Meissonier, his life and his art . again! Let well alone, isthe sluggards motto. ^ The time always comes when the most troublesome picture beginsto give one pleasure. The Dragoons, which has been on the stocksfor years, which I have sold to Crabbe to-day, which I took up againafter a long interval mostunwillingly, I now finddeeply interesting ! Atthis psychological momentof the pictures career, allseems to be going well !I know when to leave of,even when I have had thepicture a long time in mystudio, under my eye. I should like to bevery long-sighted for mywork, and, to do just thereverse of w
Meissonier, his life and his art . again! Let well alone, isthe sluggards motto. ^ The time always comes when the most troublesome picture beginsto give one pleasure. The Dragoons, which has been on the stocksfor years, which I have sold to Crabbe to-day, which I took up againafter a long interval mostunwillingly, I now finddeeply interesting ! Atthis psychological momentof the pictures career, allseems to be going well !I know when to leave of,even when I have had thepicture a long time in mystudio, under my eye. I should like to bevery long-sighted for mywork, and, to do just thereverse of what I actuallydo, I should have to lookat my work through anopera-glass. At any rate,I wish I were rather lessshortsighted; but with mylove for modelling, andfor the logic of thing-s,I must feel the reason for every fold of drapery I paint. But my short sight is a great impediment to my study of the want to follow my work, even through my spectacles, but I amobliged to keep a little opera-glass by me, to observe my STCDY FOR iSoy. Dear Sir—I have delayed writing to you, because my letter mustbe, as It were, a last farewell to my work, the final act of will understand, therefore, that I put it off till the last possible 248 MEISSONIER moment. Pleased as I am that you should own my picture, I cannot be unmoved at the loss of a work which has been so long the life of my studio. It is now on its way to you. Receive it as a friend ; not as one of those who take our fancy at first and are then forgotten, but as one of those we love more andmore as w^e get to knowthem better. I should liketo think that your pleasurein this picture, into whichI ha\e put all my store ofknowledge and experience,will increase each time youlook at it. I am convinced, and Ihave a certain pride in theavowal, that it is one ofthose works the value ofwhich will increase withtime. What has been said of itwill pass away ; but thework itself will remain anhonour to us both. Altho
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