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[Illustration: SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS]
Masterpieces of Art
SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS
A COLLECTION OF FIFTEEN PICTURES
AND A PORTRAIT OF THE PAINTER
WITH INTRODUCTION AND
INTERPRETATION
BY
ESTELLE M. HURLL
BOSTON AND NEW YORK
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
The Riverside Press Cambridge
COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO.
* * * * *
PREFACE
This selection of pictures from Reynolds's works is intended to show
him at his best in the various classes of subjects which he painted.
Johnson and Lord Heathfield are among his finest male portraits, Miss
Bowles and Master Bunbury are unsurpassed among his pictures of
children, and the Strawberry Girl was the painter's own favorite fancy
picture. Penelope Boothby and Angels' Heads are popular favorites
which could not be omitted from any collection. In Lady Cockburn and
Her Children, The Duchess of Devonshire and Her Child, and Pickaback
we have typical groups of mothers and children. Mrs. Siddons stands
apart as one of his most unique and remarkable productions. The other
pictures add as much as possible to the variety of the collection, and
show something of the range of Reynolds's art.
ESTELLE M. HURLL.
NEW BEDFORD, MASS.
September, 1900.
* * * * *
CONTENTS AND LIST OF PICTURES
PORTRAIT OF REYNOLDS. Painted by himself. (_Frontispiece_)
From a Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
INTRODUCTION
I. ON THE ART OF REYNOLDS
II. ON BOOKS OF REFERENCE
III. HISTORICAL DIRECTORY OF THE PICTURES OF THIS
COLLECTION
IV. OUTLINE TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN
REYNOLDS'S LIFE
V. CONTEMPORARIES
I. PENELOPE BOOTHBY
Picture from a Photograph by Mansell
II. MASTER CREWE AS HENRY VIII
Picture from an Engraving by S. W. Reynolds
III. LADY COCKBURN AND HER CHILDREN
Picture from a Photograph by Franz Hanfstaengl
IV. MISS BOWLES
Picture from a Photograph by Mansell
V. MASTER BUNBURY
Picture from an Engraving by S. W. Reynolds
VI. MRS. SIDDONS AS THE TRAGIC MUSE
Picture from a Photograph by W. M. Spooner &
Co., London.
VII. ANGELS' HEADS
Picture from a Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
VIII. THE DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE AND HER CHILD
Picture from a Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
IX. HOPE
Picture from a Photograph by the London Autotype
Co.
X. LORD HEATHFIELD
Picture from a Photograph by Franz Hanfstaengl
XI. MRS. PAYNE-GALLOWAY AND HER CHILD--"PICKABACK"
Picture from a Photograph by the London Autotype
Co.
XII. CUPID AS LOVE BOY
Picture from an Engraving by S. W. Reynolds
XIII. THE HON. ANNE BINGHAM
Picture from an Engraving by Bartolozzi
XIV. THE STRAWBERRY GIRL
Picture from a Photograph by Mansell
XV. DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON
Picture from a Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
XVI. THE PORTRAIT OF REYNOLDS
* * * * *
INTRODUCTION
I. ON THE ART OF REYNOLDS
The name of Sir Joshua Reynolds holds a place of honor among the
world's great portrait painters. To appreciate fully his originative
power one must understand the disadvantages under which he worked. His
technical training was of the meagrest kind, and all his life he was
hampered by ignorance of anatomy. But on the other hand he combined
all those peculiar qualities of the artist without which no amount of
technical skill can produce great portrait work.
He had, in the first place, that indefinable quality of taste, which
means so much in portraiture. His was an unerring instinct for poise,
drapery, color, and composition. Each of his figures seems to assume
naturally an attitude of perfect grace; the draperies fall of their
own accord in beautiful lines.
Reynolds knew, too, the secret of imparting an air of distinction to
his sitters. The meanest subject was elevated by his art to a position
of dignity. His magic touch made every child charming, every woman
graceful, and every man dignified.
Finally, he possessed in no small degree, though curiously enough
entirely disclaiming the quality, the gift of presenting the essential
personality of the sitter, that which a critic has called the power of
"realizing an individuality." This is seen most clearly in his
portraits of men, and naturally in the portraits of the men he knew
best, as Johnson.
It is a matter of constant amazement in studying the works of Reynolds
to observe his "inexhaustible inventiveness in pose and attitude." For
each new picture he seemed always to have ready some new compositional
motive. Claude Phillips goes so far as to say that in the whole range
of art Rembrandt alone is his equal in this respect. This versatility
was due in a measure to his story-telling instinct. His imagination
seemed to weave some story about each sitter which the picture was
intended, as it were, to illustrate. From Lord Heathfield, refusing to
yield the keys of Gibraltar, to little Miss Bowles, dropping on the
ground in the midst of her romp, through the long range of mothers
playing with their children, there seems no end to the variety of
lively incident which he could invent.
The pose of the sitter suggests some dramatic moment in the imaginary
episode. Often the attitude is full of action, as in the Miss Bowles,
and at times there is a striking impression of motion, as in
Pickaback. So strong is the dramatic effect conveyed by these pictures
that the figures seem actually taken unaware in the very act of
performance, as by a snapshot in modern photography. This quality of
"momentariness," as Phillips calls it, so dangerous in the hands of a
commonplace painter, lends a peculiar fascination to many of
Reynolds's pictures. That he also appreciated the beauty of repose we
see in such portraits as Penelope Boothby and Anne Bingham.
Reynolds's inventiveness was so overtaxed by his enormous number of
sitters that it is scarcely to be wondered at that it sometimes failed
him. Occasionally he resorted to such artificial devices as were
common among his contemporaries. Such fresh inspirations as the
Strawberry Girl and Master Bunbury could come but rarely in a
lifetime. The spontaneity of Miss Bowles is perhaps unexcelled in all
his works.
Reynolds's compositional schemes are of an academic elegance
reminiscent of Raphael. He knew well how to accomplish the flow of
line, the balance of masses, the symmetry of outline, which produce a
harmonious effect. A variety of designs were at his command, from the
well-worn but always effective pyramidal form illustrated in many
single figures, to those more novel forms he invented for groups such
as Lady Cockburn and the Duchess of Devonshire.
Reynolds was frankly a borrower from many sources. In the Roman, the
Bolognese, the Venetian, Flemish, and Dutch schools, he found
something to appropriate and make his own. From Rembrandt he took
suggestions of lighting, and such sombre color harmonies as are seen
in the portrait of Mrs. Siddons. Something of bloom and splendor he
caught from the florid Rubens; something of the decorative
effectiveness of such pictures as Lady Cockburn may be traced to the
influence of Titian and the Venetians. Yet to all that he borrowed,
Reynolds added his own individual touch. As a critic has said, he was
always Reynolds from first to last.
Much has been written of the evanescence of Reynolds's colors. His
passion for color experiments amounted to a mania, and cost the world
many beautiful pictures. Precisely what was the nature of these
experiments, and what combination of pigments ruined his pictures, is
of interest only to the expert. Fortunately, enough pictures escaped
to show us the original glory of those which have faded. Among the
best preserved canvases, "those in which his power and brilliancy
appear least impaired, those in which the typical Sir Joshua still
most unmistakably shines forth," are Lady Cockburn and her Children,
Miss Bowles, Mrs. Siddons, and Angels' Heads.
The range of Reynolds's art is much wider than is commonly supposed. A
very imperfect appreciation of his gifts is gained by those who know
only his portraits of women and children. These indeed show a peculiar
insight into childhood, and a rare delicacy in the interpretation of
womanhood. But Reynolds is at his strongest in the portrayal of men.
It is by such portraits as the Johnson and Heathfield that he is
worthy a place among the immortals.
II. ON BOOKS OF REFERENCE
THE original biographical material on the subject of Reynolds was
supplied by his own contemporaries. His friend Malone wrote a valuable
Memoir (1804), and his pupil Northcote furnished the first biography
of the painter, the Life of Reynolds in two volumes published in 1813.
A half century later (1865) was published the most comprehensive work
on Reynolds in two large volumes by C. R. Leslie and T. Taylor. At
about the same time (1866) appeared a book by F. G. Stephens, "English
Children as painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds."
All these books have been long out of print, and there are now but two
books of reference generally available. "Sir Joshua Reynolds," by
Claude Phillips (1894), is a small volume, but it gives a fairly
complete summary of the painter's works, with valuable critical
comments. Sir Walter Armstrong's large and richly illustrated work
"Sir Joshua Reynolds" (1900) treats the subject exhaustively, and
contains a complete descriptive catalogue and directory of Reynolds's
works--portraits and subject pictures--arranged in alphabetical order.
There is an immense bibliography of memoirs of the period of George
III., and such books throw an interesting light upon the lives of many
of Reynolds's sitters. Some of the most valuable are Horace Walpole's
"Letters," Fanny Burney's "Diary," Mrs. Piozzi's "Memoirs," and
Wraxall's "Memoirs."
In addition to these, Boswell's incomparable "Life of Johnson"
presents a series of vivid pictures of the life of the period, and
contains many anecdotes of the friendship between Reynolds and the
great lexicographer.
Reynolds's lectures and writings fill two volumes of the Bohn Library.
Of these the twelve discourses delivered before the Royal Academy are
the most valuable, and have been reprinted in various editions. The
most recent is that of 1891, with notes and a biographical
introduction by E. G. Johnson. Intended as means of instruction to
beginners in painting, these lectures deal with general principles
rather than with practical technique, and are not to be taken as
expository in any measure of Reynolds's own art.
III. HISTORICAL DIRECTORY OF THE PICTURES OF THIS COLLECTION
_Portrait frontispiece._ Painted in 1776 for the Imperial Academy in
Florence, and now in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.
1. _Penelope Boothby._ Painted in July, 1788. In the possession of
Mrs. Thwaites.
2. _Master Crewe as Henry VIII._ Painted in 1775 for John Crewe, Esq.,
and exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1776. Size: 4 ft. 8 in. by 3 ft. 9
in. In the possession of the Earl of Crewe.
3. _Lady Cockburn and her Children._ Reynolds began the picture in
1773 and upon its completion in 1774 received £183 15s. in payment. It
was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1774, after which it was dated
1775. Passed into the possession of Lady Hamilton, daughter of Sir
James Cockburn (7th baronet), and by her bequeathed to the English
National Gallery, where it hung, 1892-1900, when it was learned that
Lady Hamilton had no power to dispose of the picture. It was then
sold at auction to Mr. Beit, Park Lane, London. Size: 4 ft. 6 in. by 3
ft. 7-1/2 in.
4. _Miss Bowles._ Painted in 1775. Now in the Wallace Collection,
Hertford House, London. Size: 2 ft. 11-1/2 in. by 2 ft. 3-3/4 in.
5. _Master Bunbury._ Exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1781; bequeathed
by Reynolds to Mrs. Bunbury. In the possession of Sir Henry Bunbury.
Size: 2 ft. 5 in. by 2 ft.
6. _Mrs. Siddons as the Tragic Muse._ Painted in 1783 and exhibited at
the Royal Academy in 1784. The original work was bought by M. de
Calonne for 800 guineas, and finally came into the possession of the
Marquis of Westminster, in whose family it has since remained. It is
in the gallery of Grosvenor House, London.
7. _Angels' Heads._ Painted for Lord William Gordon (100 guineas) and
exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1787. Presented by Lady Gordon to the
National Gallery, London, 1841. Size: 2 ft. 6 in. by 2 ft. 1 in.
8. _The Duchess of Devonshire and her Child._ Exhibited at the Royal
Academy in 1786. The original is at Chatsworth House, and there is a
copy at Windsor Castle, from which our reproduction is made.
9. _Hope._ One of the figures of the window design, New College
Chapel, Oxford. The original design was painted in oil in 1778, and
was purchased by the Earl of Normanton.
10. _Lord Heathfield._ Begun August 27, 1787, and exhibited at the
Royal Academy in 1788. Originally painted for Alderman Boydell, and
purchased by Parliament in 1824. Now in the National Gallery, London.
Size: 4 ft. 8 in. by 3 ft. 8 in.
11. _Mrs. Payne-Gallwey and Child_ (Pickaback). Painted 1779. As late
as 1886 it was in the possession of Lord Monson, and is now owned by
J. Pierpont Morgan, Esq.
12. _Cupid as Link Boy._ The date is not certainly fixed, but it is
known that Reynolds was at work in the spring of 1771 upon some
subjects of this class, several of which were engraved in the period
1771-1777. In the possession of Alexander Henderson, Esq. Size: 2 ft.
5 in. by 2 ft.
13. _Hon. Anne Bingham._ Painted in 1786. In the possession of Earl
Spencer. Size: 2 ft. 5-1/2 in. by 2 ft. 1/2 in.
14. _The Strawberry Girl._ Painted for the Earl of Carysfort (50
guineas) and exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1773. As Reynolds
repeated the subject it is difficult to trace the history of the
original picture. The painting now in the Wallace Collection, Hertford
House, came from the Samuel Rogers Collection. Size: 2 ft. 5-3/4 in.
by 2 ft. 3/4 in.
15. _Samuel Johnson._ Painted for Mr. Thrale for the Streatham
Gallery, 1772. Now in the National Gallery, London. Size: 2 ft. 5-1/2
in. by 2 ft. 1 in.
IV. OUTLINE TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN REYNOLDS'S LIFE
1723. Reynolds born at Plympton, Devonshire, England, July 16.
1741-1743. Apprenticeship with the painter Thomas Hudson, London.
1743-1746. Residence in Devonshire.
1746. Portrait of Captain Hamilton first to attract attention.
Death of Reynolds's father.
1746-1749. Residence in Plymouth Docks.
1749-1752. Voyage in Centurion with Commodore Keppel; studies in
Italy; and return, via Paris, to London.
1752. Establishment of Reynolds in London as a portrait painter, with
apartments in St. Martin's Lane, Leicester Fields.
1753. Removal to Great Newport St.
Whole length portrait of Commodore Keppel by the Seashore, an
epoch-making picture in Reynolds's career.
1754-1760. Rapid advance of Reynolds to the foremost place as portrait
painter.
1756. Portrait of Horace Walpole; portrait of Samuel Johnson.
1758. Pocket Book gives list of 150 sitters.
1759. Two papers contributed to the Idler.
Pocket Book gives 140 sitters.
1760. Removal to handsome house, 47 Leicester Fields.
First exhibition of pictures by living artists, in room of Society for
Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. Reynolds's
contributions, Elizabeth Duchess of Hamilton, Lady Elizabeth Keppel,
and two male portraits.
Names of 120 sitters recorded in Reynolds's Pocket Book.
1761. Exhibition of pictures at Society of Artists' rooms in Spring
Gardens. Some of Reynolds's contributions: Captain Orme leaning on his
Horse, Portrait of Laurence Sterne, and Countess Waldegrave.
1762. Visit to Devonshire with Dr. Samuel Johnson.
Exhibition in Spring Gardens. Some of Reynolds's contributions: Lady
Elizabeth Keppel as Bridesmaid, Countess Waldegrave and Child, and
Garrick between Tragedy and Comedy.
1763. Four portraits sent to Spring Gardens Exhibition, including
"Nelly O'Brien."
1764. Two portraits sent to Spring Gardens Exhibition.
Severe illness.
1764. Founding of Literary Club.
1765. Lady Sarah Bunbury sacrificing to the Graces, sent to Spring
Gardens Exhibition.
1766. Four pictures contributed to the Spring Gardens Exhibition.
Election to membership in the Dilettanti Society.
1768. Foundation of the Royal Academy with Reynolds as president, and
honor of knighthood conferred. Four pictures contributed to Spring
Gardens Exhibition, September.
Trip to Paris, September-October.
1769. First Discourse as President delivered before the Academy,
January.
First Academy Exhibition opened in Pall Mall, April 26, with several
contributions from Reynolds.
Second Discourse delivered before the Academy, December 11.
1770. Royal Academy Exhibition in April, with several contributions
from Reynolds, including the Children in the Wood.
Visit in Devonshire, September-October.
Third Discourse delivered, December 14.
1771. Several pictures contributed to Academy Exhibition.
Northcote apprenticed to Reynolds.
Visit to Paris, August-September.
Fourth Discourse delivered, December 10.
1772. Several pictures contributed to the Academy Exhibition,
including Mrs. Crewe as St. Genevieve.
Election of Reynolds as Alderman of Plympton, September.
Fifth Discourse delivered, December 10.
1773. Twelve pictures contributed to Royal Academy Exhibition,
including the Strawberry Girl, the portrait of Joseph Banks, and
Ugolino.
1773. Honorary degree of D. C. L. conferred by Oxford, July.
1774. Thirteen pictures contributed to Royal Academy Exhibition,
including Lady Cockburn and her Children, Three Ladies adorning a Term
of Hymen, and the Baby Princess Sophia, Duchess of Gloucester.
Sixth Discourse delivered, December 10.
1775. William Doughty received as pupil into Reynolds's home.
Twelve pictures contributed to the Royal Academy Exhibition, including
Mrs. Sheridan as St. Cecilia and a half-length portrait of Dr.
Robinson, primate of Ireland.
1776. Twelve pictures contributed to Royal Academy Exhibition,
including Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, and Master Crewe as Henry
VIII.
Termination of Northcote's services.
Election to membership in Florentine Academy, and portrait painted for
the Uffizi Gallery.
Seventh Discourse delivered, December 10.
1777. Thirteen pictures contributed to Royal Academy Exhibition,
including Lady Caroline Montagu (Winter).
1777-1779. Two portrait groups for Dilettanti Society.
1778. Marlborough Family portrait exhibited at Royal Academy.
Eighth Discourse, December 10.
1779. Designs for windows of New College Chapel, Oxford, executed and
exhibited at Royal Academy; also portraits of Lady Louisa Manners and
Viscountess Crosbie.
1780. Removal of Royal Academy to Somerset House and exhibition of
Reynolds's portrait of Gibbon.
1780. Ninth Discourse delivered, October 16.
Tenth Discourse delivered, December 11.
1781. Fourteen pictures exhibited at Royal Academy, including Master
Bunbury, the Duchess of Rutland, and the design of Temperance for
Oxford window.
Journey to Holland and Flanders, July.
1782. Fifteen pictures exhibited at Royal Academy.
Second paralytic attack, and visit to Bath.
Eleventh Discourse delivered, December 10.
1783. Ten pictures exhibited at Royal Academy.
Visit to Antwerp and Brussels.
1783. Sixteen pictures exhibited at Royal Academy, including portrait
of Mrs. Siddons as Tragic Muse, Prince of Wales with Horse, Charles
James Fox.
Appointment as Court Painter.
Twelfth Discourse delivered, December 10.
1785. Sixteen pictures exhibited at Royal Academy.
Visit to Flanders to purchase pictures.
Commission from Empress Catherine of Russia for historical picture.
1786. Thirteen pictures exhibited at Royal Academy, including the Duke
of Orleans, John Hunter, the Duchess of Devonshire and Child.
Thirteenth Discourse delivered, December 10.
1787. Three illustrations contributed to Boydell's Shakespeare
Gallery.
Thirteen pictures exhibited at Royal Academy, including Angel Heads
and Master Philip York.
1788. Eighteen pictures sent to Royal Academy Exhibition, including
Lord Heathfield and the Infant Hercules.
Fourteenth Discourse, with Eulogy on Gainesborough.
1789. Portrait of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, and "Simplicity."
1789. Loss of sight in left eye (_gutta serena_) and abandonment of
painting.
1790. Resignation from presidency of Royal Academy and from seat as
Academician.
"Mrs. Billington as St. Cecilia" sent with other pictures to Academy
Exhibition.
Fifteenth and Farewell Discourse delivered December 10.
1792. Death of Reynolds, February 23.
V. CONTEMPORARIES
NOTED PAINTERS:
Thomas Hudson (1701-1779).
Richard Wilson (1714-1782).
John Opie (1761-1807).
George Romney (1734-1802).
Allan Ramsay (1713-1784).
Thomas Gainesborough (1727-1788).
Sir William Beechey (1753-1839).
James Barry (1741-1806).
Francis Cotes (1725-1770).
Pupils and Assistants:
Peter Toms.
Giuseppe Marchi.
Thomas Beach or Beech.
Hugh Barron.
Berridge.
Parry.
James Northcote.
Score.
LIST OF ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF ROYAL ACADEMY:[1]
William Chambers.
George Michael Moser.
Francis Milner Newton.
Edward Penny.
Thomas Sandby.
Samuel Wade.
William Hunter.
*Francis Hayman.
George Barrett.
Francesco Bartolozzi.
Edward Burch.
*Agostino Carlini.
*Charles Catton.
Mason Chamberlin.
*J. Baptist Cipriani.
Richard Cosway.
John Gwynn.
William Hoare.
Nathaniel Hone.
Mrs. Angelica Kauffmann.
Jeremiah Meyer.
Mrs. Mary Moser.
Joseph Nollekens.
John Richards.
Paul Sandby.
Domenick Serres.
*Peter Toms.
William Tyler.
*Benjamin West.
*Richard Wilson.
Joseph Wilton.
Richard Yeo.
John Zoffanii.
*Francesco Zuccarelli.
[Footnote 1: The names starred were the artists who formed the first
staff of visiting critics.]
FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES AT THE DILETTANTI SOCIETY:
Earl of Holderness.
Lord Gowran.
Sir Everard Fawkener.
The Marquis of Granby.
Lord Eglinton.
Lord Anson.
Stuart, the painter.
Sir Charles Bunbury.
Lord Euston.
The Marquis of Hartington.
Dick Edgcumbe.
Captain George Edgcumbe.
LITERARY CLUB: FIRST TWELVE MEMBERS:[2]
Reynolds.
Johnson.
Goldsmith.
Dr. Nugent.
Dr. Percy, afterwards Bishop of Dromore.
Sir Robert Chambers.
Sir John Hawkins.
Burke.
Bennet Langton.
Chamier.
Dyer.
Hon. Topham Beauclerk.
[Footnote 2: The membership was afterwards successively increased to
thirty-five and forty.]
I
PENELOPE BOOTHBY
Somewhat over a century ago, at the time when our American colonies
were struggling for liberty, lived the great English portrait painter,
Sir Joshua Reynolds. In those days photography had not been invented,
and portrait painting was a profession patronized by all classes of
people. There were many portrait studios in London, but none were so
fashionable as that of Reynolds.
It is said that in his long life he painted as many as three thousand
portraits. There was scarcely a distinguished man or beautiful woman
in the kingdom who did not sit to him, and many were the children
whose portraits he painted. If all his works could be brought together
they would form a complete historical gallery of the reign of George
III. Here we should see princes, statesmen, and warriors, actors and
poets, court beauties and "blue stockings," the petted children of the
rich, and the picturesque waifs of the London streets. Among the faces
we should find those, like Fox and Burke, whose lives were intimately
connected with the destinies of our own nation, and those, like
Goldsmith and Johnson, whose names are familiar in our schools and
homes. There is something about these portraits which makes them seem
alive, something too which gives to the plainest person a certain
dignity and interest.
With all the variety of subjects which Reynolds treated he was never
happier than when painting children. He loved them dearly, delighted
to play with them, and seemed to understand them as few grown people
do. In his great octagonal painting room were many things to amuse his
little friends, and a portrait sitting there usually meant a frolic.
Penelope Boothby is the name of the little girl in our illustration,
and the old-fashioned name is precisely suited to the quaint figure in
cap and mitts. We are reminded of that Penelope of the old Greek poem,
the Odyssey, who waited so faithfully through the years for the return
of her husband Odysseus from the Trojan war. The story runs that,
believing Odysseus to be dead, many suitors begged her hand, but she
always replied that before marrying she must first complete the shroud
she was making for her aged father-in-law. Every day she busied
herself with the task, but when night came she secretly undid all that
she had wrought through the day, so that it might never reach
completion. Thus she prolonged the time of waiting until at last
Odysseus returned to claim his wife.
Whether or not the little Penelope of our picture knew this story we
cannot say, but it was the fashion of the times to revive the names
and legends of mythology, and Penelope was a name which had come to
stand for all the domestic virtues.
[Illustration: PENELOPE BOOTHBY]
As we look at the picture for the first time the quaint costume of the
little girl suggests the idea that she is dressed for a tableau.
Children the world over love to don the clothes of a past generation
and play at men and women. Miss Penelope, we fancy, has been
ransacking some old chest of faded finery, and has arrayed herself in
the character of "Martha Washington," as painted by Gilbert Stuart.
The snowy kerchief folded across her bosom and the big mob cap on her
head are precisely like those in the portraits of the colonial lady.
The child purses her lips together primly and folds her hands in a
demure attitude in her lap, as if to play her part well, but she is
far too shy to look us directly in the face, and glances aside with
downcast eyes.
All this illusion is dispelled when we come to study the customs of
the period. It appears that children then, both in England and
America, dressed precisely like their elders, and Penelope's costume
here is doubtless such as she wore every day. A little Boston girl,
Anna Green Winslow, wrote in her diary in 1771 of wearing a cap and
black mitts which we fancy were not unlike these. There are portraits,
too, of other little girls of the time, wearing the same huge
headdress, as we may see in the family group of the Copleys in the
Boston Art Museum.
Penelope was the only child of Sir Brooke Boothby, and, as we may well
believe from her winsome face, the darling of the household. Her home
was a fine mansion buried among trees in the beautiful English
country. She was, we fancy, a quiet little girl, preferring a corner
with her dolls to any boisterous romp, but not without a bit of fun in
her nature. She was an affectionate little creature, and very fond of
her father, watching at the gate for his return home, and sitting on
his knee in the evening. On Sunday mornings she went to the quaint old
church of Ashbourne and knelt beside her mother in the service.
All this and much more we learn from a book written by her father
which bears the pathetic title of "Sorrows." For little Penelope died
at the age of seven, and the stricken parent solaced himself in his
loneliness by writing the memories of his darling.
The portrait by Reynolds was made when the child was four years old.
After her death, Fuseli painted a picture representing her borne to
heaven by an angel. There is also a lovely marble monument to
Penelope, by Banks, in the Ashbourne church.[3]
[Footnote 3: See Mrs. Rebecca Harding Davis's article in _St.
Nicholas_, November, 1875, "About the Painter of Little Penelope."]
II
MASTER CREWE AS HENRY VIII
There was once on the throne of England a king named Henry VIII. He
was a man of extraordinary character, with qualities both good and
bad. His conduct was sometimes unscrupulous and tyrannical, and he let
nothing interfere with his own pleasure. Nevertheless his reign
brought many benefits to England, and his memory is respected by
English people.
In his early manhood, Henry was accounted the handsomest prince of his
time, but allowance must be made for the flattery of his subjects. He
was a big, rather coarse-looking man, with small eyes, and a large
face and double chin. For his noisy ways and rough manners he has been
familiarly called "Bluff King Hal" and "Burly King Harry." He was fond
of the hunt and the tournament and all kinds of manly exercise. He was
also much given to show and display, and loved rich dresses.
He employed as his court painter the celebrated Dutch artist Holbein,
who made various portraits of the members of the royal family. There
was one particularly fine group which was unfortunately destroyed by
fire, but as a copy had previously been made we still know what the
picture was like.
Henry VIII. had been dead some two hundred years before the Master
Crewe of our picture was born, but English kings are not allowed to be
forgotten. Successive generations of children were shown Holbein's
portraits of the bluff old ruler, and were taught something about his
reign.
It happened one time that the children of Master Crewe's acquaintance
had a fancy dress party. The Crewes were people of fashion who entered
constantly into social affairs. Naturally there was much discussion
over their son's part and costume. It was a happy thought which fixed
upon the character of Henry VIII., for the boy's round face, square
shoulders, and sturdy frame were well fitted for the rôle.
Evidently no pains were spared to make the costume historically
correct. Holbein's portrait was the costumer's model, and every detail
was faithfully followed. The boy is dressed in the fashion of the
sixteenth century in "doublet and hose." This consists first of a
richly embroidered waistcoat, the most effective part of the dress.
The sleeves are made of the same material and are gathered at the
wrists in a ruffle. The lower part of the doublet is a skirt falling
just above the knees.
[Illustration: MASTER CREWE AS HENRY VIII.]
Over all is flung a handsome mantle; but this is drawn apart in front
to display the smart waistcoat to full advantage. A broad-brimmed hat
set jauntily on one side, and trimmed with a long feather, completes
the costume. By way of ornament is worn a big jewelled collar and a
long chain with locket. A short sword swings from the girdle, and
on the left leg is the garter, which is the badge of membership in the
ancient Order of the Garter, of which Henry VIII. was the tenth
sovereign member. This is of dark blue ribbon edged with gold, and
bearing in gold letters the motto "Honi soit qui mal y pense".[4]
[Footnote 4: Evil to him who evil thinks.]
It is one thing to have a perfect costume, and another to understand
the rôle. Master Crewe not only looks his part, but he acts it as
well. He has not failed to take in all the points of the portrait, and
imitates the pompous attitude to perfection. He stands with feet wide
apart, grasping his gloves in the right hand and supporting the other
on the sash.
He is a bright boy, who enters into the spirit of the game, and it
tickles him hugely to play the part of a despot. But while he is Henry
VIII. in miniature, he is Henry VIII. without the king's coarseness,
and in the place is a child's innocent pleasure. It was no wonder that
his parents, delighted with the success of the costume, wished to have
a portrait made.
The boy is painted as he appeared when posing for his admiring
friends. In his effort to assume a lordly air his boyish glee gets the
better of him, and he belies the character by a broad grin. Perhaps he
has caught the twinkle in his father's eye, or his mother's suppressed
smile, and he can keep serious no longer. "Bravo!" cries the audience,
and he smiles in innocent delight at his success.
His pet dogs are in the room, and one of them is rather suspicious of
this strange young prince. He sniffs cautiously at his legs, for
though his eyes deceive him, his sense of smell cannot be mistaken.
Through a window in the rear we get a glimpse of the park beyond,
which adds much to the beauty of the picture. As we shall see in other
pictures of this collection[5] an interior gives a sense of
imprisonment unless it contains some opening. The mass of bright color
which the landscape makes in the upper right corner is balanced in the
lower left corner by a cloak thrown over a chair.
[Footnote 5: See Lady Cockburn and her Children, and the Duchess of
Devonshire and her Child.]
Reynolds painted so many fine portraits of boys that it is hard to say
that this or that one is best, though some have preferred Master Crewe
to all others.[6] We shall see by-and-by in Master Bunbury, and the
Cupid, that the painter understood boy nature pretty thoroughly. This
rollicking Master Crewe is not so serious as Master Bunbury, nor so
sly as the Cupid boy; he is in fact a typical English lad, sturdy,
masterful, frank, and good-natured.
[Footnote 6: Leslie and Taylor say that "none of his many admirable
boy pictures is so consummate."]
III
LADY COCKBURN AND HER CHILDREN
A pretty story is told of a Roman matron named Cornelia, who was one
day entertaining a visitor, when the conversation led to the subject
of jewels. "These are my jewels," said the hostess, and turned to show
the stranger her beautiful children. The story comes readily to mind
as one looks at this portrait of Lady Cockburn and her Children.
Indeed, the picture was once engraved[7] under the fanciful title of
"Cornelia and her Children." Like the Roman matron of old, the English
mother gathers her children about her as the choicest jewels of her
possession. Her stately beauty is of the classic sort, and the
children are as charming as English children are reputed to be.
[Footnote 7: By Tomkins, in 1792.]
All three are boys. The eldest is James, who kneels on his mother's
lap, playfully grasping the mantle about her neck, and supported in
his precarious position by her hand placed firmly on his back. He has
the sweet expression which betokens a sunny nature, and his well-cut
features are such as make a handsome man. He was his father's heir and
namesake, succeeding him as the seventh baronet.
The rogue peeping over his mother's shoulder is George. Though his
features are less regular than his elder brother's, he is none the
less attractive, for he is a jolly little fellow. When he grew to
manhood he entered the navy and became an admiral. It was on his ship,
the Northumberland, that Napoleon was conveyed to the island of St.
Helena to end his days in exile. In the course of time Admiral
Cockburn became the eighth baronet of the name.
The baby lying on the mother's lap is William. In after years he
entered the ministry, married a daughter of Sir Robert Peel, and
became Dean of York. It was fitting that one of Lady Cockburn's sons
should enter the Church, as her father, Dr. Ayscough, had been Dean of
Bristol. Upon the death of his elder brother, the Dean of York became
the ninth baronet.
The picture shows the three children in a game of hide-and-seek.
George, who is evidently the leader of the fun, dodges up and down
behind his mother, throwing little William into an ecstasy of delight.
As the round face appears again over the shoulder, the baby reaches up
his fat little hand to clutch his brother's arm, fairly doubling
himself up in his pleasure, and grasping one foot in his other hand.
James enjoys the play more quietly. It is quite likely that he has
been hiding his face in his mother's mantle, but now he pauses to
watch his little brother's amusement, his lips parted in a smile, his
finger directing the baby where to look.
[Illustration: LADY COCKBURN AND HER CHILDREN]
The mother turns her face towards that of her eldest son, scanning it
closely.
The action in the picture is so delightfully natural that we do not at
first realize how difficult a problem is solved in the arrangement of
the four figures. An amateur photographer places his sitters in a
stiff row and directs them all to look towards a single point. The
master artist conceives of some action which shall engage the
attention of all, and form a natural connection between them. Thus, in
our picture, the interest of the game binds the figures together. The
baby lifts his face to that of the mother and brother; the mother
turns to the child at her right, and the latter looks down at the
baby, thus completing the circle.
The lines of the composition are also so disposed as to bring the
figures together in a close unity. Follow the outer edge of the figure
of James at the left; trace across the mother's lap the line made by
the border of her mantle, and continued along the baby's body. From
the mother's elbow move the pencil past the baby's head and along his
out-stretched arm till the line ends at the top of George's head, and
from this point carry a somewhat irregular line across to the head of
James. We have thus traced the parallelogram which incloses the group.
The centre of the group is somewhat at the left of the centre of the
canvas, and the picture would seem one-sided were it not for the
details of the background at the right. Here the painter has
represented a parapet supporting a marble pillar, at the base of
which a large macaw perches. Beyond is seen a beautiful landscape.
This spot of color brings the composition into perfect balance. More
than this, the view thus opened relieves the crowded effect of the
compact grouping. The surrounding space would not seem large enough
for the four figures were it not for this added depth of space, which
gives the eye a long distance to traverse.
The composition is as fine in color as it is in lines and masses. It
is a "splendid tawny color harmony, formed by the red of the curtain,
the warm flesh tints, the rich orange yellow of the outer robe of
satin bordered with white fur, and the gaudy plumage of the macaw".[8]
[Footnote 8: Claude Phillips.]
With so many great artistic qualities, it is no wonder that the
portrait has always been admired. Upon its completion in 1774 it was
sent to the Royal Academy to be exhibited, and when it was first
brought into the room, all the painters present, struck with
admiration, burst into a tumult of applause and handclapping. Even
after this the painstaking painter probably added some finishing
touches and inscribed his name and the date, 1775, upon the ornamental
border of the lady's mantle.
IV
MISS BOWLES
A little girl and her dog are playing together in a wooded park. The
place is a fine playground, with its soft, grassy carpet, and noble
old trees. It is the sort of park which adjoins country houses of
wealthy old English families, where years of training have brought to
perfection the trees planted by previous generations. Here and there,
through spaces among the branches, shafts of sunlight illumine the
shady spot.
The child herself seems like some woodland sprite. She is bubbling
over with fun, and is scarcely still a minute. Her spaniel is a gay
playfellow,--a beautiful creature, with long silky hair and drooping
ears. He is intelligent, too, and devoted to his mistress.
She leads him a merry chase, darting in and out among the big trees
which hide her from him. He bounds after her, loses her a moment, and
then, as she reappears, leaps upon her with delight.
In the midst of the frolic the child's attention is attracted by a
group of boys who have entered the park, all unobserved, and have
begun a game of cricket. On the instant she drops on her knees on the
grass, seizes the dog, and, lest he should interrupt the sport,
clasps her arms tight around his neck, to hold him fast. The poor
spaniel is nearly choked, but patiently yields to the caprice of his
young mistress while she watches the game with dancing eyes. From her
gleeful expression one would fancy that the winner was her favorite.
Some such simple incident as this Sir Joshua Reynolds must have had in
mind when painting the portrait of Miss Bowles; for every picture of
his seems to carry a story with it, each one thought out to fit the
circumstances and character of the sitter. The lively Miss Bowles, as
we see, is totally unlike the demure Miss Boothby. They are both
charming children; but, while Penelope would love to nestle in her
mother's arms, Miss Bowles would dance coyly away. While Penelope
would sit in doors by the hour, contented with her sewing, Miss Bowles
would be skipping about the park like a little hoyden. The picture of
Miss Bowles is, therefore, full of action; both child and dog pause
only an instant, caught, as it were, in the midst of their play. The
attitude of Penelope Boothby, on the other hand, is one of repose, as
suits the tranquil nature of the little girl. The background of each
picture is likewise perfectly appropriate. Miss Penelope's placid
figure is seen against a leafy screen which nearly closes in the
picture; but Miss Bowles needs plenty of space for her romps, and has
a whole park to herself.
The painter's acquaintance with little Miss Bowles began very
pleasantly. Her parents, proud of their lovely daughter, were
planning to have her portrait made, and had chosen Romney for the
painter. A friend of theirs--Sir George Beaumont--induced them to
change their minds and engage Reynolds. Even if the portrait faded in
time, as they were afraid it might, Sir Joshua's pictures sometimes
having that fault, it would still be more beautiful than if painted by
any other hand.
[Illustration: MISS BOWLES]
At Sir George's suggestion the painter was first invited to dinner,
that he might see the child. She appeared at dessert, and was placed
beside the stranger at the table. It did not take long for the two to
become acquainted, for the painter immediately began to amuse the
little girl with stories and all sorts of tricks. Calling her
attention to some object on the other side of the room, he would steal
her plate while she was looking away, and pretend to be greatly
surprised at its disappearance. They would then try to find it, but in
vain, until, when she was again off her guard, he would slip it into
place, and there would be a great sensation over its discovery. Was
there ever a jollier man for a little girl to dine with!
The next day it was proposed that Miss Bowles should be taken to visit
her new friend, and she was of course delighted to go. When the party
reached the studio, the child's face was shining with expectancy as
she greeted the painter. It was this expression which Reynolds has
caught so perfectly on his canvas, and which makes the little girl's
face seem actually smiling into ours.
He was equally successful in catching a natural pose, watching her
closely as she danced about the room. It was a theory of his that the
unconscious movements of a child are always graceful, and we may be
sure that Miss Bowles's position here is one of her own invention. Her
skirt is spread out a little at one side, balancing, as it were, the
figure of the dog opposite. The lines inclosing the entire group form
a pyramid.
The original painting is still beautiful in color, being among the
best preserved of Reynolds's works. Critics have pronounced it a
"matchless work that would have immortalized Reynolds had he never
painted anything else."
V
MASTER BUNBURY
By a pleasant coincidence the year 1768 brought to Reynolds's studio
for portrait sittings two young people who began an acquaintance at
this time which had a romantic ending. They were Miss Catherine
Horneck and Henry William Bunbury, who were married a few years later,
and were the parents of the little boy in our picture.
Miss Horneck was one of two pretty sisters who, upon their father's
death, had become wards of Sir Joshua, the family being old Devonshire
acquaintances of his. They were now living in London with their
mother, and were great pets in society. Goldsmith, who knew them well,
playfully named Miss Catherine "Little Comedy" from the resemblance
between her face and that of the allegorical figure of Comedy in one
of Reynolds's portraits of Garrick.
Mr. Bunbury was a gentleman of family and fortune, who had unusual
artistic talent. His special forte was in humorous subjects and
caricatures, and his works were sought and praised by connoisseurs.
Reynolds must have followed with affectionate interest the lives of
these young friends whose attachment had been fostered in his studio.
He always felt a fatherly regard for Mrs. Bunbury and a generous
admiration for her husband's artistic work. Their elder son, the boy
of our picture, was born in 1772, and was named Charles John. The
painter visiting his friends saw the child grow out of baby-hood and
become a sturdy boy. He was a beautiful child, with large eyes set
wide apart in his round face. His expression was delightfully frank
and honest. When he was nine years old the portrait was painted which
is reproduced in our illustration.
The boy sits under a tree in a pleasant landscape looking intently
before him at some object. Though he seems to have been carefully
dressed for some special occasion he has been enjoying himself in boy
fashion in spite of that. His ringletted hair is blown about by the
wind, and the coat is unbuttoned at the throat, as he drops down to
rest, hot and panting from some vigorous exercise.
His chubby hands rest on his knees, and his eyes are fixed on
something directly in front of him. He does not seem to be a boy given
to day-dreaming, and he is much too active to sit still a long time.
It must be something very interesting which awakens his curiosity.
Perhaps a bumble-bee, buzzing in and out the bell-shaped blossoms of
some sweet wild flower, catches his eye, and he almost holds his
breath and watches it.
[Illustration: MASTER BUNBURY]
The boy's dress looks very quaint to our modern eyes. The trousers and
waistcoat are made "in one piece," and the velvet coat, with its wide
skirt, seems a garment made for a middle-aged man. As we have
already seen, the children of this time dressed as miniature copies of
their elders. But while fashions in dress have changed, the child's
nature is about the same in every country and period. The
eighteenth-century boy, in spite of his grown-up clothes, was fond of
all sorts of out-of-door games. Master Bunbury could doubtless match a
boy of his age to-day at marbles, tops, kites, battledore, and
hop-scotch, and teach him besides many now-forgotten sports, as
"bally-cally," "chucks," "sinks," and the like.
The modern American schoolboy, studying the history of our own
country, may be interested to know that this portrait of an English
boy, who was a subject of George III., was painted five years after
the signing of the Declaration of Independence. One of the signers had
a son who was of nearly the same age as Master Bunbury, a boy named
William Henry Harrison, who afterwards became the president of our
republic. If we possessed a portrait of Harrison at the age of nine,
it would be interesting to compare the two boyish contemporaries of
the old and the new country. Master Bunbury, as the son of an English
aristocrat, must needs have regarded our colonists as troublesome
rebels, while on his part young Harrison looked upon the English as
tyrants.
Bunbury finally entered the English army and became a general officer.
He was sent to the Cape of Good Hope while the British were holding
possession there in behalf of the Dutch, and there he died in the
fullness of his early manhood in 1798.
The portrait of Master Bunbury was painted a few years after that of
Miss Bowles, and Reynolds here repeated the same arrangement which had
been so successful before. It differs only in that the entire figure
of Master Bunbury is not seen, being cut off in what is called three
quarters length, just below the knees. In both pictures the lines of
the composition follow the same pyramidal form, and in both also the
park-like surroundings extend into an indefinite distance, so that the
eye may follow with pleasure the long vista. Both pictures suggest the
same idea of a child pausing in play to look directly out of the
canvas at some distant object. Yet the painter has shown a perfect
understanding of the difference in the temperament of the two
children, the girl, graceful, quick, mischievous, the boy, sturdy,
rather serious, and with a mind eager for information.