All the original drawings for "Nickleby," with one exception, are still in existence; they were disposed of on July 16, 1880, in Robinson & Fisher's auction-rooms, when they realised in the aggregate rather more than a hundred pounds. The missing design is that depicting Nicholas in his capacity as tutor in the Kenwigs family. These drawings are executed in pencil and wash, some being especially valuable by reason of marginal notes in the autograph of the novelist. At the top of the original sketch for "A Sudden Recognition, Unexpected on Both Sides" (kindly lent by Mr. M. H. Spielmann for reproduction), Dickens has pencilled a note to the artist, a portion of which (that within the brackets) has been cut away: "I don't think that Smike is frightened enough [or that Squeers is] earnest enough, for my purpose,"—a criticism which was apparently not productive of much alteration in the direction indicated, unless effected in the sketch before the subject was etched.
The late Mr. F. W. Cosens, who possessed several preliminary studies of the Kenwigs children, had in his collection a note from Dickens giving minute instructions to "Phiz" respecting the design for the plate entitled "Great Excitement of Miss Kenwigs at the Hairdresser's Shop." The novelist desired his illustrator to depict "a hairdresser's shop at night—not a dashing one, but a barber's. Morleena Kenwigs on a tall chair, having her hair dressed by an under-bred attendant, with her hair parted down the middle and frizzed up into curls at the sides. Another customer, who is being shaved, has just turned his head in the direction of Miss Kenwigs, and she and Newman Noggs (who has brought her there, and has been whiling away the time with an old newspaper) recognise, with manifestations of surprise, and Morleena with emotion, Mr. Lillivick, the collector. Mr. Lillivick's bristly beard expresses great neglect of his person, and he looks very grim and in the utmost despondency."
The original drawing for "Nicholas Starts for Yorkshire" presents several important variations from the published plate, the positions of the figures being considerably altered, the most remarkable differences being that Ralph Nickleby and Squeers in the sketch are placed on the side opposite the coach and more in the background, the coachman reading the way-bill is transferred to the spot where Squeers now stands, while there is another coachman looking over his shoulder, who is omitted in the etching; the coachman with the whip (as seen in the plate) was not introduced in the sketch. For the monthly parts "Phiz" designed a pictorial wrapper; on either side of this wood-engraving is a corpulent figure mounted on tall stilts, surmounted by an allegorical scene typifying Justice, with cornucopia, &c., and below is seen the culprit Squeers wading through a river, guided by imps carrying lanterns.
For the two volumes of the Library Edition of "Nicholas Nickleby" (1858-59) "Phiz" prepared small designs, delicately tinted in water-colours, which were engraved on steel as vignettes for the title-pages; the subjects represented are "The Nickleby Family" and "The Mad Gentleman and Mrs. Nickleby," the original drawings realising £14 each at Sotheby's in 1889.
FOOTNOTES:
[18] According to the following anecdote, Thackeray did not over-estimate his own powers as a draughtsman. Mr. M. H. Spielmann tells us that after Edmund Yates had started an illustrated magazine, which had but a brief existence, Thackeray wrote to him: "You have a new artist on The Train, I see, my dear Yates. I have been looking at his work, and I have solved a problem. I find there is a man alive who draws worse than myself!"
[19] As early as 1837 Browne designed (as an advertisement for Bentley) a little woodcut (now very rare) in which he depicted Charles Dickens leading by the lappel of his waistcoat a burly and perspiring porter, who is seen carrying a huge bale of copies of Bentley's Miscellany, of which magazine the novelist was then the editor.
[20] So far as I am aware, no illustration by "Phiz" of this subject is extant.
[21] The words in brackets are unfortunately cut off the sketch.
[22] The early volumes in the Library Edition, issued during 1858-59, have only vignettes on the title-pages. The later issues of this edition (1862-68) contain several illustrations, some of these being reprints of the plates in the first edition, while others were specially designed.