Dickens and His Illustrators Part 8

HABLoT K. BROWNE ("PHIZ")

I

An Ill.u.s.trator required for "Pickwick"--Leech and Thackeray offer their Services--Thackeray's First Meeting with d.i.c.kens--"Mr. Pickwick's Lucky Escape"--Leech's Specimen Drawing--HABLoT K. BROWNE ("Phiz") Elected to Succeed Buss--His Etching of "John Gilpin's Ride" Awarded a Silver Medal--His Designs for "SUNDAY UNDER THREE HEADS" and "THE LIBRARY OF FICTION"--Mr. J. G. Fennell's Reminiscences of the Artist--Thackeray's Congratulations to "Phiz"--A Modest Banquet--"Phiz" as an Etcher--a.s.sisted by Robert Young--Their First Plate for "Pickwick"--An All-Night Sitting--Particulars Concerning a "First Edition" of "Pickwick"--The Success of the Work a.s.sured--The _Sobriquet_ of "Phiz"--The Artist's Signatures--Method of Preparing the "Pickwick" Ill.u.s.trations--Variations in Duplicated Plates--George Augustus Sala's Opinion of the "Pickwick"

Plates--The Etchings Criticised--"Phiz's" Original Drawings for "Pickwick"--His Tentative Designs--Differences between the Drawings and the Etchings--d.i.c.kens's Hints to the Artist--"Phiz's" Sketch of Mr. Pickwick--A Series of New Designs--Vignettes for the Library Edition--Woodcuts for the Household Edition--Frontispiece for "THE STRANGE GENTLEMAN"--Ill.u.s.trations for "SKETCHES OF YOUNG GENTLEMEN"

and "SKETCHES OF YOUNG COUPLES"--Sale of the Original Drawings--"NICHOLAS NICKLEBY"--d.i.c.kens and "Phiz" in Yorkshire--The Prototype of Squeers--A Significant Memorandum--Mr. Lloyd's Recollections of William Shaw, a Yorkshire Pedagogue--The "Nickleby" Etchings Criticised--Particulars Concerning the Plates--The Original Drawings--A Missing Design--d.i.c.kens's Instructions to "Phiz"--Variations in the Ill.u.s.trations--Pictorial Wrapper--Vignettes for the Library Edition.

PLATE XXVIII

HABLoT K. BROWNE ("PHIZ")

From an Unpublished Photograph

_Lent by Mr. Gordon Browne, R.I._

ROBERT YOUNG

From a Photograph by

W. GREEN

_Lent by Mr. R. Young._

[Ill.u.s.tration]

It is certainly extraordinary that within the s.p.a.ce of a few weeks two vacancies for the post of ill.u.s.trator of "Pickwick" should have occurred. It was about the beginning of June 1836 (the date of the publication of the third part, containing his two etchings) when Buss unexpectedly received the intimation that his services would be no longer required, and no sooner had this fact become known than there was quite a rush of aspiring artists eager to offer their professional aid, among them being several who had already made a reputation as draughtsmen--such as "Crowquill" (Alfred Forrester), Lee, and others. It is of special interest to learn that John Leech and William Makepeace Thackeray were also desirous of obtaining the appointment, but the honour was destined for another. Thackeray had practised etching for some years, having, while an undergraduate at Cambridge, taken lessons of an engraver and printseller named Roe, who carried on his profession in the University town, and under that gentleman's superintendence he etched a series of plates ill.u.s.trative of college life, which were first published in 1878. Possessing a natural gift for drawing, the famous satirist (in his early days) earnestly desired to follow Art as a profession, and so far encouraged his bent by copying pictures in the Louvre; but his studies seem to have been of a desultory character, and of little value in making him a sound draughtsman. When, on returning to London, he heard that a designer was required for the "Pickwick"

ill.u.s.trations, he immediately sought an interview with d.i.c.kens at his rooms in Furnival's Inn, taking with him some specimens of his work, and more than twenty years afterwards, in responding to the toast of "Literature" at the Royal Academy banquet, he thus referred to the memorable incident: "I can remember when Mr. d.i.c.kens was a very young man, and had commenced delighting the world with some charming humorous works, of which I cannot mention the name, but which were coloured light green and came out once a month, that this young man wanted an artist to ill.u.s.trate his writings, and I recollect walking up to his chambers with two or three drawings in my hand, which, strange to say, he did not find suitable. But for that unfortunate blight which came over my artistical existence, it would have been my pride and my pleasure to have endeavoured one day to find a place on these walls for one of my performances." Although at the time he was doubtless surprised at, and sorely disappointed by, "Boz's" want of appreciation, he afterwards acknowledged there was some justification for it, and good-humouredly alluded to the rejection of his services as "Mr. Pickwick's lucky escape." Who can say whether "Vanity Fair" and "Esmond" would ever have been written had this mighty penman been elected to succeed Buss?[18]

Footnote 18: According to the following anecdote, Thackeray did not over-estimate his own powers as a draughtsman. Mr. M.

H. Spielmann tells us that after Edmund Yates had started an ill.u.s.trated magazine, which had but a brief existence, Thackeray wrote to him: "You have a new artist on _The Train_, I see, my dear Yates. I have been looking at his work, and I have solved a problem. I find there _is_ a man alive who draws worse than myself!"

Thackeray's schoolfellow and life-long friend, John Leech, also submitted a design to Chapman & Hall, in the hope of being successful where others had failed, but the little drawing, slightly tinted in colours, depicting the amusing scene in the Bagman's story of Tom Smart and the high-backed chair, did not indicate the possession by the artist of the necessary qualifications. He was accordingly dismissed; but it was reserved for this amiable man and accomplished draughtsman not only to adorn with his pencil the pages of the "Carol" and other Christmas books of Charles d.i.c.kens, but to be afterwards honoured by the friendship and esteem of England's great novelist.

[Sidenote: =Sunday under Three Heads, 1836.=]

As all the world knows, the privilege of ill.u.s.trating d.i.c.kens's most popular work was secured by Hablot Knight Browne ("Phiz"), this clever designer being rightly regarded as artistic exponent-in-chief of d.i.c.kens's creations. At this time he had barely attained his majority, and, unlike Cruikshank, who came to the pictorial embellishment of "Sketches by Boz" and "Oliver Twist" with a distinct reputation, was an almost untried artist. About his eighteenth year, while serving his apprenticeship with the Findens, the well-known line-engravers, Browne was awarded a silver medal offered for compet.i.tion by the Society of Arts for "the best representation of an historical subject"--a large etching portraying John Gilpin's famous ride through Edmonton. _Apropos_ of this etching Mr. Mason Jackson writes in the _Athenaeum_, June 11, 1887: "Mr. Chapman (of Chapman & Hall) was delighted with 'John Gilpin's Ride,' and forthwith applied to Browne, who thus succeeded Seymour and Buss as the ill.u.s.trator of 'Pickwick.'" After a careful comparison of dates, I venture to point out the probability that it was not with a view to the ill.u.s.tration of "Pickwick" that Edward Chapman paid his first visit to Browne, as generally supposed, but for the purpose of engaging his services as designer of some woodcuts for a pamphlet which the firm was about to publish, ent.i.tled "Sunday under Three Heads--As it is; As Sabbath Bells would make it; As it might be made." This brochure, written by d.i.c.kens under the pseudonym of "Timothy Sparks," is prefaced by a Dedication dated June 1836, and was therefore in progress prior to the publication of the fourth number of "Pickwick," containing "Phiz's"

first designs, which appeared during the following month. When, in after years, Mr. Morton Brune enquired of the artist concerning his share in this little production, he replied: "The work of d.i.c.kens mentioned by you was ill.u.s.trated by me when quite a youngster, and I am sorry to say I can give no information about it--recollecting nothing whatever."[19]

Besides a trio of heads (printed on both wrapper and t.i.tle-page), there are three full-page ill.u.s.trations, engraved by C. Gray and Orrin Smith.

This excessively scarce pamphlet was issued as a protest against the extreme views of Sir Andrew Agnew and the Sabbatarian party, and had immediate reference to a Bill "for the better observance of the Sabbath," then recently rejected in the House of Commons by a small majority. "Sunday under Three Heads" was originally published at two shillings, and now realises as much as 10 in the auction-room. There are two or three _facsimile_ reprints in existence, but the reproductions of the woodcuts are comparatively poor.

Footnote 19: As early as 1837 Browne designed (as an advertis.e.m.e.nt for Bentley) a little woodcut (now very rare) in which he depicted Charles d.i.c.kens leading by the lappel of his waistcoat a burly and perspiring porter, who is seen carrying a huge bale of copies of _Bentley's Miscellany_, of which magazine the novelist was then the editor.

It should be mentioned that "Phiz" (together with Seymour and Buss) a.s.sisted in the ill.u.s.tration of "The Library of Fiction," published by Chapman & Hall in 1836-37, so that his artistic efforts were by no means unfamiliar to the firm at this time. In his design facing page 293 of the first volume of that work there may be discovered the figure of an obese individual who is the very counterpart of Tony Weller.

[Sidenote: =The Pickwick Papers, 1836-37.=]

An intimate friend of Hablot K. Browne, Mr. John Greville Fennell (formerly of the _Field_ journal), confirms my opinion that the artist's earliest a.s.sociation with the writings of d.i.c.kens was his connection with "Sunday under Three Heads"; but, as the engravings in that pamphlet only bore the designer's initials, it is more than probable that Browne himself was then an absolute stranger to the future novelist. Within a very brief period, however, certain events conspired to bring about the beginning of an acquaintance which ripened into a friendship that never ceased during d.i.c.kens's life-time. Mr. Fennell writes: "It was I who, while superintending E. & W. Finden's establishment, sold his first drawing to Adolphus Ackermann, and induced him (H. K. B.) to reproduce Buss's two ill.u.s.trations (viz., The Cricket-Match[20] and The Fat Boy Awake on this Occasion only), which I sent down to Chapman & Hall." It was apparently through Mr. Fennell's intervention that the publishers were enabled to recognise Browne's ability as an etcher, and to discover in the specimens submitted to them that he was the very man to occupy the position then recently vacated by Buss. He first heard of his appointment from his generous rival, Thackeray, who at once made his way to the artist's abode in Newman Street for the purpose of congratulating him, and it is said that they immediately repaired to a neighbouring public-house, where a banquet consisting of sausages and bottled stout was held in honour of the occasion.

Footnote 20: So far as I am aware, no ill.u.s.tration by "Phiz"

of this subject is extant.

At this juncture, Browne (who considered line-engraving too tedious a process) suspended operations at Finden's establishment, and, through the friendly auspices of Mr. Fennell, his indentures were cancelled two years before they had expired. In conjunction with a kindred spirit, he hired a modest room as a studio, and employed his time in the more congenial pursuit of water-colour drawing. As the result of a solemn compact between them to produce three drawings daily, Browne, who worked very rapidly, was enabled to pay his share of the rent by the proceeds of his labours. In order to familiarise himself with the human form, he attended the evening cla.s.s at the "Life" School in St. Martin's Lane, having as a fellow-pupil that famous painter of the "nude," William Etty, who afterwards joined the ranks of the Royal Academicians.

In 1836 (when in his twenty-first year) Browne had acquired considerable facility with his pencil, and soon proved that his selection as the ill.u.s.trator of "Pickwick" was thoroughly justified. By means of the training he had undergone at the Findens, he had obtained a mastery over the difficulties and mysteries of etching, which now proved eminently serviceable. Buss declared that "Phiz" was by no means an expert when he commenced working for "Pickwick," being compelled to obtain help from an experienced engraver named Sands, who "touched up the drawings with his own needle, adding shade where required, and then applied the acid and did all the necessary 'biting-in' and 'stopping-out.'" The facts, however, are rather over-stated, as witness that early effort (perhaps unknown to Buss), viz., the etching of John Gilpin, which was undoubtedly unaided work, testifying that the artist was then quite capable of running alone. It is acknowledged, however, that, so far as the "biting-in" was concerned, he invariably secured co-operation, not on account of his own incapacity, but merely to save time, and for this purpose he generally sought and obtained the requisite help of his quondam fellow-apprentice, Robert Young.

Browne speedily communicated to Mr. Young the welcome intelligence respecting the "Pickwick" appointment; indeed, we are told that he went at once to his friend's chambers, and on entering said, "Look here, old fellow: will you come to my rooms to a.s.sist me with a plate I have to etch?" Mr. Young, who was still in the employ of Finden, had acquired such a thorough knowledge of the art of biting-in designs upon steel plates, that Browne realised the importance of securing his co-operation without delay, and, happily for him, his friend readily acceded to his wish; whereupon "Phiz" suggested that he should take his key with him, as they might be late. The design having already been drawn upon the plate, the two conspirators devoted the entire night to the operation of biting-in, the outcome of which was the production of the plate depicting the eventful meeting of Mr. Pickwick and Sam Weller at the old White Hart Inn, perhaps the most notable ill.u.s.tration in the book. Mr.

Young's share of the undertaking consisted in the application and manipulation of acid, which corroded the plate where exposed by the needle--a troublesome and delicate operation, requiring considerable experience, as, by too lengthy or too brief a subjection of the metal to the action of the acid, the plate would be ruined, and the labour of the artist rendered of no avail.

Mr. Young writes in reply to my enquiry respecting this and subsequent collaboration: "I did not bite-in the whole of 'Phiz's' etchings. I was some years abroad, during which he had a.s.sistance from two engravers, Sands and Weatherhead. 'Phiz' was quite capable of doing this part of the work himself, for he had two or three years' practice during his apprenticeship at Finden's; but he had no time for such work, being always fully occupied in etching or drawing on wood."

PLATE XXIX

"A SUDDEN RECOGNITION, UNEXPECTED ON BOTH SIDES"

_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "Nicholas Nickleby" by

H. K. BROWNE ("PHIZ")

Above the Sketch is written the following, in the autograph of d.i.c.kens:--"I don't think that Smike is frightened enough [or that Squeers is] earnest enough, for my purpose."

_Lent by Mr. M. H. Spielmann._

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The t.i.tle-page of "Pickwick" intimates that the volume contains "Forty-three ill.u.s.trations by R. Seymour and Phiz," thus ignoring Buss's contributions. The fact is (as stated in the preceding chapter) that only a few copies of Part III., containing the two plates by Buss, were issued, these being quickly superseded by a couple of new designs by Browne; therefore, a copy of an absolutely first edition of the book should include seven etchings by Seymour, two by Buss, and thirty-four by "Phiz." Two plates, viz., "The Fat Boy Awake on this Occasion only"

and "Mr. Wardle and his Friends under the Influence of 'the Salmon'" were etched for Part III. (after those in Part IV.), to take the place of Buss's cancelled designs. In early copies of the first edition all the plates were printed without t.i.tles, and throughout the first twelve numbers each plate bore only a reference in figures to the page which it was intended to ill.u.s.trate. In the remaining numbers (Parts XIII. to XX.) the reference figures were withheld, the plates showing in the first published copies neither figures, t.i.tles, nor publishers' imprint.

For the first three parts of "The Pickwick Papers" there was so limited a demand that the publishers seriously contemplated a discontinuance of the work, a fate which, from the same cause, threatened Thackeray's famous novel, "Vanity Fair," in the early stages of its career. Happily, such a disaster was averted by the appearance in the fourth part of Sam Weller, who at once achieved such enormous popularity that the sale went up by leaps and bounds, the number of copies disposed of increasing from a few hundreds to several thousands. This was an extremely happy augury, not only for author and publishers, but for the young artist whose connection with the book began at this critical time, and the extraordinary circulation so suddenly imparted to the work was doubtless princ.i.p.ally instrumental in obtaining for him other commissions, with which he was soon overflowing. Browne's earliest printed plates are signed "Nemo," and referring to this he says: "I think I signed myself as 'Nemo' to my first etchings (those of No. 4) before adopting 'Phiz'

as my _sobriquet_, to harmonise--I suppose--better with d.i.c.kens's 'Boz.'" The third and succeeding plates bear the signature of "Phiz," a sign-manual which presently became well known to all readers of the novels of d.i.c.kens, Ainsworth, and Lever. Although he seldom appended his surname to his designs, we not unfrequently find (in his woodcuts especially) the initials "H.K.B.," in lieu of the more familiar pseudonym. It seems the public could never quite realise that the different signatures were those of the same artist, and were wont to remark that "Browne's work was better than Phiz's."

The "Pickwick" ill.u.s.trations were produced in couples, that is, two subjects were etched on one plate, this being printed at a single operation and the sheets afterwards divided. "Phiz" was exceedingly rapid in his work when time was limited, and could design and etch a plate in the course of a day, and have it bitten-in and ready for the printer by the next morning. Unlike Seymour, he almost invariably drew his subjects on the steel without reversing them, so that they appeared reversed in the printing; it is evident, however, that he sometimes failed to remember this when preparing his designs, so that occasionally we find that his figures are left-handed, and other similar incongruities. Doubtless, the artist's motive in thus copying his drawings directly upon the plate was to facilitate operations, for in this way he could dispense with the aid of a mirror.

A noteworthy consequence of the increased sale of the "Pickwick" numbers was the serious deterioration of the plates caused by friction in printing, as for every impression the plate must be inked and the superfluous ink removed by wiping with the hand. In those days the process called "steel-facing," by means of which the etched or engraved surface is hardened, was unknown, so that, comparatively, only a few impressions could be struck off before the plate indicated any appreciable sign of wear-and-tear. The designs were therefore etched in duplicate, and this appears to have commenced at the date of the publication of the tenth part of "Pickwick." The system of duplicating the plates readily accounts for the interesting variations observable in different copies of the first issue; as, for example, the faces in the ill.u.s.tration delineating Mr. Pickwick's first meeting with Sam Weller are much improved in the _replica_, while other details are greatly altered; in the original plate portraying Mr. Pickwick in the pound, there are two donkeys and four pigs, while the later impression has but one donkey and two pigs; in the etching where Master Bardell is seen kicking Mr. Pickwick, the boy was first drawn with his head down, but was subsequently represented with it raised, the att.i.tudes of Snodgra.s.s and Winkle being also slightly changed; the second version of the plate ent.i.tled "The Break-down" (which, by the way, bears a remarkable resemblance to Buss's unused drawing of the same subject) differs considerably from the first, and this remark applies to many of the other designs; but it is chiefly in the earlier plates that these variations are particularly noticeable. It is by no means surprising that such unimportant alterations exist, for an artist like "Phiz" would find it infinitely tiresome to slavishly copy, line for line, the original designs, especially if he saw an opportunity for improving them.

The late George Augustus Sala held the opinion that Hablot Browne's earlier ill.u.s.trations to "Pickwick" are "exceedingly humorous, but exceedingly ill-drawn," and believed that it was the amazing success of the author which spurred the artist to sedulous study, thus conducing in a remarkable degree towards the development of his faculties.

Remembering, however, that "Phiz" had only just attained his majority, we cannot but admire the deftness and skill he then displayed in so difficult an art as etching, for, although some of the ill.u.s.trations are marked by a certain grotesqueness, these plates are marvels of _technique_.

In the preface to the first edition of "The Pickwick Papers" we read: "It is due to the gentleman, whose designs accompany the letterpress, to state that the interval has been so short between the production of each number in ma.n.u.script and its appearance in print, that the greater portion of the ill.u.s.trations have been executed by the artist from the author's mere verbal description of what he intended to write." It was customary at this time for d.i.c.kens to call upon Browne, and hastily explain his intentions respecting the chapters to be ill.u.s.trated, and from notes then made by the artist the requisite designs were evolved.

This satisfactorily accounts for certain inaccuracies in the plates, for which, however, "Phiz" cannot justly be censured; for example, in the etching representing Mr. Pickwick hiding behind the door of the young ladies' seminary, the cook should have been the only person shown beyond the threshold; and in the plate depicting the discovery of Jingle in the Fleet, we see Job Trotter standing behind Mr. Pickwick, whereas, according to the text, he had not entered the room at that precise moment. On the other hand, we may detect some defects for which "Phiz"

must be held responsible; as, for instance, the inaccurate perspective of the mantelshelf in the plate ent.i.tled "The Red-nosed Man Discourseth," and the absence of proportion in the size of the figures of Mr. Pickwick and the old lady in the etching portraying Christmas Eve at Mr. Wardle's, a similar anomaly appearing in the etching of Mr.