"Advertisement.—To K—e N—y.—The Young Lady in Black, K.N.—If you will return to your disconsolate friends in Devonshire Terrace your absence in Ireland will be forgotten and forgiven, and you will be received with open arms. Think of your dear sister Dolly, and how altered her appearance and character are without you. She is not the same girl. Think, too, of the author of your being, and what he must feel, when he sees your place empty every day!
"October Tenth, 1848."
For each of these remarkable canvases Mr. Frith received the by no means extravagant sum of twenty pounds, that being the price demanded by him. At the sale of Dickens's effects, however, the portrait of Dolly Varden realised a thousand guineas, while that of Kate Nickleby found a purchaser, on the same eventful occasion, for two hundred guineas—a tribute alike to author and artist. Mr. Frith has favoured me with some interesting information respecting his presentments of Dolly Varden:—
"The picture of 'Dolly Varden' which I painted for Dickens was never engraved. Before I began it I made a study of the figure, but only the half-length, down to below the waist. This study was bought by Sir R. Rawlinson, who allowed (without asking my permission) a most villainous chromo-lithograph to be made from it, and one day to my horror I saw it in a shop-window. For anything I know to the contrary, many of these things may have been sold.[55] The original completed picture never left Dickens's possession from the time it was finished till he died, nor was it ever exhibited. The portrait of Dolly (the 'laughing' Dolly) now in the South Kensington Museum, was bequeathed by Forster, who had it from Frank Stone, for whom I painted it. I painted two copies of the 'laughing' Dolly, but I don't know what became of them. I also painted two pictures in which Dolly figures in company with Emma Haredale—in one she is feeling in her pocket for a letter addressed to Miss Haredale, and in the other she is disdainfully treating Miss Haredale's hints about Joe Willet—she throws up her head and 'hopes she can do better than that, indeed!' I have just remembered another—a small half-length—in which she is looking at herself in a mirror and giving her curls a 'killing twist.' I have no idea where these pictures are. I may add that when Dickens came to see (on completion) my portraits of Dolly Varden and Kate Nickleby, which I painted expressly for him, he told me they were 'exactly what he meant.' This, of course, delighted me. They led to a friendship which lasted till his death." It will be remembered that in 1859 the novelist gave sittings for his portrait by Mr. Frith, which was painted as a commission from Forster, by whom it was bequeathed to the Nation. This portrait, now at South Kensington, occupies the most important place between the earlier portraits of Dickens by Samuel Laurence, Maclise, and R. J. Lane, and the later presentments of him by photography.
It is not generally known that Mr. Frith once had the privilege of illustrating a Dickens novel, àpropos of which the artist writes: "I told Dickens one day when he was sitting for his likeness that I should like to be allowed to illustrate one of his books. He seemed pleased, and proposed 'Little Dorrit.' I forget to whom I sold the pictures, and where they are now I know not." The two paintings were beautifully engraved on steel by Lumb Stocks, R.A., as vignettes for the Library Edition, 1858-59.
The sketch by an American artist, Mr. James Hamilton, of "What are the Wild Waves Saying?" has a little history attached to it. While Dickens was in Philadelphia, during his last visit to America, he expressed a wish to purchase a painting of this subject,—one of the artist's most successful productions,—but, much to the novelist's regret, it had already been sold. The original sketch was still available, however, and with this Dickens was so greatly pleased that he immediately offered to buy it; whereupon the artist insisted on presenting it to the famous author of "Dombey and Son." Soon afterwards, Mr. Hamilton was agreeably surprised to receive a set of Dickens's novels, containing a pleasant inscription in the novelist's autograph.
The titles of Mr. Charles Green's admirable series of Dickens pictures were supplied to me by the artist himself, who favoured me with a complete list shortly before his death. In reference to these remarkable drawings I have received the following communication from Mr. William Lockwood, of Apsley Hall, Nottingham, for whom they were painted on commission: "The first work of Mr. Green's that really attracted my attention was his famous water-colour Race drawing, entitled, I believe, 'Here they come!' I saw that at a friend's house, and was so struck with admiration of Mr. Green's delicate sense of humour, subtle rendering of character, and fine drawing, that I at once told my friend of my great appreciation of Charles Dickens, and saw that, in my opinion, Mr. Charles Green would make the very best illustrator of his day of that great man's work. I then sought an introduction to Mr. Green, which resulted not only in my beautiful series of drawings, but in a warm friendship with the artist. In the execution of these pictures Mr. Green found most congenial work, and I think fully justified my judgment of his special power. When the series was exhibited at our local museum, it attracted universal admiration and the delighted appreciation of all classes." Mr. Lockwood has generously lent these pictures to many London galleries, including the English Humorists' Exhibition, held at the Royal Institute of Painters in Water-Colours in 1889.
FOOTNOTES:
[55] That Mr. Frith did not always entertain such an absolute objection to this reproduction is testified by the following memorandum written by him on a copy of the print now in the collection of Mr. W. R. Hughes:—"This is a very good chromo-lithograph from the first study for the picture painted by me for the late Charles Dickens. (Signed) W. P. Frith, December 23, 1884."