Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (2110 page)

“Amid these difficulties, one piece of advice I may venture to give, — Let our little friend go on drawing, without being much encouraged or depressed; not allowing him to give up such other schoolboy employments as will be necessary and advantageous to him, whatever his future destination may be; and if, after a couple of years, his preference for drawing continue, and his works should improve, something may be determined upon. Any other course would be, in my opinion, highly imprudent; and if, either at the expiration of that time, or whenever you may choose, in the interim, you should think fit to send me any of his performances, I shall have the greatest pleasure in giving such advice as my knowledge will enable me honestly to offer.

“Faithfully yours,

“WILLIAM COLLINS.”

The succeeding letter was written during the painter’s usual autumn visit to the country seat of the late Mr. Wells.

“To MRS. WILLIAM COLLINS.

“Redleaf, Sept. 23, 1826.

“* * * Judging from my own anxiety to receive a letter from you, I write, although I have little to communicate. My time is passed in the most agreeable manner, and principally out of doors, until six in the evening. Mr. and Mrs. S — - are of our party, and as
she
is fond of conversation, and from the extensive connection she has with the great world, has a vast deal of amusing knowledge to impart — she keeps us quite alive. Mr. Wells, I need not tell you, is the same unpretending, sociable, hospitable host, and, if possible, more unlike the selfish creatures with whom this world seems to be peopled, than ever. I take especial care to follow your instructions respecting the easy, quiet method of spending my time, which you have thought so desirable in my case, and I trust you do not neglect my wishes, in all that pertains to your own comfort. * * * I have just returned from hearing Mr. Dodd, who gave us a most impressive sermon upon sincerity — Heaven grant I may profit by it: I need hardly say I wish you to do the same, for you possess that virtue in a high degree already — do not let it go from you; it is unfortunately but little sought after in what is called ‘the world:’ Mr. Wells has it in a rare degree. How is my dear mother? Does Frank see you often? These, and other matters, let me know about at your early convenience. * * *

“Yours affectionately,

“WILLIAM COLLINS.”

“P.S. — I open my letter again, to say that I have heard that the pipe of a key, pressed for a few minutes upon the sting of a wasp or bee, is a cure. Mr. Parke mentioned this to us, as you know; but Mrs. S — - tried it, and succeeded in removing a sting from her brother. Mention this where you think it may be of use.”

CHAPTER V.

1827-1831.

Letter to Mr. Joseph — Exhibition of 1827 — Malicious slander against the painter, on the subject of his “Frost Scene” — His refutation — Extracts from diary — Letters to and from Wilkie — Mutual opinions on the old masters, and on colour, and light and shade — Letter from the painter to his wife — Domestic events of 1828 — Letters to and from Wilkie — Pictures of 1828 — Desire of the King to possess one of them — Return of Wilkie to England — Visit of the painter to Holland and Belgium — Letters to Mrs. W. Collins from the Continent and from Leamington — Death of the Earl of Liverpool — Pictures of 1829 — Sonnet to the painter, by Mr. Bernard Barton — Correspondence with the author — Anecdotes of criticism on Art — Contemplated change of residence — Visit to Boulogne — Studies there — Noble humanity of a French fisherman — Letter to Mr. Francis Collins — Return to Hampstead — Commencement of French sea-pieces — Death of Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A. — Pictures of 1830 — Letters to Sir Thomas Baring, Bart. — Removal to Bayswater — Extracts from diary — Lord Byron — Pictures of 1831 — Commencement of “the Skittle Players.”

To Mr. Joseph, the sculptor, who was at this time much interested in matters connected with the progress of the Royal Scottish Academy of Arts, and who had written to ask him for a contribution to the Annual Exhibition of that Institution, my father thus writes:

“To S. JOSEPH, ESQ.

“Hampstead, January 22, 1827.

“My dear Joseph, — You will see by the above address that I am hermit enough to live away from London, even in the winter, and by what will follow, that whatever of the courtier might have formerly belonged to your friend’s disposition, is now, in his old age, utterly cast off. In this, my new character, then, I find myself under the necessity of at once refusing your request, and, moreover, of offering a little advice. My reason for not acceding to your proposal is this, I have no time disengaged to paint a new picture for your Exhibition, and I am not willing to be judged in
foreign, barbarous
countries, by such works as those you mention. And now, my good friend, I must confess that I regret your present sacrifice of time and temper, in the vain endeavour to set matters right, where the patronage of our little understood and greatly undervalued Art is concerned. It is the nature of the world to neglect living merit; and as the pursuit of excellence brings its own reward, all attempt or longing after other good things, is just so much loss of time and power.

“Let me entreat you to leave all squabbling to those who love it —

‘One science only can one genius fit;’

and, as all combinations to force real Art are miserable shackles to it, to depend upon your own unsophisticated study of Nature; to send the very best works you can execute to
our
Academy, — the least faulty of such institutions that ever has existed; bearing in mind that we have no sculptor on our Associate List, and that we have lost a most illustrious example from among our Academicians determine to become one of us.

“I have, as you desired, made your request to such artists as I have seen since I received your letter, and purpose calling upon Etty in a day or two. Trusting you will not fail to send something excellent, and in time, to Somerset-house; and with my best wishes for your success, and sincere regards to Jane,

“I am, yours faithfully,

“WILLIAM COLLINS.”

The Exhibition of 1827 contained three pictures by Mr. Collins: “Buying Fish,” painted for Lord Northwicke; “Searching the Net,” painted for Sir Abraham Hume; and the “Frost Scene,” painted for Sir Robert Peel, — about which so much had been conjectured during its progress, and in relation to which a false report was circulated, as contemptible in its nature as it was malicious in its design. Ere, however, the particulars of this affair are stated, it will be necessary to submit to the reader some description of the picture itself, not forgetting the other two works exhibited with it.

“Buying Fish” was a large, clear sea-piece, painted in the artist’s most brilliant manner, with one of those serene, airy skies, studded with light fleecy clouds, for which his pictures of this class were so celebrated, and enlivened by a group of well-contrasted and characteristic figures, including the salesman, a cunning old fisherman — the purchaser, a perplexed and pretty young girl — and the spectator of the bargain, a little fair-haired, bare-headed child. A shrimp-boy and two children, examining the contents of his net, formed the subject of “Searching the Net” the engraving from which is widely-known, not only in England, but in America, where the print has been one of the most successful of modern English works. Great, however, as were the merits of these two productions, they did not rival the public attraction of the “Frost Scene;” which, as another effort by the painter in a new class of subject, and as a work, moreover, about which much useless gossip had been propagated while it was on the easel, aroused the general curiosity at the time in an unusual degree. Though a picture of large dimensions, it presented throughout an appearance of elabourate, and in some places of almost excessive finish. A wide river, frozen over, occupies the middle of the composition, from the foreground to the horizon. The ice in the distance is covered by an animated crowd, composed of skaters, sliders, spectators, and vendors of provisions. On the right-hand foreground is a large drinking-booth, at the entrance of which stands the merry old “Boniface” of the temporary ale-house, with a bottle in one hand and a glass in the other, exchanging a brisk fire of jokes with two travellers, a man, and a handsome young girl mounted, pillion-fashion, behind him on an old clumsy white horse. The left bank of the river is occupied by groups in full activity, — some buying, some selling, some rushing triumphantly, skates in hand, to the frozen stream — others prostrate on the slippery ground which endangers its approach. In every part of the picture the drawing of the figures is vigorous and correct; while at the same time the bustling, animated character of the different groups, and the quaint contrasts of colour and form natural to the scene, are caught with extraordinary brilliancy and success. The heavy snow-clouds, brightened by the rich flashes of red cast on them by the approaching sunset — the glimpses of cold, pure blue sky behind them — the frosty stillness of the distant landscape, are all painted with a truth, finish, and nature, which attest the severe study bestowed upon the landscape, as well as the figures, in this fine picture. Forcibly, however, as it appealed to the approbation of all who beheld it, it failed to avert from the artist that worst consequence of success, —
the detraction of others.
On the close of the Exhibition, the following paragraph on the subject of the “Frost Scene” appeared in four of the London newspapers:

“We mentioned some time ago that Mr. Peel had given, or was to give, five hundred guineas for the snow-piece by Collins, in the late Exhibition. Such was, we believe, the understanding when the commission was given; but on the completion of the picture, no less a sum than seven hundred guineas was demanded; a sum which we are informed the right honourable gentleman declined to pay, as he considered it very much above the value of the picture. We can easily understand that the artist may have bestowed upon his work a great deal more labour than he originally intended to bestow, without rendering it at all more valuable to his patron; but it is of great importance to the body to which he belongs that the few noblemen and gentlemen who are just now manifesting so liberal a disposition towards modern artists should not be disgusted by even the appearance of a wish to take undue advantage of their generosity.”

To this paltry attempt to injure his character Mr. Collins thus replied, — addressing his letter to one of the newspapers in which the false statement had appeared, and from which the refutation thus made public, was copied into several other journals:

“To THE EDITOR OF THE ‘STANDARD.’

“11, New Cavendish-street,

“July 30th.

“Sir, — My attention having been called to a paragraph copied into your paper, conveying an imputation upon my conduct, with reference to the commission which I have recently been honoured with from Mr. Peel, I rely upon your candour to insert from me this declaration, that the whole is a groundless fabrication, a mere invention; that no such price as seven hundred guineas was ever demanded; that the price asked was not declined to be paid, nor any the least hesitation expressed on the subject.*

* The price paid for the picture will be found, by a reference to the list of my father’s works at the end of this memoir, to have been five hundred guineas.

“As regards the tendency of the paragraph to impute to me the sacrifice of the interests of the body to which I belong for my own pecuniary advantage, I repel it with the contempt the falsehood deserves.

“I am, Sir,

“Your obedient servant,

“WILLIAM COLLINS.

“P.S. — I trust that such journals as have given insertion to the above-mentioned paragraph, will do me the justice to publish also this contradiction.

“W. C.”

The publication of the above letter produced the exposure of the worst peculiarity attaching to the fabrication which it was written to refute; one of the newspapers alleging, as a justification of their admission of the offensive paragraph, that it had appeared through the voluntary information of a member of the Royal Academy. Feeling that enough had been already done to justify his character, Mr. Collins only noticed the clue thus afforded to the discovery of his anonymous assailant, by communicating privately on the subject to the Council of the Academy, and leaving the matter to their discretion. Soon after this the affair terminated most triumphantly for him by the receipt of a new commission from Sir Robert Peel — from whom he had previously received a letter, contradicting in the most unqualified manner the newspaper report — for another large picture by his hand; an event as creditable to the taste and liberality of the patron as to the conduct and capacity of the painter.