“Your picture of ‘Vesuvius,’ and one at Dunkeld, would have been at Manchester before now, had not the frames of the pictures which I exhibited been materially damaged at the Academy. Mr. Milbourne has orders to put them into good condition, & send them to you when done.
“Derby, June 29, 1794.”
“Derby, Dec. 27, 1794.
“My Dear Sir,
“Your relation (Mr. N. Philips), to whom I some time ago sold the picture of the ‘City of Florence,’ called upon me last week, & engaged the picture with the ‘Rainbow,’ the ‘Cottage on Fire,’ & the small ‘Sea Storm,’ which I find he intends sending to America. I am sorry the two first leave the Kingdom.
“He seems anxious that I should paint him the ‘Siege of Toulon,’ for which he will not exceed 100gs. The scenery must be very complicated, & so many objects & incidents cannot be painted for that sum. I sometime ago refused a like sum for any sized picture I would paint of the ‘Siege of Gibraltar.’
“Did you not give me some hopes of seeing drawings by an officer of the engagement at Toulon, or have I dreamt it? Pray inform me soon, as I must satisfy Mr. Philips.
“JOS WRIGHT.”
“Your letter has poured balsam into my wound. I have heard nothing but humiliating observations on my pictures, which have tended much to the inactivity of my pencil for some time past. What a mere machine am I become, depressed and rendered useless by a little censure, & put into motion again by a little flattery. I really believe my enemies might easily persuade me I have no pretensions to paint. What a thing have these weak nerves made of me.”
“Feby., 1795.
“To J. L. Philips,
“I am sorry to learn from my friend Tate that he does not acquit himself in the pictures of the Lakes to his expectation. He is acquainted with my principles, such as they are. I wonder he does not with more certainty avail himself of them; but they are different subjects, and I have sometime seen effects in ye country repugnant to common-sense principles, and which I could by no means account for. I have a picture in hand of the sort of Keswick Lake.
“Did you pick up much painting knowledge in your late visit to the Captain’s, or only the quackery of the art? Would I had as much strength as the Captain, I flatter myself I would carry the art a great way.”