Dickens and His Illustrators Part 34

Mr. Gibson's drawings of d.i.c.kens subjects have been excellently reproduced on both sides of the Atlantic.

APPENDIX

III

d.i.c.kENS IN ART

Paintings of Scenes and Characters in d.i.c.kens's Novels--Portraits of Dolly Varden and Kate Nickleby Painted for the Novelist by Mr. W. P. Frith, R.A.--A Humorous Advertis.e.m.e.nt--Sale of the Two Pictures--Mr. Frith's Recollections--Mr. James Hamilton Presents to d.i.c.kens his Sketch of "What are the Wild Waves Saying?"--The Artist Rewarded for his Generosity--Water-Colour Drawings by Charles Green--How they Originated--An Interesting Series.

The novels of Charles d.i.c.kens are an interminable storehouse of subjects for pictures, so it is not surprising that they have always exercised a fascination over painters. The following is a list merely of those pictures that have come under my notice,--a collection which, doubtless, could be much amplified by reference to the catalogues of the Royal Academy and other important Art galleries.

W. A. ATKINSON.--"Little Nell and the two Gravediggers"

("The Old Curiosity Shop"). Royal Academy, 1856.

FRED. BARNARD.--"Sidney Carton" ("A Tale of Two Cities").

Exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1882.

"Horatio Sparkins" ("Sketches by Boz"). Inst.i.tute of Painters in Water-Colours, 1885.

W. H. BARTLETT.--"'The sea, Floy, what is it always Saying?'" ("Dombey and Son").

EDGAR BUNDY, R.I.--"Barnaby Rudge at the Country Justice's."

Inst.i.tute of Painters in Oil-Colours, 1896.

R. W. BUSS.--"Peerybingle, Dot, and Tilly s...o...b..y" ("The Cricket on the Hearth").

"Joe Willet taking leave of Dolly Varden" ("Barnaby Rudge").

"Trotty Veck and his Dinner" ("The Chimes"). (_See p. 55._)

G. CATTERMOLE.--"Little Nell's Home" ("The Old Curiosity Shop"), 1842.

"Little Nell's Grave" (companion picture), 1842. (_See p.

134._)

HORACE H. CAUTY.--"Bebelle looking out for the Corporal"

("Somebody's Luggage"). Society of British Artists, 1880.

HERBERT d.i.c.kSEE. "The Grandfather at the Grave of Little Nell." Royal Academy, 1887.

W. MAW EGLEY.--"The Marchioness Playing Cribbage in d.i.c.k Swiveller's Sick-Room" ("The Old Curiosity Shop"). Royal Academy, 1898.

F. EDWIN ELWELL.--"Charles d.i.c.kens and Little Nell." A bronze group, purchased by the Fairmount Park Art a.s.sociation for the Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, U.S.A. The figure of Little Nell was exhibited at the Art Club, Philadelphia, and awarded the Gold Medal, while the entire group obtained a prize at the Columbian Exhibition. When exhibited in England, this work of Art met with warm approval, and the sculptor offered it to the London County Council, but the emphatic wish of d.i.c.kens (as expressed in his Will) prohibited their acceptance of this interesting memorial.

W. P. FRITH, R.A.--"Dolly Varden," 1843. Also _replicas_ and other portraits, including one representing her with Emma Haredale. (_See pp. 246-7._)

"Kate Nickleby at Madame Mantalini's." Royal Academy, 1843.

"The Jailer's Little Daughter Feeding 'the Birds in the Cage.'" ("Little Dorrit").

"Little Dorrit Visits Arthur Clennam at the Marshalsea."

The first portrait of Dolly Varden was engraved by C. E.

Wagstaffe in 1843; the third (now in South Kensington Museum) was reproduced in mezzotint by S. W. Reynolds; the fourth, "Dolly Varden and Emma Haredale," was engraved by S.

W. Reynolds and G. S. Shury in 1845. The second portrait of Dolly, which was painted for d.i.c.kens, has never been engraved; there are in existence, however, a few impressions of a chromo-lithographic reproduction (now very scarce) of Mr. Frith's original sketch for the picture, the publication of which was unauthorised. The portrait of Kate Nickleby was engraved by W. Holl, A.R.A., and published in 1848 exclusively for the members of the National Art Union for Ireland.

The "Dorrit" pictures were painted in 1859, and engraved on steel by Lumb Stocks, R.A., as vignettes for the Library Edition, then in course of publication.

W. GALE.--"Mr. F.'s Aunt" ("Little Dorrit"). Royal Academy, 1857.

When Wilkie Collins saw this clever picture at the Academy, he was so much impressed that he wrote at once concerning it to d.i.c.kens, who replied (May 22, 1857): "I am very much excited by what you tell me of Mr. F.'s Aunt. I already look upon her as mine. Will you bring her with you?" The painting was purchased by d.i.c.kens through Collins, and realised at the sale of the novelist's effects the sum of sixty guineas.

FLORENCE GRAHAM.--"Little Nell seated in the Old Curiosity Shop." Engraved in mezzotint by Edward Slocombe, and published by Buck & Reid, 179 New Bond Street, 1888.

_Large Drawings in Water-Colours._

CHARLES GREEN, R.I.--"Gabriel Varden Preparing to go on Parade" ("Barnaby Rudge").

"Tom Pinch and Ruth" ("Martin Chuzzlewit").

"Nell and her Grandfather at the Races" ("The Old Curiosity Shop").

"Captain Cuttle and Florence Dombey."

"Little Dorrit's Visit to her Sister at the Theatre."

"Mr. Turveydrop's Dancing Academy" ("Bleak House").

"Mr. Mantalini and the Brokers" ("Nicholas Nickleby").

"The Pickwick Club."

_Small Drawings in Water-Colours._

"Barnaby Rudge with the Rioters."

"Simon Tappert.i.t addressing the Rioters at the 'Boot'

Tavern" ("Barnaby Rudge").

"Dolly Varden's Visit to Miss Haredale" ("Barnaby Rudge").

"d.i.c.k Swiveller and the Marchioness" ("The Old Curiosity Shop").