"Ballad Stories of the Affections" was always a favourite book with us—the fine old ballads giving such an opportunity for pictures of an imaginative, poetic character. Two of Pinwell's—"Maid Mettelil" and "Young Axelvold"—are of exceeding beauty. Of A. B. Houghton's those for "Signelil, the Serving Maiden," and that for "The Two Sisters" are amongst his best. J. D. Watson has some good pictures, and those by J. Lawson illustrating "Aage and Elsie" are strong dramatic work. As to our own drawings, which are numerous, we will only say that we loved the subjects, and had much pleasure in making the drawings.
Among the many truly gifted young artists who came under our notice at this period was J. M. Lawless. His drawings were of such a refined and accomplished character that he at once took a place amongst the distinguished men of the time. He exhibited some few pictures at the Royal Academy which brought him prominently before the public; one of these, "A Midnight Mass," another, "A Sick Call"—a poor woman has been to fetch a priest, who, with his acolytes, is being rowed across a river; the woman's deep grief, and the solemnity of the entire scene, gives a touch of pathos to the group, and suggests it being a case in extremis. From "A Man at the Spinet," which we give, he painted a sweet water colour. Lawless was regarded as a "coming man," but, alas! like others of that "golden period" of Illustrative Art he passed away at quite an early age.
FOOTNOTES:
[18] It is a curious fact that on this occasion the picture was lost for some two or three months, but was ultimately restored to us uninjured.
[CHAPTER VI.]
Lord Leighton, P.R.A., G. F. Watts, R.A., Sir E. J. Poynter, P.R.A. F. Madox Brown, Holman Hunt, Thomas Dalziel, S. Solomon, Sir E. Burne-Jones, Bart., F. R. Pickersgill, R.A., Sir George Grove.
"Dalziel's Bible Gallery" is composed of sixty-two pictures, most of which are of a very high order; many quite up to the standard we aimed at when planning our project for an "Illustrated Bible." Special mention may be made of those by Lord, then Sir Frederick, Leighton, Bart., P.R.A., whose drawing of "Cain and Abel" will always rank as one of the grandest examples of Biblical art of modern times; nor less highly must be estimated his "Death of the First Born." The "Samson" subjects also are very fine, particularly that of "Carrying the Gates"; and another notable subject is "Moses Viewing the Promised Land"; but all his contributions, nine in number, will stand amongst the finest of his works in black and white.
An art critic, in an appreciative notice of works exhibited at the Old Water Colour Galleries, where some of Lord Leighton's drawings were on view, wrote the following words in reference to one of the illustrations done for the "Bible" series: