoft of other artifts, to 
 the number of about forty, all became refidents in the fame ftreet. 
 
 Before I proceed with his profeffional career, I cannot refrain 
 from paufing a moment, in order to give a finking inftance of that 
 calm and happy ferenity of temper which, in this remarkable man, 
 was feldom, if ever, difturbed, except by fome trial that might 
 truly be called great. The circumftance I am about to narrate 
 occurred after his removal to Newman Street. 
 
 Stothard, though never rich, was the poffefTor of a quantity of 
 valuable old family plate : I know not if it came to him on his 
 father's fide, or his mother's, or from both ; but, be this as it 
 may, it was of family inheritance, and therefore doubly valuable. 
 On fome occafion (and he was at all times moft hofpitable) he gave 
 a dinner to feveral of his friends and fome of the Academicians ; 
 and the plate was ufed. The next morning the whole of it 
 was gone. The doors and windows feemed untouched ; the 
 robbery, therefore, appeared unaccountable, as the fervants in the 
 houfe were believed to be moft fteady and refpectable. The 
 confternation of Mrs. Stothard, on difcovering fuch a lofs, as it 
 well might be, was great. She communicated it to her hufband with 
 all a woman's fears and regrets for the difafter. But he bore 
 the intelligence with the moft perfecl ferenity ; and, as he then 
 expreffed himfelf, from that period was content to take his meals 
 without filver. 
 
il 
 
// I ,/ !'/'/■> />!■> llllt.jA , 
 
 ■y'/Clfilo r/// it/ //(// ,//u // .>/(!//, f A .,/,,// y , <■!■/, //c .' 
 London: Tub'} Jan-)\Li8o? .by 1 ~erru>r isHood.anA di<- other TropiieOn-j- . 
 
chap, ii.] Rubbery of his Plate. 31 
 
 Many years after this tranfaction, a criminal in Newgate, whofe 
 fentence of death, for an extenfive robbery, was changed into 
 tranfportation for life, confefTed to a clergyman, who attended him 
 whilft he expected execution, that he had been concerned in the 
 robbery of Stothard's plate. He acknowledged that he had been 
 connected with the cook, who agreed to leave the drawing-room 
 window unbarred on the night of the party, fo that the fellow 
 might get in and open the ftreet-door to his afTbciates. The plate 
 was in a lower part of the houfe ; it was carried off in a fack, and 
 consigned to the melting-pot before the following morning. 
 
 The next memorable event in Stothard's life was, that, in 1794, 
 he was elected a Royal Academician, when he gave to the Academy a 
 picture of Charity ; it being the cuftom with each artift who becomes 
 a member of that honourable body, to prefent them with a painting 
 for their council-room, there to remain as a memorial of the talent 
 and attainments of the individual at the time of his election. 
 
 It was, I believe, foon after his becoming an Academician, that 
 he defigned thofe illustrations for the Pilgrim's Progrefs, which, as 
 a feries, have never been furpaffed by his pencil. There is about 
 them a grandeur, a devotional fimplicity, combined with his 
 accuftomed purity and grace, admirably fuited to the religious 
 character of the book. As an inftance of the fublime in art, 
 Chriftian's conflict with Apollyon may be cited. 
 
 About this period he painted a picture which gave rife to a new 
 and delightful combination in his Studies of colour for his works ; 
 the circumftance which led to it, deferves not to be forgotten.* He 
 
 * Whilft alluding to Stothard's colour- often admired in his works, was a colour 
 ing, it may be ufeful to others here to of his own invention, and was thus made 
 ftate, that the peculiarly rich brown fo by himfelf: — He procured the fhank-bones 
 
32 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. n. 
 
 was beginning to paint the figure of a reclining fylph, when a 
 difficulty arofe in his own mind, how beft to reprefent fuch a being 
 of fancy. A friend, who was prefent, faid, "Give the fylph a 
 butterfly's wing, and there you have it." " That I will," 
 exclaimed Stothard ; Cf and to be cor reel:, I will paint the wing 
 from the butterfly itfelf." He immediately fallied forth, extended 
 his walk to the fields fome miles diftant, and caught one of thofe 
 beautiful infects : it was of the clafs called the peacock. Our 
 artift brought it carefully home, and commenced fketching it, but 
 not in the painting-room ; and leaving it on the table, a fervant 
 (I know not if it were the Irifh damfel) fwept the pretty little creature 
 away, before its portrait was finiihed.* On learning his lofs, away 
 went Stothard once more to the fields to feek another butterfly. 
 But at this time one of the tortoife-fhell tribe crofTed his path, and 
 was fecured. He was aftonifhed at the combination of colour that 
 prefented itfelf to him in this fmall but exquiflte work of the 
 Creator; and, from that moment, determined to enter on a new 
 and delightful field — the fliudy of the infect department of natural 
 hiftory. He became a hunter of butterflies ; the more he caught, 
 the greater beauty did he trace in their infinite variety : and he would 
 often fay, that no one knew what he owed to thefe infects ; they 
 had taught him the fineft combinations in that difficult branch of 
 Art, colouring. 
 
 Not, however, in butterflies only, but in everything, Stothard 
 was an indefatigable ftudent of nature. He went nowhere without 
 
 of the flieep, baked them well in an oven, * This fketch of the butterfly, with one 
 
 and then ground them down to a fine wing only finifhed, was fold amongft 
 
 powder, and used it as he would any other Stothard's drawings, after his death, at the 
 
 colour. fale at Chriftie's in 1834. 
 

 # 
 
1 
 
 IMmWiSrZ&ILW&ffl.KlL'S or DsSf'SJLUkBrjB OSTTlffllS -r-_ZA^T/'JJ 
 
chap, ii.] His Fondnejsjor Butterflies and Plants. 33 
 
 a (ketch-book, and nothing ftruck his eye or his fancy but it was 
 transferred to it. He recommended this practice to others, with 
 the injunction, never to alter anything when abfent from the 
 object drawn : he faid that, unlefs this rule was obferved, 
 all the fpirit of the fketch would be loft. In his walks to Iver 
 (about eighteen miles from London), whither he often went, 
 accompanied by his fon Alfred, to vifit his aged aunt, Mrs. Hales, 
 after they had parted Acton, he would fay, <c Now let us leave the 
 high road, and away to the fields and the hedges ; we mail find 
 there fome beautiful plants, well worth feeking." No fooner had 
 they done fo, than the fketch-book and colour-box were brought 
 forth from his pocket ; and many a wild plant, with its delicate 
 formation of leaf and flower, was carefully copied on the fpot. 
 This was done with a fine pen filled with the tints required ; the 
 fpringing of the tendrils from the ftem, and every elegant bend and 
 turn of the leaves, or the drooping of a bell, was obferved and 
 depicted with the utmoft beauty. 
 
 When reminded by his fon of the long way they had yet to go, 
 and that they muft abfolutely proceed, or run the chance of being 
 benighted, he would neverthelefs linger to the laft moment, and 
 then clofe the book with regret. And when the walk was refumed, 
 he fometimes flopped and exclaimed : — f< Look, Alfred, obferve 
 that plant ; what a ftudy for an architect ! Few architects can build 
 churches and towers, or add pinnacles and ornaments with tafte and 
 (kill : but let them come here — that plant with its little companion, 
 and that with the large broad leaves in the background, would teach 
 them a valuable leflbn." And often was the fketch-book again 
 brought forth to fecure fome recollection, however flight, of what 
 had fo ftruck him. He remarked, that of all ftudies, nature 
 
34 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. n. 
 
 formed the moft inexhauftible and delightful, and that every artift 
 mould, in fome way, make his art his recreation ; for, let him fketch 
 what he might, fome time or other he would find it ufeful. 
 Stothard was himfelf an example of the truth of this obfervation. 
 
 Commiflioned by the houfe of MefTrs. Rundell and Bridge, he 
 made many magnificent defigns for chafed plate for the fovereign 
 and chief nobility. In thefe his ftudy of plants was apparent. 
 The delicate bud, the tender leaf of the ftems and clufters, were all 
 employed as he had gleaned them in the field of nature. The 
 fpreading filver branches holding forth their lights to the aflembled 
 guefts round the table of a royal banquet, the fuperb fword and 
 fcabbard, with its chafed and jewelled hilt, prefented to fome Britiih 
 hero by the hand of the fovereign prince, were all in their 
 appropriate character, — their beauty and their grace, emanations from 
 the genius of Stothard, inexhauftible in its refources, and in all its 
 imaginings ftill pure and elegant. Grace, indeed, was inherent in his 
 mind ; it pervaded not only all he did, but all he thought or imagined. 
 
 The beauty of Stothard's modern female dreffes, in fuch fubjects 
 as Belinda in the Rape of the Lock, Phillis and Brunette, &c, 
 merits great admiration ; and here we find that even this comparatively 
 minor excellence was the refult of obfervation and ftudy ; for he took 
 pleafure in walking down fome of the ftreets, where the principal 
 fhops difplayed in their windows rich filks, in order that he might 
 obferve their various tints. In a lady's drefs there was nothing he 
 fo much admired as thofe which are called /hot filks ; where, as the 
 figure moves in the light, a variety of tint and colour is feen in 
 every fold; and this tafte in Stothard may be traced to nature, as we 
 find it in the peacock, and in the breaft of the pheafant and the 
 turtle-dove. 
 
Sttduml JJ~ 
 
 11, *th fiulp 
 
Hr 
 
1 ®V TSB Xa© -'. 
 
 
 MH?> 
 
 lair nymphs and. "weH-drefsed. youths axoond her snane 
 But ev'iy eve was fixed on "her alone . 
 
 DRAWU UY THOMAS STOTHAKD.K.A.EWCrRAVEB BY JW. GKEATBATCH ; 
 
 PUBLISHED BY JOHN SHARFE, I0HDO5 . 
 
 ADOT/ST 1.1828. 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 Grace of his Female Coftume. 
 
 35 
 
 About the year 1 796, Stothard began to ftudy attentively the works 
 of Rubens : this was apparent in the picture he that year exhibited 
 of Victory : it had much merit, and pofTefTed that depth of tone 
 
 
 VWy 
 
 
 
 
 
 Eape of the Lock. 
 
 and richnefs of colour, in which the great Flemifh matter was 
 unrivalled.* In the three or four following years he executed fo 
 
 * Victory was a favourite with Stoth- After his death it was bought by Mr. 
 aid j he would never part with the picture. Rogers at Chriftie's fale. 
 
y6 Reminijcences of Stothard. [chap. n. 
 
 many works, that, merely for a lift of the principal, the reader muft 
 be referred to the appendix, as here to enumerate them would be 
 tedious. 
 
 His reputation had now fo much fpread amongft the really 
 tafteful and judicious in art, that the Marquifs of Exeter, wifhing to 
 adorn with paintings the grand ftaircafe of his princely manfion of 
 Burleigh, near Stamford, in Northamptonshire, applied to Stothard 
 to execute the work. For this he made three defigns — War, 
 Intemperance, and the defcent of Orpheus into Hell. In treating 
 the fecond fubject named, he introduced Cleopatra with Mark 
 Antony, at the moment me is cafting the pearl into the cup to 
 diffolve the precious jewel : me is furrounded by the Loves and 
 Graces, and furmounted by allegorical perfonages and emblems. 
 Thefe paintings were executed on fo large a fcale, that the figures 
 are nearly eight feet in height, and poffefs the utmoft power and 
 brilliancy of colour. Mr. Alfred Stothard, who faw them a few 
 years ago fays, they are as frefh as if juft executed, and as a whole, 
 he confiders them the fineft which this country poflefTes of his father's 
 works. They occupied four succeffive fummers, commencing in 1799. 
 
 Indefatigable as Stothard was whilft employed on thefe magnificent 
 fubjects, he neverthelefs found time, at the intervals in which he 
 retired to his own apartment, to execute feveral defigns and pictures 
 of great merit. Amongft them may be named his beautiful com- 
 pofitions for the Hiftoric Gallery, publifhed by Boyer ; Cadell and 
 Davies's edition of Gefsner ; and Kearfley and Heath's Shakefpeare. 
 
 Some circumftances connected with this laft undertaking are too 
 characteriftic of Stothard's meek and patient temper to be pafTed 
 in filence. Heath, fearing that others might engage his pencil for 
 a fimilar work, caufed a bond to be drawn up between them, not 
 

mECEIAI&I© nun. 
 
 Act 4 
 
chap, ii.] Paints the Great Staircafe at Burleigh. 37 
 
 quite fo fearful in its nature as old Shylock's, but neverthelefs 
 fufficiently ftringent, as the painter was to forfeit no lefs a fum than 
 five hundred pounds, if he did not complete the work ; and Heath 
 bound himfelf to forfeit the fame fum, if he employed any other 
 artift to make the defigns for it. Several were executed that were 
 truly beautiful ; but to Stothard's extreme furprife, he foon found the 
 names of Hamilton, Wheatly and others, (artiits now almoft 
 forgotten by the inferiority of their productions), appended to 
 various defigns made for the Shakefpeare. The caufe of this breach 
 of contract was never ftated, but it was fhrewdly sufpected, that 
 thefe very fecond rate artifts worked cheaply, which Stothard did 
 not. His friends were indignant, but although he felt he was not 
 well ufed, he did nothing to enforce the penalty, and never even 
 alluded to it in any hoftile manner. The work however fufrered, 
 for fo inferior were their defigns, and fo greatly was the hand of 
 Stothard miffed, that after he had ceafed to labour for it, the 
 fale declined, and the undertaking no longer profpered. 
 
 Not only did Stothard execute the paintings already mentioned at 
 Burleigh, but, to oblige the Marquis, he altered and touched the 
 ceilings, feveral of which were by Verrio ; the fubjects were Heaven 
 and Hell.* 
 
 Whilft he was there, many noble and honourable guefts were 
 frequently vifiting, and fome flaying in the houfe, for the Marquis 
 
 * Concerning thefe ceilings, Stothard required. On one occafion he fo enraged 
 ufed to tell rather an amufing ftory, which the painter by his neglecl, that Verrio next 
 wa:> a tradition of the houfehold when he morning introduced the offender in his 
 was at Burleigh. Verrio was long there, Hell ; where, to this day, the lucklefs 
 and whilll engaged on his tafk was very matter of the fpit remains, as Falstaff fays 
 particular about his dinner, to which the of Bardolph's nofe, " Burning, burn- 
 cook did not always give the attention he ing ! " 
 
38 Reminijcences of Stothard. [chap. n. 
 
 was exceedingly hofpitable. Amongft others was a certain dignitary 
 of the church, who often joined Stothard in his fummer evening 
 rambles. On one occafion, he prepared to go out with his nippers 
 and his net to catch butterflies and infects, when his clerical friend 
 thought it became him to read him very gravely a lecture, on the 
 cruel and unchriftian-like practice to which he was addicted. This 
 reproof was received with meeknefs ; when going on a little 
 further they came to a piece of water. The fifh were making 
 bubbles and rings in it by darting up to the furface to catch 
 the flies — li Blefs me," exclaimed the divine, "how plenty the 
 fifh are here ; I wifh I had my rod with me. Are you an angler, 
 Mr. Stothard ? " " No," replied Stothard, " I have fome doubts 
 about angling, whether it may not be a cruel and unchriftian-like 
 practice, when we think of the worm, the hook, and the fifh." 
 
 Whilft at Burleigh Mr. Stothard's wife, and his fon Charles, 
 then a youth, were for awhile guefts. Charles drew very well for 
 his age : but wanting employment with his pencil, to fill up his 
 time, his father told him to go and make drawings of fome ancient 
 effigies in the neighbouring churches. He did fo ; and there can 
 be no doubt this circumftance occafioned his firft turning his 
 attention to Gothic fculpture ; and gave rife to a fondnefs for the 
 ftudy of antiquity, which, at a more mature age, rendered him 
 eminent as an antiquary, and led the way to his original and 
 beautiful work on The Monumental Effigies of Great Britain. 
 
 Amongft a multiplicity of rude drafts of letters in the hand- 
 writing of Stothard (too imperfect to be given) I found one 
 addrefsed to the Marquis of Exeter, on the completion of the 
 paintings. It is written in a very confufed manner : yet fhows 
 great delicacy on the part of the painter ; and the very confufion 
 
< c \ 
 
2 'St0lh*~d If J tUl 
 
chap, ii.] On the 'Terms of his Painting. 39 
 
 which pervades the whole, feems the refult of what I ever thought 
 to be a marked feature in his character — namely, the pain he 
 experienced when obliged to revert to pecuniary demands ; or, as he 
 faid, in another letter (to a different perfon who did not pay him 
 as he had often promifed) cc to do what he hated, afk for money." 
 
 In this letter to the Marquis, he ftates that the paintings on the 
 great ftaircafe were to be completed for one thoufand guineas, and 
 to be finifhed in three years. In the time he was at work he had 
 received nine hundred and ninety-three pounds for the years — 
 
 1799 £6 3 
 
 1800 . . . . . . . 315 
 
 1801 ...... 315 
 
 1802 ....... 300 
 
 By this ftatement, he faid, 57/. were deficient of the thoufand 
 guineas. But the year 1803, he confidered cc an indulgence 
 added to the preceding years, on the fame terms." On that 
 year (1803) he had, at the time of writing, received only 50/., 
 leaving due to him 265/., to which might he be allowed to add 
 the 57/., it would make the amount due to be 322/. But continues 
 he — "If the mention of the 57/. mould appear in the leaft 
 unreafonable " (and he fays in the letter, he entertained doubts about 
 the propriety of mentioning it at all,) and <f if your Lordfhip thought 
 the indulgence of another year added to the former, ample com- 
 penfation to fmooth any difference in that account, in fuch cafe," 
 he concludes, cc your fentiments on this matter will be received 
 with cheerful compliance by your Lordfhip's molt obedient fervant, 
 Thos. Stothard." 
 
 At the end of this rough draft appears, written in pencil, (but 
 not in Stothard's hand) thefe words : — 
 
40 Rem'tnifcences of Stothard. [chap. h. 
 
 cc Lord Exeter has directed me to pay Mr. Stothard 300/." 
 
 The hand-writing of this is bufmefs-like ; and may, probably, 
 have been that of the houfe-fteward of the Marquis, the late 
 Mr. Christian, with whom our artift was on terms of familiar 
 intercourfe ; and to whom, it is not improbable, he might have 
 fubmitted the above draft of an intended letter ; when finding, 
 as intimated by the note in pencil, that his Lordfhip had directed 
 the payment of a fum, fo very nearly that which he had calculated 
 on receiving, the letter was not fent at all. In my own mind, 
 I have no doubt fuch was the fact, as it is not for a moment to be 
 fuppofed that a nobleman of fuch liberality as the Marquis of 
 Exeter, and who always treated Stothard (as he invariably faid) in 
 fo handfome and friendly a manner, would have cut off the twenty 
 two pounds from his account. 
 
 I muft not omit ftating that, previous to his engagement at 
 Burleigh, Stothard, amongft many other works, produced his 
 Boaz firft feeing Ruth Gleaning, than which nothing can be 
 more ftriking. It reminds us of the old mailers, to the fineft of 
 whofe fcriptural works it is, in every way, equal as a composition. 
 The beauty, the grace, the unaffected and natural attitude of Ruth, 
 who, having juft raifed herfelf from the ground, looks up, furprifed 
 by the notice of Boaz ; the dignity of his perfon, as he addreffes 
 her with intereft ; the fervant placed over the reapers, who ftands 
 near him ; and the figures bufied among the corn, altogether 
 prefent a fcene perfect in its patriarchal truth and fimplicity. The 
 buildings and terraces, feen in the background, as the finifh of the 
 picture, have in them an appropriate character of Eaftern tafte and 
 opulence. 
 

v; 
 
 esslflllpsS 
 
 Painted by T Stoth&rc 
 
CHAP. II.] 
 
 Letters to his Wife. 
 
 4i 
 
 Whilft at Burleigh, Stothard frequently wrote to his wife; 
 moft of the letters have been preferved ; but although they abound 
 
 
 Boaz and Ruth. Designed by Stothard for Mackliu'a Bible. 1791. 
 
 in the expreffions of an affectionate care for her and his children, 
 
42 Keminifcences of Stothard. [chap. h. 
 
 they do not give any information about his work, more than 
 carnally mentioning how clofely he applied to it, and that his 
 performance greatly pleafed his noble employer. The following 
 extracts, however, felected from many paffages of a fimilar nature, 
 will, I truft, be found of fome little intereft to the reader, as they 
 mow the heart of the man in its moft amiable character. 
 
 To Mrs. Stothard. 
 <c Dear Rebecca, 
 
 " Since I laft wrote, I have been very bufy fketching 
 a defign for the ftaircafe ; and, at the fame time, feeing that the 
 walls are properly prepared, and colours ground, &c. I have been 
 fo intent on this purfuit, as to let three days efcape me out of fix ; 
 for, believe me, I miftook laft Saturday for laft Wednefday ; and 
 this was the caufe of your difappointment in not hearing from me. 
 I told you in my laft, Lord Exeter had been here, and went from 
 hence the day before my arrival, which has prevented my feeing 
 him. I think it is better that it fo happened, as I had nothing to 
 mow his Lordfhip. If he returns about the time my bufinefs 
 concludes, as I conjecture he will, I may fettle the future with 
 more confidence. * * * I am glad to hear Charles is well, 
 and hope he does not run away from his dinner-hour ; as he is 
 growing, I am more anxious about this, for he has been too apt 
 to go out and not return in proper time. Let your next letter be 
 a little longer, and tell me more of yourfelf, and how your time 
 has pafTed away. Has any one been to fee you, or Mifs Nayler 
 paid you the vifit fne promised you ? It will give me pleafure to 
 hear you have fo agreeable a companion ; in fhort, give me a few 
 particulars, it will break through the continued anxiety I feel in my 
 
\A 
 
chap, n.] Letters to his Wife. 43 
 
 prefent undertaking, which now entirely depends on my own 
 efforts. One day is fo like another, on account of the extreme 
 regularity — it was in fome degree the caufe of my forgetting time 
 as I did laft week." * * * 
 
 The next extract is ftill from Burleigh, and in the autumn of 
 the fame year, 1799. 
 
 " I mail not come home till Thurfday. If the fatigue of 
 travelling all night is not too much for me, I promife myfelf the 
 happier! hours I have experienced a good while in your company 
 and the children's ; fo let me fee them in their beft bib and tucker, 
 and we will make a holiday of it. I mould have been with you on 
 Sunday, but Lord Exeter is going from hence, and will not return 
 till Monday ; meanwhile I am to draw up an agreement and ftate 
 the terms of our future proceedings, which, I am happy to tell you, 
 promife to be much to my mind, and will give you pleafure, which 
 is my chief happinefs. 
 
 fC Believe me yours ever affectionately, 
 
 ct Thomas Stothard." 
 
 The next is from Burleigh in 1800. 
 
 " Dear Rebecca, 
 
 " Don't interpret my delay in writing to negligence or 
 indifference, nor think I have forgot my firft intention of paying 
 you all a vifit ; nothing but my being very bufy here, makes my 
 abfence tolerable. Burleigh and the fcenes about it are no palliative, 
 fo you muft expect to fee me foon. I believe I can ftart in a 
 
44 Reminijcences of Stothard. [chap, u, 
 
 fortnight, and return to finifh that end of the ftaircafe I am now 
 
 painting by the time my Lord returns with his new bride, which will 
 
 be fome time in Auguft. * * * You have fome doubts if I 
 
 were courting, whether I mould not more readily fteal an hour to 
 
 write to you ; perhaps fo — but this I am fure of, I do not love you 
 
 lefs ; and am more eafy, having confidence in your fincerity and 
 
 virtue. My love to the children, and receive the fame from your 
 
 affectionate hufband, 
 
 (( Thomas Stothard." 
 
 From the letters addreffed to Mrs. Stothard in 1801, I make the 
 following extracts. 
 
 "My dear Rebecca, 
 
 " It was with pleafure I received your two laft letters ; 
 indeed they came at a time my anxiety was almoft intolerable. I 
 am now happy fo far. * * * The delay you have complained 
 of refpecting my writing, you muft afford fome indulgence to, as I 
 have much to do here, and till I have broken the neck of the work 
 in hand, can find very little refpite, and independent of the attention 
 I muft beftow, I am in the continual exercife of afcending and 
 defcending fteps, and fhifting them from place to place. I find myfelf 
 perfectly jaded before night, and fometimes could difpenfe with my 
 fupper for bed. With this combination of mental and bodily 
 exercife, I fhould not write were it not to yourfelf." 
 
 " Burleigh, Sept. 6, 1801. 
 
 " Dear Rebecca, 
 
 * * * cc 
 
 I am endeavouring to conclude my bufinefs 
 
chap, ii.] Letters to his Wife. 45 
 
 here before the end of this month ; the day I cannot afcertain in 
 the prefent ftate of the work. The Marquis and Marchionefs 
 feem well pleafed and pay me flattering attentions ; I therefore 
 mould not like to leave Burleigh with my work flovenly done, and 
 thereby forfeit their good opinion for the future, as well as the 
 public's. On this you may depend, that I am not backward in 
 my exertions to make a good finifh for the prefent fummer. I 
 write this, my dear Rebecca, that you may know my prefent 
 fituation, and thereby make yours as agreeable as you can, which 
 I hope is pleafant." 
 
 "Sept. 13, 1801. 
 
 " Dear Rebecca, 
 
 " Write to me by return of poft, if it be but two lines, 
 informing me how you are, and how Hammerfmith agrees with 
 you, for I am unhappy till I hear from you. Don't perplex 
 yourfelf with the idea of filling a fheet, you need tell me of nothing 
 but your health, and I mail be fatisfied ; for myfelf, I am determined 
 to be with you before the twenty-fixth if poflible. * * If 
 
 you are at Hammerfmith, tell me how you fpend your time, &c. 
 If you ufe much exercife ; if you avail yourfelf of country milk at 
 breakfafr. inftead of tea ; whether you ftudy diet more than phyfic ? 
 However, I long to be with you, and confult you concerning your 
 health ; and, truft me, nothing fhall be fpared in my power to 
 recover you. Do fcratch a line, my dear Rebecca, immediately. 
 Again I repeat it, and you will afford confolation to your ever 
 affectionate hufband, 
 
 "Thomas Stothard." 
 
46 Reminijcences of Stothard. [chap. h. 
 
 " Burleigh, Monday, October 5, 1801. 
 
 " My dear Rebecca, 
 
 c c The day after I wrote to you I received yours. I felt 
 great pleafure to find you had fpent your fortnight fo agreeably at 
 my aunt's. It fpread an air of cheerfulnefs over your letter which 
 convinced me your health was benefitted by it. You will not 
 doubt, my dear, my wifh to fee you and the children after my long 
 abfence. I had determined on leaving Burleigh on the eighth inft. 
 at fartheft ; and had fignified to my Lord my intentions without 
 fpecifying the time. Since I wrote to you laft, he has requefted 
 I would make it convenient to ftay till the twelfth, which is 
 Monday next, five days longer than myfelf had propofed. On the 
 whole, I am better pleafed that he has fixed the time than myfelf. 
 We have, this month paft, been all buftle and life ; much 
 company going and coming, too numerous for me to remember 
 their names, fo I ihall not attempt to fend them to you ; and for 
 more interefting particulars, I intend to bring them with me. 
 I have the pleafure to tell you I am much better in my health 
 of late than in times paft ; and I believe if I were here longer, 
 I fhould fill up and become quite another thing — but I muft firft 
 forget home, which is impoflible ; fo expect me next Tuefday. 
 
 11 1 am, dear Rebecca, yours moft affectionately, 
 
 <c Thomas Stothard." 
 
 " My dear Rebecca, 
 
 <f It was my intention to have been with you at the 
 time you will receive this letter ; but now I muft tell you for the 
 laft time, I mail not be with you till Friday noon. As I have fettled 
 

 
chap, a.] Letters to his Wife. 47 
 
 everything with my Lord, I fhall have nothing now to oppofe the 
 earned defire I feel of feeing you after my three or four months' 
 abfence. As I have received very kind attentions from Lord and 
 Lady Exeter, I wifh to return it by a cheerful compliance with their 
 wifhes that I mould flay at Burleigh till Thurfday, when they 
 themfelves will take leave of this place for a fortnight or more. 
 As for myfelf, at all events, I fhall take a place in the coach for town, 
 and dine with you on Friday ; of this be allured. You have in 
 your former letters enquired after our friends here. They are all 
 well ; they often mention you, with refpectful enquiries after your 
 welfare. Lady Exeter, in particular, pleafed me by her kind manner 
 of enquiring after you." 
 
 The next letter is alfo from Burleigh. 
 
 "Sunday, Sept. 3, 1802. 
 
 " My dear Rebecca, 
 
 " I find a fortnight is too long a time not to hear from 
 you ; indeed if you knew how much I fuffer from apprehenfion for 
 your health, I am certain you would not delay writing. I hope 
 nothing has happened to prevent the fulfilment of your promifed 
 coming here. Every accommodation is prepared for your re- 
 ception. The country yet retains its former drefs, and with 
 the weather is altogether delightful. I have felected one of the 
 pleafanteft apartments for your ufe. Let me entreat you, my dear, 
 not to delay any longer or lofe the prefent opportunity. I think 
 you may contrive to ftay here a fortnight at leaft, and for your 
 health's fake longer ; but you muft not lofe any time, but come, and 
 don't let trifles prevent you. In your next letter tell me the day I 
 
4 8 
 
 Reminifcences of Stothard. 
 
 [CHAP. II. 
 
 may expect you, and the coach you come by, that I may meet you 
 at Stamford. When I wrote to you laft, the Marquis's health was 
 in that ftate to render it very uncertain how long he would ftay 
 from hence ; at prefent he has recovered, and entertains the hopes of 
 a longer abfence from Burleigh. As for myfelf, I find my health 
 governed very much by your letters, or your filence ; fo pray write 
 to me by the return of poft. Give my love to the children, and 
 accept the fame from your affectionate hufband, 
 
 <( T. Stothard. 
 
 " P. S. Bring with you the vols, of the Spectator, and Bewick's 
 Hiftory of Quadrupeds." 
 
 During the time his great work was in progrefs at Burleigh, 
 Stothard loft his mother, who lived to attain the age of 87 years. 
 She died in his houfe in Newman-ftreet, where for fo long a period 
 me had experienced, both from himfelf and his wife, the mod kind 
 and affectionate care.* 
 
 * I have but one circumftance more to 
 mention in connexion with Burleigh ; and 
 although it may be here fomewhat out of 
 place, it ought not to be omitted, as it ferves 
 to mow the refpecl in which the memory 
 of Stothard was held not only at that 
 noble manfion, but in the neighbourhood. 
 Some years ago, his fon Alfred vifited 
 Burleigh, in order to fee his father's 
 greateft work. The Marquis was abfent, 
 but he was moft kindly received by the 
 houfehold. Some of the principal trades- 
 people of the town of Stamford, hearing 
 
 he was there, called a meeting and propofed 
 to give a public dinner to the fon of Stoth- 
 ard, as a token of gratitude for the benefit 
 his father had conferred on their town by 
 the number of ftrangers who referred to 
 it, in order to lee the magnificent paintings 
 on the ftaircafe of Burleigh Houfe. The 
 dinner was arranged, and actually given, 
 although, from fome error in the fending 
 or the delivery of the letter of invitation, 
 Mr. Alfred Stothard had gone away before 
 it arrived ! 
 
L><\ 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 StotharcTs Death of Nelfon — His Robinfon Crulbe making his Long Boat — Vifits the 
 Englifh Lakes and Scotland — His Jubilee Transparency — Defigns from Froiflart — 
 Vifits Hafod — Col. Johnes — Death of Mils Johnes — Stothard's defign for her monu- 
 ment — His letters from Hafod. 
 
 In the year 1804, Stothard was fo occupied by commiflions, that 
 he fent nothing to Somerfet Houfe ; but in the following year he 
 
 Queen Charlotte surrounded by The Eoyal Family. From a pocket-book. 
 
 contributed what was not at all calculated for an exhibition picture ; 
 his fketchy defign for a portion of the ftaircafe at Burleigh, which 
 by many who looked at it, could not be underftood. In 1806, he 
 was applied to by the widow of John Macklin, the publifher, to go 
 
50 Reminijcences of Stothard. [chap. hi. 
 
 down to Chatham, and there take fteps preparatory for a picture of 
 the Death of Nelfon ; a print from which fne propofed to publifh 
 by fubfcription. He made fome bold pen and ink drawings from 
 the heads of feveral failors of the Victory : he was to receive two 
 hundred pounds for the picture, and commenced it; but Mrs. 
 Macklin not being able to meet with fubfcribers fufficient to carry 
 out her plan, the picture remained, unfinimed, on his hands, and in 
 that ftate was fold after his death at Chriftie's.* 
 
 In 1808, Stothard exhibited, amongft many other works, his 
 exquifite defign of Robinfon Crufoe making his Long Boat. 
 
 The next occurrence in the life of our Academician was his vifit 
 to the Lakes of Cumberland and Weftmoreland in 1809; whence 
 he proceeded in the fame year to Edinburgh, and afterwards to 
 various parts of Scotland, for the purpofe of illuftrating, for 
 Mr. Conftable, an edition which he was about to publifh of the 
 Poems of Burns. The great merit of the drawings and defigns 
 he made for the works of that exquifite poet of nature, raifed his 
 name fo highly in Scotland, that, fome years after, he was chofen (as 
 will be noticed in due place) to adorn with his pencil one of the 
 national inftitutions of the capital. 
 
 On his return to town, as nothing came amifs to him, he 
 executed for Meffrs. Rundle and Bridge a large tranfparency, which 
 was difplayed in front of their houfe at Ludgate Hill, and greatly 
 admired on the Jubilee day, held in honour of good King George 
 
 * I am fortunate enough to poffels a very board Nelfon's fliip at the time of the a&ion 
 
 good collection of Stothard's original draw- in which the naval hero loft his life. Thefe 
 
 ings, befides a few of his oil paintings, fketches are very ftriking, and remind one 
 
 Amongft the former are fome of the fketches of fome of the old drawings by artifts of the 
 
 that he made of the failors who were on Venetian School. 
 
fO 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 Engaged to decorate Hafod. 
 
 5 l 
 
 the Third having reigned fifty years. In this picture King 
 George appeared feated on a throne, furrounded by the Cardinal 
 Virtues. To the right and left of the Sovereign were feen fpiral 
 columns, to one of which Hiftory was engaged in attaching the 
 
 Pilgrim's Progress, engraved 1789. The Reception. Christian's conduct amidst the difficulties he 
 had passed through, meeting with the approbation of Discretion, Prudence, Piety, and Charity, he is 
 received joyfully into the Palaca Beautiful, 
 
 names of the naval and military victories of his reign : Mars and 
 Neptune were reclining at his feet. 
 
 It was, I believe, both before and after this period, that he was 
 employed by the late Col. Johnes to decorate the fplendid and 
 beautifully fituated manfion he had erected at Hafod, near the 
 Devil's Bridge, in North Wales. Col. Johnes had then recently 
 tranflated the Chronicles of Froiflart and Monftrelet ; and Stothard 
 was requefted by him to felect from them fubjects for pictorial 
 
52 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. m. 
 
 decorations. In another way he was alfo of infinite fervice to 
 Hafod. So varied was the genius, and fo great the knowledge, of 
 this eminent painter, in every branch of the fine arts, that his tafte 
 in architecture only wanted opportunity for its development. 
 Col. Johnes confulted him about the internal finifh of his houfe ; 
 and I have found fragments of his plans and advice, and directions 
 concerning this matter, which (though in too rude and fcattered a 
 form to render it poflible to give them here) mow how readily and 
 how zealoufly he entered upon a Subject foreign to his general 
 purfuits. 
 
 I have feen feveral of his original fketches and defigns for his 
 paintings at Hafod ; and thefe chivalrous fcenes, — moftly, I believe, 
 in illustration of FroifTart, porTefled all the accuftomed merits of 
 his works, in compofition and execution. 
 
 To a mind like Stothard's, Hafod muft have been a delightful 
 place of retreat, could he have prevailed with himfelf to be a little 
 lefs laborious than he was whilft in fuch a fpot, and in fuch fociety 
 as he there found. Col. Johnes, though neither gifted with the 
 genius nor the high intellectual powers which diftinguifhed 
 Mr. Beckford (another wealthy patron of Stothard), was neverthelefs 
 a man of ufeful and praifeworthy literary purfuits, and of a moft 
 cultivated tafte in the fine arts. He had been the friend and patron 
 of Banks the sculptor, whofe claflic merit he appreciated when it 
 was fadly neglected by the world at large. He had aided nature by 
 his fkill in the decoration of his own grounds, amidft fome of the 
 wildeft and moft ftriking fcenery of North Wales ; for both cataract 
 and mountain were within his domain. He twice raifed a princely 
 manfion in this favoured fpot, and each time enriched it with the 
 choiceft works of art ; and, what was not lefs deferving record, at 
 
_ 
 
 
 
 7 €^3r<5^ 1 
 
 
 
 %,- 
 
 ^*: V . 
 
 
 \vft 
 
 pip», ^ 
 
 i^i 
 
 nil 
 
 a '" 
 
 ^j3 
 
 
 aftf^'S 
 
 n 
 
 Sx 
 
 i ^ 
 
 
 sISf 
 
 1 vH 
 
 _ =._- 
 
 •rdB 
 
 
 
CHAP. III.] 
 
 'The family at Hafod. 
 
 S3 
 
 a time of much public diftrefs, by making roads around him, and 
 other considerable works, he gave, by labour, bread to hundreds of 
 the poor in his vicinity. Such was Col. Johnes. 
 
 His wife was a woman entitled to refpect as well for her 
 underftanding as her character ; and his daughter, an only childj 
 admired, beloved by all who approached her, was almoft idolifed by 
 
 Pilgrim's Progress, engraved 1789. The Reflection. Mercy persuaded by Christiana to accompany 
 her and her children upon their Pilgrimage, reflects on the dangerous state of her relations, and 
 weeps at leaving them behind. 
 
 her father. In perfon Mifs Johnes had the misfortune to be 
 somewhat deformed ; but me had a moft beautiful face and a ftill 
 more beautiful mind. Her manners were captivating ; fhe was an 
 admirable mufician, and fang with uncommon feeling : indeed, her 
 acquirements were extenflve ; and Stothard, who fincerely efteemed 
 her, aided and directed her ftudies in drawing, and felt an intereft in 
 
54 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. m. 
 
 her progrefs, which rauft have arifen from his conviction that me 
 pofiefied no inconfiderable talents for the art. Such were the 
 inmates of Hafod in 1 8 1 o, when Stothard was there in the threefold 
 relation of gueft, artift, and friend. Alas ! in how ftiort a time did 
 that happy and focial circle completely pafs away ! In the fummer 
 of 1 8 1 1 the amiable and gifted Mifs Johnes died fuddenly, in the 
 very prime of youth, and in the midft of all its faireft hopes and 
 promifes. Her father furvived her a very few years ; the laft work 
 in the fine arts in which he took any intereft was the monument he 
 erected to his beloved daughter. Stothard defigned it ; Chantrey 
 fculptured it.* Mrs. Johnes, widowed, childlefs, and heart-broken, 
 did not long outlive her hufband ; and Hafod itfelf (at leaft the 
 original manfion), even before its founder's death, was, together 
 with many noble works of Art which it contained, deftroyed by 
 fire.f 
 
 The following letters in connection with Hafod will, I hope, 
 po fiefs fome little intereft here : — 
 
 To Mrs. Stothard. 
 
 " Hafod, 1 8 io. 
 
 " My dear Rebecca, 
 
 " Since your firft letter I have been very unhappy in 
 
 * It reprefented the forrowing parent great fire. They were for the library (it 
 
 ftanding by the couch of his dying child, was of an oftagonal form), and painted in 
 
 In consequence of the death of Col. Johnes, imitation of sculpture. They filled the 
 
 this beautiful monument remained for some panels, eight in number, on the upper part 
 
 years after its completion, till, I believe, of the room. After the death of Col. 
 
 the Colonel's affairs were settled, in the Johnes, Hafod was bought by the Duke 
 
 poffeffion of the sculptor. of Newcaftle : great alterations were made 
 
 f Stothard's paintings at Hafod were in the house, and Stothard's paintings were 
 
 for the houfe which was built after the fent to London, and fold by Chriftie. 
 
chap, ni.] Letter to Col. Johnes. 55 
 
 reading your account of yourfelf. I had no refource from the 
 unpleafant thoughts you had made me entertain, but to apply ftill 
 more clofely (if pofTible) to my engagements here, and to return 
 as foon as poflible home. You have not an idea how my time is 
 filled up, though I think I wrote you fome account of it in my laft. 
 I have no exercife but what the pencil affords me, and fometimes 
 running from one part of the houfe to the other. Sometimes I get 
 an hour out of doors, to get a little air. The fmall room I paint 
 in affords me none ; filled, as it is, with eight canvaffes, with my 
 colours, oils and turpentines, &c. All the family here, without 
 exception, are very folicitous to adminifter to my convenience ; and 
 I have fome difficulty to refill; the repeated requefts of Mr. Johnes 
 that I would go out more for my health's fake. I mention this to 
 convince you that I might be happy enough with my fituation here, 
 if yours and the children's welfare did not folely poflefs me. If I 
 wifh to fucceed well with the fubjects I am painting, to gain credit 
 and future engagements, it is for your fake ; and the care of my 
 health, for the fame reafon, that I may undertake what better may 
 infure it. This, my dear, believe is from my heart, with which 
 compliment has nothing to do." 
 
 To Col. Johnes.* 
 " Dear Sir, 
 
 " I have delayed writing fo long that it has become 
 a tafk to make anything like a decent apology. The truth indeed 
 is this, I fully expected to have fent the whole of your commiffions, 
 not to obtrude a correfpondence relative merely to myfelf. I have 
 
 * This letter has no date ; but as Mifs the lummer of 1 8 1 1 , it was probably 
 Johnes is mentioned in it, and flie died in written in the year 1810. 
 
56 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. m. 
 
 procured the plafter cafts to aflift Mifs Johnes in her ftudies. It was 
 my intention, when I came to town, to have got cafts from originals ; 
 but, on confidering the expenfe and hazard of carriage, and moreover 
 the imperfect fpecimens of the cafts — the cafts to be procured are fo 
 blunt from bad moulds, that I would not recommend them — I 
 have fince had recourfe to a few good copies, yet as far fuperior to 
 the others ; and they will anfwer every purpofe of ftudy, are more 
 profitable, and will better command a good light, and are ornamental. 
 To have the extremities well defined, I procured them from an 
 ingenious young man, a ftudent in our Academy : I am confident 
 he will do his beft to pleafe me. The fubjects are the Apollo 
 Belvedere, Venus de Medicis, the Antinous, and Hercules Farnefe : 
 he affures me they fhall be carefully packed, and, as he underftands 
 thefe things, and has had experience, I have every reafon to think 
 they will reach you fafely. 
 
 Cf The Gothic fcreen — concerning this, I have applied to Merits. 
 Underwood and Doyle, in Holborn, whofe bufinefs is folely in this 
 way. I explained to them, by means of my fketch, the kind of 
 ornaments and the dimenfions, and requefted to know what they 
 thought the expenfe might amount to — the glafs excepted. Their 
 anfwer was, the fum of one hundred and twenty pounds, or there- 
 abouts. They informed me at the fame time, that the drawing 
 I had made was too flight, and required ftrengthening with the aid 
 of woodwork. I have in confequence made another drawing and 
 coloured the wood red, that you might diftinguifh it from the reft, 
 in the fpace between column and column. I have given three diftincl 
 defigns for your choice — amend or reject. I have not neglected your 
 idea of taking the whole to pieces at pleafure. With refpect to the 
 arms, I fpoke to Mr. Hand ; he tells me his terms are from five 
 

^7 
 
 
: 
 
 
 TBUE TE'MF^E QY MIRT: 
 
 l'ul>lilli,-d !U tl»- Art 4ir.rU In U.trrilim tC'lVlA. 1784. 
 
 c 
 
 ( 
 
CHAP. HI.] 
 
 Letter to Col. Johnes. 
 
 SI 
 
 guineas to twenty — that the difference is with or without fupporters, 
 and the colours, which require different degrees of heat in firing. 
 
 The Wits' Assembly : a frontispiece to the Wits' Magazine. 1784. 
 
 "I have enclofed Mr. Daniel's Eaft India views, as they are 
 divided into claffes, and their price. 
 
 " A little pamphlet is all I could procure from the perfon I applied 
 to concerning the new invented lights. I don't find the town lighter 
 this winter ; none have followed his example.* Thefe things I 
 
 Written before the gas lights became general. 
 
58 Reminijcences of Stothard. [chap. m. 
 
 got packed together in one box, and a few etceteras for Mifs Johnes, 
 and am only waiting for information from you to what place you 
 think it will beft fuit you to have them fent. From our friend 
 Mr. Malkin, I have had the pleafure to hear of the welfare of your 
 family ; and permit me, fir, to add my earneft wifh for its 
 continuance ; and that I may be remembered to Mrs. Johnes, my 
 opponent in the field of chefs, and to my pupil, who, I hope, 
 perfeveres in the few, though effential hints, I gave her at Hafod." 
 



 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Archdeacon Markham and Stothard's friends and patrons — Extracts from his letters — 
 His modelt eftimate of himself — Recommends the ftudy of Raphael and Albert 
 Durer — The cartoon of St. Paul preaching to the Athenians — The Transfiguration 
 — Stothard's opinion of the fame — His letter on his journey to Paris. 
 
 I do not know at what period Stothard firft became acquainted 
 with the Rev. Robert Markham, Archdeacon of York, and Rector 
 of Bolton Percy, Yorkfhire. But in this gentleman he found 
 a patron who was an enthufiaftic admirer of his genius, and a friend. 
 Stothard was more than once his gueft ; and when the Archdeacon 
 was carrying on extenfive improvements in his houfe, under the 
 late Mr. Alexander, the architect, our artift's tafte was called in to 
 give afliftance, and all he fuggefted was approved. Mifs Georgiana 
 Markham, like Mifs Johnes, became his pupil, and he ever fpoke 
 of the whole family in terms of the warmed efteem and regard. 
 
 The late Mr. Benfon, of Doncafter, was likewife his intimate 
 friend ; and he painted for him feveral very beatiful pictures, among 
 them a copy of the Canterbury Pilgrims. The following scraps of 
 advice on art, were found among the rude drafts of his letters, the 
 firft was addrefTed to Mr. Benfon. Stothard fays : — cc I am glad 
 to hear of your application to painting ; and that I have had a 
 mare in contributing anything towards it. I flatter myfelf you have 
 improved, and will no doubt continue to do fo, by having a proper 
 
6o 
 
 Reminifcences of S tot hard. 
 
 [CHAP. IV. 
 
 confidence, and proceeding with care. You have a very pleafant 
 field before you to felect from. And, now I am on the fubjecl:, 
 I will recommend (if I did not before mention it) to leave 
 fometimes ftill life and attempt living fubjects. It will make a 
 variety in your ftudies, and give you an opportunity to introduce 
 the plants and flowers as growing where the animals haunt. This 
 will require an exertion of tafte, and fo much the better. You 
 have nothing to do but confult nature, and your own good fenfe in 
 
 The Seasons. A vignette published in 1793. 
 " There is who deems all climes, all seasons fair; 
 Contentment ; thankful for the gift of life." J. Scott's Poems. 
 
 the feledfcion. One thing I have to recommend ; do not introduce 
 any landfcape, either as a diftant or a middle ground, for fuch 
 things do no good ; they diftracl: the attention — in fhort, deftroy 
 each other. One thing I advife, which comprehends everything, 
 let your objects be few and well difcriminated. " 
 
 In a fragment of a letter to the Rev. Mr. Markham, he fays of 
 Mifs Markham. " I obferved confiderable improvement in the 
 

chap, iv.] Hints in Art to his pupils. 6 1 
 
 little time I was with her ; efpecially the laft two days. I hope fhe 
 will remember what I fo earneftly repeated regarding the delicate 
 Joftnejs, as well as breadth of the fhadows fo necefsary to produce 
 roundnefs and relief; at the fame time to remember a piece of 
 advice I gave, not to fit too long without rifing ; to retire and com- 
 pare the effect of the drawing with the original." 
 
 In another letter Stothard writes concerning this lady — cc I am 
 very well pleafed to hear that my pupil makes no abatement in her 
 ftudies ; and provided fhe devotes fome time daily to draw with care 
 and attention from good originals, I mall be more indulgent as to 
 what may engage her attention at another time. Flaxman's defigns 
 are good as to outline, but on that very account, do not go far 
 enough, wanting light and made, which I very much wifh Georgiana 
 to obtain." 
 
 The kind intereft he took in cultivating the talents of this young 
 friend, is further feen in the following : — li I have fince my return, 
 
 indulged my fancy in fuppofing I fee the Mifs M 's, the one 
 
 agreeably engaged in drawing the other. I hope this will be realifed. 
 * * What think you if Georgiana were to call up sufficient refo- 
 lution to attempt one or more of the beft approved heads in the 
 Paul Veronefe's picture I faw in the Chapter Houfe ? I cannot help 
 thinking it would afford a good opportunity for fludy of light and 
 made, as well as keeping her hand in practice till her return to 
 Phidias." 
 
 Highly as Stothard regarded Archdeacon Markham and his 
 domeftic circle ; they were not the only family of influence and 
 ftation who, at this period, at once patronifed the talents, and 
 cultivated the friendfhip of our Academician. Col. Johnes, and 
 Mr. Benfon, Mr. Thomas Hope, Mr. Boddington, Mr. Beckford, 
 
62 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. iv. 
 
 Mr. Champernown, of Dartington, Devon, Mr. Rogers the poet, and 
 Mr. Flaxman the fculptor, were numbered amongft his patrons and 
 friends ; the two laft named were peculiarly dear to him. I regret 
 I cannot more particularly mention, not only thefe, but many other 
 gentlemen of rank and eminence with whom he was acquainted, and 
 from whom he received acls of kindnefs and attention, in the early 
 part of his career. But, as I have before intimated, Stothard was 
 so retiring and referved in all which related to himfelf and his own 
 honour, it was only by a cafual circumftance or remark, or by 
 fomething told by others, who knew him well, that any information 
 could be gained on many points refpecting him. 
 
 Indeed he was at all times remarkable for a modefty fo perfect, 
 that in all his great works (and throughout a whole life devoted to 
 his pencil), I am perfuaded he never once thought about himfelf as 
 being the artift who produced them. He thought about the things 
 he did, and delighted in them becaufe he delighted in the employ- 
 ment of his imagination in producing them ; with him all was pure 
 abftracted love of the art, unconnected with felf. He painted as 
 Shakefpeare wrote, throwing himfelf into the characters and fcenes 
 that he called up, and embodied in his own mind. 
 
 The mechanical part of any art once mattered, the higheft efforts 
 of genius are always made with comparative eafe in their great 
 outline or conception, fo was it with Stothard ; and hence was it 
 that he, like every other man of tranfcendent merit, was always 
 modeft. The images called forth by the powers of his own 
 imagination rufhed upon him like vifions of infpiration, he was 
 confcious of no effort — of nothing like clevernefs (which implies 
 ingenuity, or a fldlful exertion of endeavour), the thing feeming to 
 come of itfelf ; how then could he feel vain about it ? yet fuch 
 

 
 KJVKRS IN( 
 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 The conjcioufnefs of genius. 
 
 63 
 
 modefty is not at all inconfiftent with that ftrong internal conviction, 
 which every man of real merit porTeffes, refpedting his own order of 
 capacity. He feels that nature has given him a ftand on higher 
 
 Cupid and Campaspe. Engraved 1790. 
 
 ground than moft of his contemporaries ; but he does not look 
 down on them, but above himfelf. What he does is great, but he 
 ftill feels that greatnefs has a fpirit which is ever mounting — that 
 
64 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. iv. 
 
 refts on no fummit within mortal view, but foars again and again in 
 fearch of an ideal height, on which to paufe and fold its wings. It is 
 alfo another invariable mark of true genius that it thinks more of the 
 few, or of the one, to whom it has been accuftomed to look up to in 
 early life as a mafter, than of any effort of its own. This conviction 
 of a fuperior, and the habitual refpect paid to fuch, will often remain 
 and cling to the modeft man of genius through life, even when he is 
 become the equal of that one fuperior being in his own line of art. 
 
 Such modefty was a marked feature in the character of Stothard. 
 He always talked of Raphael and Rubens, with the reverence of a 
 young ftudent of their works ; and he recommended to young 
 ftudents, who consulted him, that they mould throroughly imbue 
 themfelves with a knowledge of and a feeling for Raphael, as the 
 mighty mafter of hiftorical composition in its fimpleft, nobleft, 
 fweeteft clafs. He advifed daily copying from him in outline ; 
 and for this purpofe he recommended a work called Raphael's 
 Bible. I never faw but one copy of it, by Lanfranco, and that 
 was badly drawn and engraved. It confifted of a very large 
 collection of defigns (taken from the Vatican), by Raphael, 
 illuftrative of the Scriptures. The bad drawing and engraving 
 Stothard confidered of no confequence ; becaufe, if the ftudent 
 attended to his own drawing as he ought to do, by copying from 
 the antique, he could eafily correct the drawing, making the limbs 
 &c, in juft proportion in his own fketches, as he copied from thefe 
 fubjects, and the ftudy of them would open his eyes, in a wonderful 
 manner, to difcern what was really excellent in the great art of 
 hiftorical compofition. He would fee how fimply Raphael told the 
 ftory of his piece ; yet what admirable judgment was difplayed in 
 bringing into order and harmony, into fobernefs, and, as it were, 
 
>CCCX»'. 
 
t« 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 The fiudy of Raphael. 
 
 65 
 
 into perfect nature, even the fupernatural conceptions of his own 
 great mind. How much he mowed the dependence of one figure 
 upon another, in the incident, or, as it might be called, the argu- 
 ment of his picture. The graceful union that pervades the whole, 
 whilft every part is varied according to the character, intereft, or 
 circumftance that marks each individual fcene. 
 
 In Raphael's Bible may be found examples of every pofTible 
 
 Adam and Eve in Paradise. Prom a Painting in the possession of Miss Ecgera. 
 
 diverfity of invention, or expreflion, in the higheft order of compo- 
 fition. To point them out in detail, would require a volume ; 
 and it was Stothard's opinion that the young artift who, by copying 
 is compelled to dwell upon them, would gradually learn to eftimate 
 their marvellous power, as by the improvement of his own tafte and 
 feeling, they would gradually unfold themfelves to his conception. 
 In Raphael there is nothing violent, nothing to ftrike with wonder 
 
66 Reminifcences of S tot hard. [chap. iv. 
 
 a common eye. In him art is fo hidden by art, and nature fo 
 chofen in her moft chafte and happy forms, that it requires a more 
 than commonly educated eye to do full juftice to his works. Like 
 the poetry of Milton they are not food for the common mind. 
 Raphael's draperies in his Bible, as indeed in all his productions, are 
 thrown by the very hand of grace. No painter ever ftudied his 
 draperies more than did this mafter. Stothard recommended a 
 careful ftudy of them, accompanied by the practice of fketching from 
 real draperies. He preferred woollen clothes, fuch as cloaks are 
 made of, for this purpofe, the material being that which falls in 
 folds, round, large and rich, not forming harm or little broken 
 angles and lines. In difcourfing on the beauty of various draperies, 
 he more particularly adverted to thofe of Albert Durer, of whom 
 he was a great admirer. He faid, that however graceful and flowing 
 were the draperies of that mafter, they ftill preferved the trueft indica- 
 tions of the anatomy of the human figure. He more particularly 
 admired thofe feen in the cartoon by Raphael, where St. Paul is 
 depicted preaching to the Athenians. The whole composition 
 delighted him, and he would dwell on it with the warmeft praife. 
 
 Nothing, indeed, can be more simple, nothing more natural, 
 than the attitude and action of the Apoftle. Yet what a majefty 
 there is in that simplicity ! What energy, what command, in the 
 action of the figure ! — Standing alone, erect, the central and 
 arrefting point of the whole group — the drapery of the Apoftle, 
 unbroken in the detail, marked but by a few long and full folds. 
 When critically examined, every figure in the picture will be found 
 to be dependent on the one prominent character of the piece. 
 St. Paul's is the leading action of the painting ; the reft the con- 
 fequents. The deep attention that abforbs fome of the auditory ; 
 
11 
 
/////.///< :, 
 
 /////A- ///<//<>///■// .,///■//// //, //, 
 
 / //■//// //////■////// '/<•////// /// '///.,/■/////// ///,:>; 
 '/////.)///// ///.,//■/ .i///'f/.j //,//// ( ////////.I />/,.>: 
 .1 - /////' /////■//./ //.> /// .,/,///,/.j;' 
 /////■/ /r /.>/:t , //////. -/<////'{/ r/////.j //////// //J.i. 
 
 £ avoid /. 
 
 //./•// //ti// 
 
 ///,/. // 
 
chap, iv.] Raphael's St. Paul at Athens. 6j 
 
 their air indicating that they are following up the connection of the 
 argument which the Apoftle addrefTes to them — thefe, fo depicted, 
 are men with whom the underftanding bears the moft fway. Others 
 break the eagernefs of their attention by a cafual remark to their 
 neighbours — they are feen in the attitude of fpeaking to each other. 
 The old are deep and fatiffied lifteners ; their own date of life 
 allures them that their new-born hopes will foon become realifed, 
 as the Apoftle's difcourfe opens to them a world beyond the grave. 
 Another individual, from the force of conviction, raises his hands 
 in the fervency of his feelings. This is one of thofe men with 
 whom the heart fways more than the head. So admirable is this 
 compofition of Raphael, that there is not a fingle object in it but 
 pofTefFes force and meaning ; whilft it is equal in fublimity, though 
 not in fupernatural effect, to the Tranffiguration. I have in my 
 pofTeflion, amongft feveral of Stothard's original and moft beautiful 
 drawings, his mafterly copy in pen and ink, of one of the cartoons 
 — " The Death of Ananias and Sapphira." This drawing was 
 made by him in early life, and formed one of his many ftudies after 
 the great Italian painter, whilft he was feduloufly fchooling himfelf 
 and cultivating his own imagination with fo much fkill and care — 
 an imagination which, in this country, has never yet had an equal 
 in his own line of art, and poffibly never will. 
 
 Stothard's <c Angels appearing to the Shepherds," was a picture 
 of the Raphael fchool ; and ranks with the fineft of his fcriptural 
 compofitions. The repofe of the fleeping figures, the aftoniihment 
 of the fhepherds, ftartled from their reft by the cloud of glory that 
 unfolds itfelf before the angelic hoft, are altogether perfect ; and the 
 diftinctive character of the earthly and the heavenly creatures is 
 admirably expreffed. 
 
68 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. iv. 
 
 Stothard faw cc The Tranffiguration " at Paris, juft before it was 
 removed from the Louvre to be returned, with other portions of 
 the ftolen goods of that lawlefs plunderer, Bonaparte, to the right 
 owner. An opinion went abroad, I know not how, even amongft 
 fome of the artifts, that " The Tranffiguration " had been 
 re-touched, in parts re-painted, in comparatively modern times. I 
 am glad, therefore, that I have it in my power to give fo high an 
 authority as that of Stothard in pofitive contradiction to an afTertion 
 fo entirely falfe ; for he repeatedly faid that it was wholly unfounded. 
 " The Tranffiguration" remained to the time he faw it, as it came 
 from the hand of Raphael. But, fuch was the dazzling brilliancy 
 of the colouring which the painter had judicioufly and purpofely 
 given to the Supernatural part of the fubject (where Mofes and 
 Elias appear to our Lord, who, with a brightnefs that no man 
 could look on, was tranffigured before them), that even to this day 
 it remains gorgeous and frefh to fuch a degree that fome of the 
 connoifTeurs, and even artifts (who had not fufrlciently confidered 
 the judgment evinced by Raphael in attempting the fupernatural 
 brilliancy above noticed), ran with the ftream, and followed the 
 common opinion, that fuch colouring could alone owe its vivacity 
 to the re-painting of comparatively modern times. Harlowe, it is 
 evident (and moft highly did Stothard eftimate that early-loft 
 artift), had not at all fucceeded in giving this brilliancy in his copy 
 of the picture — the whole was too black, too heavy. But on this 
 fubject he fhall fpeak for himfelf. Since the above was written, 
 there was found among his papers a letter (penned foon after feeing 
 " The Tranffiguration" at the Louvre), and addreffed to his 
 lamented fon, Charles, when the latter was engaged in his anti- 
 quarian purfuits in the North of England. It is probable that on 
 
'/.>/>. ■ 7; > /,,//;,■>■ /;/ ////., 7/,n,,/ /, ,„,/;,r ,/, , 
 
 wm ScM. 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 The Tranffiguration. 
 
 6 9 
 
 his coming home, Stothard might himfelf have wifhed to keep a 
 letter which gave Tome brief account of his trip to France, and fo 
 
 Anieli appearing to Ub 
 
 have afked Charles to return it to him. This is the only way in 
 which to account for its being found among his own, and not his 
 fon's papers. 
 
70 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. iv. 
 
 "For C. A. Stothard, Esq., 
 
 " Poll Office, Staindrop, Durham. 
 
 "Dear Charles, 
 
 <{ I received your letter with your account of Lancafter, &c. 
 About the fame time Mr. Lyfons called to enquire if you were 
 about returning. He fat with me some time, converting on 
 different fubjects. Again he repeated his vifit, when I was from 
 home, and on the Continent as far as Paris. My journey was an 
 unexpected one to me. Alexander, of the Weft India Docks, with 
 Chantrey and others, making a party of fix, excited me to accompany 
 them. Accordingly we left home on Tuesday, the 5th of September, 
 for Canterbury ; next morning breakfafted at Dover, croffed over 
 in three hours, with a fair wind ; dined and flept at Calais ; next 
 night at Boulogne ; left it early in the morning, and by noon 
 reached Abbeville. Chantrey and I were fo well pleafed with the 
 cathedral as to ftop and fleep there, and employ the afternoon in 
 drawing from this church, as the reft were viewing the town. 
 Next morning refumed our journey for Amiens. Here apple- 
 trees began to line the road, inftead of hedges — for hedges we 
 had {e&n none fince we left England, but open corn-fields, 
 occafionally interrupted by fcattered hamlets, appearing like little 
 woods, and in the diftance terminating in long lines of wood 
 for fuel (as they burn no coal), with here and there a windmill. 
 This kind of fcene may ferve for every day's journey fince we left 
 Calais. 
 
 Cf When we had gained about two-thirds of our road towards 
 Amiens, we croffed the Somme, the road continuing on its south 
 bank all the way to Amiens. If we were pleafed with the principal 
 church at Abbeville, we were tranfported with that of Amiens : no 
 
./r*t+r 0\ruA -flip 
 
chap, iv.] His letter on France. 7 1 
 
 dilapidation, no whitewafhing. I made here some drawings, 
 particularly of the eaft end of the cathedral. We left it next 
 morning early, breakfafting at Breteville. Began to fee vineyards 
 grace the landfcape. Paffed through Clermont, and reached 
 Chantilly time enough to take an agreeable walk to view the 
 ftables, now entire ; but the houfe and gardens are in ruins. 
 This was the celebrated refidence of the Prince of Conde, about 
 twenty miles this fide of Paris. After breakfaft ftarted again ; 
 paffed through St. Denis, and entered Paris about noon ^ and by the 
 Monday (being the fixth day from our leaving home) we were all 
 pretty much fun-burnt, for every day the weather got finer, and 
 from Calais to Paris we rode expofed to an unclouded fun." [Here 
 there is a flight pen-and-ink fketch of the open carriage in which 
 the party travelled.] " This was not one of the ufual conveyances, 
 but one we had the luck to meet with in London. A coachmaker 
 had entrufted us with the care of it ; an entirely new carriage, 
 extremely light. Having it, gave us the opportunity of flopping 
 where we liked. The coach was configned to a perfon at the 
 Hotel BrufTels, in the Rue Richelieu, clofe to the Palais Royale. 
 We found the accommodations of this place reafonable, and ftaid 
 there while in Paris, which was a fortnight. Our plan for every 
 day was to meet altogether at fome reftaurateur's at breakfaft ; 
 there we fettled at what time and place we were to dine. This 
 generally left us at full liberty to divide our excurfions as each felt 
 inclined ; it was three to one but we met again at the gallery of the 
 Louvre. Here I met feveral perfons I knew, as Daw, Lawrence, 
 Weftmacott, Davis, Lane (who I found was painting in the gallery), 
 and feveral others, as G. Phillips, of Manchefter, the Hon. 
 Charles Long, &c. ; but, above all, I was pleafed with meeting 
 
j 2 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. iv. 
 
 the French gentleman you frequently met in Weftminfter Abbey, 
 and who dined at Mr. Biggs, at Brompton, in company with us. 
 He inquired kindly after you. I, in return, acquainted him with 
 your then expedition to the Roman Wall. I met him frequently; 
 once in the palace of the Tuilleries, when the King was going to 
 chapel. This was on the Sunday, at twelve o'clock ; and, in the 
 firft room you enter, after afcending the great ftaircafe — the fame 
 where the Swifs Guard were, in a manner, deftroyed in the late 
 revolution ; the circumftance of feeing him there makes me 
 conjecture he may hold fome office near the King. He communi- 
 cated fome things not generally known as to the intentions of the 
 allies refpecling the removal of public monuments, which foon after 
 took place. 
 
 < f I was much gratified in feeing the fpoils of the Vatican, that I 
 might fay, Thefe things I have Jeen. But moft of all, I was 
 delighted with the affemblage of paintings to be viewed and 
 compared with each other ; the altar-pieces of Rubens, with his 
 fchool, covered the moft fpace, and made a fplendid mow ; but 
 c The Tranffiguration,' by Raphael, Jurpajfed every thing elfe; the 
 fplendour of colouring far exceeded my expectation ; it was 
 fplendid as a painted window, or as enamel-painting, yet not 
 tawdry. Titian appears with advantage in his picture of c St. 
 Peter the Martyr.' I was gratified in viewing fome of the 
 acknowledged works of Correggio ; above all, I muft confefs, I was 
 well-inftruiled by viewing fome Gothic pictures of no name, 
 although their characteristic was exceffive hardnefs, with the moft 
 violent oppofition of fplendid colours ; a thing, to my thinking, 
 they had in common with Raphael's c Tranffiguration.' On the 
 Monday of the fecond week I had been at Paris, they began to 
 
1> 
 
IRA.pauf 
 
 
 Publi/Kd Jim i ,:■:•: M n: :-/i.7,-i- .<'!-■„. of, Stmt. 
 
chap, iv.] His Letter on France. 73 
 
 take down all the altar-pieces by Rubens, and whatever belonged to 
 Flanders, Holland, and Germany. This afforded me an oppor- 
 tunity to infpect Rubens on the ground. On the Thurfday of this 
 fecond week, we made a day to vifit Verfailles and St. Cloud. On 
 my return not a picture of Rubens remained on the walls of the 
 Louvre. Vifited the Palace of the Luxembourg ; the Garden of 
 Plants ; and the national monuments. The day before I came 
 away, which was Monday, fpent in the Louvre making notes, and 
 a copy, on a fcrap of paper, of fome part of f The Tranfnguration,' 
 as a fample of its ftyle of colouring ; and as the Louvre began to 
 have the appearance of an auction-room, I was impatient to return 
 home. We left Paris on Tuefday morning five o'clock, in the 
 Rouen diligence, through St. Denis and Pontoife : got to Rouen 
 in the evening ; flayed all the next day drawing churches and 
 public buildings ; and fo delighted with it, wifhed to have ftayed 
 longer. On Thurfday took leave of my company at eight in the 
 morning, for Dieppe ; dined there, and at funfet was out of the 
 harbour ; a fouth-eaft wind hardly fufficient to move our fails. 
 Found it cool : pigged into my berth, to get warmth and reft. 
 On waking in the morning, heard the chairs rattling about, and 
 found myfelf off Brighton ; it had blown a gale which had carried 
 away our maintopfail. Got home that evening by nine, and found 
 
 all the family well This is all I have to communicate 
 
 on bufinefs, notwithftanding, I have, I think, fent you a long letter : 
 a Roland for your Oliver. I had almoft forgot to fay, that the 
 delay of your laft letter made me fomewhat uneafy, and damped 
 the pleafure I received on my return home ; and, accidentally 
 meeting one of the Bradleys, who inquired about you, telling me 
 that your friend Kempe had not heard from you, made me entertain 
 
74 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. iv. 
 
 difagreeable apprehenfions for your fafety ; which increafed daily 
 till I received your laft letter. You were wrong, Charles, to delay 
 writing for fo long a period. I am the more particular in men- 
 tioning this in hopes you will correct it in future, for your friends' 
 fake, and thofe who love you. When you receive this, write to 
 me that you have received it, for, on looking into the map, 
 Staindrop is fpelt differently. Believe me, your affectionate 
 father, 
 
 "Thos. Stothard. 
 
 "28, Newman Street, Oxford Street, 
 "Oct. 9th, 1815." 
 
 Before I quit the fubject of The Tranffiguration, I cannot 
 refift giving, as a further confirmation of Stothard's opinion of 
 that marvellous work, a few lines extracted from fome rude notes 
 he left with a view to forming a Dictionary of the Lives of 
 Painters. Thefe notes were, I believe, the amufement of his 
 leifure hours, in his latter years ; they are in a very rough ftate, 
 and imperfect : they feem principally to confift of the facts he had 
 collected from printed books. Unfortunately, there are very few 
 remarks of his own on Art, or on the genius of the feveral artifts 
 he mentions. But in giving a fhort notice of Raphael's birth, 
 death, &c.,he did not forget the impreffion made on his own mind 
 by the fight of The Tranffiguration, and fays of it, — 
 
 c< The laft effort of this great artiit is proof of the rapid 
 improvement he made in his profeffion ; and far excelled every 
 former effort. How far, had Raphael continued and followed 
 his profeffion, he would have extended it, muft exceed conjecture, 
 as no examples equal this production before or fince. This picture 
 
s±- 
 
 Ui* 
 
CHAP. IV.] 
 
 His Remarks on Raphael. 
 
 75 
 
 was removed by the French invaders of Italy to Paris, and placed 
 in the Louvre, which I with admiration beheld in 1815, in 
 September; when I was at Paris, and had the opportunity of 
 
 / ^rt-JL 
 
 St. John Preaching in the Wilderness, 
 
 contemplating it, and comparing this performance when placed by 
 the fide of others, the fineft and beft examples of the Venetian and 
 
y6 Rem'inijcences of Stothard. [chap. iv. 
 
 the Flemifh fchools, over which it triumphed with a force and 
 fplendour of colour unequalled by any examples there exhibited. 
 Thus it {truck me at a time of life when the judgment acts more 
 than the imagination." 
 
 We fee from thefe remarks how great was Stothard's admiration 
 of the matter he had fo feduloufly ftudied in early life ; and as a 
 further proof how much he was of a kindred fpirit with Raphael, 
 I need but refer to his St. John Preaching in the Wildernefs. 
 The Simplicity, yet grandeur, with which the Baptift is depicted, 
 as with a raifed arm he points to Heaven, and energetically addreffes 
 the afTembled multitude, is highly characteristic ; whilft every 
 figure in the group is appropriate, and replete with grace, beauty, 
 and fentiment. 
 

CHAPTER V. 
 
 Stothard's advice to ftudents on drawing the figure — Belshazzar's Feast — Importance of 
 outline — Gothic sculpture — Extracts from Stothard's notes on painting — His sketches 
 from dancers — His admiration of Rubens ; and of Sir Joshua Reynolds — Callcott — 
 Turner — Barker and Harlowe — His opinions of high finifh and perlpeclive — His 
 Fete Champetre — Purchased by Lady Swinburn. 
 
 In recording, as the recollections occur to me, Stothard's opinions, 
 I am particular in dwelling on thofe which may be ufeful to the 
 ftudent of Art. I muft not, therefore, omit how earneft he was 
 in recommending a fedulous ftudy of the antique fculpture to all 
 young artifts, for whatever branch of the art they might be 
 defigned. He deemed it abfolutely neceffary to learn to draw 
 well, fince, without good drawing, the fineft conceived and 
 coloured picture would but poffefs half its intereft ; for, in badly 
 drawn figures, as in badly fhaped limbs in a human being, there is 
 always fomething of deformity, fomething not natural. Stothard 
 indeed carried this admiration of good drawing very far. He 
 went to fee Martin's celebrated picture of Belihazzar's Feaft, 
 at the time all the town were engaged in admiring it. He praifed 
 the conception of it, as a whole, and efpecially the grandeur 
 conveyed by the fupernatural light from the writing on the wall, 
 making pale and dim all the earthly lights, even the fires kindled 
 to Moloch in the facrifice. Yet, whilft doing the fulleft juftice to 
 the genius of Martin, he foon turned away from the picture, with 
 
Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. v. 
 
 the remark, " The bad drawing of the figures hurts my eye ; it is 
 difagreeable." 
 
 He confidered that merely drawing the figure from the living 
 fubject at the Academy was not enough ; the ftudent who does fo, 
 without being prepared by previous ftudy from the antique, 
 will be apt to depict nature too much after the Dutch fchool, in 
 vulgar or common forms, wanting that poetic grace and beauty in 
 which the Greek fculptors exceeded all others, of any age or 
 country. Indeed, he ufed to fay, that he thought bad drawing in 
 a good artift, inexcufable ; becaufe it was a proof that he had 
 neglected what was, in a very great degree, a mechanical part of 
 the art, and one, that with proper attention could be fo certainly 
 acquired. 
 
 On the importance of outline he remarks (in a fragment of one 
 of his letters) : — cc I am led to apprehend, you think an outline an 
 inferior effort, requiring lefs care than a finifhed picture. Outlines 
 are not the trifles the public generally conceive them to be ; they 
 have no fhadows wherein to hide their defects, or fine colours to 
 compenfate for the want of energy, which ought to be the prime 
 quality of outline ; and, if well done, will never be without it. 
 Shadows and colours can only give fubftance to what outline can 
 alone produce. " 
 
 Stothard had himfelf practifed what he deemed fo efTential in 
 others. His own early ftudies from the antique were bold, 
 accurate, and mafterly. I have in my pofTefiion fome drawings he 
 made, alfo when very young. They are moftly ftudies from 
 Nature, on a fmall fcale ; one of them a hand, and various animals 
 and birds are executed with the moft beautiful finijh. I mention 
 this more particularly, becaufe, from the fketchy manner in which 
 
I'ol. 1 p /.' i 
 
 ffmth srulp . 
 
chap, v.] The Works of the Middle Ages. 79 
 
 he left even feveral of his moft mafterly pictures, it has been faid 
 by fome that he could not finiih ! This is not true. But the 
 multitude — amounting to many thoufand defigns — of drawings 
 and paintings, that he made in the courfe of his moft laborious life, 
 would not allow him to devote that time on his works which a 
 very high finiih of them would have required. 
 
 He thought the ftudy of Gothic antiquity likewife ufeful, and 
 was an admirer of many of the works of the Middle Ages. He 
 confidered that feveral of the Monumental Effigies of Great 
 Britain (a fine work on which, was moft originally conceived and 
 executed by his fon Charles) were examples of a pure and 
 beautiful ftyle of art. Amongft thefe he particularly noticed the 
 effigy of Eleanor, the wife of Edward I., in Weftminfter Abbey ; 
 and John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall, in the fame church ; of the 
 laft he made a drawing. Some of the paintings of the Middle 
 Ages, he confidered poftefied great merit. There is frequently 
 feen in them fo much of nature ; the draperies are good, the finiih 
 high ; though the total want of knowledge in perfpective, and in 
 the chiarofcuro, ihowed an uneducated ftate of the art ; their 
 accuracy was alfo commendable — you could rely on the truth of 
 their portraits of individuals or things. They did not reprefent 
 their princes and heroes in mafquerade ; there were none of thofe 
 incongruities which became the fafhion two or three centuries 
 after ; there were no French kings, like the ftatues of Louis XIV., 
 attired in Roman armour, and finiihed with the coftume of his 
 own day, a full-bottomed wig. Yet am I convinced, from the 
 knowledge of Stothard's feelings in Art, that he would have 
 greatly diiliked the prefent growing fafhion among fome of our 
 young artifts, of imitating the hard ftyle and quaint attitudes 
 
Reminifcences of S tot hard. 
 
 [chap. v. 
 
 and devices of the Gothic ages. Such, 
 with Sir Hugh Evans, he would have 
 deemed to be "affectations," and would 
 more efpecially have noticed how happily 
 thefe imitators caught the faults, but 
 without being equally lucky in catching the 
 beauties, of the Gothic fchool. Stothard, 
 indeed, detefted all conceits in Art. 
 
 ) 
 
 
 From Clarissa Harlowe. Designed for the Novelist's Magazine. 
 
Stotharil HJL 
 
 . 
 
chap, v.] Fragment from his Thoughts on Art. 81 
 
 That Stothard gave ftrict attention to the correctnefs of coftume, 
 we have inftances even from an early period of his defigns ; whilft 
 fo great was his feeling for grace, that he contrived to make even 
 the dreffes of the date of George the Second tafteful and elegant : 
 as we may fee in many of his drawings for the Novelift's Magazine ; 
 and more efpecially in thofe exquifitely beautiful defigns for Clarifsa 
 Harlowe. 
 
 Since thefe remarks were written, I have feen the rough notes, 
 before mentioned, made by Stothard, with a view to form a 
 Dictionary of the Lives of the Painters. Among them were a 
 few which feem to have been intended for a portion of a preface. 
 Thefe are in fo rough and crude a {late (in parts difficult to be 
 underftood) that to give them to the prefs as they are, would be 
 unjuft to his memory ; as, no doubt, had he lived to finifh them, 
 he would have thrown them into a clearer and better lhape. Yet 
 it would be a pity that the (lighter! obfervation of fuch a man, 
 on the art in which he fo excelled as to render his name an honour 
 to the country, mould be wholly loft. I have, therefore, after 
 reading them with great attention, gleaned from them the following 
 obfervations, of which I give the fubftance only, and regret I 
 can do no more. 
 
 " The hiftory of the artift and his works muft begin towards 
 the latter end of the twelfth century. Greek artifts were the fole 
 practitioners. Thefe were employed in the various ftates of Italy, 
 and were, from time to time, invited there in companies from 
 Greece, to ornament and cover the interior of churches with 
 Madonnas, Angels, and Apoftles. In thefe paintings every variety of 
 colour, gilding, and raifed work was introduced, to make a fhowy 
 appearance ; and thus to contribute to architectural embellifhment. 
 
82 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. v. 
 
 " The frequent reprefentation of the twelve Apoftles occafioned 
 a neceflity for distinguishing them. Individuality of character was, 
 therefore, ftrictly to be obferved ; fo that the fpectator might at 
 once know the faint's name from his phyfiognomy and appearance. 
 This distinctive character in reprefenting the Apoftles, by the 
 early Greek painters, was afterwards lefs obferved even in the time 
 of Raphael. 
 
 tl Formerly, painting was the only means by which the memory 
 of paft events was frequently recorded and preferved for the benefit 
 of future generations ; and when we confider the abfence of all 
 literary information, what can be more impremVe than by means 
 of pictorial reprefentation (fuch as on the walls of the Campo 
 Santo, at Pifa,) to afford for religious contemplation a fucceftion 
 of Subjects from Scripture, thus given in a language requiring 
 little instruction ; indeed in one that even a child may read and 
 underftand. 
 
 " For the information of a people, during this dark period in 
 Art, little Skill was required on the part of the artift ; enough was 
 accomplished, if he conceived he had not fallen into the rear of his 
 contemporaries ; and the people were fatiffied if the fubject was 
 understood, and cared not for excellence in Art ; they expected to 
 fee no more than the narrative clearly reprefented, and the fubject 
 alone confecrated the picture ; and thus far only did their conception 
 of Art extend, or did they concern themfelves about it. 
 
 Cf Of the times of ftill more remote antiquity little was known 
 or remembered concerning pictorial Art, for bigotry and ignorance 
 had combined to deftroy all the paintings of the Heathen world ; 
 and no example of Grecian painting remained. Sculpture was an 
 exception ; as the examples in this branch of Art were then more 
 
[ILTON 
 
 LOST 
 
 
chap, v.] Fragment from his Thoughts on Art. 83 
 
 common in Greece and Italy than in the prefent time : witnefs 
 thofe remains once at Athens, and now preferved in the Britifh 
 Mufeum ; and but for the employment of an improper agent 
 would have been increafed. Befides these, the triumphal arch of 
 Trajan, the column of Antoninus, with other examples, were 
 preferved. But thefe were realities, and not deceptions, like 
 painting ; where the artift relieves and rounds a figure, from a flat 
 furface, as the ancients had done, by the magic of light and made. 
 But fuch examples in pictorial art were no more to be feen, and 
 the painter had to begin again ; and the tafte of the public went 
 with him hand and hand. He laboured for them, and he was 
 cautious not to venture beyond what they were able to conceive or 
 underftand. 
 
 <c Our hiftory of painting commences in the dark ages, when 
 Florence, Pifa, Sienna, &c, flourished as republics, independent 
 of each other. The arts were then in the hands of itinerant 
 Greeks ; but how long they had continued to practife prior to 
 this time is unknown. Their works remaining to us exhibit 
 nothing beyond the firft efforts of art ; a hard decided outline, with 
 gaudy colours. 
 
 " At Florence, in the Laurentian Library, the oldeft MS. there 
 preferved was a Virgil, fuppofed to have been written in the time 
 of Valens and corrected by the Conful Afterius, in the fifth century. 
 This is now loft ; difappearing during the French revolution ; 
 and the reft of the MS. paintings are Greek and Italian of the 
 eleventh century, and are more legible than preceding MSS. 
 Forfyth had the curiofity zealoufly to examine them in his travels 
 through Italy. In thefe, he tells us, he faw nothing to admire, 
 but the brightnefs of the colours ; a thing common to paintings 
 
84 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. v. 
 
 which have no fhadowing. Some of thefe are by Oderifi, whom 
 Dante praifes as the honour of the arts. 
 
 (( The firft attempt in Art is lineal or outline, and is practifed 
 inftindtively by all nations, even in their rudeft ftate ; colour 
 fucceeds to embellim and give a fplendid appearance : this is 
 exemplified by the Perfians, the Hindoos, the Chinefe, and the 
 Japanefe, and by every other nation in its early ftate ; even rude 
 as are the Mexicans. The addition of fplendid colour is only for 
 embellifhment, and gives nothing more. The fentiment, the 
 expreftion, can only be acquired by the aid of perfpeclive, and 
 without this, outline muft ever remain inanimate ; but the union 
 of perfpective with outline is feldom, if ever, attained, in nations 
 which, like the Chinefe, retain merely the early ftage of Art ; it is 
 ever preceded by colour of a fhowy appearance." 
 
 So great a lover was Stothard of accuracy, that he ufed to fay 
 he difliked a picture that profeffed to be a view T , or a portrait, if it 
 told a lie. And this attention to accuracy and the fimplicity of 
 form at the commencement of ftudy, he deemed the beft mode 
 of avoiding affectation ; whilft a ftudy of good models (fuch 
 as thofe of antique fculpture and the works of Raphael) would 
 be certain to accuftom the mind to a purity of ftyle and a feeling 
 of grace that would never afterwards defert it. He exemplified 
 
 this by referring to an artift of his acquaintance. " Mr. ," 
 
 he faid, tc has as much genius as any man I know, yet he never 
 painted a fingle hiftorical figure that was natural. His portraits 
 
 are the fame ; they are Mr. 's portraits, not thofe of his 
 
 fitters. All his faults arife from affectation. His imagination 
 has run wild, from never having been chaftened and well directed 
 by the early ftudy of good mafters. He has a certain fet of 
 
'JL JTA> 
 
 from an <>>- STOTHA1D ESQ? 
 
chap, v.] His Admiration of the Dancers ', De Hays. 85 
 
 ideas, too, about colour ; and thefe he has repeated fo often, till 
 
 he actually fees wrong ; yet is Mr. a man of genius, but, for 
 
 want of a proper education in Art, it is my opinion he will never 
 produce one good picture." 
 
 I muit. not omit the mention of a circumftance which will ferve 
 to mow how greatly, in the action of the human figure, was grace 
 ftudied by Stothard, wherever it could be found. In the earlier 
 part of his life, he was much in the habit of frequenting the opera, 
 
 
 
 
 .-.-: '_': : 
 
 
 on purpofe to make fketches of Moniieur and Madame De Hays 
 — dancers whofe grace, he faid, was inimitable. He had never 
 feen anything like it in dancing. It was the grace of antique 
 fculpture thrown into action. Slight and rapid as were the {ketches 
 he thus made, he confidered them of great value, as hints for 
 defign. 
 
 Highly as Stothard estimated the colouring of the old matters 
 (and no man was ever more deeply imbued with their fpirit), 
 
86 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. v. 
 
 Rubens was his chief favourite for colour. He confidered him 
 likewife as the fineft painter of the horfe. There is fo much affion 
 in the horfes of that great artifl ; they are living, moving creatures 
 — not ftatues ; nor do they appear as if they had been copied from 
 animals led out from the liable, and (landing to be painted — the 
 common fault with many, even the bell, horfe painters. The 
 richnefs of Rubens as a colourill, he thought, furpafTed every 
 other mailer in ancient or modern times. His pictures, indeed, 
 glow with power ; yet are they fo finely harmonifed, that they 
 never appear gaudy ; no colour in them, however bright, flares 
 upon you ; and it is only by turning to other finely painted 
 pictures, that you are made fully confcious of his furpaffmg and 
 wonderful richnefs — a richnefs entirely fobered and blended into a 
 due equality with every part, even in his moll gorgeous works. 
 His pencilling alfo is fine ; he is now and then carelefs in his 
 drawing ; and in form he drew his ideas of beauty too much from 
 the Flemifh fchool. In this refpect many of his female figures 
 want delicacy ; they are often grofs in their proportions, and 
 convey, therefore, ideas of voluptuoufnefs. Unqueflionably in 
 form, delicacy, and grace, Rubens could not approach Raphael. 
 The women of the latter were never meretricious. He was quite a 
 Catholic painter : all his Virgins and Holy Families, and indeed all 
 his women, convey the moll refined ideas of feminine tendernefs 
 and purity. Raphael was the painter for the church, Rubens for 
 the palace and the banquet. 
 
 Stothard's partiality for richnefs of colour made him a warm 
 admirer of Sir Jofhua Reynolds. He faid that the inequalities of 
 Reynolds — fome pictures retaining their colour with all its 
 brilliancy, whilfl in others it was faded or gone, or partially fo, 
 
«1 
 
C AP T ATX TVI^ TERF IE I, JO . 
 
chap, v.] His Praife of Contemporaries. 87 
 
 even in feveral of his beft works — arofe from Sir Jofhua's having 
 unfortunately a fondnefs for experiments in compounding and 
 preparing his own colours ; fo that he indulged in many tricks, 
 and frequently employed materials in painting (wax, for inftance,) 
 that would not ftand expofure to the effects of time, and light, 
 and air. The portrait of Mrs. Hartley, that exquifitely beautiful 
 woman (an actrefs in the days of Palmer and. Garrick), where fhe 
 is reprefented as a Bacchante crowned with vine-leaves, may be 
 considered as one of the richeft portraits for colour that modern 
 times have produced. Stothard was delighted when all the works 
 of Sir Jofhua were brought together and exhibited, above twenty 
 years ago, at the Britifh Inftitution in Pall Mall. 
 
 He was very fincere in his praife of his contemporaries ; he 
 fpoke as he felt, without any perfonal feeling refpecting their 
 works. Some of the landfcape artifts of his day were the frequent 
 theme of his praife. Callcott, for inftance, he greatly admired ; 
 and feveral of the earlier paintings of Turner, he faid, wanted only 
 the mellowing effects of time to be equal to Claude. I recoiled 
 his faying this of one picture in particular ; I forget what it was 
 called, but it was, I believe, exhibited at Somerfet Houfe. I 
 mail not here attempt to enumerate all the artifts of his own day, 
 of whom I have heard him fpeak in terms of praife, except it be 
 to mention his great eftimation of Robfon, whom he confidered 
 the moft poetical of all the water-colour painters. 
 
 Of Barker, the earlieft painter of the panorama, Stothard fpoke 
 in terms of the higheft praife. He more efpecially admired his 
 views of Elba, Athens, and the Bay of Lifbon. The effect of the 
 evening fun, and the aerial tints in the cc Elba " he thought truly 
 aftonifhing ; and never had the magnificence of ocean been fo 
 
88 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. v. 
 
 depicted as in the "Lifbon;" the action of the waves which 
 furroimded the fpectator (who was fuppofed to be on fhipboard) 
 was wonderful ; and of " Athens " there could not be made a finer 
 picture. Stothard deemed it a national lofs that thefe efforts of 
 the genius of Barker were not preferved by the country. 
 
 Of Harlowe (who died fo early that he may be faid to have 
 quitted life almofl at the age many young men begin their career 
 in Art) I have heard Charles Stothard frequently declare that it 
 was his, as well as his father's opinion, had that extraordinary 
 genius been fpared, he would have become one of the firft portrait- 
 painters that this country had ever produced. Harlowe's age 
 confidered, what he did was truly wonderful. He porTefTed the 
 very rare talent of combining the conception and the arrangement of 
 the hiftorical with all the qualities requifite for the finifhed portrait- 
 painter, without the flighteft facrifice of fidelity to his imagination. 
 His eye for colour was excellent, and he could be as graceful as 
 an old mailer of the Italian fchool ; nor did he want fimplicity — 
 witnefs the portraits he painted of the MifTes Sharp, fmall fize, at 
 the time they were fo celebrated as youthful performers on the 
 harp, in the mufical world of London. 
 
 Stothard's praife of contemporary talent was not confined to thofe 
 who followed the Arts as a profeffion. He took a great intereft. 
 in looking at the fketches of private perfons. I have feen him 
 dwell over the pages of the fketch-book of a friend, with an attention 
 that would have been refufed to it by a more ordinary mind.* 
 
 * To fliow the intereft he felt in talent children, whose name was Sophia, had fo 
 
 for drawing wherever found, I cannot avoid ftrong a natural talent for defign that fhe 
 
 mentioning the following circumftances : — would get pen-and-ink, a pencil (or even 
 
 A nurfery-maid to fome of my brother's burn pieces of wood in the fire if fhe could 
 

1 ' Srr /<• sr>si//;/r/ n) 
 
 /■ .tfr/i 
 
 
 < 
 
chap, v.] His Fondnefs for Sketches. 89 
 
 But his was ever obfervant ; always collecting and ftoring images 
 and ideas, fo that the flighted Sketches of fcenery conveyed to him 
 either actual knowledge or food for reflection. He took a more 
 particular interefl in looking over fketches of foreign fcenery, &c. ; 
 and, amongft others, executed by private perfons, I remember he 
 mentioned the drawings of Lady Callcott (late Maria Graham, the 
 authorefs,) and Mr. Nesfield, of the Royal Engineers, as having 
 afforded him very great pleafure. He fpoke of both in terms of 
 molt fincere commendation. 
 
 An inftance of his kindnefs to young artifts of merit muft here 
 be told. One day he met the elder Lewis,* when his fon (fince 
 known as cc the Spanifh Lewis "), then a very young man, had 
 exhibited at the Royal Academy his picture of The Monkey at 
 the Glafs. Mr. Stothard congratulated the father, and told him 
 that on firft feeing it he thought his fon's picture was by Landfeer ; 
 and that it was fo beautifully and delicately painted, it was worthy 
 the good fituation in which it had been hung in the Great Room. 
 In lately adverting to the circumftance, which Mr. Lewis always 
 remembers with grateful feelings, he remarked that Stothard was an 
 amiable and highly-gifted man, far above flattery ; that what he had 
 
 get nothing better), to draw with. Her to America. I was told me ufed to fay 
 
 fketches were the conceptions of her own that me would give all the world to learn 
 
 mind, fometimes from what me had read or to draw properly, and to devote her atten- 
 
 had feen. The late amiable Henry, a fon tion to it for a livelihood. She was in every 
 
 of Stothard, took fome of these fketches to respect a moft deferving character, 
 his father. The great hiftorical painter * The elder Lewis is known to the 
 
 looked at them with the deepeft intereft, public at large for his engravings ; but those 
 
 and declared they evinced genius of a fur- well acquainted with the Weft of England 
 
 prifmg order. Nothing could exceed his feel that his drawings from Devonfhire 
 
 aftonifliment when told by whom they were scenery, in truth of character and beautiful 
 
 produced. The poor girl foon after went eftecT:, are unique in their clafs. 
 
 N 
 
yo Remimjcences of Stothard. [chap. v. 
 
 faid was exactly the refult of his own convictions, and he felt it 
 proper to exprefs them to the father of a rifing young artift of talent. 
 
 Stothard was always ready to receive with the utmoft kindnefs 
 and patience any fuggeftions of his friends, and to liften to them 
 with good nature, even when they were wholly oppofite to his own 
 views. Of this the following is a very interefting proof. He was 
 told by fome one that it was the opinion of many, he did not 
 finifh his pictures fufficiently to fatisfy the prevailing tafte. On 
 hearing this, he replied he would give a picture that mould be more 
 finifhed, but added, there was a lamentable want of feeling with the 
 public, in refpect to his ideas of Art. fC I ftudy nature," faid he; 
 " me is the beft guide. There is a perfpective both in colour, and 
 light, and ftiade, as well as form, that is not fufficiently fludied by the 
 generality. In the prefent day, although an object be at a diftance, 
 it muft be made diftinct ; this is called Art, but I call it a very 
 vitiated tafte. This accounts for much of that hardnefs and rigidity 
 of ftyle now fo often feen ; and for that prettinefs which is no other 
 than miniature painting in oil. There are fome ftudents at the 
 Academy who will fit down to a hand or a foot and work over it 
 for a month or fix weeks. That is not what I confider a ftudy of 
 the antique, but a wafte of time ; a labour by mechanical effect to 
 produce a high finifti. I know that when the drawings of the 
 ftudents are brought before the council, Sir Thomas Lawrence very 
 clofely examines the extremities of the limbs. But let them ftudy 
 well the outline of the figure, under its varied characters by pofition, 
 and they will become familiar with form. And as to light and 
 fhadow, let them take a ball for a model, and it will teach them light, 
 fhadow, and half- tint to perfection." 
 
 The picture he produced, in accordance with the promife thus 
 
chap, v.] His Picture of the Fete Champitre. 
 
 given, was his celebrated Fete Champetre ; the dimenfions were 
 about five feet by four feet. It was exhibited at the Royal Academy 
 and greatly admired ; but was confidered not to have fold, in 
 confequence of the old and ugly frame in which it was hung up. 
 The price placed on the painting was three hundred guineas. Such 
 a price was very unufual with Stothard ; although had the fum been 
 doubled, it would not have been confidered much in comparifon 
 with the demands of many of his contemporaries. Judging by the 
 cuftomary very moderate terms of Stothard, more than by the merit 
 of his works, an amateur baronet, who came to look at the picture 
 with a view to purchafe, was abfolutely frightened at the price. A 
 lady of true tafle and fpirit in her patronage of the Fine Arts, 
 judged, however, very differently of its value. 
 
 Sir John and Lady Swinburne had long been known amongft 
 their mod intimate friends as an example of conjugal attachment, 
 obferving towards each other throughout life, not only the mofl 
 warm affection, but much of that attention and delicate courtefy 
 which is too commonly confined to the hours of courtfhip alone. 
 They always kept their wedding-day ; and as both were fond of the arts, 
 and had a very fine gallery of paintings, it was their cuftom to mark 
 the return of the happy day by adding a picture to their collection. 
 The anniverfary was once more near at hand, and Lady Swinburne 
 determined that me would on the approaching feftival furprife 
 Sir John, by a gift that mould be purely one of her own choice. 
 She had a juft fenfe of Stothard's merits, and accordingly drove to 
 his houfe and requefled an interview. 
 
 She was ufhered into the drawing-room, where flood the Fete 
 Champetre. The picture inftantly ftruck her — fo bright, fo 
 beautiful, fuch a joyous afpect about the whole, yet fo mingled with 
 
gi Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. v. 
 
 repofe ; in thofe long green avenues, where (whilft fome of the 
 company were feen bafking in the warm air of the funny foreground) 
 the lovers, and the young, and the lovely, were feen gliding beneath 
 their embowering made — a picture of love, and feftal joy ! what 
 could be more appropriate ? Lady Swinburne paid the three 
 hundred guineas without a remark, except one of fatisfaction, bade 
 a kindly adieu to the venerable painter, got the picture conveyed 
 into her carriage, and fo well contrived was her plan, that Sir John 
 neither knew of the purchafe, nor that it had been removed to his 
 houfe. The wedding-day came ; the table was fpread, the feftive 
 party aiTembled — dinner was ended, and the ufual health and good 
 wifhes to the promoters of the feaft heartily pledged by the numerous 
 friends and guefts, when Lady Swinburne invited Sir John to 
 accompany her to the gallery, followed by all prefent : and there 
 with triumphant delight did fhe lead him to the Fete Champetre, 
 the beautiful work of Stothard, and requefted he would accept it as 
 a precious addition to his gallery, and as a memorial of the day. 
 

T" •"'/' 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Stothard's mind contemplative — His opinions of beauty — Remarks on expreffion — 
 Mrs. Fitzherbert and Mrs. Siddons — His drawing of the latter — Flaxman's caft of 
 her face — Stothard's want of popularity — whence it arose — Sir Joflma's remark on 
 the genius of Stothard — His ftudy of Raphael — Similarity and imitation — His pictures 
 in the lchool of Watteau — His Sans Souci. 
 
 Stothard's mind was of a contemplative order. There was not 
 a subject, either in real life, or in written record, to which he 
 turned his attention, without thinking upon it deliberately and 
 originally. All his opinions were thofe of a difpalTionate and 
 enquiring fpirit. But it is fuch as are more immediately connected 
 with his own purfuits, that it is the object of thefe pages to preferve 
 from oblivion. His opinions of beauty, therefore, muft not be 
 forgotten, and they were not of the common order of thinking, for 
 his ideas on the fubject embraced a much larger extent than is 
 ufually acknowledged as belonging to it. cc I fee more beauty," 
 would he fay, <c in faces that are looked upon by others as having 
 no claim to it, than molt perfons would fufpect." Stothard con- 
 fidered that the higheft order of beauty in a human face is derived 
 folely from its expreffion. Plato faid that the emotions produced 
 by beauty on the mind, arofe from a remembrance of fupreme 
 perfection. He probably faid this in connection with the 
 fpirit or foul, becaufe it is that which animates the countenance. 
 
94 Reminifcences of S tot hard. [chap. vr. 
 
 Regular features and beauty of complexion, will not alone awaken 
 intereft ; there muft be fomething more. The mind muft give 
 that action to the countenance which we call exprejjion ; yet mere 
 beauty to pleafe the eye, without interesting the feelings, is 
 common enough. On being afked, in what he confidered the more 
 common order of beauty to confift ? He replied, In youth and 
 health ; where thofe are found, unlefs there is a great perverfity 
 of nature to render the features really difagreeable, there can hardly 
 be other than fome claims to beauty ; for there is a great deal of 
 grace in nature. " I fee it," would he fay, " in everything." 
 
 This is a moft juft obfervation of Stothard, and the painter who 
 has ftudied beauty in all its details, as well as in its more finking 
 forms, fees its exiftence where a common eye would never trace it ; 
 like the practifed eye of the mariner, who can detect the diftant fail 
 which is totally obfcured to the landfman who turns his gaze in the 
 fame direction. That a lover fees beauty in a miftrefs which no 
 one elfe can find out, though a remark generally accompanied with 
 a fmile, has nothing abfurd in it, fhe muft have qualities which 
 please and intereft him, or he would not love her. Thofe qualities 
 convey character, or give expreftion to her countenance ; and, by 
 the aftbciation of his own ideas, that very expreftion renders her 
 more agreeable to him than to any other perfon. She pofTeftes 
 what he likes and admires. He feels fhe does fo, without 
 analyfing his own heart minutely to difcover wherefore ; fhe is 
 really beautiful to him, therefore, though fhe may not be at all 
 fo to others, who neither value fuch qualities in her, nor can 
 call them forth, nor can refpond to the expreftion of them, 
 as he does ; for, the great myftery of love, after all, is very 
 fimple — the fympathy in being loved proving irrefiftible. To 
 
His MLa *e s ty ^ 
 
 awna, o-itt an/A /hj '//ay ,////i>///<7,j on / 1 //u/<>o/-r/o/r.// 
 
CHAP. VI.] 
 
 His Opinions of celebrated Beauties. 
 
 95 
 
 meet with one who underftands our heart, and loves us, for 
 what it finds in it, will win almofr. every heart, not previoufly 
 devoted to another ; and will, in our eyes, give beauty to the 
 homely face, grace to the fimplefr. action, and convey even 
 an intereft to thofe years which have pafTed the date of youth. 
 
 The Sunflower and the Ivy. F.n£raved about 
 
 Hence arife all the anomalies, the wonders, and the ftrange chances 
 of that heart-hallowing affection — love. 
 
 As I once converfed withStothard about certain celebrated Beauties, 
 he faid many who were efteemed fuch, did not ftrike him ; becaufe 
 they wanted an expremon of fenfe and feeling — their countenances 
 were like blank books, very fair, but nothing to be read in them. 
 He liked a face that had matter in it — that promifed a rich mind or 
 
o6 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. vi. 
 
 a warm heart. He neither liked a foolifh woman nor a cold-hearted 
 woman. The laft, indeed, is ever repulfive — fomething contrary 
 to what Nature intended mould be the principal diftinction of her 
 sex ; for we look for love and tendernefs in a woman, as we do for 
 warmth in the fun. In other refpects, Stothard, though he 
 preferred the elegance and grace of Raphael's female figures to the 
 portly dames of Rubens, fo far agreed with the Flemifti painter as 
 to think ftoutnefs an advantage to beauty, unlefs in the very 
 prime of youth. Indeed, nothing impairs beauty fo much, and 
 nothing mows age fo foon, as leannefs. A very thin face may 
 retain all its expreflion, if there is mind in the perfon ; but thinnefs 
 conveys an idea of ill-health, wafting, and fuffering, and that always 
 gives pain. In the countenance of a fneerer, leannefs in a great 
 degree becomes hideous. Look at the portraits of Voltaire ! 
 
 When fpeaking of beauty of the uncommon caft, he faid that the 
 two greateft beauties he had ever feen were the celebrated Mrs. 
 Fitzherbert and Mrs. Siddons. The former, even late in life, was 
 dazzling in her attractions ; Mrs. Siddons in perfon was command- 
 ing, yet of fuch exceeding delicacy when young, her beauty was 
 much greater off the ftage than on it. Stothard faid that he had 
 made a drawing of her foon after fhe became fo diftinguifhed in 
 London. Till he went to her to make his drawing, he had feen 
 her only on the ftage, and was furprifed to find how infinitely more 
 beautiful fhe was in a private room than at the theatre ; but fhe had 
 the fineft union of feature, grace, and expreffion he had ever feen. 
 He thought, as did all who knew her in private life, that there was a 
 great deal of worth in Mrs. Siddons. Her own mind was truly 
 noble, and there can be no doubt that made her acting fo. She was 
 exceedingly modeft, not prudifh in her manners and converfation ; 
 


 ' 
 
chap, vi.] His recolletlions of Mrs. Sidd 97 
 
 grave and dignified, becaufe dignity was the character of her mind 
 and of her perfon. Thofe who could not underfland her, and feldom 
 faw fuch natural majefty in any one, fet it down for theatrical ; 
 many, therefore, laid me was always an actrefs, off as well as on the 
 ftage. But it would have been as out of character in her to have 
 formed her manners by thofe of the ordinary rate of perfons, as it 
 would be in a very tall woman to walk {looping, in order to bring 
 herfelf down to the ordinary ftature of her fex. 
 
 Stothard remembered being very much pleafed with an 
 inftance of the good-feeling of Mrs. Siddons for her brother John. 
 Kemble played (I believe it was his firft night in London) the 
 character of Hamlet at the Haymarket Theatre. Stothard fat near her 
 box, and declared that he mould never forget her anxiety, amounting 
 even to agitation, for his fuccefs ; yet many faid fhe was of a cold 
 difpofition. This could not be true ; and here her generally calm 
 demeanour was again mifunderftood and mifcalled. Mrs. Siddons 
 had a fine tafte for works of Art. She modelled ; and the fubjects 
 that in painting and in fculpture interefted her the moft, were 
 always thofe of grandeur. She had nothing that was common 
 about her, yet me was entirely free from affectation. Nature 
 made dignity her fphere, and fhe was content to be natural. No 
 one could have entertained a light thought in the prefence of 
 Mrs. Siddons. 
 
 I obferved to Stothard that fhe always appeared to me to be the 
 fineft poffible fubject for a ftatue ; that I mould prefer a ftatue of 
 her to any painting, yet I had feen none — a buft of her was not 
 enough to convey a full idea of her furpaffing majefty. Stothard 
 was pleafed with the obfervation ; and when, fome little time after, 
 we went in a party from the houfe of the painter to fee Flaxman's 
 
9 8 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. vi. 
 
 ftudio, we there faw a very fine plafter caft of Mrs. Siddons, that 
 had been taken from her face. 
 
 When a man of great merit has been long overlooked, and 
 comes at laft to be noticed, you hear the world wonder how he 
 could have remained fo long obfcured. I have heard this obfervation 
 often applied to Stothard, fince his popularity has been becoming 
 as extenfive as it deferves to be. For my own part, I fee nothing 
 furprifing in it. Many were the circumftances which, when 
 combined, were quite fufficient to prevent immediate popularity. 
 One of the greateft was, that Stothard never gave himfelf the 
 trouble to mine at Somerfet Houfe in a way fo as to arreft public 
 attention. He very rarely painted a moderately large picture ; a 
 very large one, on a fcale fuch as I have feen by Rubens, at 
 Antwerp, I believe he never did attempt; yet that he pofTefled 
 the power to do fo, and in a moft mafterly manner, is proved 
 by his noble and almoft colofTal paintings on the ftaircafe of 
 Burleigh Houfe. 
 
 The public, in order duly to appreciate an artift at the Exhibition 
 of the Royal Academy, require to have fomething impofing before 
 their eyes — fomething which, either from fize, fubject, or colour, 
 compels them to fee it. It is well known that artifts who make 
 the greateft figure there, paint their pictures, generally fpeaking, 
 expreffly for the place ; and, in order to arreft attention, I have 
 heard many of them fay that they are " obliged to paint up to the 
 Exhibition tone," not from choice, but neceffity, elfe would their 
 pictures be at once overpowered (killed is the artift's term) by the 
 hoft of ftaring, gaudy fubjects that hang around, and come in 
 immediate contact with a fober- coloured and natural painting. 
 Stothard, even to gain popularity, never would condefcend to paint up 
 

-"»'-■/'■ 
 
 M.u/i/.'u//! 
 
chap, vi.] Carelefs of Popularity. 99 
 
 to the tone of the Exhibition. So much was he oppofed to what 
 he called artificial means of producing effect, that when the day- 
 came for the members of the Royal Academy to varnifh their 
 pictures, after being hung up for the Exhibition, it was only by 
 the greater! perfuafion he would confent to varnifh his at all ; 
 faying, that he did not approve fuch helps, every picture mould 
 be painted fo as to produce its due effect without them. 
 
 His colouring in many of his pictures was as rich as it poffibly 
 could be, but never flaring, never extravagant, never like a tailor's 
 pattern-book— attractive by violent oppofition of black, white, blue, 
 and red. I have heard him remark, that, even a portion of Nature 
 herfelf, fo furrounded by glare, would be killed, juft as the delicate 
 rofeate complexion of a blooming girl is rendered pale and dim, if 
 viewed in the midft of lamplight, or in a room of gaudy, artificial 
 accompaniments. 
 
 Stothard's practice was never to paint a picture for Somerfet 
 Houfe, but when the time came for fending in, to take almoft any 
 that lay about his painting-room, or that was hanging up in his 
 drawing-room, for which he happened to have a frame that would 
 fty and to fend it off for the Exhibition. Some of thefe were fo 
 fmall that they were often fcarcely vifible in the furrounding 
 combination of large canvafTes and broad gilt frames ; and that 
 harmony and repofe, that truth of colour, which was fo beautiful 
 and fo perfectly natural in him, was in a moment overpowered by 
 the meretricious glare of the place. 
 
 Many of Stothard's friends pointed out to him the policy of 
 confulting a little more the tafte of the public at the Exhibition, 
 and wifhed to prevail with him to paint a picture expreflly for that 
 atmofphere ; but he never heeded them. He would not fhep an 
 
ioo Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. vi. 
 
 inch out of his way to gain popularity, when he was fure of fame ; 
 and fo little had he of the tact of the world within himfelf, that he 
 never could comprehend its utility. He had not one thought that was 
 worldly in his own mind, and never, therefore, painted for money 
 as money. Painting was his profeffion, and if he gained by it 
 fufficient to live refpectably, and to leave fomething to his children 
 at his death, he was fatisfied ; but he never made mere pecuniary 
 return the object of any one picture that he executed. Had he 
 done fo, and pofTefTed more worldly tact, it is well known he 
 might have died rich ; for he had always more to do than he could 
 execute without the mod unwearied application, fo much was he 
 at all times eftimated by the publishers for the varied power of his 
 imagination in the art of illuftration and defign. 
 
 In painting, as in literature, we fometimes fee that if the artift 
 purfues only the quiet, unobtrufive mode of prefenting his works 
 before the world — if he is not thruft into notice by himfelf or by 
 his friends — if no great patron takes him by the hand, and his 
 name is feldom feen in print ; thefe circumftances will combine to 
 his prefent injury, fince his fame cannot fpread whilft he is too 
 little noticed to be known to more than the favoured few. But 
 time will do him juftice ; and though the earth may have clofed 
 over him ere this take place, his reputation will not eventually fuffer. 
 The genius of Stothard— though it can only be faid within the laft 
 few years to have been fpoken of, as it deferves to be, by the 
 public at large — was, from a very early period, duly eftimated by 
 men of real judgment, whofe praife is often the long forerunner 
 of public fame. 
 
 Of fuch exceeding beauty were Stothard's early defigns, that when 
 Sir John Hawkins, who was about to edit and republifh the old 
 
tite/hard del 
 
 Anguj Sc///i . 
 
chap, vi.] Similarity and Imitation. 101 
 
 drama of Ignoramus, applied to Sir Jolhua Reynolds to defign 
 the frontifpiece for the book, Sir Jofhua referred him to one who 
 was then but a riling artift, faying, " Go to young Stothard, he will 
 defign it much better than I can." Stothard always fpoke of 
 Reynolds as the mafter who revived the art of painting in this 
 country as a national one, and who was the firft to raife it from 
 that low ebb into which it had funk during the reign of George II., 
 and at the commencement of that of George III. The foundation 
 of the Royal Academy, under the patronage of the laft-named 
 fovereign, gave that opportunity and impetus to talent which has 
 fince been attended with fuch happy and promising refults. 
 Fortunate was it for Stothard, that, even before the foundation 
 of the Royal Academy, there was eftabliihed, pro tempore, 
 the Academy of Arts, where young men had an opportunity 
 afforded them of copying from the antique. The rooms of this 
 inftitution were fituated, as already noticed, in Maiden Lane ; and 
 there he practifed with indefatigable induftry. 
 
 About that time, and before he had fo deeply ftudied the works 
 of Raphael, he executed fome drawings and paintings that remind 
 one a good deal of Mortimer. The laft named artift was 
 unquestionably a man of great genius, and there was an imaginative 
 character in all his works very likely to fafcinate a young ftudent, 
 fo as to become a follower in his fchool, ere his mind was 
 thoroughly imbued with the fpirit of the old mafters. After his 
 intenfe ftudy of Raphael, the moft rapid and remarkable improve- 
 ment may be traced in Stothard's early defigns ; fome of which, 
 for fimplicity and beauty, were equal to any of his lateft com_ 
 pofitions. Though to be confidered an imitator generally implies, 
 at the beft, but a very doubtful praife, yet he had felt pleafed 
 
102 
 
 Reminifcences of Stothard. 
 
 [CHAP. VI. 
 
 Pocket-book Vi£nette for 1803. 
 
 when, in early life, he had been occasionally told that he imitated 
 Raphael. He was pleafed, no doubt, becaufe he knew what 
 thofe who told him fo really meant by the word imitator, 
 though they did not exactly ufe the right term to explain 
 their meaning. 
 
 In all arts, as in all things of human acquifition, fkill and 
 
 perfection do not fall down 
 from the clouds upon our 
 heads ; we muft work hard 
 to get them ; and in order to 
 attempt excellence, we muft 
 begin by ftudying what is 
 excellent. To ftudy a great 
 painter (as a writer reads over and over again a great author), in 
 order to become fo thoroughly imbued with his fpirit that the 
 ftudent may, in a very confiderable degree, learn to fee and ftcl as 
 he faw and felt (if he have in himfelf the true capacity of fight and 
 feeling), is wholly different from mere fervile imitation. Mere 
 imitation, in anything, is like the portrait painter who catches only 
 the outward markings and peculiarities of the features of his fitter ; 
 fuch as the prominent nofe, mouth, or chin ; but who gives not one 
 particle of the fpirit which is within, that conveys life and expreflion 
 to thofe features ; in fhort, he gives not one of thofe graces that 
 emanate alone from the mind. Hence arifes the marked difference 
 (and they are wide afunder) between fimilarity and imitation. In 
 literature, and the fine arts, fimilarity denotes kindred in genus, 
 imitation only in the refemblance of fpecies ; fimilarity was what 
 Stothard gained by his clofe ftudy of Raphael, and that fevere 
 fchooling of his own judgment which was ever after fo confpicuous 
 
T, Stothard K..A . 
 
 Engraved by R. Brancard. 
 
 SANS S : 
 
CHAP. VI.] 
 
 His Picture of the Sans Souci. 
 
 103 
 
 in all his works. He was alfo a great admirer of the gay, the 
 graceful, the feftal fpirit of Watteau ; and his own paintings of 
 
 &pp 
 
 •■flSpg 
 
 Sans Souci. From the Byou, published in 1627. 
 
 what he termed Sans Souci, and the characters of Boccaccio's 
 Decameron regaling in the garden when about to liften to the 
 
104 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap, vi. 
 
 recital of the firfh tale, for airinefs and grace, and beauty of colour, 
 are equal to any of Watteau's productions.* 
 
 I have already mentioned, fome of Stothard's earliefl: works were 
 his embellimments for the NovelifVs Magazine, published by 
 Harrifon. They were generally very well engraved : the defigns 
 were moft beautiful, in that chafte and graceful ftyle which he had 
 brought to fuch perfection. Thefe defigns formed an era in the 
 hiftory of book illuftration, by their being the firft which fupplied 
 good drawings and engravings to the publifhers. They for ever 
 banifhed thofe miferable caricatures intended for illustrations, 
 which we may ftill fee in volumes printed about feventy or eighty 
 years ago. 
 
 * Thefe moft beautiful pictures, copied defigns, are in the poffeflion of Mr. Rogers, 
 by Stothard himfelf, from his original the poet, in St. James's Place. 
 
LOVE-SONGS. 
 
^ 
 
'Mkarri. dtl 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Stothard illuftrates Bell's Shakefpeare and poets — His feriesof paintings from the former — 
 His comic humour — Characters from Shakefpeare, the Spectator, and Don Quixote — 
 His ftudy of ancient coftume — His works found in remote parts of the world — 
 Stothard depiels his dream — His Una — Children in the wood — Phillis and Brunette 
 — Raving anti Melancholy Madnefs — Boadicea, &c, 
 
 Stothard, in early life, was employed in illuftrating Btll's 
 Shakefpeare and Bell's Poets. Excellent as were his defigns for the 
 firft work, he afterwards furpaffed them in his moft beautiful 
 compositions, painted in oils for fome coftly edition of the great 
 dramatic poet. Very many years ago, the laft-named paintings 
 were collected together and exhibited, previous to being fold by 
 public auction. I (hall never forget the delight I experienced on 
 viewing them ; they brought all the creatures of Shakefpeare's 
 imagination fo vividly before one. Admirable as Stothard was in 
 all his defigns, he was, I think, greateft when embodying the 
 conceptions of Shakefpeare, Milton, Spenfer, or Chaucer ; nor was 
 he much lefs excellent when he painted for Col. Johnes, at his 
 princely feat of Hafod, in Wales, his chivalrous feries of defigns in 
 illuftration of FroilTart. His genius alfo difplayed its richnefs and 
 its verfatility, in bringing before our eyes the comic adventures of 
 Don Quixote, and his faithful fquire, Sancho Panza. Stothard, 
 though a grave and referved man in general fociety, and by no 
 
io6 
 
 Reminifcences of Stothard. 
 
 [CHAP. VII. 
 
 means a great talker (and his deafnefs rendered him more filent as 
 it increafed upon him), was not without that native cheerfulnefs, 
 and that fpice of humour, which is invariably found to be one of 
 the many component parts in the properties that form the mind of 
 a man of genius — it exifts even in melancholy minds of this nature 
 — of which we have a proof in the dejected Cowper's inimitable 
 ftory of Johnny Gilpin. 
 
 Tristram Shandy: Dr Slop reading the Romish form of excommunication ; from the 
 Novelist's Magazine, published 1981. 
 
 Such a man may be filent in general company, and cheerlefs 
 when he does not find a community of fpirit, a refponfe of 
 
-.1 
 
A 
 
 
chap, vii.] His Feeling for Humour. 107 
 
 thought, tafte, and feeling in his companions ; one half the world 
 may think him eccentric, and the other half may confider him dull, 
 and may feel that though he is not a fool (for no man of genius 
 was ever yet taken for that, even by the moft ignorant), there is 
 fomething about him they cannot underftand, cannot aflimilate 
 with ; yet with thofe who know him well, who can ftrike upon 
 the key-note of his mind, and awaken the refponhVe chord, to 
 whom he therefore unfolds himfelf in the freedom of focial and 
 domestic life, he will, I think, invariably be found to pofTefs either 
 the power of humour in himfelf, or a very high relifh for it in 
 others.* Stothard had an exquifite feeling for humour ; and his 
 drolleries (to ufe the old term of the Dutch fchool) porTefTed that 
 nice distinction which rendered them fuperior to many celebrated 
 paintings of the Flemifh artifts. His humour never defcended to 
 low incident in common life, which often difgufts by its groflhefs ; 
 it may be faid that his genius was fine in comedy, but it never 
 funk into farce. 
 
 Stothard was truly the painter of the olden time — of early poets 
 and writers ; for no artift ever fo completely identified himfelf 
 with the flmplicity of their days, with the domeftic manners and 
 habits of their period. His mind was familiar with the fpirit of 
 thofe remote ages; he could fall back upon them, and breathe 
 in their air, and move in their warlike, focial, rural, or their 
 courtly circles, as familiarly as in his own. His pictures, therefore, 
 
 * The above obfervations were written opinion on humour being a component 
 
 before the writer had read that inimitable part of the mind of a man of genius, is 
 
 book The Doctor. It is not a little there infilled on in a manner the moil 
 
 gratifying to find, therefore, that the fame ftriking and convincing. 
 
108 Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap, vn. 
 
 of fcenes and chara&ers, fuch as were recorded by Chaucer or 
 FroifTart, had a truth about them, as well as an imaginative beauty, 
 that gave to each an individual identity, and wanting which no 
 illuftration of fuch works, will ever deeply imprefs the memory, or 
 aflift the mind, in giving, as it were, a bodily and vifible exiftence 
 to the hiftorian and the poet. 
 
 As an inftance of the wondrous union in Stothard, of the 
 grandeur of his conception, of his airinefs, the play of his fancy, 
 and the rich vein of his humour, I would mention his painting 
 (I believe it has never yet been engraved) of Shakefpeare' s 
 Characters* I fpeak of it from memory only — for it is long fince 
 I have ken it — yet it is one of thofe paintings that we can clofe our 
 eyes, and fee again in our mental vifion, even in their detail, years 
 after we have looked on the thing itfelf. I can do fo now. 
 
 What grandeur is there in that figure of Lady Macbeth bearing 
 the dagger, the fatal weapon with which Duncan, who bore his 
 honours fo meekly, was treacheroufly difpatched by her vacillating 
 hufband. She is in the attitude of looking up to heaven, not as if 
 invoking its protection or its mercy, but with fomething of that 
 grand fpirit of defiance, even in fin, which Milton contrives to 
 infufe into the Devil — and Shakefpeare into this woman's foul ; 
 a fpirit that we involuntarily refpect (whilft we condemn and abhor 
 it) for its firmnefs and confiftency of courage ; in which we fee 
 wickednefs taken up in place of a right principle for a high 
 object, but never as the refult of a momentary weaknefs yielding 
 to temptation. Shakefpeare and Milton, particularly the former, 
 
 * For fplendour in compoiition and be cited. He received for it ioo?. It was 
 colour, Stothard's Peace, which he not a large picture, 
 painted for Mr. Champernown, may alio 
 
CHAP. VII.] 
 
 His Shakfpeare's charaElers. 
 
 109 
 
 pofTefTed the art, in a very wonderful degree, of making us awe- 
 ftricken in the prefence of their bold bad characters, yet without a 
 fingle touch of their fophiftry being capable of inoculating or 
 corrupting us. We gaze on fuch beings in their progrefs of evil, 
 as we do on the fires of a Vefuvius, in full admiration of the 
 almoft preternatural glow of the flame, the rolling of the fmoke, 
 and the grandeur of the volleying horrors of the eruption, but 
 with an ever-prefent fenfe of their deftructivenefs, their ruinous, 
 their calamitous, power. 
 
 And then the darknefs and the clouds of the background, which 
 Stothard has harmonifed fo completely with all that portion of the 
 picture devoted to the tragic mufe — to the witches, to Banquo, to 
 Lear, that poor old man upon whofe filvered head the pitilefs 
 pelting of the ftorm burfts with fuch immitigable fury; yet the 
 hurly-burly without is nothing to thofe bitter feelings within, 
 which are roufed to madnefs by his unnatural daughters. And 
 there are feen thofe daughters, Handing like ftatues of pride and 
 hard-heartednefs, incapable of bending to aught of earth, or to the 
 common dictates of humanity. 
 
 And how beautifully has Stothard formed the union between the 
 tragic and the comic portions of the picture. This is effected by 
 means of thofe airy figures, thofe <{ elves of hills, brooks, (landing 
 lakes, and groves," which belong to the Tempeft ; thofe 
 creatures of fancy (which either tragedy or comedy might claim as 
 her own) to call forth the wild winds, the fea fires, or to aflilt in 
 the horrors of a fhip-wrecking ftorm ; or to lead aftray, with fport 
 and frolic, the drunken Trinculo and his companions. Thefe he 
 has introduced with exquifite fkill, fo as to form them into a 
 group, which might be termed the neutral band of the picture, 
 
no Reminifcences of Stothard. [chap. vn. 
 
 where the fubjects of tragedy and comedy approximate, but do not 
 joftle each other by a too fudden contact. The gravity of Prqfpero, 
 his attitude of command, and his lovely daughter by his fide, with 
 the fhip feen in diflrefs in the background, are delightfully relieved, 
 and faved from being overpowered by too much gloom from the 
 darkening fky, by the bright and curled cloud above, with Ariel 
 in the midft, leading on the troop of winged and fluttering fpirits, 
 with an airinefs and a buoyancy which make them feem as forms of 
 a lighter material than that of flefh and blood. We can fancy that 
 the {lighten 1 vapour would render fuch beings invifible ; and that 
 Ferdinand, when he Mens to their mufic — the fairy band of 
 muficians unfeen — would very naturally with f< wonder look 
 about," and enquire whence might be their ftrains, of earth or of the 
 air ? I always admired this picture, as one of the happieft efforts 
 of Stothard's imagination. It may be confidered like the dramatis 
 perfona of a play — an index or introduction to all his other defigns 
 and fcenes from Shakefpeare. 
 
 I was one of thofe who had the good fortune to fee them all 
 together, before they were fold and difperfed ; and I never can 
 ceafe to regret that fuch a collection was not purchafed at the 
 Nation's coft, as national property; for they were, as a whole, 
 the moft beautiful feries of defigns that had ever been produced in 
 illuftration of the works of the greateft Englifh poet, executed by 
 the greateft Englifh painter, for fuch was Stothard. Flaxman 
 agreed in the opinion, and in the wifh, that it had been fo ; and 
 that it was deeply to be regretted fuch a collection fhould ever have 
 been fcattered. That eminent fculptor purchafed fome of thefe 
 pictures, which I afterwards faw at his houfe. Amongft them was 
 a lovely oil painting, rich as an old mafter in colour, of Ferdinand 
 

 
 
 L OOT OK . PrBLI S3EE • 
 
\\0 
 
chap, vii.] His Pictures from Shakfpeare difperfed. 111 
 
 led on from the more by Ariel and his train, finging aloft, " Come 
 unto thefe yellow fands." There were feveral of thefe paintings, 
 but not the beft, I believe, in the hands of fome publimer of 
 London, who purpofed (fo was I informed) felling them by auction. 
 If he has done fo or not, I cannot tell. What a pity it is that fome 
 effort is not made by thofe entrufted with the conduct of the National 
 Gallery, to recover, purchafe, and once more bring together, the 
 whole feries. Stothard's fancy literally revelled when Shakefpeare 
 was his theme. His conceptions of the fairy beings of the poet 
 had in them all the wildnefs and imagination of their great author, 
 yet fo chaftened with an attention to probability, in thus picturing 
 creatures and things beyond this " vifible diurnal fphere," that his 
 fupernatural fubjects became natural. Had fairies exifted, they 
 would have chofen him as the favoured painter of Fairyland. 
 
 I recollect a little anecdote connected with the fubject, that is not 
 unworthy to be mentioned, flnce it mows by what fine fprings, what 
 affociations in a mind fuch as his, the fpirit of one art connects 
 itfelf with another. Stothard, though he had been in North Wales, 
 had never heard the harp played alone. In early life I was fond of 
 it, and one evening he begged me to play to him upon that 
 inftrument. I did fo, and found that the murk which moft pleafed 
 him was fuch as had in it melody. There was one air that delighted 
 him — Purcell's beautiful " Come unto thefe yellow finds ; " the 
 words from the Tempeft. This was his great favourite ; 
 he could paint from the fancy and feeling it infpired. 
 
 Amongft his moft poetically conceived defigns, in illuftration of 
 Shakefpeare, may be named Richard's Dream, the night before 
 the battle of Bofworth Field. The ghofts of the murdered, which 
 gather round his couch, whilft they poffefs him with " thick coming 
 
112 
 
 Reminifcences of Stothard. 
 
 [CHAP. VII. 
 
 fancies" of horror and affright, and bid him "defpair and die," 
 have in them a grandeur (efpecially the figure with long drapery in 
 the foreground) that is truly impreflive ; and the attitude of the 
 
 The ghosts appearing to Richard, the night before the Battle of Eosworth Field. 
 
 Sleeping tyrant, without the {lighter! violence or exaggeration, mows 
 the Struggles of a perturbed mind, for which there is no reft. 
 
 In Stothard's illustrations of Shakefpeare, his comic humour is of 
 the fineft order. It tells the ftory (as in his Catherine and 
 
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