A powerful set of drawings are those for "How the Poor Live," which were commissioned by Gilbert Dalziel, in connection with G. R. Sims' articles, for publication in the Pictorial World.
Again, how grand are many of his designs for the "Pilgrim's Progress," which we prepared for Alexander Strahan; one of the most effective is "Lord Hategood," from which we commissioned him to paint an oil picture. Barnard was no mean painter: perhaps his "Saturday Night in the East End" and "The Guards' Band Marching" are amongst his most important works. He also painted a "Ball-room Scene," of an elegant character, from one of the Dickens' books, that had a very prominent place in the Institute of Painters in Oil Colours.
Our long connection with Barnard was of close intimacy and friendship; he was a delightful companion, amusing, and full of bright repartee, and would often "set the table in a roar."
As a mimic and comic singer he was inimitable. A favourite song of his at studio evenings was "I Long to be a Hartist, Mother," written by himself, we believe, and screamingly funny. As a practical jokist, Fred Barnard was simply au fait. On one occasion he called at Soane's Museum in Lincoln's Inn Fields, and asked the porter if Sir John Soane was at home. "Why, lor bless you, sir," said the man, "Sir John Soane has been dead these sixty years." Barnard was staggered at the news and overwhelmed with grief, and beating his breast he cried, "Dead! Dead! Dead! And we were boys at school together!"
His own death, poor chap, was tragic, and a great shock to all who knew him. He was an ardent smoker. One morning, having had breakfast in bed, he requested that he should not be disturbed again for some hours; when the servant went to call him there was no response, and on the door being forced open the room was found to be full of smoke, the bed-clothes smouldering fire. It is supposed that while courting further sleep he lit a pipe, which, falling from his mouth, ignited the clothes; although somewhat severely burnt, his death was, in fact, due to suffocation, and he passed away while in a state of insensibility.
George Dalziel
1901