Forty years of 'Spy'

by Sir Leslie Ward

Among the students whose names come into my head as being prominent students at the time were Ouless, Alfred Gilbert, Miss Starr, Swan, Cope, Waterlow, Hamo Thornycroft, Percy Macquoid, and Forbes Robertson.

I can remember the latter coming up to me one day in the antique school, and evidently elated by the fact, saying—

"Ward, to whom do you think I have been introduced to-day?" And while I was waiting to consider an answer, he said—

"The Great Man ... and this day is the happiest of my life."

I congratulated him.... I knew at once to whom he referred and what pleasure the meeting must have been to him, knowing the enthusiastic admiration in which he held Irving. He became a friend of Sir Henry's, and finally, fascinated by the stage and finding his dramatic talent stronger than his artistic aptitude, clever as he was as an artist, he abandoned painting as a profession, and went on the stage. The Garrick Club, of which Sir Johnston is a member, possesses a portrait by him of Phelps as Cardinal Wolsey. The only regret is that so great an actor should be retiring from the stage, although he has indeed won his laurels. It is to be hoped that his clever brother Norman Forbes will carry on the family tradition for some time to come.

Fred Walker, then one of the visiting artists at the R.A. schools, was a man who possessed great individuality, a highly strung and excessively nervous temperament, and, unfortunately, very bad health. It was the custom of the students, with whom he was very popular, to give an annual dinner, and about this time the toast of the evening was "Fred Walker." When his health was drunk, I remember he got up to reply, and found himself from sheer nervousness quite speechless, whereupon he murmured a scarcely audible "Thank you," and collapsed into his seat again. Du Maurier drew the character of "Little Billee" from this artist. He died young, and after his death his pictures fetched very high prices, especially some delicate and beautiful water colours. "The Haven of Rest," now in the Tate Gallery, is a poem on canvas, and it is also one of his most popular works, which will certainly live. Sir Hubert Herkomer was undoubtedly influenced by him in his earlier days.

Marks and Fred Walker were the first two Academicians who lent their names to poster designs, and they were very much "called over the coals" for it. Millais came in for a like share of condemnation when he sold his "Bubbles" to Pears' Soap. In these days of advertisement, when the hoardings are covered with every type of art, and really great artists apply their talent to the demands of commercialism, the censure levelled at Millais, Walker, and Marks appears rather more like fiction than fact.

Another novelty of that period was the musical play which Arthur Sullivan pioneered so successfully. My first experience of that delightful form of entertainment was at the Bennett Benefit, given by the staff of Punch to raise funds for the family of one of their then deceased contributors.

The musical version of Box and Cox which was produced for the first time, was entitled Cox and Box and attracted a good deal of attention. Sullivan, who had composed the music, conducted it himself; Sir Francis Burnand wrote the libretto, and Sir Henry de Bathe acted the part of the "Bouncer," with George du Maurier and Sir Spencer Ponsonby as the lodgers.