HESITATION.
MR. PUNCH'S ROYAL ACADEMY GUIDE, PHILOSOPHER, AND VERY FAMILIAR FRIEND FOR THE R.A. SEASON.
No. 16. It is called "A Toast. By AGNES E. WALKER." It should be called "A Toast without a Song," as it seems to represent an eminent tenor unavoidably prevented by cold, &c., when staying at home, and taking the mixture as before.
No. 19. A musical subject, "The Open C." By HENRY MOORE, A.
No. 24. "Food for Reflection; or, A (Looking) Glass too much." Black Eye'd SUSAN (hiding her black eye) after a row. The person who "calls himself a Gentleman" is seen as a retiring person in another mirror. ETTORE TITO.
No. 40. Little Bo Peep after Lunch, supported by a tree. Early intemperance movement. "Let 'm 'lone, they'll come home, leave tails b'ind 'em." JOHN DA COSTA.
No. 56. Ben Ledi. This is a puzzle picture by Mr. JAMES ELLIOT. Of course there is in it, somewhere or other, a portrait of the eminent Italian, BENJAMIN LEDI. Puzzle, to find him.
No. 83. "The Coming Sneeze." Picture of a Lady evidently saying, "Oh dear! Is it influenza!!" THOMAS C.S. BENHAM.
No. 89. "Handicapped; or, A Scotch Race from thiS TARTAN Point." JOHN PETTIE, R.A.
No. 95. Large and Early Something Warrior, pointing to a bald-headed bust, and singing to a maiden, "Get your Hair Cut!" RALPH PEACOCK.
No. 97. "Toe-Toe chez Ta-Ta; or, Oh, my poor Foot!" "Must hide it before anyone else sees it." FRANK DICKSEE, R.A.
No. 102. "Attitude's Everything; or, The Affected Lawn Tennis Player." By FREDERIC A. BRIDGMAN, probably a Lillie Bridge man.
No. 105. "Dumb as a Drum with a hole in it." Vide Sam Weller. "JOY! JOY! (G.W.) my task is done!"
No. 107. "Outside the Pail; or, 'Nell' the Dairing Dairymaid." Taken in the act by R.C. CRAWFORD (give him several inches of canvas, and he'll take a NELL) as she was about to put a little water out of the stream into the fresh milk pail.
No. 130. A (Sir Donald) Currie, admirably done in P. and O. (Paint and Oil) by W.W. OULESS, R.A.
No. 211. "Blow, Blow, thou Winter Wind."—As You Like It. But we don't like it—we mean, the wind, of course. Oh, so desolate and dreary! We suppose that in order to keep himself warm, Sir JOHN must have been thoroughly wrapped up in his work when he painted this. Sir J.E. MILLAIS, Bart., R.A.
No. 228. "The Great Auk's Egg." "Auk-ward moment: is it genuine or not? He bought it at an Auk-tion; it had probably been auk'd about before, genuine or not There'll be a great tauk (!) about it," says H.S. MARKS, R.A.
No. 238. "With a little pig here and a little cow here,
Here a sheep and there a sheep and everywhere a sheep."
Old Song, illustrated by SIDNEY COOPER, R.A.
No. 250. "Ticklish Times; or, the First Small and Early in the Ear." "She sat, half-mesmerised, thinking to herself, 'Shall I have many dances this season?' 'You've got a ball in hand,' whispered small and early Eros Minimus. 'Ah,' she returned, dreamily, 'a bawl in the hand is indeed worth a whisper in the ear.'" From the Greek of Akephalos. W. ADOLPHE BOUGUEREAU.
No. 272. The Flying Farini Family. Nothing like bringing 'em up to the acrobatic business quite young. PHIL R. MORRIS, A.
No. 290. "Sittin' and Satin." IRLAM BRIGGS. [N.B.—Mr. P. always delighted to welcome the immortal name of BRIGGS. Years ago, one of JOHN LEECH's boys drew "BRIGGS a 'anging," and here he is,—hung!]
No. 310. First-rate portrait of a Railway Director looking directly at the spectator, and saying, "Of course, I'm the right man in the right place, i.e., on the line." Congratulations to HUBERT HERKOMER, R.A.
No. 311. Popping in on them, in not quite a friendly way, by Very Much in ERNEST CROFTS, A.
No. 317. "Strong Op-inions." A Political Picture by a Liberal Onionist. CATHERINE M. WOOD.
No. 342. A Person sitting uprightly. By BENTLEY.
No. 351. "Only a Couple of Growlers, and no Hansom!" By J.T. NETTLESHIP.
No. 373. "There is a Flower that bloometh." The Mayor of AVON, as he appeared 'avon his likeness (A 1) taken by PHIL R. MORRIS, A.
No. 412. "Hush a bye, Bibby!" Capital picture, speaks for itself. "I know that man, he comes from—Liverpool." Brought here by LUKE FILDES, R.A.
No. 440. "Poppylar Error." Old Lady (loq.). "Oh, dear! I've eaten one o' them nasty stuck-up poppies, and I do feel so—Oh! I feel my colour is gradually PALIN (W.M.)."
No. 502. "What, no Soap!" She may appear a trifle cracky, but no one can say that this picture represents her as having gone "clean mad." ANNA BILINSKA.
No. 553. Margate Sands in Ancient Times. Cruel conduct of an Ancient Warrior towards a young lady who refused to bathe in the sea. Full of life by E.M. HALE (and Hearty).
No. 575. "Poor Thing!" Touching picture of ideal patient in Æsthetic Idiot Asylum. LUCIEN DAVIS.
No. 636. "A Clever Examiner drawing him out." [N.B.—This ought to have been exhibited at A. TOOTH's Exhibition.] RALPH HEDLEY.
No. 686. Upper part of Augustus Manns, Esq. The Artist has, of course, chosen the better part. "MANNS wants but little here below," but he doesn't get anything at all, being cut off, so to speak, in his prime about the second shirt-button. Exactly like him as he was taken before the Artist at "Pettie Sessions."
No. 1041. "Every Dog must have his Dose; or, King Charles's Martyrdom." FRED HALL.
SCULPTURE.—The descriptions in the Guide are too painful. We prefer not, to give any names, but here are specimens:—"Mr. So-and-so, to be executed in bronze"; "The late Thingummy—bust!" These will suffice. Then we have No. 1997. "All Three going to Bath" by GEORGE FRAMPTON; and last, but not by any means least, a very good likeness of our old friend J.C. HORSLEY, R.A., and while we think of it, we'll treat him as a cabman and "take his number," which it's 1941, done by JOHN ADAMS-ACTON, and so, with this piece of sculpture, we conclude our pick of the Pictures with this display of fireworks; that is, with one good bust up! Plaudite et valete!