Part 18 (1/2)
The year 1843 was memorable to John Leech, for then he first became acquainted with the author of ”Pickwick.” By whom the introduction was brought about is not quite clear; perhaps the credit of it may be awarded to Douglas Jerrold or Thomas Hood. In the above-mentioned year Leech's services were obtained for the ill.u.s.tration of ”A Christmas Carol,” for which he prepared eight designs; four of these were etched on steel, the impressions being afterwards coloured by hand, while the remaining four were drawn on wood, and beautifully engraved by W. J.
Linton. The popularity of the ”Carol” (the pioneer of all d.i.c.kens's Christmas Books, and, indeed, of Christmas literature generally) proved enormous, and much of its success was undoubtedly due to the attractive designs of John Leech, who entered so thoroughly into the spirit of this charming little allegory. In 1893 the original drawings, with the exception of that ent.i.tled ”Scrooge's Third Visitor,” were sold at Sotheby's for 155 guineas, and afterwards catalogued by a London bookseller at 240--a considerable advance on the price paid to the artist and engraver, which was just under 50. This interesting series of drawings (two of them tinted in colours) had hitherto remained in the possession of a daughter of the artist.
PLATE XLIV
”RICHARD AND MARGARET”
_Facsimile_ of the Original Sketch for ”The Chimes” by
JOHN LEECH
The figure of Richard was altered in the published design.
_By Permission of the Art Museum Committee of the Corporation of Nottingham._ * * * * *
[Sidenote: =The Chimes, 1845.=]
To ”The Chimes” Leech contributed five ill.u.s.trations, the original drawings for which realised 66 guineas at Sotheby's in 1893. Some of these slight pencillings now form part of the Leech Collection at Nottingham Castle, including the first sketch for the ill.u.s.tration referred to by d.i.c.kens (in a letter to his wife) as being, together with a sketch by Doyle for the same story, so unlike his ideas that he invited both artists to breakfast with him one morning, and, ”with that winning manner which you know of, got them, with the highest good-humour, to do both afresh.” The design in question appears in the ”Third Quarter,” in which two scenes are represented, the upper one depicting Margaret in her garret, while in the lower compartment appears Richard, with ”matted hair and unshorn beard,” as he enters Trotty Veck's cottage. The artist misunderstood his author, and delineated, instead of Richard as described in the text, an extremely ragged and dissipated-looking character, with a battered hat upon his head. When the novelist saw it, the drawing had already been engraved, but the woodcut was promptly suppressed; there still exists, however, an impression of the cancelled engraving, which is bound up with what is evidently a unique copy of ”The Chimes” (now the property of Mr. J. F.
Dexter), where blank s.p.a.ces are left for some of the woodcuts; this particular copy is probably the publishers' ”make up,” and had accidentally left their hands.
[Sidenote: =The Cricket on the Hearth, 1846.=]
”The Cricket on the Hearth” is embellished with seven designs by Leech.
The original sketch for one of these ill.u.s.trations, representing John and Dot seated by the fire, indicates that it was Leech's intention at first to introduce Tilly s...o...b..y nursing the baby; but it was apparently considered that her presence in the picture destroyed the domestic harmony of the scene, so the figure was omitted, and a separate woodcut made of the subject for a subsequent chapter. It is interesting to compare Leech's ill.u.s.tration of Caleb Plummer and his blind daughter at work with a similar design by Doyle in the same chapter, the vigorous character of the former happily contrasting with the more restrained treatment of the latter. In the final woodcut of ”The Dance,” Leech's sense of humour (not always devoid of exaggeration) has free play, for here not only do we see the human characters in the story indulging in the pleasant exercise, but observe that, in one corner, the carrier's pets, Boxer and the cat, are similarly disporting themselves, while even the artist's signature (in the opposite corner) of a leech in a bottle is placed upon a couple of lively legs, and is kicking away with an _abandon_ worthy of the occasion.
[Sidenote: =The Battle of Life, 1846.=]
In d.i.c.kens's fourth Christmas Book, ”The Battle of Life,” John Leech is represented by three ill.u.s.trations, all of which are designed in the manner characteristic of these little volumes, in having one scene superimposed upon another. The original sketches for two of these woodcuts, viz., ”The Parting Breakfast” and ”The Night of the Return,”
are in the South Kensington Museum,[37] while the third drawing has found its way to America, whither so many d.i.c.kens relics have departed.
When, in June 1893, some highly-finished _replicas_ of these designs were disposed of at Sotheby's, they realised the extraordinary sums of 35, 10s., 17, 10s., and 20, 10s. respectively. In the Forster Collection at South Kensington there are two very interesting letters, addressed by Leech to the biographer of d.i.c.kens, having special connection with these ill.u.s.trations. The first (dated November 16, 1846) refers to the breakfast scene, and from it we gather that there was a very limited time for preparing the designs:--
Footnote 37: _Facsimiles_ of these have already appeared in my Memoir of John Leech. A duplicate sketch (more completely carried out) of ”The Parting Breakfast” will be found in the Print Room of the British Museum, but there is, I believe, some doubt as to its authenticity. The late Mr. G. A. Sala pointed out that the engraving of this subject contains an astonis.h.i.+ngly good likeness of that admired comedian, Robert Keeley, as the old servant Britain.
PLATE XLV
”JOHN, DOT, AND TILLY s...o...b..Y”
_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for ”The Cricket on the Hearth” by
JOHN LEECH
The figure of Tilly s...o...b..y was omitted in the published Drawing, a separate Ill.u.s.tration being made of that portion of the Design.