CHAPTER IIToC

[15]The lady was Mrs. Sandbach, aHollandaise, who was Maid of Honour to the Queen of Holland. In after years, on an occasion when she and I paid a visit together to Leighton's studio in Holland Park Road, she recounted the incident above related by Leighton, which happened in the palace at the Hague when she was in waiting. She also added that from her description Leighton painted what she had seen in her dream to perfection; but that he subsequently added twoamorini, which in her opinion did much to mar the otherwise true feeling of the picture.

[16]See sketches in the Leighton House Collection. The picture itself is, I believe, in America.

[17]Ibid.

[18]A visitor to Leighton's "private view" wrote him the following suggestions:—13 Chester Terrace, N.W.,Easter Monday.Dear Mr. Leighton,—Pardon intrusion. I thought much of your beautiful pictures after my yesterday's visit, and I anticipated a struggle with the difficulty you mentioned of worthily naming them.Don't think me impertinent for volunteering the result. It seemed impossible without verbal description to explain the sacred subject to the profane imagination, while a prose translation of its sentiment must be heavy and subversive of romance.I think, were I fortunate enough to own the picture, I would call it "Not Yet," and I would put some little lines in the catalogue, which, for aught any one knows, might have come from some volume of rhyme, and which should explain that it is a story of a dream, and that the rejection is not final: something in this spirit, only better:—"Not yet—not yet—Still there is trial for thee, still the lotTo bear (the Father wills it) strife and care,With this sweet consciousness in balance setAgainst the world, to soothe thy suffering there.Thy Lord rejects thee not."Such tender words awoke me, hopeful, shriven,To life on earth again from dream of heaven.For the beauty at the fountain I once thought the best title might be some couplet like the following:—"So tranced and still half-dreamed she, and half-heardThe splash of fountain and the song of bird."But my wife, from my description of the picture, suggested a name better suited to the "suggestiveness" of the work:—"Lieder ohne Worte": don't you think it rather pretty?In the multitude of counsellors some one says there's wisdom, and this liberty we take with you may beget some thought that had not struck you.I have Mr. Cockerell's commands to express to you the gratification his visit afforded him and his sense of your kindness and attentions.—I am, faithfully yours,Ralph A. Benson.Another friend wrote of "Lieder ohne Worte," adding a poem suggested by the "Francesca":—Trinity House, E.C.,8th April 1861.My dear Leighton,—If you did not paint better than I write you would not be the man of abounding promise that you are.What I meant to say was that Law and Restraint are healthy life and the infraction of them ghostly death and dissolution, and that meaning is in your picture, whether you know it or not. Your "dæmon" may have put it there, but then you can trustyourdæmon.Still, best love to the little girl at the fountain, who knows that though Speech may be silver, Silence is Golden.—Ever yours, with many thanks,Robin Allen.Fred. Leighton, Esq.Leighton's "Francesca di Rimini.""That day they read no more." Virtue grows faint,One hand lies powerless, the wife's sweet faceIs half-convulsed by loss of self-restraint.Outstretched to resist, remaining to embrace,The extended arm will clasp her guilty lover,And all the bright, pure world beyond for her be over.Their very forms grow blurred and change their colourInto dim snaky wreaths of purple pallor,Fading away with Honour's fading LawInto the pale sad ghosts that Dante saw;Which we too see, crowned with departing glory,When Leighton's genius deepens Dante's Story.R.A.6th April 1861.

[18]A visitor to Leighton's "private view" wrote him the following suggestions:—

13 Chester Terrace, N.W.,Easter Monday.

Dear Mr. Leighton,—Pardon intrusion. I thought much of your beautiful pictures after my yesterday's visit, and I anticipated a struggle with the difficulty you mentioned of worthily naming them.

Don't think me impertinent for volunteering the result. It seemed impossible without verbal description to explain the sacred subject to the profane imagination, while a prose translation of its sentiment must be heavy and subversive of romance.

I think, were I fortunate enough to own the picture, I would call it "Not Yet," and I would put some little lines in the catalogue, which, for aught any one knows, might have come from some volume of rhyme, and which should explain that it is a story of a dream, and that the rejection is not final: something in this spirit, only better:—

"Not yet—not yet—Still there is trial for thee, still the lotTo bear (the Father wills it) strife and care,With this sweet consciousness in balance setAgainst the world, to soothe thy suffering there.Thy Lord rejects thee not."Such tender words awoke me, hopeful, shriven,To life on earth again from dream of heaven.

For the beauty at the fountain I once thought the best title might be some couplet like the following:—

"So tranced and still half-dreamed she, and half-heardThe splash of fountain and the song of bird."

But my wife, from my description of the picture, suggested a name better suited to the "suggestiveness" of the work:—

"Lieder ohne Worte": don't you think it rather pretty?

In the multitude of counsellors some one says there's wisdom, and this liberty we take with you may beget some thought that had not struck you.

I have Mr. Cockerell's commands to express to you the gratification his visit afforded him and his sense of your kindness and attentions.—I am, faithfully yours,

Ralph A. Benson.

Another friend wrote of "Lieder ohne Worte," adding a poem suggested by the "Francesca":—

Trinity House, E.C.,8th April 1861.

My dear Leighton,—If you did not paint better than I write you would not be the man of abounding promise that you are.

What I meant to say was that Law and Restraint are healthy life and the infraction of them ghostly death and dissolution, and that meaning is in your picture, whether you know it or not. Your "dæmon" may have put it there, but then you can trustyourdæmon.

Still, best love to the little girl at the fountain, who knows that though Speech may be silver, Silence is Golden.—Ever yours, with many thanks,

Robin Allen.

Fred. Leighton, Esq.

Leighton's "Francesca di Rimini."

"That day they read no more." Virtue grows faint,One hand lies powerless, the wife's sweet faceIs half-convulsed by loss of self-restraint.Outstretched to resist, remaining to embrace,The extended arm will clasp her guilty lover,And all the bright, pure world beyond for her be over.Their very forms grow blurred and change their colourInto dim snaky wreaths of purple pallor,Fading away with Honour's fading LawInto the pale sad ghosts that Dante saw;Which we too see, crowned with departing glory,When Leighton's genius deepens Dante's Story.R.A.

Their very forms grow blurred and change their colourInto dim snaky wreaths of purple pallor,Fading away with Honour's fading LawInto the pale sad ghosts that Dante saw;Which we too see, crowned with departing glory,When Leighton's genius deepens Dante's Story.

R.A.

6th April 1861.

[19]D.G. Rossetti, in a letter to William Allingham, May 10, 1861, writes: "Leighton might, as you say, have made a burst had not his pictures been ill-placed mostly—indeed one of them (the only very good one,Lieder ohne Worte) is the only instance of very striking unfairness in the place."

[20]"Lieder ohne Worte."

[21]"Paolo and Francesca."

[22]These two pictures were painted from John Hanson Walker. Leighton sent both to the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1862 with the titles "Duet" and "Rustic Music." The first only was accepted.

[23]See water-colour and chalk drawings: Leighton House Collection.

[24]"Sea Echoes."

[25]The Hon. Mrs. Alfred Sartoris, sister-in-law of Leighton's friend, Mr. Edward Sartoris.

In 1860 Leighton drew his first illustration for theCornhill Magazine:—

Translation.]Friday, 30th November 1860.My dear Friend and Master,—Best thanks for your dear letter of the 7th, thanks also especially, because in your kind praise you do not spare criticism also; you could give me no better proof that you still esteem and love your old pupil. I feel the justice of your remarks about the drapery of the Saviour very much, and can only say in my excuse that I have treated this kind of subject very little, for I am only really a profane fellow; but should I at some future time again treat such a theme, I should endeavour to avoid similar faults. I send you this time, for fun, a proof impression of a woodcut after a drawing I made for one of our good monthly periodicals (The Cornhill Magazine). It seems to me to be not bad for wood. It illustrates a poem, and represents Ariadne kneeling on an eminence, looking out for Theseus. This as a preliminary; I hope to send you something in April.

Translation.]

Friday, 30th November 1860.

My dear Friend and Master,—Best thanks for your dear letter of the 7th, thanks also especially, because in your kind praise you do not spare criticism also; you could give me no better proof that you still esteem and love your old pupil. I feel the justice of your remarks about the drapery of the Saviour very much, and can only say in my excuse that I have treated this kind of subject very little, for I am only really a profane fellow; but should I at some future time again treat such a theme, I should endeavour to avoid similar faults. I send you this time, for fun, a proof impression of a woodcut after a drawing I made for one of our good monthly periodicals (The Cornhill Magazine). It seems to me to be not bad for wood. It illustrates a poem, and represents Ariadne kneeling on an eminence, looking out for Theseus. This as a preliminary; I hope to send you something in April.

Dearest Mammy,—My wretched picture is causing more delays! I am very sorry to say I shan't be able to get to Bath before Wednesday evening. I am due at Stourhead the 27th; this I cannot defer any more, as I must be on duty with the Rifle Corps at the beginning of September, and can't do all Ihave to do in less than a week—this will, however, still leave me three weeks, all but two days, at Bath.I enjoyed myself at Panshanger very much—did I write to tell you who our party was? In case I did not, it was as follows: Henry Greville, Lord and Lady Katherine Valletort, Lord and Lady Spencer, Mrs. Leslie, Lord Listowel, Mr. Clare Vyner, and Mr. E. Lascelles—all young people; so that it was very pleasant.There are, as you know, most beautiful pictures at Panshanger—a magnificent Vandyke, a splendid Rembrandt, Correggio, Andrea del Sarto, and two beautiful Raphaels.G. Smith sent me a kind note and a cheque to fill up for drawing in theCornhill("Ariadne"). I put ten guineas, telling him that I could not, as a general rule, interrupt my work for that sum, but that I would not take more because the cut had turned out so extremely bad.I am going to expend the money, adding a few pounds, on a cup, to be shot for in the spring by our Rifle Corps. Arthur Lewis has already given one, and another of our men has promised a second prize to go with my cup. My picture will befinishedby the time I go to Bath. My eye is too accustomed to it to know whether it is successful; I shall know better when I return from the country.I have no news, so good-bye, dear Mammy. Best love to all.—From your very affectionate boy,Fred.I go to Windsor (to Miss Thackeray) for two days next week; that also is an old invitation; I have no time for it, but must go. I keep my parties going tolerably, but shall give that up with a few exceptions when I settle here; it makes work impossible from unavoidably late hours, and produces a general deterioration of mind and body, mostly the former; the Hollands I shall always keep up—they are most kind; I dine there frequently and meet interesting and remarkable people.

I enjoyed myself at Panshanger very much—did I write to tell you who our party was? In case I did not, it was as follows: Henry Greville, Lord and Lady Katherine Valletort, Lord and Lady Spencer, Mrs. Leslie, Lord Listowel, Mr. Clare Vyner, and Mr. E. Lascelles—all young people; so that it was very pleasant.

There are, as you know, most beautiful pictures at Panshanger—a magnificent Vandyke, a splendid Rembrandt, Correggio, Andrea del Sarto, and two beautiful Raphaels.

G. Smith sent me a kind note and a cheque to fill up for drawing in theCornhill("Ariadne"). I put ten guineas, telling him that I could not, as a general rule, interrupt my work for that sum, but that I would not take more because the cut had turned out so extremely bad.

I am going to expend the money, adding a few pounds, on a cup, to be shot for in the spring by our Rifle Corps. Arthur Lewis has already given one, and another of our men has promised a second prize to go with my cup. My picture will befinishedby the time I go to Bath. My eye is too accustomed to it to know whether it is successful; I shall know better when I return from the country.

I have no news, so good-bye, dear Mammy. Best love to all.—From your very affectionate boy,

Fred.

I go to Windsor (to Miss Thackeray) for two days next week; that also is an old invitation; I have no time for it, but must go. I keep my parties going tolerably, but shall give that up with a few exceptions when I settle here; it makes work impossible from unavoidably late hours, and produces a general deterioration of mind and body, mostly the former; the Hollands I shall always keep up—they are most kind; I dine there frequently and meet interesting and remarkable people.

Very remarkable drawings in pencil on other lines followed the celebrated "Lemon Tree"—surpassing in dramatic truthof expression any Leighton had executed since the early design he drew of the "Plague in Florence in 1850."[26]

Michael Angelo Nursing His Dying ServantSKETCH FOR "MICHAEL ANGELO NURSING HIS DYING SERVANT." 1862Leighton House CollectionToList

SKETCH FOR "MICHAEL ANGELO NURSING HIS DYING SERVANT." 1862Leighton House CollectionToList

The group of drawings for "Michael Angelo Nursing his Dying Servant" are among those preserved in the Leighton House collection, but were not seen by the public before Leighton's death. Though slight, they are among the most admirable he ever achieved in subtle tenderness of feeling and expressive truth of drawing. The feeble twitching clutch of the hands of the old man—announcing the speedy approach of Death—is a convincing proof of imaginative realism of a high order. This group of sketches, however, exemplify the curious artistic discrepancy which at times existed, especially before and about the time when the Michael Angelo was painted, between Leighton's pictures and the studies he made for them—a discrepancy which had no reference to his feeling for colour, but simply arose from an absence of sensitiveness for texture. In turning from the drawings to the painting, we find the noble feeling and conception, the lines and forms of the design much the same in all; but the heavy and yet insufficient texture of the actual surface mars the full conveying, even in the completed painting, of the feeling of the motive—so imperative is a simultaneous union of the idea with a happy echo of it in the touch of the human hand, if a work of art is fully to convey its message. Leighton's genius for using the point is referred to in a letter from Mrs. Browning, on the subject of a drawing he had made of her husband:—

Copy.]Dear Mr. Leighton,—The portrait is beautiful, and would satisfy me entirely except for a want of strength about the brow, which I must write of, because I can't trust Robert himself with the message. I think the brow is feeble, less massive than his,with less fulness about the temples. In fact, your temple ishollow, instead of full. Will you look at it by the original? The eyes and mouth are exquisite.Your pencil has the expressiveness of another's brush.How much I thank you for having put so much of my husband on paper is proved by the very insolence of my criticisms.—Most truly yours,Elizabeth Barrett Browning.April 1.

Copy.]

Dear Mr. Leighton,—The portrait is beautiful, and would satisfy me entirely except for a want of strength about the brow, which I must write of, because I can't trust Robert himself with the message. I think the brow is feeble, less massive than his,with less fulness about the temples. In fact, your temple ishollow, instead of full. Will you look at it by the original? The eyes and mouth are exquisite.Your pencil has the expressiveness of another's brush.

How much I thank you for having put so much of my husband on paper is proved by the very insolence of my criticisms.—Most truly yours,

Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

April 1.

In the same category as the Michael Angelo studies may be placed the first sketch of "Samson Wrestling with the Lion," designed as an illustration for Dalziel's Bible. This drawing is also in the Leighton House Collection, also the original drawings for "The Spies' Escape" and "Samson at the Mill." The following was written with regard to it: "An animal model never 'sits.' The artist must catch the action he wants from fleeting suggestions. His imagination alone can guide his pencil when he depicts such action with realistic power. It is in a pencil drawing of a lion that we find the work that evinces, more distinctly perhaps than does any other of Leighton's utterances in art, the highest kind of imagination in the drawing of form in action, namely in the sketch of 'Samson Wrestling with the Lion' for the illustrations in Dalziel's Bible. Where, indeed, for vigour of invention, can we find a drawing to surpass these few pencil lines? The sinews in the legs and claws of the animal are drawn up, clenching the vacant air with a quivering grip; the tail straightened stiffly through the strain of the wrestling; the whole animal convulsed with the force of the struggle. This is treatment of form no model could suggest, no knowledge evolve, no labour or industry produce. A true imagination alone can inspire such vivid realism." The other subjects Leighton illustrated were "Death of Abel," "Moses Viewing the Promised Land," "SamsonCarrying the Gates," "Abraham and the Angel," "Eliezer and Rebecca at the Well," "The Slaying of the First-born."

Samson and the LionORIGINAL DRAWING FOR "SAMSON AND THE LION" IN DALZIEL'S BIBLELeighton House CollectionToList

ORIGINAL DRAWING FOR "SAMSON AND THE LION" IN DALZIEL'S BIBLELeighton House CollectionToList

In 1862 Leighton illustrated George Eliot's great novel "Romola." He writes to his father:—

Tuesday.Dear Papa,—Though I am not able, I am sorry to say, to report the sale of any more of my pictures, you will be glad to hear of a commission just given me by G. Smith of theCornhillwhich is very acceptable to me. I am to illustrate (by-the-bye this is "strictly confidential") a novel about to appear in theCornhillfrom the hand ofAdam Bede. It is an Italian story, the scene and period are Florence and the fifteenth century, nothing could "ganter" me better. It is to continue throughtwelvenumbers, in each of which are to betwoillustrations.I am to have for eachnumber£40; for the whole novel, therefore, £480. I have conferred with the authoress to-day, and am to get the first-proof sheets this week. The first number will be published in July. Miss Evans (or Mrs. Lewes) has a very striking countenance. Her face is large, her eyes deep set, her nose aquiline, her mouth large, the under jaw projecting, rather like Charles Quint; her voice and manner are grave, simple, and gentle. There is a curious mixture in her look; she either is or seems very short-sighted. Lewes is clever. Both were extremely polite to me; her I shall like much.I have no other news; no one asks about my pictures, though their success is decidedly great; hard times! Are you writing to Gussy? if so will you tell her that I mean to give her some lessons with Hallé when she comes to London? she shall havethreea week for a month. Tell Lina with my love not to be jealous, it will be her turn next. How is she? and how is Mamma? Give them my best love, and believe me, your affectionate boy,Fred.

Tuesday.

Dear Papa,—Though I am not able, I am sorry to say, to report the sale of any more of my pictures, you will be glad to hear of a commission just given me by G. Smith of theCornhillwhich is very acceptable to me. I am to illustrate (by-the-bye this is "strictly confidential") a novel about to appear in theCornhillfrom the hand ofAdam Bede. It is an Italian story, the scene and period are Florence and the fifteenth century, nothing could "ganter" me better. It is to continue throughtwelvenumbers, in each of which are to betwoillustrations.

I am to have for eachnumber£40; for the whole novel, therefore, £480. I have conferred with the authoress to-day, and am to get the first-proof sheets this week. The first number will be published in July. Miss Evans (or Mrs. Lewes) has a very striking countenance. Her face is large, her eyes deep set, her nose aquiline, her mouth large, the under jaw projecting, rather like Charles Quint; her voice and manner are grave, simple, and gentle. There is a curious mixture in her look; she either is or seems very short-sighted. Lewes is clever. Both were extremely polite to me; her I shall like much.

I have no other news; no one asks about my pictures, though their success is decidedly great; hard times! Are you writing to Gussy? if so will you tell her that I mean to give her some lessons with Hallé when she comes to London? she shall havethreea week for a month. Tell Lina with my love not to be jealous, it will be her turn next. How is she? and how is Mamma? Give them my best love, and believe me, your affectionate boy,

Fred.

That George Eliot should write a Florentine story at a time when Leighton was available to illustrate it, was certainly a most fortunate coincidence. Each scene which he representsis impregnated with a feeling which records the strong hold Italy had on his artistic resources. With a few exceptions, these illustrations for "Romola" are the last examples of his art, when a dramatic or a humorous treatment was a prominent feature of the designs. The last picture exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1897—the passionate, despairing figure of "Clytie"—was notably one of these exceptions. Unfortunately Leighton's letters to George Eliot respecting the "Romola" drawings cannot be found, and were probably destroyed before the author's death. The following were preserved by Leighton:—

16 Blandford Square, N.W.,Friday.Dear Mr. Leighton,—Thanks for the sight of the Vignettes. They are satisfactory.Your delicious drawing was with me all day yesterday and made the opera more delightful to me in the evening. I never saw anything comparable to the scene in Nello's shop as an illustration. There could not be a better beginning.I should very much like to have a little conversation with you, and will arrange to see you at any hour that will best suit you, in the evening if you like, any time after the morning working hours, which last till two o'clock. I know your time is very precious to you just now, but I think we shall both benefit by a little talk together after you have read the second proof.—Yours very truly,M.E. Lewes.F. Leighton, Esq.

16 Blandford Square, N.W.,Friday.

Dear Mr. Leighton,—Thanks for the sight of the Vignettes. They are satisfactory.

Your delicious drawing was with me all day yesterday and made the opera more delightful to me in the evening. I never saw anything comparable to the scene in Nello's shop as an illustration. There could not be a better beginning.

I should very much like to have a little conversation with you, and will arrange to see you at any hour that will best suit you, in the evening if you like, any time after the morning working hours, which last till two o'clock. I know your time is very precious to you just now, but I think we shall both benefit by a little talk together after you have read the second proof.—Yours very truly,

M.E. Lewes.

F. Leighton, Esq.

16 Blandford Square, N.W.,Wednesday.Dear Mr. Leighton,—I feel for you as well as myself in this inevitable difficulty—nay, impossibility of producing perfect correspondence between my intention and the illustrations.I think your sketch is charming, considered in itself, and I feel now with regret that if we had seen each other and talked a little together after you had read the proof, the only important discrepancy might have been prevented. It is too late foralterations now. If it had not been, I should have wished Bardo's head to be raised with the chin thrust forward a little—the usual attitude of the blind head, I think—and turned a little towards Romola, "as if he were looking at her."Romola's attitude is perfect, and the composition is altogether such as gives me a very cheering prospect for the future, when we have more time for preparation. Her face and hair, though deliciously beautiful, are not just the thing—how could they be? Do not make yourself uneasy if alteration is impossible, but I meant the hair to fall forward from behind the ears over the neck, and the dress to be without ornament.I shall inevitably be detestable to you, but believe that I am(Unfinished)

16 Blandford Square, N.W.,Wednesday.

Dear Mr. Leighton,—I feel for you as well as myself in this inevitable difficulty—nay, impossibility of producing perfect correspondence between my intention and the illustrations.

I think your sketch is charming, considered in itself, and I feel now with regret that if we had seen each other and talked a little together after you had read the proof, the only important discrepancy might have been prevented. It is too late foralterations now. If it had not been, I should have wished Bardo's head to be raised with the chin thrust forward a little—the usual attitude of the blind head, I think—and turned a little towards Romola, "as if he were looking at her."

Romola's attitude is perfect, and the composition is altogether such as gives me a very cheering prospect for the future, when we have more time for preparation. Her face and hair, though deliciously beautiful, are not just the thing—how could they be? Do not make yourself uneasy if alteration is impossible, but I meant the hair to fall forward from behind the ears over the neck, and the dress to be without ornament.

I shall inevitably be detestable to you, but believe that I am

(Unfinished)

16 Blandford Square, N.W.,Thursday.Dear Mr. Leighton,—Unmitigated delight! Nello is better than my Nello. I see the love and care with which the drawings are done.After I had sent away my yesterday's note, written in such haste that I was afterwards uncomfortable lest I had misrepresented my feelings, the very considerations you suggest had occurred to me and I had talked them over with Mr. Lewes—namely, that the exigencies of your art must forbid perfect correspondence between the text and the illustration; and I came to the conclusion that it was these exigencies which had determined you as to the position of Bardo's head and the fall of Romola's hair. You have given her attitude transcendently well, and the attitude is more important than the mere head-dress. I am glad you chose Nello's shop; it makes so good a variety with Bardo and Romola. In a day or two you will have the second part, and I think you will find there a scene for Tessa "under the Plane Tree." But perhaps we shall see each other before you begin the next drawings.—Ever yours truly,M.E. Lewes.

16 Blandford Square, N.W.,Thursday.

Dear Mr. Leighton,—Unmitigated delight! Nello is better than my Nello. I see the love and care with which the drawings are done.

After I had sent away my yesterday's note, written in such haste that I was afterwards uncomfortable lest I had misrepresented my feelings, the very considerations you suggest had occurred to me and I had talked them over with Mr. Lewes—namely, that the exigencies of your art must forbid perfect correspondence between the text and the illustration; and I came to the conclusion that it was these exigencies which had determined you as to the position of Bardo's head and the fall of Romola's hair. You have given her attitude transcendently well, and the attitude is more important than the mere head-dress. I am glad you chose Nello's shop; it makes so good a variety with Bardo and Romola. In a day or two you will have the second part, and I think you will find there a scene for Tessa "under the Plane Tree." But perhaps we shall see each other before you begin the next drawings.—Ever yours truly,

M.E. Lewes.

16 Blandford Square, N.W.,Monday.Dear Mr. Leighton,—Your letter comforts me particularly. I am so glad to think you find subjects to your mind. I haveno especial desire for the view from S. Miniato, and indeed a plan we started in conversation with Mr. Smith this morning, namely, to have moderately sized initial letters—the opening one being an old Florentine in hisLuccoand generally the subjects being bits of landscape or Florentine building—seems to do away with any reason for having the landscape to begin with. The idea of having Tessa and the mules, or Nello's sanctum, smiles upon me, so pray feel free to choose the impression that urges itself most strongly. Your observation about the "che, che" is just the aid I besought from you. With that exception, I have confined myself, I believe, to such interjections as I find in the writers of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and in them, curiously enough, this exclamation now said to be so constant and "to mean everything" (according to our authority) does not seem to occur.Thank you. Pray let me have as many criticisms of that kind as you can. I am more gratified, I think, by your liking these opening chapters than I have yet been by anything in these nervous anxious weeks of decision about publication.—Very truly yours,M.E. Lewes.F. Leighton, Esq.

16 Blandford Square, N.W.,Monday.

Dear Mr. Leighton,—Your letter comforts me particularly. I am so glad to think you find subjects to your mind. I haveno especial desire for the view from S. Miniato, and indeed a plan we started in conversation with Mr. Smith this morning, namely, to have moderately sized initial letters—the opening one being an old Florentine in hisLuccoand generally the subjects being bits of landscape or Florentine building—seems to do away with any reason for having the landscape to begin with. The idea of having Tessa and the mules, or Nello's sanctum, smiles upon me, so pray feel free to choose the impression that urges itself most strongly. Your observation about the "che, che" is just the aid I besought from you. With that exception, I have confined myself, I believe, to such interjections as I find in the writers of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and in them, curiously enough, this exclamation now said to be so constant and "to mean everything" (according to our authority) does not seem to occur.

Thank you. Pray let me have as many criticisms of that kind as you can. I am more gratified, I think, by your liking these opening chapters than I have yet been by anything in these nervous anxious weeks of decision about publication.—Very truly yours,

M.E. Lewes.

F. Leighton, Esq.

16 Blandford Square, N.W.,Tuesday Evening.Dear Mr. Leighton,—I am enchanted! purely delighted! which shall I begin with, to tell you that I delight in Baby's toes or that exquisite poetry in the scene where Romola is standing? Is it not a pleasant change to have that opening made through the walls of the city, so as to see the sky and the mountains? In the scene with Baldassarre and Tessa, also, the distant view is charming. Tessa and her Babkin are perfect—Baldassarre's is, as you say, an impossible face to draw, but you have seized the framework of the face well, both in this illustration and the previous one.I want to tell you that a man of some eminence in art was speaking of your drawings to a third person the other day as "remarkable" in a tone of genuine admiration. I don't know whether you care about that, but it is good to know that there is any genuine admiration in one's neighbours.I am glad to have the drawings left. I shall go now and have a long look at them. The February number will soon be out of my hands, but you will have it when it pleases the pigs—or printers.—Ever yours truly,M.E. Lewes.

16 Blandford Square, N.W.,Tuesday Evening.

Dear Mr. Leighton,—I am enchanted! purely delighted! which shall I begin with, to tell you that I delight in Baby's toes or that exquisite poetry in the scene where Romola is standing? Is it not a pleasant change to have that opening made through the walls of the city, so as to see the sky and the mountains? In the scene with Baldassarre and Tessa, also, the distant view is charming. Tessa and her Babkin are perfect—Baldassarre's is, as you say, an impossible face to draw, but you have seized the framework of the face well, both in this illustration and the previous one.

I want to tell you that a man of some eminence in art was speaking of your drawings to a third person the other day as "remarkable" in a tone of genuine admiration. I don't know whether you care about that, but it is good to know that there is any genuine admiration in one's neighbours.

I am glad to have the drawings left. I shall go now and have a long look at them. The February number will soon be out of my hands, but you will have it when it pleases the pigs—or printers.—Ever yours truly,

M.E. Lewes.

Park Hotel, Little Hampton,Sussex,September 10, '62.Dear Mr. Leighton,—Thanks for your letter, which I have received this morning.My copy of Vasari has a profile of Piero di Cosimo, but it is of no value, a man with a short beard and eyes nearly closed. The old felt hat on his head has more character in it than the features, but the hat you can't use.Of Niccolo Caparra it is not likely that any portrait exists, so that you may feel easy in letting your imagination interpret my suggestions in the First and the Fifth Parts of Romola. There is probably a portrait of Piero di Cosimo in the portrait room of Uffizi, but in the absence of any decent catalogue of that collection it was a bewildering and headachy business to assure oneself of the presence or absence of any particular personage.If you feel any doubt about thenewRomola, I think it will be better for you to keep to the original representation, the type given in the first illustration, which some accomplished people told me they thought very charming. It will be much better to continue what is intrinsically pretty than to fail in an effort after something indistinctly seen. If you prefer the action oftaking outthe crucifix, instead of the merely contemplative attitude, you can choose that with safety. In the scene with Piero di Cosimo, I thought you might make the figures subordinate to those other details which you render so charmingly, and I chose it for that reason.But I am quite convinced that illustrations can only form a sort of overture to the text. The artist who uses the pencil must otherwise be tormented to misery by the deficiencies or requirements of the one who uses the pen, and the writer, on the other hand, must die of impossible expectations.Aproposof all that, I want to assure you again of what I had said in that letter, which your naughty servant sent down the wind,that I appreciate very highly the advantage of having your hand and mind to work with me rather than those of any other artist of whom I know. Please do not take that as an impertinent expression of opinion, but rather as an honest expression of feeling by which you must interpret any apparent criticism.The initial letter of the December part will be W. I forgot to tell you how pleased I was with the initial letter of Part V.I am very much obliged to you for your critical doubts. I will put out the questionable "Ecco!" in deference to your knowledge. I have a tremulous sense of my liability to error in such things.I don't wonder at your difficulty about the modification ofcomintociom. The writers of the fifteenth century, speaking of the insurrection of theCiompiwhich occurred in the previous century, say that the word was a corruption of the Frenchcompère, the same word of course ascompare, constantly on the lips of the numerous French who were present in Florence during the dictatorship of the Duke of Athens. The likelihood of the derivation lies in the analysis of transition in the meaning of wordscompèreandcompare, like the English "gossip," beginning with the meaning of godfather and ending with, or rather proceeding to that of companion. Our "gossip" has at least parted with its secondary meaning as well as its primary one.The unlikelihood of the derivation lies in the modification of the sounds, and I felt that unlikelihood as you have done. But in the absence of a Max Müller to assure me of a law to the contrary, I thought the statement of Tuscan writers a better authority than inferences. I ought to have written "is stated by the old historians."I am really comforted by the thought that you will mention doubts to me when they occur to you. My misery is the certainty that I must be often in error.Mr. Lewes shares my admiration of the two last illustrations.—Ever yours truly,Marian E. Lewes.F. Leighton, Esq.

Park Hotel, Little Hampton,Sussex,September 10, '62.

Dear Mr. Leighton,—Thanks for your letter, which I have received this morning.

My copy of Vasari has a profile of Piero di Cosimo, but it is of no value, a man with a short beard and eyes nearly closed. The old felt hat on his head has more character in it than the features, but the hat you can't use.

Of Niccolo Caparra it is not likely that any portrait exists, so that you may feel easy in letting your imagination interpret my suggestions in the First and the Fifth Parts of Romola. There is probably a portrait of Piero di Cosimo in the portrait room of Uffizi, but in the absence of any decent catalogue of that collection it was a bewildering and headachy business to assure oneself of the presence or absence of any particular personage.

If you feel any doubt about thenewRomola, I think it will be better for you to keep to the original representation, the type given in the first illustration, which some accomplished people told me they thought very charming. It will be much better to continue what is intrinsically pretty than to fail in an effort after something indistinctly seen. If you prefer the action oftaking outthe crucifix, instead of the merely contemplative attitude, you can choose that with safety. In the scene with Piero di Cosimo, I thought you might make the figures subordinate to those other details which you render so charmingly, and I chose it for that reason.

But I am quite convinced that illustrations can only form a sort of overture to the text. The artist who uses the pencil must otherwise be tormented to misery by the deficiencies or requirements of the one who uses the pen, and the writer, on the other hand, must die of impossible expectations.Aproposof all that, I want to assure you again of what I had said in that letter, which your naughty servant sent down the wind,that I appreciate very highly the advantage of having your hand and mind to work with me rather than those of any other artist of whom I know. Please do not take that as an impertinent expression of opinion, but rather as an honest expression of feeling by which you must interpret any apparent criticism.

The initial letter of the December part will be W. I forgot to tell you how pleased I was with the initial letter of Part V.

I am very much obliged to you for your critical doubts. I will put out the questionable "Ecco!" in deference to your knowledge. I have a tremulous sense of my liability to error in such things.

I don't wonder at your difficulty about the modification ofcomintociom. The writers of the fifteenth century, speaking of the insurrection of theCiompiwhich occurred in the previous century, say that the word was a corruption of the Frenchcompère, the same word of course ascompare, constantly on the lips of the numerous French who were present in Florence during the dictatorship of the Duke of Athens. The likelihood of the derivation lies in the analysis of transition in the meaning of wordscompèreandcompare, like the English "gossip," beginning with the meaning of godfather and ending with, or rather proceeding to that of companion. Our "gossip" has at least parted with its secondary meaning as well as its primary one.

The unlikelihood of the derivation lies in the modification of the sounds, and I felt that unlikelihood as you have done. But in the absence of a Max Müller to assure me of a law to the contrary, I thought the statement of Tuscan writers a better authority than inferences. I ought to have written "is stated by the old historians."

I am really comforted by the thought that you will mention doubts to me when they occur to you. My misery is the certainty that I must be often in error.

Mr. Lewes shares my admiration of the two last illustrations.—Ever yours truly,

Marian E. Lewes.

F. Leighton, Esq.

16 Blandford Square, N.W.,Tuesday.Dear Mr. Leighton,—Since I saw you I have confirmed by renewed reference my conclusion thatgamurrawas the equivalentof ourgown,i.e.the constant outer garb of femininity, varying in length and cut according to rank and age. The poets and novelists give it alike to the peasant and the "city woman," and speak of thegirdlearound it. Perhaps it would have been better to call Tessa's gown agamurrina, the word sometimes used and indicating, I imagine, just that abbreviation of petticoat that active work demands.If you are going to see Ghirlandajo's frescoes—the engravings of them I mean—in the choir of Santa Maria Novella, I wish you would especially notice if the women in his groups have not that plain piece of opaque drapery over the head which haunts my memory. We were only allowed to see those frescoes once, because of repairs going on; but I am strongly impressed with a belief—which,au reste, may be quite false—in the presence of my "white hood" there. As to the garb of the luxurious classes at that time, a point which may turn up in our progress, I think the painters can hardly be believed to have represented it fully, since we know, on strong evidence, that it ran into extravagances, which are even in contrast with the general impression conveyed not only by the large fresco compositions but by the portraits. You must have had sufficient experience of theeclecticismin costume which the artist's feeling forces upon him in the presence of hideous or extreme fashion. We have in Varchi a sufficiently fit and clear description of the ordinary male costume of dignified Florentines in my time; but for the corresponding feminine costume the best authority I have seen is the very incomplete one of a certain Ginevra'strousseauin the Ricordi of the Rinuccini family of rather an earlier period, but marking even there the rage for embroidery and pearls which grew instead of diminishing.I imagine that the woman'sberretta, frequently of velvet embroidered with pearls, and apparently almost as prevalent as our bonnet, must have been that close-fitting cap, square at the ears, of which we spoke yesterday. I trouble you with this note—which pray do not think it necessary to answer—in order to indicate to you the very slight satisfaction my anxiety on this subject can meet with, and the obligation I shall be under to you if you will ever give me a positive or negative hint or correction.Approximative truth is the only truth attainable, but at leastone must strive for that, and not wade off into arbitrary falsehood.—Ever, dear Mr. Leighton, yours very truly,Marian E. Lewes.

16 Blandford Square, N.W.,Tuesday.

Dear Mr. Leighton,—Since I saw you I have confirmed by renewed reference my conclusion thatgamurrawas the equivalentof ourgown,i.e.the constant outer garb of femininity, varying in length and cut according to rank and age. The poets and novelists give it alike to the peasant and the "city woman," and speak of thegirdlearound it. Perhaps it would have been better to call Tessa's gown agamurrina, the word sometimes used and indicating, I imagine, just that abbreviation of petticoat that active work demands.

If you are going to see Ghirlandajo's frescoes—the engravings of them I mean—in the choir of Santa Maria Novella, I wish you would especially notice if the women in his groups have not that plain piece of opaque drapery over the head which haunts my memory. We were only allowed to see those frescoes once, because of repairs going on; but I am strongly impressed with a belief—which,au reste, may be quite false—in the presence of my "white hood" there. As to the garb of the luxurious classes at that time, a point which may turn up in our progress, I think the painters can hardly be believed to have represented it fully, since we know, on strong evidence, that it ran into extravagances, which are even in contrast with the general impression conveyed not only by the large fresco compositions but by the portraits. You must have had sufficient experience of theeclecticismin costume which the artist's feeling forces upon him in the presence of hideous or extreme fashion. We have in Varchi a sufficiently fit and clear description of the ordinary male costume of dignified Florentines in my time; but for the corresponding feminine costume the best authority I have seen is the very incomplete one of a certain Ginevra'strousseauin the Ricordi of the Rinuccini family of rather an earlier period, but marking even there the rage for embroidery and pearls which grew instead of diminishing.

I imagine that the woman'sberretta, frequently of velvet embroidered with pearls, and apparently almost as prevalent as our bonnet, must have been that close-fitting cap, square at the ears, of which we spoke yesterday. I trouble you with this note—which pray do not think it necessary to answer—in order to indicate to you the very slight satisfaction my anxiety on this subject can meet with, and the obligation I shall be under to you if you will ever give me a positive or negative hint or correction.

Approximative truth is the only truth attainable, but at leastone must strive for that, and not wade off into arbitrary falsehood.—Ever, dear Mr. Leighton, yours very truly,

Marian E. Lewes.

Leighton preserved the records of a friendship with Mr. Robin Allen,[27]established and for most part continued through a correspondence which lasted for many years from the early 'sixties. The letter sent with the following poem refers to Leighton's illustration to Mrs. Browning's poem, "Musical Instrument," of which the original drawing is reproduced. (SeeList of Illustrations.)

Trinity House, E.C.My dear Sir,—If I send this to the author of a lovely illustration to a lovely poem, it is not for its worth, but to give me an excuse for saying that I go out of town for a month next Wednesday, and hope that I may call on you on my return, perhaps get leave to show you over Loughton Woods in the autumn.—Believe me, my dear sir, yours truly,Robin Allen.F. Leighton, Esq.

Trinity House, E.C.

My dear Sir,—If I send this to the author of a lovely illustration to a lovely poem, it is not for its worth, but to give me an excuse for saying that I go out of town for a month next Wednesday, and hope that I may call on you on my return, perhaps get leave to show you over Loughton Woods in the autumn.—Believe me, my dear sir, yours truly,

Robin Allen.

F. Leighton, Esq.

Sequitur To Mrs. Browning's "Musical Instrument" in the"Cornhill Magazine" of July 1860.

A greater God than the great god PanPlanted the reed in the river,And he is the only God who canBreak through its heart without killing the reed,And make of its very life indeedAn organ, to utter His psalm as the Giver.This greater God than the beast-god Pan,As He watches the reeds in Time's river,Counts for best poet that perfect ManWho holds lightly his song, at its loftiest strain,So he live a man's life!—and at all cost and painIsa reed among reeds in the river.R.A.

This greater God than the beast-god Pan,As He watches the reeds in Time's river,Counts for best poet that perfect ManWho holds lightly his song, at its loftiest strain,So he live a man's life!—and at all cost and painIsa reed among reeds in the river.

R.A.

The Great God Pan"THE GREAT GOD PAN"Original Sketch for Illustration to Mrs. Browning's Poem in theCornhill Magazine, 1861ToList

"THE GREAT GOD PAN"Original Sketch for Illustration to Mrs. Browning's Poem in theCornhill Magazine, 1861ToList

An Evening in a French Country House"AN EVENING IN A FRENCH COUNTRY HOUSE"Illustration for Mrs. Adelaide Sartoris's story, "A Week in a French Country House," published in theCornhill Magazine, 1867By permission of Messrs. Smith, Elder, & Co.ToList

"AN EVENING IN A FRENCH COUNTRY HOUSE"Illustration for Mrs. Adelaide Sartoris's story, "A Week in a French Country House," published in theCornhill Magazine, 1867By permission of Messrs. Smith, Elder, & Co.ToList

In a letter to his mother Leighton expresses a warm admiration for these lines by Mr. Robin Allen.

In the autumn of 1863 the following letter to his mother mentions a notable visit to Compiègne. The charming story Mrs. Edward Sartoris wrote, which appeared some years later in theCornhill Magazine, "A Week in a French Country House," owes its local colour to this home at Compiègne to which Leighton refers. It belonged to Mr. Edward Sartoris' brother-in-law, the Marquis de l'Aigle. For this story Leighton made two admirable illustrations—"An Evening in a French Country House" and "Drifting." Leighton is supposed to have suggested the character of Monsieur Kiowski, the Polish artist in the story; and the figure in the boat holding the rudder in "Drifting" he certainly meant to represent himself, while the figure singing is Adelaide Sartoris—drawn, as shown by the head-dress, from the sketch Leighton made in 1856. (SeeList of Illustrations.)

Commencement of letter missing.]1862.I have a fit of the blues instead.I hope for the sake of my pictures that I shall soon get over them (the blues, not the pictures). I believe if I could find models I should recover at once; but I foresee that I shall have no such luck.I had a delightful time at Compiègne—the place is charming, the house comfortable in the extreme, and the life the perfection of unconstraint (if that is English); I have told you already how hospitable and kind my host and hostess were. I have, of course, no news to give you yet, except, by-the-bye, that the bailiffs were in the house the other day because Mr. and Mrs. Gedy had not paid £3, 5s. 6d. taxes; they stayed two days in the house, and if the money had not come, would have walked off with some ofmyfurniture. I wish I had a house; they are beginning a house on Campden Hill, and would build it for an artist after his own designs.

Commencement of letter missing.]

1862.

I have a fit of the blues instead.

I hope for the sake of my pictures that I shall soon get over them (the blues, not the pictures). I believe if I could find models I should recover at once; but I foresee that I shall have no such luck.

I had a delightful time at Compiègne—the place is charming, the house comfortable in the extreme, and the life the perfection of unconstraint (if that is English); I have told you already how hospitable and kind my host and hostess were. I have, of course, no news to give you yet, except, by-the-bye, that the bailiffs were in the house the other day because Mr. and Mrs. Gedy had not paid £3, 5s. 6d. taxes; they stayed two days in the house, and if the money had not come, would have walked off with some ofmyfurniture. I wish I had a house; they are beginning a house on Campden Hill, and would build it for an artist after his own designs.

Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Sartoris, the admirer of "Eastern King," were also among the visitors during this week in a French country house, and write the following anecdote:—

"Those who knew Lord Leighton require no record of his kindness and unselfishness. For those who had not that privilege the following little anecdote may be interesting. In the late autumn of 1863 we were all staying with my sister-in-law, the Marquise de l'Aigle, at Francport, near Compiègne. Mrs. Sartoris was also there and Mr. Leighton. There was to be a service on the Sunday in a little neighbouring village church for some children who had made their first communion, and it occurred to Mme. de l'Aigle to have some special music on the occasion, and profit by the glorious voice of Mrs. Sartoris, who kindly offered to sing. Mr. Leighton also volunteered to take the tenor part in various sacred pieces. We were all to help in the concerted music, and the old curé was in the seventh heaven of delight at the prospect of such a grand service. Our dismay can be imagined when three days before the service Mr. Leighton announced that he must leave us as business required his presence in London. 'Oh!' we all exclaimed, 'what shall we do? the tenor pieces must be given up; the curé will die of grief,' &c. ... 'No, no,' said Mr. L., in his cheery way, 'don't change anything; I shall be back all right on Sunday morning in time to sing;' and so, sure enough, he did return, having travelled two nights to London and back. He never would tell us why he had gone; and it was not till long afterwards that it transpired that he had made the hurried double journey to help a struggling artist, whose work he wished to bring forward and introduce to some influential person. He attained his object, and thought nothing of the time and trouble involved, only glad to have been a help to one who needed assistance, and also to keep his promise by singing in the little village church."

Drifting"DRIFTING"Illustration for Mrs. Adelaide Sartoris's story, "A Week in a French Country House," published in theCornhill Magazine, 1867By permission of Messrs. Smith, Elder, & Co.ToList

"DRIFTING"Illustration for Mrs. Adelaide Sartoris's story, "A Week in a French Country House," published in theCornhill Magazine, 1867By permission of Messrs. Smith, Elder, & Co.ToList

In 1863 Leighton began painting the fresco of "The Wise and Foolish Virgins," which he presented to the Church at Lyndhurst. It was painted on the plaster wall above the altarat the east end. While at work on it, he stayed with his old friend Mr. Hamilton Aïdé, who formed one of the happy company ofintimesof the Roman and Lucca days. Several visits to this charming home in the New Forest were made before the work was finished.

In the following letter to Steinle he mentions his first experiment in Mr. Gambier Parry's medium for painting in fresco.

Translation.]2 Orme Square, Bayswater.My Very Dear Friend,—When I last wrote I asked you when the German exhibition of which you spoke was to take place, and whether it was to be held in Cologne itself; but as I received no answer I supposed that this exhibition either had not come to anything (as I have seen nothing about it in the newspapers), or that it did not seem sufficiently important to you for me to go specially to Germany for it. Nevertheless, I would have gone to Cologne, if it had been in any way feasible, exclusively on account of you and your works, which I am very anxious to see; unfortunately, however, I could not arrange it, and must content myself with learning from a letter (if you will write me one) how your work succeeds, and how far you have got with it. Two walls are already finished, are they not?As for myself, I am fairly industrious. Amongst other things, I am painting at present the composition which you have already seen, of Michael Angelo and his old servant Urbino. I have endeavoured to keep the action of the figures simpler and smoother than in the first sketch; and, in fact, I think the picture will please you better than the drawing. For the rest, I am sick of painting small pictures, and would like to undertake something large; but it is not very agreeable to paint pictures which will probably remain always hanging round one's neck.I think I shall very soon test the public again in this respect—butwhatI shall paint I do not know. A friend of mine (Mr. Gambier Parry), a great art devotee and first-rate amateur, has discovered a medium to replace fresco painting in our damp climate. I have seen his experiments, and havemyself painted a head under his rules,[28]and to my complete satisfaction. The result is scarcely to be distinguished from fresco, and is quite as easy, indeed even easier to achieve. At the same time this method has advantages whichbuonfresco does not possess; it dries exactly as one lays it on (and is then flat), it has no deposit (Ansätze), and one can go over it as often as one likes. The wall (a granular lime wall) is saturated with the same preparation as you paint with. This preparation, which isstone hardagainst water, can always dissolveitselfwith moisture, so that one can retouch it perpetually, at the same time thewholeof one's palette is available. My friend is going to publish his system; I will then, if you like, tell you exactly about it.And now, farewell, dear Master. Remember me most kindly to your wife and children, and keep in remembrance your friend and pupil,Fred Leighton.

Translation.]

2 Orme Square, Bayswater.

My Very Dear Friend,—When I last wrote I asked you when the German exhibition of which you spoke was to take place, and whether it was to be held in Cologne itself; but as I received no answer I supposed that this exhibition either had not come to anything (as I have seen nothing about it in the newspapers), or that it did not seem sufficiently important to you for me to go specially to Germany for it. Nevertheless, I would have gone to Cologne, if it had been in any way feasible, exclusively on account of you and your works, which I am very anxious to see; unfortunately, however, I could not arrange it, and must content myself with learning from a letter (if you will write me one) how your work succeeds, and how far you have got with it. Two walls are already finished, are they not?

As for myself, I am fairly industrious. Amongst other things, I am painting at present the composition which you have already seen, of Michael Angelo and his old servant Urbino. I have endeavoured to keep the action of the figures simpler and smoother than in the first sketch; and, in fact, I think the picture will please you better than the drawing. For the rest, I am sick of painting small pictures, and would like to undertake something large; but it is not very agreeable to paint pictures which will probably remain always hanging round one's neck.

I think I shall very soon test the public again in this respect—butwhatI shall paint I do not know. A friend of mine (Mr. Gambier Parry), a great art devotee and first-rate amateur, has discovered a medium to replace fresco painting in our damp climate. I have seen his experiments, and havemyself painted a head under his rules,[28]and to my complete satisfaction. The result is scarcely to be distinguished from fresco, and is quite as easy, indeed even easier to achieve. At the same time this method has advantages whichbuonfresco does not possess; it dries exactly as one lays it on (and is then flat), it has no deposit (Ansätze), and one can go over it as often as one likes. The wall (a granular lime wall) is saturated with the same preparation as you paint with. This preparation, which isstone hardagainst water, can always dissolveitselfwith moisture, so that one can retouch it perpetually, at the same time thewholeof one's palette is available. My friend is going to publish his system; I will then, if you like, tell you exactly about it.

And now, farewell, dear Master. Remember me most kindly to your wife and children, and keep in remembrance your friend and pupil,

Fred Leighton.

He wrote to Steinle in 1862 that he was making studies for the Lyndhurst fresco, and expected to finish it that summer; but it was apparently only begun in August 1863.

Translation.]2 Orme Square, Bayswater,April 22, 1862.My very dear Friend,—When I last wrote to you, I promised and hoped that this time I should be able to send you some photographs of my latest works, but unfortunately at the last moment time ran short. My pictures are only just ready for exhibition, and I must send them off unphotographed. In order that you may not think I have been idle, I write these lines; also because I am unwilling, my dear Master, to fade entirely from your memory. I am exhibitingeightpictures this year, an unusually large number. But the case is not so bad as it looks at the first glance. Two only of these pictures are important in size and subject. One of them you already know from a former composition. It represents Michael Angelo with his dying servant Urbino. In the principal idea I have not deviated much from the first sketch, but have endeavoured to treat the whole with more unity and the details with moresimplicity than in the drawing which you saw, and the faults of which you pointed out to me. This picture is life-size, and extends down to the knees.The other is of a somewhat fanciful description. I have imagined one of the three holy kings, when he sees the Star in the East from the battlements of his palace. The picture is curious and open to much fault-finding, but I think it will please you by a certain poetry in the conception. The shape is long and narrow. The king, half life-size, almost turns his back upon the spectator, and is, in the midst of the dark night, only lit by the mystic rays of the Star. In contrast to this pure light one sees, quite at the bottom, through an arch, into the hot lamp-light, which illuminates a gay orgy. I have allowed myself a certain amount of pictorial licence, which may well surprise the general spectator at first glance, but which to me heightens the poetical impression of the whole.Five other pictures are smaller, and three of the subjects are idyllic or fanciful (e.g.a shepherd playing on a flute, an Oriental girl with a swan, &c. &c.), all carried out with great love, and certainly my best works.At present I am busy making studies for a large wall painting (the "Wise and Foolish Virgins"), which I am giving to a church. I shall execute it this summer, and tell you more about it.Now, my dear Friend, I have given you a long and full report of myself; I hope you also will tell me what you are doing. I am very anxious to know how the Cologne frescoes get on. How I should like to see them!PerhapsI may manage it this autumn. In the meantime, however, write to me, and believe me to be, your devoted pupil,Fred Leighton.

Translation.]

2 Orme Square, Bayswater,April 22, 1862.

My very dear Friend,—When I last wrote to you, I promised and hoped that this time I should be able to send you some photographs of my latest works, but unfortunately at the last moment time ran short. My pictures are only just ready for exhibition, and I must send them off unphotographed. In order that you may not think I have been idle, I write these lines; also because I am unwilling, my dear Master, to fade entirely from your memory. I am exhibitingeightpictures this year, an unusually large number. But the case is not so bad as it looks at the first glance. Two only of these pictures are important in size and subject. One of them you already know from a former composition. It represents Michael Angelo with his dying servant Urbino. In the principal idea I have not deviated much from the first sketch, but have endeavoured to treat the whole with more unity and the details with moresimplicity than in the drawing which you saw, and the faults of which you pointed out to me. This picture is life-size, and extends down to the knees.

The other is of a somewhat fanciful description. I have imagined one of the three holy kings, when he sees the Star in the East from the battlements of his palace. The picture is curious and open to much fault-finding, but I think it will please you by a certain poetry in the conception. The shape is long and narrow. The king, half life-size, almost turns his back upon the spectator, and is, in the midst of the dark night, only lit by the mystic rays of the Star. In contrast to this pure light one sees, quite at the bottom, through an arch, into the hot lamp-light, which illuminates a gay orgy. I have allowed myself a certain amount of pictorial licence, which may well surprise the general spectator at first glance, but which to me heightens the poetical impression of the whole.

Five other pictures are smaller, and three of the subjects are idyllic or fanciful (e.g.a shepherd playing on a flute, an Oriental girl with a swan, &c. &c.), all carried out with great love, and certainly my best works.

At present I am busy making studies for a large wall painting (the "Wise and Foolish Virgins"), which I am giving to a church. I shall execute it this summer, and tell you more about it.

Now, my dear Friend, I have given you a long and full report of myself; I hope you also will tell me what you are doing. I am very anxious to know how the Cologne frescoes get on. How I should like to see them!PerhapsI may manage it this autumn. In the meantime, however, write to me, and believe me to be, your devoted pupil,

Fred Leighton.

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