"English Sacred Poetry" gave an opportunity for beautiful pictures, and in the work of the various artists engaged on it there seems to be a greater unity of feeling than is generally the case where the art is mixed. At the same time, perhaps there is no stronger contrast in method than that which exists between the works of Holman Hunt and Frederick Sandys: for instance, Holman Hunt's beautiful illustration to Dean Trench's pathetic verses, "The Lent Jewels" (which we made the frontispiece to the volume), and the two very powerful drawings, "Life's Journey" and "The Little Mourner," by Frederick Sandys.
Of the many high class drawings which appeared in the Cornhill Magazine, there is no one work more remarkable than that of "Cleopatra," by Frederick Sandys, which for dignity and grandeur of design must always be regarded as a fine specimen of that artist's work.
"What question can be here? Your own true heart
Must needs advise you of the only part;
That may be claimed again which was but lent,
And should be yielded with no discontent;
Nor surely can we find herein a wrong,
That it was left us to enjoy so long."
"The Lent Jewels."—Richard Chevening Trench.
FROM "ENGLISH SACRED POETRY."
By Holman Hunt.
By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.
Stacy Marks also gave us some of the best drawings he ever made for the wood engraver—notably "A Quiet Mind," "The Ring," and "The Two Weavers." From Harrison Weir we had a set of four drawings, "The Only One." Sir John Gilbert's "Landing of the Primrose" is a fine example, but not so good as his set of illustrations to "A Hymn." There is a grand picture of a storm at sea, "The Watching of Providence," by G. H. Andrews, and Charles Keene's illustration to "Contentment" is a very strong bit of work.