But judged by his time, Meadows was a very clever man with much quaint fancy. Many of his initials are singularly pretty, and his "Shakespeare" will always have a place in the history of black and white work.
In Kenny Meadows' days, the artist in black and white had not thought of the advantages of drawing from the living model; neither William Harvey nor Sir John Gilbert ever drew from Nature, and George Thomas was one of the first, if not indeed the very first, to draw on wood direct from life. This was about the early part of the Crimean War, and his subjects were chiefly of sailors and their doings, and very clever they were. It created something of a sensation at the time, for the idea of an illustration being drawn from the life had not before been heard of except in special cases. No doubt Mulready had life models for his "Vicar of Wakefield" drawings, and later on Millais never drew without the life, nor did any of the pre-Raphaelite School, but this was the gradual and natural development of a new method, and innumerable drawings by the younger artists which passed through our hands were all drawn direct on wood from the life.
After spending much time and labour in experimenting, as well as spoiling a great many blocks, we succeeded in getting fairly good photographs for the engraver's purpose on other pieces of wood, and so the valuable original drawings were preserved. This success was obtained about the beginning, though not at the very beginning, of our operation on the Bible illustrations. Then followed, as a matter of course, the constant practice of making drawings upon paper which were photographed on wood. By this means nearly all the exquisite drawings in black and white made by Leighton, Poynter, Houghton, and many other of the artists who worked in association with us have been preserved, and now adorn some of the public permanent galleries.
A Ball-Room. By Frederick Walker, A.R.A., R.W.S.
FROM "LONDON SOCIETY."
By permission of Mr. James Hogg.