By Sir John Gilbert, R.A., P.R.W.S.
By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons.
An important feature in Sir John Gilbert's practice in this branch of his art was his marvellous power of design, and wonderful dexterity in execution. On one occasion during the progress of his work he spoke of a drawing that had given him some trouble. He said, "Would you believe it, sir, I was so dissatisfied with it that I absolutely rubbed it out." He was asked one day whether he ever made an alteration on any other drawing for "The Salamandrine." He replied, "Was there ever any evidence of such a thing?"
But the greatest work of his that passed through our hands was Staunton's "Shakespeare," also published by Messrs. Routledge, the publication extending over four years. Vast as it was, he never disappointed us as to time, and when we take into consideration the number and elaborate character of the drawings, his regularity in sending them in was really surprising. The system adopted was to leave the tailpieces at the end of each Act to be drawn according to the size of the spaces left on the pages, and it was our custom to send a set of sheets of a Play down to him by special messenger with the understanding that he was to bring the drawings, four or five, as the case might be, back with him the same evening, which he always did: many of them being so elaborately and so carefully finished as to prove that Gilbert literally had the subjects at "his fingers' ends."
The following letters are of interest as expressing Gilbert's opinion and impression on seeing the first number of this important work:
King Lear.
ONE OF SIR JOHN GILBERT'S EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRTY-TWO ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE.