CHAPTER VII
Mention of some Important Pictures.—The Custom House Authorities and “The Captive” Picture.—The “Dead Soldier” and Heath the Engraver.—“Destruction of the Floating Batteries off Gibraltar.”—“The Orrery.”—Earl Ferrers as a Patron.—Mortimer.—Peter Pindar.—Dr. Darwin.—Anna Seward.—Wedgwood.—Bentley.—“The Alchymist” Picture.—Hayley the Poet.—Thos. A. Hayley the Sculptor.
We have seen that Wright’s visit to Italy caused him to turn his attention to landscape, and it is after his return from thence that we find him entering upon the treatment of poetical subjects. “Edwin,” from Beattie’s “Minstrel,” and “Maria,” from Sterne’s sentimental journey, were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1778 and 1781, and were portraits of living persons, who were eminently fitted to represent the ideal of the authors. Before Wright commenced to paint “Edwin the Minstrel,” he wrote to Dr. Beattie to ask his opinion upon the treatment of the subject. The Doctor wrote a very excellent letter in reply, and concluded by saying, “Edwin from your pencil will be all my pen vainly endeavoured to make him.” A Derby gentleman, Thos. Haden, surgeon, who was considered to be one of the handsomest men in the town at that date, sat for this picture. The lady who sat for “Maria” was a Mrs. Bassano, of Derby.
I am indebted to Mr. F. Seymour Haden for kindly allowing me to embellish this volume with his admirable etching of “Edwin the Minstrel.”
We may well attribute these and some other pictures of a sentimental character to the influence of Wright’s visit to Italy. Wright was evidently indebted for the attitude of the figure in the picture of “The Captive” to Michael Angelo’s “Adam” in the Capella Sistina. This picture was painted in Rome, and sent to England. A very good tale is told about it, which is here inserted from “The Universal Magazine” of June, 1795:—
“When this celebrated painter (Wright, of Derby) was at Rome, he painted that very fine figure, “The Captive,” from Sterne, and consigned the picture to a friend in London, who having advice of its being landed, and deposited in the Custom House, presented a petition to the Board, stating that it was a portrait painted by an English artist, and praying it might be delivered duty free. In answer to this he received an order to attend on a given day, and was brought before their honours. The picture was produced, and the first question asked was, “Of whom is it the portrait?” The gentleman replied with truth, it was the portrait of a Roman (for it was copied from a Roman beggar), and the Board seemed inclined to let it pass; but an old gentleman, who had long been a Commissioner, made a shrewd objection, and remarked that this was such a portrait as he had never before seen in his life, and taken in a manner that he did not believe either Roman, Greek, Turk, Jew, or Infidel, would ever consent to ‘sit.’ ‘If,’ he added, ‘any gentleman at this Honourable Board chose to have his picture drawn, would not he put on a clean shirt, and have his wig fresh powdered, and be clean shaved; answer me that? To be sure he would. Now, it is here pretended, that this fellow sat for his portrait, who had hardly a rag to cover his nakedness; gentlemen, if he could have afforded to have paid for painting his picture, he could have afforded to buy himself a pair of breeches!’ He added by moving that the duty might be paid; and the duty was paid accordingly.”
Wright was more fortunate when he returned from Italy, as to payment of Custom House duties, as the following extract from a letter from Bath, dated 4th Dec., 1775, shows:—“Through the interest & application of my friend Mr. Baxter, I have got my pictures, &c., duty free, a thing so unusual the clerks cou’d scarce credit it. I believe it an indulgence none have experienced but myself. Had I been charged with ye common duty, I should have had near £30 to pay, an object this at any time, at the present a very material one.”
From the pictures of this character, we must not omit to mention that of the “Dead Soldier,” from Langhorne’s poems, which has become so familiar through the excellent line engraving by Heath.
It is related that Wright said before he painted the “Dead Soldier,” that he would depict the greatest possible sorrow, yet there should be a smiling face in the picture. The following lines by William Sotheby, F.R.S., bear testimony to the realisation of his intention:—
“I, to yon lonely tent by pity led,
View where the widow mourns her soldier, dead;
Turns from her babe, whose careless smiles impart
Strange woe, that harrows up the mother’s heart,
Hangs o’er the body, bleeding on the ground,
Clasps his cold hand, and faints upon the wound.”
The picture of the “Dead Soldier” was bought from the easel by Heath for £105, who afterwards sold it to J. L. Philips. It was sold in Manchester, when the effects of that Patron of the Fine Arts came to the hammer, by Winstanley and Taylor, in October, 1814, and then realized £315. It is thus described in the Catalogue:—“Lot 33, Wright, of Derby,—‘The Dead Soldier.’ This acknowledged chef-d’œuvre of this admired master, uniting great knowledge of grouping, excellent drawing, & correct colouring, with a fine feeling of sentiment, decidedly proves the assertion of Mr. Fuzeli, in his ‘Biographical Notice of Mr. Wright,’ that ‘he once eminently succeeded in the pathetic.’”
The line engraving by Heath appears, from the following correspondence, to have been a great success.
The following is a copy of the original circular issued by the Engraver:—
London, July 25th, 1795.
PROPOSALS
For Publishing by Subscription
A PRINT,
To be Engraved by
JAMES HEATH,
Historical engraver to his Majesty, &c.,
from
The celebrated picture
of
THE DEAD SOLDIER,
Painted by
WRIGHT, OF DERBY.
CONDITIONS:
That the plate shall be the Size of the Plate of the Death of General Wolfe. The price of each print will be One Guinea; Proofs, Two Guineas; Half to be paid at the time of subscribing, and the remainder on the delivery of the Print.
Subscriptions are received by the Proprietor, James Heath, at 42 Newman Street, where a proof of the plate may be seen.
Received ______________ 179 of the sum of ______________ being Half of the Subscription for ______ impression of the above-mentioned print, which I promise to deliver according to the proposals.
The following correspondence relating to the print is also of some interest:—
“Oct. 17th, 1796.
“To J. L. Philips.
“I have sent a proof of the ‘Dead Soldier’ very near finished. Pray let me have your opinion and remarks upon it as soon as possible. I have sent one to Wright, and have asked him to paint a companion to it; if he will not, who would you recommend for that purpose?
“I have hopes of a great sale from the number of subscribers I already have, and the approbation the print has met with from every one who has seen it.
“J. HEATH.”
“1796.
“To J. L. Philips.
“The prints you mention from Wright’s I dare say I shall be able to pick up at the sales this winter. I have heard from Mr. Wright, in which he says: ‘The effect of the picture is so well preserved, and the parts which compose it so true, that I have nothing to say but that I am well pleased with it.’ He says that he began to paint again about a week ago, and that he will (if his health returns) talk to me about a companion picture.
“J. HEATH.”
“Feby., 1797.
“To J. L. Philips.
“I shewed him (Lord Lansdowne) a proof of the ‘Dead Soldier,’ which he liked exceedingly, and subscribed for a couple. I asked his permission to dedicate it to him, which seemed to give him great pleasure. I expect him to call to see the picture, and when he has seen it, I will immediately send it on to you.
“J. HEATH.”
“To Joseph Wright.
“Sir,
“As I am going to publish the ‘Dead Soldier,’ I wish to announce the ‘Shipwrecked Sailor’ as a companion. I should therefore be much obliged to you to inform me whether your health will permit your painting it. An answer will much oblige.
“Your most obedt. Servt.,
“JAS. HEATH.
“Mch. 14th, 1797.
“Newman St., London.”
“April, 1797.
“To J. L. Philips.
“I have sent in a large tin case by to-night’s conveyance, four Dozen of the very first impressions of the ‘Dead Soldier,’ and one Dozen proofs. This number is more than you have at different times ordered for yourself and friends, but as I have raised the price to
and as they are choice impressions, I should suppose they will not stick on hand. If they should, you can at any time return them. A few of them have the same date of publication as the proofs, and consequently in the earliest state. I have met with more success than I had hoped for in such times as these. It is universally talked of, and I have orders for between 2 & 300 from the trade only.
“J. HEATH.”
“Aug 20, 1797.
“To J. L. Philips.
“A few days ago I sent an India proof of the ‘Dead Soldier.’ I should have sent you one before, but as the India paper was not good, I did not take above three impressions, the best of which you have. I have sent by to-day’s coach seven ‘Dead Soldiers.’ Respecting the two pictures of Wright’s, of ‘Hero’ & ‘Leander,’ I mentioned it to Ld. Lansdowne, who has promised to procure them for me if he can. Have you heard how Wright is lately. If he is not dead, I shall think there are hopes he may recover sufficiently to paint a companion for me.”
“1797.
“To J. L. Philips.
“I received (1797) yours with the bill enclosed. I am very sorry to hear of Wright’s death, as I do not know now who to get to paint a companion to the ‘Dead Soldier.’ I wish you would say who you think would do it best. I mean to get the pictures of ‘Hero,’ &c., as soon as Ld. Lansdowne comes to Town, and with respect to Sterne’s ‘Old Man and Ass,’ I think it would be a good thing to engrave. Mr. Corbould would be the man to put the back ground to it.
“J. HEATH.”
“June 14th. 1798.
“To J. L. Philips.
“I wish you would get the two pictures of ‘Hero’ & ‘Leander’ for me. I should like to engrave them very much. I have mentioned them to Ld Lansdowne several times, but he seems to hint that there is a family coolness which prevents him from asking for them.
“The ‘Dead Soldier’ continues to sell very well, indeed so much so, that I am very desirous of going on publishing for myself.
“J. HEATH.”
“July 28, 1805.
“To J. L. Philips.
“Mr. Corbould desires me to inform you that he has finished Wright’s picture. I should think it would be worth while to engrave it, and if, after you have seen it, you think so too, and would go halves in the speculation, I should like to do it.
“J. HEATH.
“Russell Place.”
“May 12, 1807.
“To J. L. Philips.
“My next work will be a companion to the ‘Dead Soldier.’ Mr. Smirke has nearly finished the picture. He had painted one four years ago, but it did not quite please him, and he has now succeeded more to his wishes.
“J. HEATH.”
“Feby., 1810.
“To J. L. Philips.
“I have often thought of mentioning to you the circumstance of Mr. Moreland’s having bought my Landscape of Wright’s for 16 Guineas, and his never offering to pay for it, although it is so long ago. I wish for your advice, as you know his circumstances better than I do.
“J. HEATH.”
It has been the custom to view Wright only as a painter of artificial light, and for picture dealers and some others to attribute all unknown pictures of fire in any form to “Wright of Derby.” We ourselves have seen many so attributed, which would not add fame to any painter’s name. The Exhibition of Wright’s Works in the Derby Corporation Art Gallery, in 1883, tended to dispel this unfounded illusion as to the limits of Wright’s art. Whilst the representation of fire-light in some form or other was undoubtedly a speciality with Wright, this class of subjects, after all, formed but a small proportion of the numerous works then collected together.
On reference being made to the appendix it will be noticed that there were many other important works painted by Wright which were never exhibited; and as he did not always sign his paintings, they may possibly now be attributed to other artists, or to the great unknown.
A picture that created considerable attention at the time it was painted, was the “Destruction of the Spanish Floating Batteries off Gibraltar,” on September 13th, 1782,[38] which was bought from the easel by Mr. J. Milnes for £420, being the highest price Wright obtained for a single picture. This was one of the works included in the London Exhibition of Wright’s pictures in the year 1785, and a notice of the Press of that date thus alludes to it:—“We shall, however, at different periods lay before our readers a particular account of these noble productions as they stand in the catalogue: except that grand scene of the ‘Destruction of the Floating Batteries off Gibraltar,’ which we cannot resist the present impulse of mentioning out of its turn. In this picture, Mr. Wright has represented a view of the extensive scenery, combined with the action on the 13th Sept., 1782, in which his design is sublime, and his colouring natural and brilliant beyond description. We never remember to have seen shadows painted so little like substance as those in the foreground, which gain great strength and richness from the prodigious brightness of the grand explosion at a distance; but we feel ourselves inadequate to the task of pointing out the various merits of this phenomenon in the imitative arts, which proves the painter is unique in the extraordinary line of the charming study he has so happily pursued.”
MISS DUESBURY.
Original picture in the possession of Mr. George Dean, Derby.
The following lines were written by Hayley, “On Wright’s Picture of the Siege of Gibraltar”—