Part 5 (2/2)

You have, perhaps not many of you, heard of a painter of the name of Bird: I do not myself know his works, but Turner saw some merit in them: and when Bird first sent a picture to the Acade coreat merit; but no place for it could be found Turner pleaded hard for it No, the thing was i time; then insisted that a place must be found for it He was still met by the assertion of impracticability He said no more, but took down one of his own pictures, sent it out of the Acade Bird's in its place

Match that, if you can, a cos than this

104 When Turner's picture of Cologne was exhibited in the year 1826, it was hung between two portraits, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, of Lady Wallscourt and Lady Robert Manners

The sky of Turner's picture was exceedingly bright, and it had a most injurious effect on the color of the two portraits Lawrence naturally felt mortified, and complained openly of the position of his pictures

You are aware that artists were at that time permitted to retouch their pictures on the walls of the Acade of the exhibition, at the private view, a friend of Turner's who had seen the Cologne in all its splendor, led a group of expectant critics up to the picture He started back froed to a dun color He ran up to Turner, as in another part of the roo to your picture?” ”Oh,”

muttered Turner, in a low voice, ”poor Lawrence was so unhappy It's only lamp-black It'll all wash off after the exhibition!” He had actually passed a wash of lamp-black in water-color over the whole sky, and utterly spoiled his picture for the tih the exhibition, lest it should hurt Lawrence's

You may easily find instances of self-sacrifice where e benefits are to be conferred by the effort, or general adenerosity, showing itself in a matter of minor interest, and when few could be aware of the sacrifice made, you will not easily find such another example as this

105 Thus much for his jealousy of his brother-artists You have also heard reat part of what you have heard is perfectly true, allowing for the exaggeration which always takes place in the accounts of an eccentric character But there are other parts of Turner's conduct of which you have never heard; and which, if truly reported, would set his niggardliness in a very different light Every person fro, proclaimed the exaction far and wide; but the persons to whoave hundreds of pounds were prevented, by their ”delicacy,” fro the kindness of their benefactor I may, however, perhaps, be permitted to acquaint you with one circumstance of this nature, creditable alike to both parties concerned

At the death of a poor drawingknown, he was deeply affected, and lent e surateful, and after a long period was happy enough to be able to return to her benefactor the whole sum she had received from him She waited on him with it; but Turner kept his hands in his pockets ”Keep it,” he said, ”and send your children to school, and to church” He said this in bitterness; he had himself been sent to neither

[Footnote 33: Not the Mr Wells who taught drawing at Addisob It appears that Turner kneo persons of the same name, and in the same profession I am not perotistic ”delicacies,” even in this case, preventing useful truth fro clearly assured to the public]

106 ”Well, but,” you will answer to matized as brutal, and uncharitable, and selfish, andstatements?”

Easily I have told you truly what Turner was You have often heard what to ine what it was for a man to live seventy years in this hard world, with the kindest heart, and the noblest intellect of his tile word or ray of syrave Froreatness all the world was turned against hihness of bearing, and hardening of the temper, if not of the heart No one understood hiainst hiine, any of you, the effect upon your own s around you were raised, year after year, through all your lives, only in condemnation of your efforts, and denial of your success This ious principles, or supporting domestic ties But Turner had no one to teach hie

Respect and affection, if they came at all, cah kind--naturally suspicious, though generous--the gold gradually becaed, overcast and clouded The deep heart was still beating, but it was beneath a dark and melancholy htest arrows found entrance, and power of giving pain He received no consolation in his last years, nor in his death Cut off in great part from all society--first, by labor, and at last by sickness--hunted to his grave by the nities of small critics, and the jealousies of hopeless rivalry, he died in the house of a stranger--one co with him to the last Theof his death-chamber was turned towards the west, and the _sun_ shone upon his face in its setting, and rested there, as he expired

LECTURE IV

PRE-RAPHAELITISM

_Delivered November 18, 1853_

107 The subject on which I would desire to engage your attention this evening, is the nature and probable result of a certain schis our British artists

This schism, or rather the heresy which led to it, as you are probably aware, was introduced by a s men; and consists mainly in the assertion that the principles on which art has been taught for these three hundred years back are essentially wrong, and that the principles which ought to guide us are those which prevailed before the tiuides, these youngthemselves, took the unfortunate and somewhat ludicrous name of ”Pre-Raphaelite Brethren”

108 You must also be aware that this heresy has been opposed with all the influence and all the bitterness of art and criticisround, and the pictures painted on these new principles have obtained a most extensive popularity These circureater even than their singularity; and your ti an hour to an inquiry into the true nature of this movement

I shall first, therefore, endeavor to state to you what the real difference is between the principles of art before and after Raphael's ti men truly have understood the difference, and what

109 First, then, What is the real difference between the principles on which art has been pursued before and since Raphael? You round on which the Pre-Raphaelites have been attacked, is the charge that they wish to bring us back to a ti, and of art in general, were comparatively unknown; and this attack, therefore, is entirely founded on the assuh for some unaccountable reason we cannot at present produce artists altogether equal to Raphael, yet that we are on the whole in a state of greater illumination than, at all events, any artists who preceded Raphael; so that we consider ourselves entitled to look down upon thes considered, they did so the art of Giotto to that of Wilkie or Edwin Landseer, it would be perfectly ridiculous,--the one being a mere infant in his profession, and the others accomplished workmen