BISHOP, Sir Henry Rowley (1786–1855), composer. Autograph letter signed to A. R. Reinagle, 2 sides, 8vo, London, Dec 26 [no year]. Thanking Reinagle for a copy of the Oxford Herald, saying that he “cannot attend to the article you have alluded to until my return. In what manner I may be disposed to treat it (for parts of it are not only scurrilous but somewhat libelous) I cannot at present say; but I will let you know in good time.” Old glue stains on both sides.

£30

Bishop's correspondent was the organist Alexander Robert Reinagle (1799–1877).

 

Brett, John (1831–1902), landscape and marine painter. Autograph letter signed to Mr Weldon, 3 sides, 8vo, 6 Keswick Road, Putney, SW., January 29^th 1881. Regarding his election, and a photograph: "I take a real pleasure in the election myself because it affords some sort of justification of the faith that these few friends seriously cherish. May their shadow never grow less!! ..........I did print and mount the photograph I promised you of Parsons & u".

£150

By the 1880s Brett had become a successful and admired artist, and in 1881 was elected as an Associate of the Royal Academy, to which this letter alludes. In his early years he was a familiar figure on the fringe of the Pre-Raphaelite circle, but moved from painting genre scenes to landscape and marine subjects.

 

LECTURE NOTES OF JOHN FLAXMAN

FLAXMAN, John (1755–1826), sculptor, decorative designer, and illustrator. Autograph manuscript lecture notes with corrections, signed, 2 sides, folio plus integral blank.On the first side Flaxman draws attention to the “beautiful & striking” windows of New College, Oxford, questioning why such work has not been followed in London, and while he draws attention to the Crucifixion in the east windows of St Margaret’s Westminster, comments on “how much more beautiful & admirable is the Nativity from Sir J.R’s painting in New College Chapel …….. it may surely be pronounced one of the finest decorations of our Island”, and why nothing worthy of notice has appeared in the Metropolis since the St Margaret’s Crucifixion “among a people who profess to love the fine Arts, who subscribed so many Thousands of Pounds to form a Gallery of Pictures, from Shakespeare, who are never backward in giving towards any great & useful work who will over subscribe 100s at a time to build & decorate a Theatre”.

On the second side Flaxman comments on pulpits in churches “we must confess, that for clumsiness & ugliness worse could scarcely be devised ……… what a difference between the miserable pieces of joiners work & the fine ones of bronze & Marble in some of the Churches of Italy……” and suggests how church interiors can be enhanced “with harmony of forms, effect of light & shadow & all the most finished beauty & grace of Sculpture, Sepulchral Monuments as they are always works of experience & of course ought likewise to be works of great beauty, afford an extensive field for the exercise of the imagination & judgement …… the subjects presented by Religion & the Choicest objects of the Natural World……… by insulated groups, compositions of figures on walls & various architectural forms, assisted by the effect produced by bronze & variegated Marble, what miracles of Fine Art might our Churches become.”

Lower portion of the document damaged, with repairs to the right hand corner. PHOTO

£450

In his early career Flaxman was inspired by medieval art found in the tomb sculpture, decorative carving, and paintings in cathedrals, which helped lead him later to play an important role in the development of the British Gothic revival. The other great formative part of his life was his sojourn in Rome between 1787 and 1794 which was to transform him into a major international figure with proven ability in monumental and free-standing sculpture and in graphic design.

Flaxman was appointed the first professor of sculpture at the Royal Academy in 1810, and although his lectures were criticized by contemporaries for their gravity and scholarly earnestness, they reveal how important he considered British monumental sculpture in the history of artistic commemoration. He was wary of promoting his ideas in public and his lectures on sculpture were not published until after his death in 1829.(ODNB)

Frith, William Powell (1819–1909), painter. Autograph letter signed to an unnamed correspondent, 3 sides, 8vo, 13 Park Village West, Regents Park, November 23 1847. Thanking his correspondent for some presents, discussing domestic affairs, and asking after his art studies "How get on the water colour studies? Are you working very hard? We are all – I mean your artist friends - over head and ears in our pictures, struggling away sometimes in good hopes – but often I myself – in despair. This black month of November, with its cold and fog, finds us once more ruining our eyes in a vain endeavour to work as well could in June - in spite of cold and darkness the fear of being tripped up, and above all the ‘stern necessity’ of getting our daily bread spurs us on and so nine out of ten of us are plunged in a hopeless struggle – and in this way we shall go on I suppose until in the words of Swift’s biographer “all is dark and silence” . With folds, slightly grubby.

£175

Written at the beginning of his career as a highly successful painter, Frith rapidly moved into the centre of literary and artistic life in London (his lifelong friendship with Charles Dickens began in 1842). He married Isabella Jane Baker (1823-80) on 26 June 1845, and had 7 sons & 5 daughters (their first born, Isabelle is mentioned in the letter).

 

HARDING, James Duffield (1797–1863), landscape painter and lithographer. Autograph letter signed to Sir Chas. Lock Eastlake, 2 sides, 8vo, 3 Abercorn Place [St John’s Wood, London], Dec. 6^th 1856, thanking him for his assistance, which he would have hesitated to have sought “If I could have anticipated the impossibility on the part of the Committee to comply with my request”.

£30

Harding trained under Samuel Prout, and exhibited drawings at the Royal Academy from 1811 when he was thirteen. He was elected a member of the Society of Painters in Water Colours in 1821, from whom he resigned in 1847, in hopes of election to the Royal Academy as an oil painter, but meeting no success there returned to the watercolourists in 1856. His correspondent, Sir Charles Lock Eastlake (1793–1865), was at this time (1856) President of the Royal Academy, and Director of the National Gallery. ODNB

[Lawrence, Sir Thomas (1769–1830), painter and draughtsman, chiefly of portraits.] Autograph letter signed, from M. Ellmaurer, Permanent Secretary of the Academy, to Sir Thomas Lawrence, 1 side plus integral blank, folio, written in German (with a 19th century manuscript translation on 1 side, folio), Vienna, August 12th 1820. Sending him the Diploma of the Imperial Austrian Academy of Fine Arts (not present) at Vienna, issued 22 March 1820, in recognition of his distinguished talents, and the many services he has rendered in promoting and encouraging the Fine Arts. Letter folded, and top and bottom edges scruffy.  PHOTO

£200

Lawrence was largely self-taught in art, was admitted to the Royal Academy Schools, and thereafter exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy. The prince regent commissioned a portrait in 1814, following which Lawrence undertook portraits of the great military commanders of the day, Wellington, Blücher, Platov and Metternich. Touring Europe in 1818-1820, commissions were plentiful from European heads of state and nobility, including Francis I Emperor of Austria. Upon his return to England in March 1820, he was elected President of the Royal Academy, and his international reputation was recognized by honours from foreign academies of art, including those of Rome (1816), New York (1818), Vienna (the subject of this letter, 1820), Florence (1820), Venice (1823), and Denmark (1823).

MARTIN, John (1789–1854), artist. Autograph letter in the third person to 'Harral', The Editor of La Belle Assemblée, 1 side 4to with the address panel on the reverse bearing 4 postmarks and seal, 30 Allsop Terrace [London], May 22nd 1823, regretting that he did not receive the editor's card of admission to the Exhibition of the "Fall of Nineveh". Paper loss where the seal was attached (affecting about 4 words) and with an adhering strip of paper from an album.

£200

La Belle Assemblée was a court and fashion magazine published under this name from 1806 until 1832. Under the editorship of Thomas Harrol the magazine published original poetry and fiction, articles on politics and science, book and theatre reviews, serialized novels, and in its later years produced fine fashion plates for which it is best remembered.

The subject of this letter to Harral is interesting, for Martin was to paint his own interpretation of the Fall of Nineveh, a tour-de-force which he began in 1827 and completed and exhibited the following year, with a price tag of 2,000 guineas.

LETTER TO MICHAEL FARADAY

MARTIN, John (1789–1854), artist. Autograph letter signed to M. Faraday, Royal Institution, 1 side plus integral address leaf, 8vo, 30 Allsop Terrace [London], February 26th 1836, thanking him for his letter and reminding him that "When we were conversing the other evening there was some mention of laying my plan for improving the Thames upon the Library table" and saying that if this is agreeable he will send him his drawing and map when convenient. Corner repair to blank of address leaf, with remnants of edge mounting.

£350

An accomplished painter and engraver, Martin was also enthusiastic about urban improvement, especially in London, where water supply and sewage management were of serious concern. Martin laid a number of plans before government Select Committees on these issues including in 1832 "An Outline Plan for supplying London with water from the Thames at Teddington Lock" which is undoubtedly the scheme referred to in this letter. This plan was approved at a meeting of the Institute of British Architects at a meeting on February 29th 1836, and on March 3rd to a voluntary Committee chaired by Lord Euston (which included Faraday) who enthusiastically supported the scheme. Lengthy discussions and amendments were considered in the ensuing years, and his scheme was finally adopted after his death, solving London's water problem.

Michael Faraday (1791–1867) the famous natural philosopher and scientific adviser, was at this time Director of the Royal Institution laboratory.

MARTIN, John (1789–1854), artist. Autograph letter signed to Dr Elliotson, 1 side, 8vo, 30 Allsop Terrace [London], May 7th 1837, presenting him with proof copies of his engravings Death of the First Born and Destroying Angel "as some mark of my friendship & the remembrance I shall never cease to entertain of your kind & valuable attentions". The reverse has old mounting gum marks.

£250

The recipient of Martin's letter was John Elliotson (1791–1868), senior physician at University College Hospital and an exponent of mesmerism. His serious involvement with mesmerism dated from the autumn of 1837 when, after observing the work of the French mesmeric demonstrator Baron J. E. Dupotet he began to mesmerize patients in his own wards at University College Hospital. He achieved both ‘excellent cures’ and ‘striking phenomena’. However, in August 1838 the editor of The Lancet, Thomas Wakley, thought he had caught the sisters in deliberate trickery, and strongly attacked Elliotson. Elliotson responded with equal force. Further controversies ensued, and in December 1838 the hospital committee forbade the practice of mesmerism on the wards. Elliotson resigned from both the hospital and the college the following month (ODNB).

Elliotson was a close friend of Martin as well as his doctor, and was a great admirer of his work. The proof engravings that Martin sent him were mezzotints for his series Illustrations of the Bible published 1831-1835.

Poynter, Sir Edward John, first baronet (1836–1919), painter and arts administrator. Autograph letter signed to Thos. Worthington, 2 sides, 8vo, London, 62 Gt. Russell Street, December 9th 1865, extending his thanks to the Council of the Royal Manchester Institution for an award: "I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th informing me that the Council of the Royal Manchester Institution have awarded me The Heywood prize of fifty guineas.- I shall be greatly obliged by your expressing to Them my thanks for the honour they have done me in selecting my picture as worthy of the award.". Docket note on the front "Sent the Money Feby 7 1866". Small hole and edge split, and traces of mounting on the reverse.

£100

Poynter trained in painting and decorative art in England and Paris, and exhibited his first work at the Royal Academy in 1861. During the following years he specialised in painting Egyptian and classical subjects, and received a number of commissions for decorative art works.

The Royal Manchester Institution was founded in 1823, to promote the arts, and held art exhibitions, and collected works of fine art. The building and its collections were transferred to Manchester Corporation in 1882, to become the Manchester Art Gallery.

 

SHEE, Sir Martin Archer (1769–1850), portrait painter and writer. Autograph letter signed to an unnamed correspondent, 3 sides, 8vo, Cavendish Square, March 23d 1831, regretting that he is unable "to name a day when I can have the honour of attending the Arts Committee at the hours you mention. So many circumstances have combined to retard my contribution to the now nearly approaching Exhibition that every hour of daylight must be expeditiously directed to the completion of such works as I may be able to prepare for Somerset House before the fifth of April next", and he goes on to suggest times when he may be available.

£50

Following the death of Sir Thomas Lawrence on 7^th January 1830 Shee was elected President of the Royal Academy, by eighteen votes to six for Beechey, and he was knighted in the same year. ‘We expect much from Shee's self-devotion and chivalrous sense of honour’, wrote Constable in a letter to a friend (ODNB). Shee remained President until his death in 1850 when he was succeeded by Sir Charles Lock Eastlake.

TONGUE, Richard (1795–1873), artist. Autograph letter signed to Henry Howard Esq, 1 side, cut down 4to (6.5 x 7 ins), 14 Brownlow St, Gray's Inn [London], no date (1839 inserted in pencil), enclosing "one of my paintings, the first offered to any London Exhibition" and expressing his hope that "Wm Hilton Esq is better than when I last had the pleasure to wait on him". At the base of the letter are details of the painting's price and title: 'Picture 50 gns - Frame & Case 10 gns - Scene in Westmorland'.

£150

Very little archival material has come to light relating to Richard Tongue, especially in connection with his paintings, and little or nothing concerning pictures for sale.

Richard Tongue was born in Bath, Somerset, on 20 February 1795, the son of Richard Tongue (d. 1823/4) and his wife, Ann. He was a self-taught amateur artist who described himself as a landscape painter, and although he said he had been painting in oils at least from 1818, his few known surviving paintings date from 1833 to 1837. His earliest known works were models.

He showed little enthusiasm to sell his work (hence this letter is of interest), and preferred to donate it to institutions where it could be seen. His main interests were prehistoric monuments, or ‘Celtic antiquities’ as they were described at the time, and precariously balanced rocks said to have druidic associations. In the 1830s Tongue went on annual tours to sketch scenery and antiquities and later worked his drawings up into finished oil paintings. His mental health deteriorated around about 1844, following which he was admitted to a succession of lunatic asylums until shortly before his death. (ODNB)

His correspondent is probably Henry Howard (1757–1842), landowner and antiquary, of Corby Castle, Cumberland, son of Philip Howard (author of A Scriptural History of the Earth and of Mankind 1797). He was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and contributed papers to Archaeologia, and helped other historians in their work.