By George I. F. Tupper: No. 3, "Mental Scales." This also, in the
scrappy condition which it here presents, reads rather as a joke than
as a serious proposition: I believe it was meant for the latter.
By John L. Tupper: "Viola and Olivia." The verses are not of much
significance. The etching by Deverell, however defective in
technique, claims more attention, as the Viola was drawn from Miss
Elizabeth Eleanor Siddal, whom Deverell had observed in a bonnet-shop
some few months before the etching was done, and who in 1860 became
the wife of Dante Rossetti. This face does not give much idea of
hers, and yet it is not unlike her in a way. The face of Olivia bears
some resemblance to Christina Rossetti: I think however that it was
drawn, not from her, but from a sister of the artist.
By John Orchard: "A Dialogue on Art." The brief remarks prefacing
this dialogue were written by Dante Rossetti. The diction of the
dialogue itself was also, at Orchard's instance, revised to some
minor extent by my brother, and I dare say by me. Orchard was a
painter of whom perhaps no memory remains at the present day: he
exhibited some few pictures, among which I can dimly remember one of
"The Flight of Archbishop Becket from England." His age may, I
suppose, have been twenty-seven or twenty-eight years at the date of
his death. In our circle he was unknown; but, conceiving a deep
admiration for Rossetti's first exhibited picture (1849), "The
Girlhood of Mary Virgin," he wrote to him, enclosing a sonnet upon
the picture--a very bad sonnet in all executive respects, and far
from giving promise of the spirited, if unequal, poetic treatment
which we find in the lines in "The Germ," "On a Whit-Sunday Morn in
the Month of May." This led to a call from Orchard to Rossetti. I
think there was only one call, and I, as well as my brother, saw him
on that occasion. Afterwards, he sent this dialogue for "The Germ."
The dialogue has always, and I think justly, been regarded as a
remarkable performance. The form of expression is not impeccable, but
there is a large amount of eloquence, coming in aid of definite and
expansive thought. From what is here said it will be understood that
Orchard was quite unconnected with the P.R.B. He expressed opinions
of his own which may indeed have assimilated in some points to
theirs, but he was not in any degree the mouthpiece of their
organization, nor prompted by any member of the Brotherhood. In the
dialogue, the speaker whose opinions appear manifestly to represent
those of Orchard himself is Christian, who is mostly backed up by
Sophon. Christian forces ideas of purism or puritanism to an extreme,
beyond anything which I can recollect as characterizing any of the
P.R.B. His upholding of the painters who preceded Raphael as the best
men for nurturing new and noble developments of art in our own day
was more in their line. In my brother's prefatory note a question is
raised of publishing any other writings which Orchard might have left
behind. None such, however, were found. Dr. W. C. Bennett (afterwards
known as the author of "Songs for Sailors," etc.), who had been
intimate with Orchard, aided my brother in his researches.
By F. G. Stephens (called "Laura Savage" on the wrapper): "Modern
Giants."
By Dante G. Rossetti: "Pax Vobis." Republished by the author, with
some alterations, under the title of "World's Worth."
By Dante G. Rossetti: "Sonnets for Pictures." No. 1, "A Virgin and
Child, by Hans Memmeling," was not reprinted by Rossetti, but is
included (with a few verbal alterations made by him in MS.) in his
"Collected Works." No. 2, "A Marriage of St. Katherine, by the same."
A similar observation. No. 3, "A Dance of Nymphs, by Andrea
Mantegna," was republished by Rossetti, with some verbal alterations.
No. 4, "A Venetian Pastoral, by Giorgione"--the like. The alterations
here are of considerable moment. Rossetti, in a published letter of
October 8, 1849, referred to the Giorgione picture as follows: "A
Pastoral--at least, a kind of Pastoral--by Giorgione, which is so
intensely fine that I condescended to sit down before it and write a
sonnet. You must have heard me rave about the engraving before, and,
I fancy, have seen it yourself. There is a woman, naked, at one side,
who is dipping a glass vessel into a well, and in the centre two men
and another naked woman, who seem to have paused for a moment in
playing on the musical instruments which they hold." Nos. 5 and 6,
"Angelica Rescued from the Sea-Monster, by Ingres," were also
reprinted by the author, with scarcely any alteration. Patmore, on
reading these two sonnets, was much struck with their truthfulness of
quality, as being descriptive of paintings. As to some of the other
sonnets, Mr. W. M. Hardinge wrote in "Temple Bar," several years ago,
an article containing various pertinent and acute remarks.
By W. M. Rossetti: "Review of Browning's Christmas Eve and Easter
Day." The only observation I need make upon this review--which was
merely intended as introductory to a fuller estimate of the poem, to
appear in an ensuing number of "The Germ"--is that it exemplifies
that profound cultus of Robert Browning which, commenced by Dante
Rossetti, had permeated the whole of the Praeraphaelite Brotherhood,
and formed, not less than some other ideas, a bond of union among
them. It will be readily understood that, in Mr. Stephens's article,
"Modern Giants," the person spoken of as "the greatest perhaps of
modern poets" is Browning.
By W. M. Rossetti: "The Evil under the Sun: Sonnet." This sonnet was
composed in August 1849, when the great cause of the Hungarian
insurrection against Austrian tyranny was, like revolutionary
movements elsewhere, precipitating towards its fall. My original
title for the sonnet was, "For the General Oppression of the Better
by the Worse Cause, Autumn 1849." When the verses had to be published
in "The Germ," a magazine which did not aim at taking any side in
politics, it was thought that this title was inappropriate, and the
other was substituted. At a much later date the sonnet was reprinted
with yet another and more significant title, "Democracy
Down-trodden."
Having now disposed of "The Germ" in general, and singly of most of
the articles in it, I have very little to add. The project of
reprinting the magazine was conceived by its present publisher, Mr.
Stock, many years ago--perhaps about 1883. At that time several
contributors assented, but others declined, and considerations of
copyright made it impracticable to proceed with the project. It is
only now that lapse of time has disposed of the copyright question,
and Mr. Stock is free to act as he likes. I was from the first one of
those (the majority) who assented to the republication, acting herein
on behalf of my brother, then lately deceased, as well as of myself.
I am quite aware that some of the articles in "The Germ" are far from
good, and some others, though good in essentials, are to a certain
extent juvenile; but juvenility is anything but uninteresting when it
is that of such men as Coventry Patmore and Dante Rossetti. "The
Germ" contains nothing of which, in spirit and in purport, the
writers need be ashamed. If people like to read it without paying
fancy prices for the original edition, they were and are, so far as I
am concerned, welcome to do so. Before Mr. Stock's long-standing
scheme could be legally carried into effect, an American publisher,
Mr. Mosher, towards the close of 1898, brought out a handsome reprint
of "The Germ" (not in any wise a facsimile), and a few of the copies
were placed on sale in London.{3} Mr. Mosher gave as an introduction
to his volume an article by the late J. Ashcroft Noble which
originally appeared in an English magazine in May 1882. This article
is entitled "A Pre-Raphaelite Magazine." It is written in a spirit of
generous sympathy, and is mostly correct in its facts. I may here
mention another article on "The Germ," also published, towards 1868,
in some magazine. It is by John Burnell Payne (originally a Clergyman
of the Church of England), who died young in 1869. He wrote a triplet
of articles, named "Praeraphaelite Poetry and Painting," of which
Part I. is on "The Germ." He expresses himself sympathetically
enough; but his main drift is to show that the Praeraphaelite
movement, after passing through some immature stages, developed into
a quasi-Renaissance result. A perusal of his paper will show that Mr.
Payne was one of the persons who supposed Chiaro dell'Erma, the hero
of "Hand and Soul," to have been a real painter, author of an extant
picture.
{3} I have seen in the "Irish Figaro", May 6, 1899, a very pleasant
notice, signed "J. Reid," of this reprint.
Mr. Stock's reprint is of the facsimile order, and even faults of
print are reproduced. I am not called upon to say with any precision
what there are. On page 45 I observe "ear," which should be "car"; on
page 62, Angilico, and Rossini (for Rosini). On page 155 the words,
"I believe that the thought-wrapped philosopher," ought to begin a
new sentence. On page 159 "Phyrnes" ought of course to be "Phrynes."
The punctuation could frequently be improved.
I will conclude by appending a little list (it makes no pretension to
completeness) of writings bearing upon the Praeraphaelite Brotherhood
and its members. Writings of that kind are by this date rather
numerous; but some readers of the present pages may not well know
where to find them, and might none the less be inclined to read up
the subject a little. I give these works in the order (as far as I
know it) of their dates, without any attempt to indicate the degree
of their importance. That is a question on which I naturally
entertain opinions of my own, but I shall not intrude them upon the
reader.
Ruskin: Pre-Raphaelitism, 1854, and other later writings.
F. G. Stephens: William Holman-Hunt and his Works, 1860.
William Sharp: Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1882.
Hall Caine: Recollections of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1882.
Walter Hamilton: The aesthetic Movement in England, 1882.
T. Watts-Dunton: The Truth about Rossetti, 1883, and other writings.
W. Holman-Hunt: The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, 1884 (?).
Earnest Chesneau: La Peinture Anglaise, 1884 (?).
Joseph Knight: Life of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1887.
W. M. Rossetti: Dante Gabriel Rossetti as Designer and Writer, 1889.
Harry Quilter: Preferences in Art, 1892.
W. Bell Scott: Autobiographical Notes, 1892.
Esther Wood: Dante Rossetti and the Pre-Raphaelite Movement, 1894.
Robert de la Sizeranne: La Peinture Anglaise Contemporaine, 1895.
Dante G. Rossetti: Family Letters, with Memoir by W. M. Rossetti, 1895.
Richard Muther: The History of Modern Painting, vols. ii. and iii., 1896.
Ford H. M. Hueffer: Ford Madox Brown, 1896.
Dante G. Rossetti: Letters to William Allingham, edited by Dr. Birkbeck
Hill, 1897.
M. H. Spielmann: Millais and his Works, 1898.
Antonio Agresti: Poesie di Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Traduzione con uno
Studio su la Pittura Inglese, etc., 1899.
Fraulein Wilmersdoerffer: Dante Gabriel Rossetti und sein Einflusz, 1899.
Edited by W. M. Rossetti: Ruskin, Rossetti, Praeraphaelitism, 1899.
J. Guille Millais: Life and Letters of Sir John Everett Millais, 1899.
Percy H. Bate: The English Praeraphaelite Painters, 1899.
H. C. Marillier: Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1899.
Edited by W. M. Rossetti: Praeraphaelite Diaries and Letters, 1899.
There are also books on Burne-Jones and Willaim Morris with which I
am not accurately acquainted. It seems strange that no memoir of
Thomas Woolner has yet been published; a fine sculptor and remarkable
man known to and appreciated by all sorts of people, and certain to
have figured extensively in correspondence. He died in October 1892.
Mr. Holman-Hunt is understood to have been engaged for a long while
past upon a book on Praeraphaelitism which would cast into the shade
most of the earlier literature on the subject.
W. M. ROSSETTI
London, _July 1899._
N.B.--When the third number of the magazine was about to appear, with
a change of title from "The Germ" to "Art and Poetry," two fly-sheets
were drawn up, more, I think, by Messrs. Tupper the printing-firm
than by myself. They contain some "Opinions of the Press," already
referred to in this Introduction, and an explanation as to the change
of title. The fly-sheets appear in facsimile as follows:
"The Germ"
The Subscribers to this Periodical are respectfully informed that
in future it will appear under the title of "Art and Poetry"
instead of the original arbitrary one, which occasioned much
misapprehension--This alteration will not be productive of any ill
consequence, as the title has never occurred in the work itself, and
Label will be supplied for placing on the old wrappers, so as to make
them conformable to the new--
It should also be noticed that the Numbers will henceforward be
published on the last day of the Month for which they are dated--
Town Subscribers will oblige by filling up & returning the
accompanying form, which will ensure the Numbers being duly forwarded
as directed.--
Country Subscribers may obtain their copies by kindly forwarding
their orders to any Booksellers in their respective Neighborhoods.--
Opinions of the press.
"... Original Poems, stories to develop thought and principle, essays
concerning Art & other subjects, are the materials which are to
compose this unique addition to our periodical literature Among the
poetry, there are some rare gems of poetic conception; among the
prose essays, we notice "the Subject in Art" which treats of Art
itself in a noble and lofty tone, with the view which he must take of
it who would, in the truest sense of the word, be an Artist, and
another paper, not less interesting, on "the Purpose and Tendency of
Early Italian Art" A well executed Etching in the medieval style,
accompanies each number"
John Bull.
"... There are so many original and beautiful thoughts in these
pages--indeed some of the poems & tales are in themselves so
beautiful in spirit & form--that we have hopes of the writers, when
they shall have got rid of those ghosts of mediaeval art which now
haunt their every page. The essay 'On the Mechanism of a Historical
Picture' is a good practical treatise, and indicates the hand of
writing which is much wanted among artists"
Morning Chronicle.
"We depart from our usual plan of noticing the periodicals under one
heading, for the purpose of introducing to our readers a new aspirant
for public favour, which has pecu liar and uncommon claims to
attention, for in design & execution it differs from all other
periodicals ... A periodical largely occupied with poetry wears an
unpromising aspect to readers who have learned from experience what
nonsensical stuff most fugitive Magazine poetry is.... But, when they
have read a few extracts which we propose to make, we think they will
own that for once appearances are deceitful.... That the contents of
this work are the productions of no common minds, the following
extracts will sufficiently prove.... We have not space to take any
specimens of the prose; but the essays on Art are conceived with an
equal appreciation of its _meaning_ & requirements. Being such, this
work has our heartiest wishes for its success, but we scarcely dare
to _hope_ that it may win the popularity it deserves. The truth is
that it is too good for the time. It is not _material_ enough for the
age"
Critic.
"... It bears unquestionable evidences of true inspirations and, in
fact, is so thoroughly spiritual that it is more likely to find 'the
fit audience though few' than to attract the multitude ... The prose
articles are much to our taste ... We know, however, of no periodical
of the time which is so genuinely poetical and artistic in its tone."
Standard of Freedom.
No. 1. (_Price One Shilling_.) JANUARY, 1850.
With an Etching by W. HOLMAN HUNT.
The Germ: Thoughts towards Nature In Poetry, Literature, and Art.
When whoso merely hath a little thought
Will plainly think the thought which is in him,--
Not imaging another's bright or dim,
Not mangling with new words what others taught;
When whoso speaks, from having either sought
Or only found,--will speak, not just to skim
A shallow surface with words made and trim,
But in that very speech the matter brought:
Be not too keen to cry--"So this is all!--
A thing I might myself have thought as well,
But would not say it, for it was not worth!"
Ask: "Is this truth?" For is it still to tell
That, be the theme a point or the whole earth,
Truth is a circle, perfect, great or small?
London: AYLOTT & JONES, 8, PATERNOSTER ROW.
G. F Tupper, Printer, Clement's Lane. Lombard Street.