Dickens and His Illustrators Part 35

"d.i.c.k Swiveller and Fred. Trent in the Old Curiosity Shop."

"Sam Weller's Valentine."

JAMES HAMILTON.--"What are the Wild Waves Saying?" ("Dombey and Son").

EDGAR HANLEY.--"Dolly Varden." Royal Academy, 1883.

E. HUNTER.--"Little Charlotte's Writing-Lesson" ("Bleak House"). Royal Academy, 1858.

C. R. LESLIE, R.A.--"Mr. Pickwick and Mrs. Bardell." Painted for d.i.c.kens and engraved for the first Cheap Edition of the "Pickwick Papers." (_See p. 220._)

ELEANOR E. MANLY.--"'It's Cobbs! It's Cobbs!' cries Master Harry. 'We are going to be married, Cobbs, at Gretna Green.

We have run away on purpose'" ("Boots at the Holly Tree Inn"). Royal Inst.i.tute of Painters in Water-Colours, 1893.

MRS. M^CIAN.--"Little Nell Reading Inscription on the Tombstone." Presented to d.i.c.kens by the artist.

FRED. MORGAN.--"Little Nell and her Grandfather." Royal Academy, 1883.

R. H. NIBBS.--"Peggotty's Hut" ("David Copperfield"). Royal Academy, 1852.

CHARLES W. NICHOLLS.--"What are the Wild Waves Saying?"

("Dombey and Son"). Engraved by G. H. Every, and published by A. Lucas, 37 Duke Street, Piccadilly, 1881.

KATE PERUGINI.--"Brother and Sister.--'Oh, Floy!' cried her brother, 'how I love you! how I love you, Floy!' 'And I you, dear.' 'Oh, I am sure of that, Floy'" ("Dombey and Son").

Royal Academy, 1893.

"Little Nell." Inst.i.tute of Painters in Water-Colours, 1885.

MARY S. PICKETT.--"Little Nell in the Old Church." Royal Academy, 1898.

A. J. RAEMAKER.--"What are the Wild Waves Saying?"

Sculpture.

J. HALFORD ROSS.--"Our Mutual Friend." Eight Original Drawings in Water-Colour, ill.u.s.trating incidents in the story.

H. R. STEER, R.I.--"The Ball at Dr. Blimber's Establishment"

("Dombey and Son").

"Little Nell and her Pet Bird." Royal Inst.i.tute of Painters in Water-Colours, 1888.

"Nicholas Nickleby Interposes on Smike's Behalf." Royal Inst.i.tute of Painters in Water-Colours, 1897.

LAWSON STEWART.--"'A Quiet Happy Place--A Place to Live and Learn to Die In.'" The Graveyard in "The Old Curiosity Shop." Inst.i.tute of Painters in Water-Colours, 1885.

FRANK STONE, A.R.A.--"'Tilda Price," "Madeline Bray," and "Kate Nickleby." These three pictures were painted for d.i.c.kens. (_See pp. 178-9._)

F. W. TOPHAM.--"Barnaby Rudge and his Mother." Presented to d.i.c.kens by the artist. (_See p. 190._)

"Little Nell and her Grandfather in the Tent, making Bouquets for the Racecourse." Presented to d.i.c.kens by the artist. (_See p. 190._)

H. WALLIS.--"The Devotion of Sydney Carton" ("A Tale of Two Cities").

T. WEBSTER, R.A.--"Dotheboy's Hall: The Brimstone and Treacle Scene." Painted for d.i.c.kens, and engraved for the first Cheap Edition of "Nicholas Nickleby." (_See p. 220._)

In the above list the most interesting picture, in many respects, is Mr.

Frith's "Dolly Varden." The artist was quite a young man, just rising into fame, when (in 1843) he made great success with several charming presentments of the locksmith's bewitching daughter, and on seeing one of these (described by d.i.c.kens as "Dolly with the bracelet"), the novelist so much admired it that he commissioned Mr. Frith to paint another portrait of her, together with a companion picture of Kate Nickleby. Writing shortly afterwards to the artist, whose acquaintance d.i.c.kens then made, he said, in reference to an engraving of the subject by C. E. Wagstaffe: "I saw an unfinished proof of Dolly at Mitch.e.l.l's some two or three months ago: I thought it was proceeding excellently well then. It will give me great pleasure to see her when completed."

The two pictures, when finished, were hung in the dining-room of the novelist's house. At the expiration of a few years, the portrait of Kate Nickleby was sent to Ireland (by Mr. Frith's desire) for the purpose of being engraved, and was delayed there so long that d.i.c.kens began to feel impatient. Accordingly, one morning he forwarded to the artist the following doc.u.ment, indited by himself:--

"ADVERTIs.e.m.e.nT.--To K--e N--y.--The Young Lady in Black, K.N.--If you will return to your disconsolate friends in Devonshire Terrace your absence in Ireland will be forgotten and forgiven, and you will be received with open arms. Think of your dear sister Dolly, and how altered her appearance and character are without you. She is not the same girl. Think, too, of the author of your being, and what he must feel, when he sees your place empty every day!

"_October Tenth, 1848._"

For each of these remarkable canvases Mr. Frith received the by no means extravagant sum of twenty pounds, that being the price demanded by him.

At the sale of d.i.c.kens's effects, however, the portrait of Dolly Varden realised a thousand guineas, while that of Kate Nickleby found a purchaser, on the same eventful occasion, for two hundred guineas--a tribute alike to author and artist. Mr. Frith has favoured me with some interesting information respecting his presentments of Dolly Varden:--

"The picture of 'Dolly Varden' which I painted for d.i.c.kens was never engraved. Before I began it I made a study of the figure, but only the half-length, down to below the waist. This study was bought by Sir R.

Rawlinson, who allowed (without asking my permission) a most villainous chromo-lithograph to be made from it, and one day to my horror I saw it in a shop-window. For anything I know to the contrary, many of these things may have been sold.[55] The original completed picture never left d.i.c.kens's possession from the time it was finished till he died, nor was it ever exhibited. The portrait of Dolly (the 'laughing' Dolly) now in the South Kensington Museum, was bequeathed by Forster, who had it from Frank Stone, for whom I painted it. I painted two copies of the 'laughing' Dolly, but I don't know what became of them. I also painted two pictures in which Dolly figures in company with Emma Haredale--in one she is feeling in her pocket for a letter addressed to Miss Haredale, and in the other she is disdainfully treating Miss Haredale's hints about Joe Willet--she throws up her head and 'hopes she can do better than that, indeed!' I have just remembered another--a small half-length--in which she is looking at herself in a mirror and giving her curls a 'killing twist.' I have no idea where these pictures are. I may add that when d.i.c.kens came to see (on completion) my portraits of Dolly Varden and Kate Nickleby, which I painted expressly for him, he told me they were 'exactly what he meant.' This, of course, delighted me. They led to a friendship which lasted till his death." It will be remembered that in 1859 the novelist gave sittings for his portrait by Mr. Frith, which was painted as a commission from Forster, by whom it was bequeathed to the Nation. This portrait, now at South Kensington, occupies the most important place between the earlier portraits of d.i.c.kens by Samuel Laurence, Maclise, and R. J. Lane, and the later presentments of him by photography.

Footnote 55: That Mr. Frith did not always entertain such an absolute objection to this reproduction is testified by the following memorandum written by him on a copy of the print now in the collection of Mr. W. R. Hughes:--"This is a very good chromo-lithograph from the first study for the picture painted by me for the late Charles d.i.c.kens. (Signed) W. P.

FRITH, December 23, 1884."

It is not generally known that Mr. Frith once had the privilege of ill.u.s.trating a d.i.c.kens novel, _apropos_ of which the artist writes: "I told d.i.c.kens one day when he was sitting for his likeness that I should like to be allowed to ill.u.s.trate one of his books. He seemed pleased, and proposed 'Little Dorrit.' I forget to whom I sold the pictures, and where they are now I know not." The two paintings were beautifully engraved on steel by Lumb Stocks, R.A., as vignettes for the Library Edition, 1858-59.

The sketch by an American artist, Mr. James Hamilton, of "What are the Wild Waves Saying?" has a little history attached to it. While d.i.c.kens was in Philadelphia, during his last visit to America, he expressed a wish to purchase a painting of this subject,--one of the artist's most successful productions,--but, much to the novelist's regret, it had already been sold. The original sketch was still available, however, and with this d.i.c.kens was so greatly pleased that he immediately offered to buy it; whereupon the artist insisted on presenting it to the famous author of "Dombey and Son." Soon afterwards, Mr. Hamilton was agreeably surprised to receive a set of d.i.c.kens's novels, containing a pleasant inscription in the novelist's autograph.

The t.i.tles of Mr. Charles Green's admirable series of d.i.c.kens pictures were supplied to me by the artist himself, who favoured me with a complete list shortly before his death. In reference to these remarkable drawings I have received the following communication from Mr. William Lockwood, of Apsley Hall, Nottingham, for whom they were painted on commission: "The first work of Mr. Green's that really attracted my attention was his famous water-colour Race drawing, ent.i.tled, I believe, 'Here they come!' I saw that at a friend's house, and was so struck with admiration of Mr. Green's delicate sense of humour, subtle rendering of character, and fine drawing, that I at once told my friend of my great appreciation of Charles d.i.c.kens, and saw that, in my opinion, Mr.

Charles Green would make the very best ill.u.s.trator of his day of that great man's work. I then sought an introduction to Mr. Green, which resulted not only in my beautiful series of drawings, but in a warm friendship with the artist. In the execution of these pictures Mr. Green found most congenial work, and I think fully justified my judgment of his special power. When the series was exhibited at our local museum, it attracted universal admiration and the delighted appreciation of all cla.s.ses." Mr. Lockwood has generously lent these pictures to many London galleries, including the English Humorists' Exhibition, held at the Royal Inst.i.tute of Painters in Water-Colours in 1889.