Life and letters of John Constable, RA . d his attention. The Longest Day. My dear Leslie,—Tis true we have got you back fromAmerica, but you are still too far away, too far for indolentfriends like me. . Alfred, to my surprise and delight,seems quite happy at Mr. Brookss. He plays first fiddle thereat everything but his books. But, poor dear boy, his whole lifehas been one of affliction,* which, as well as his drollery, hasendeared him to me, perhaps unduly. I have been closely shut up, doing—nothing. Lord N saw my pictures at Tiffins; he wanted the Church, and offered his Hobbema for it. I d
Life and letters of John Constable, RA . d his attention. The Longest Day. My dear Leslie,—Tis true we have got you back fromAmerica, but you are still too far away, too far for indolentfriends like me. . Alfred, to my surprise and delight,seems quite happy at Mr. Brookss. He plays first fiddle thereat everything but his books. But, poor dear boy, his whole lifehas been one of affliction,* which, as well as his drollery, hasendeared him to me, perhaps unduly. I have been closely shut up, doing—nothing. Lord N saw my pictures at Tiffins; he wanted the Church, and offered his Hobbema for it. I daresay his Hobbema is good for nothing. All this time thepainter is to be had, but they still wait for his quiet depar-ture. ... I have seen Davids pictures; they are indeedloathsome, and the room would be intolerable but for the urbaneand agreeable manners of the Colonel. David seems to haveformed his mind from three sources, the scaffold, the hospital,and a brothel. ... I give my lecture at Hampstead to- • From ill-health. /. zoo z m^: 1835] SECOND LECTURE AT HAMPSTEAD. 301 morrow evening at quarter before eight. I have sent up youngUnwins beautiful copy of Ruysdael; it will be of infinite serviceto me; also Partridges Peter Martyr. I have written little, andshall depend most on being conversational. I have got a lovelydrawing of young Bones of Guidos Aurora. ... I neversaw the elder-bushes so full of blossom, and some of the flowers,foreshortened as they curve round, are extremely elegant; it is afavourite of mine, but tis melancholy; an emblem of death. The pictures by David mentioned in this letter were of Buonaparte crossing the Alps, Mars and Venus, The Deathof Marat, and some drawings of revolutionary scenes which wereexhibited in Leicester Square ; and The Colonel was a Frenchgentleman who attended in the room during the exhibition. Of Constables second lecture delivered at Hampstead, Ihave preserved no notes ; but the reader will find much of itincorporated with
Size: 1202px × 2079px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublishe, booksubjectartists
