  Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A., Holman Hunt, Dante G. Rossetti, Arthur Hughes, Millais' "Parables of Our Lord," Sir J. Noel Paton, P.R.S.A., Sir John Tenniel, Etc. Much has been written about "The Golden Period of Illustration" as it existed in the early Sixties, represented by wood engraving and the admirable drawings done for that process by such artists as Sir John Millais, Fred Walker, A. Boyd Houghton, Dante G. Rossetti, G. J. Pinwell, Sir E. J. Poynter, Lord Leighton, Sir E. Burne-Jones, F. Sandys, and other notable artists. Our opportunities were favourable. We were equally fortunate in being so intimately connected with men possessing such exceptional talent, and it must ever be a great satisfaction to us that we were in a position to avail ourselves of their brilliant ability. Our co-operation with Sir John Millais began about midway in the fifties, when, at his request, Moxon, the publisher, brought one of the Tennyson drawings for us to engrave, and continued for many years, during which time a large majority of the drawings he made for wood engraving were entrusted to us. These included his work for the Cornhill Magazine, Good Words, and the majority of those he did for other serial publications, including the illustrations to Anthony Trollope's "Orley Farm," "The Small House at Allington," and "Framley Parsonage." This artistic association only ceased when he discontinued doing this class of work. We subsequently discovered that it was to Richard Doyle we were indebted for our introduction to Millais, who was then living at Bowerswell. Perth, where Doyle was on a visit, and noticing the delicate character of a drawing he was at work upon said he believed the Dalziels were the only engravers who could do justice to such elaborate manipulation. Upon this Millais requested Moxon to place the drawings in our hands, and so satisfied was he with our first performance, that all the remaining drawings he made for this edition of "Tennyson's Poems" were given to us. Previous to Mr. Moxon entrusting Millais' drawings to us, he had placed all the subjects with the different artists, but found great difficulty in getting the work from them. He gave us a list of those waited for, and placed the completion of the engravings in our hands, asking us to look up the artists, which brought us in close communication with those engaged upon the work. He also asked us to superintend the printing of the book, which was being done by Messrs. Bradbury and Evans, who certainly bestowed the greatest care upon its production, but no sheet was sent to Press until we had signed it as "approved." The number printed was 10,000 copies, which were done at the old hand press, for at that time cylinder machine work was not considered good The Lord of Burleigh. Tennyson. By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A. By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co. This edition will always be known as "Moxon's Tennyson," and will stand out as a landmark in the history of book illustration. In the work of the younger men engaged on it, beyond the extreme beauty of their designs, there was an evidence of earnestness to search after truth that went so deep into nature as to give the work a stamp of superiority: and this advance in art—for it was an advance—we endeavoured to follow and to promote to the best of our power. Locksley Hall proof The outline of the daughters head is too thick from this' in....ssion I cannot see her mouth but will wait for the next, the nostril is too large, and the mother's face is too full of little fine lines, take away the fuzzy lines indicating the upper lip—Clear the eye enlarging the upper lid by making this line of the eye less thick bad right There are some little scratches on his fingers holding the envelope Dalziel Brothers. John Everett Millais The volume was published by Mr. Moxon at £1 11s. 6d., but the public did not respond as had been expected, consequently a large stock was left on hand. These were sold to Messrs. Routledge and Co., and, with the stock, the entire set of the wood blocks went also. The price of the volume was reduced to £1 1s., and it sold out immediately. On this success Messrs. Routledge wished to produce a new edition, but Tennyson's terms were too high to leave any margin of profit to the publisher. This doubtless was the cause of the book being so long out of print; but the property having since passed into the hands of Messrs. Macmillan they have reproduced this very interesting book. On November 23rd, 1856, Mr. Holman Hunt, on receiving the proof of a drawing he had made for Moxon's edition, writes: "I find the proof of the last design for 'Oriana' very satisfactory, giving the character of the drawing with great truth." From "The Talking Oak." Tennyson. By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A. By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co. Although we were in communication with Dante Gabriel Rossetti at an earlier date, when we engraved a small drawing "17 Orange Grove, Bath. "My dear Sirs,—I have just had a note from Mr. Moxon sent to me here, by which I learn that you are cutting a drawing of mine, and that it will soon be finished. Will you kindly send me the proof here (to the above address) and I will at once retouch it and send it back to London. I have been lately admiring your work in the 'Poets of the 19th Century,' and can only hope for a rendering equal to what Millais has there had at your hands. "Yours very truly, "D. G. Rossetti." The Millais drawings here alluded to are those made to illustrate passages from Byron and Coleridge, mentioned later on. His own was the St. Cecillia which Rossetti did for the "Illustrated Tennyson." It would be obviously out of place for us to comment upon the difference in treatment which we gave, and that of other engravers who were entrusted to operate upon some of the drawings he made for this book, or to remark upon the comparisons of certain critics writing upon the subject; we can only affirm that Mr. Rossetti expressed himself both verbally and by letter as being well pleased with our work. Writing on the receipt of two finished proofs, he says: 1 April 14 Chatham Place Dear Sir Many thanks for the two proofs kindly sent—both of them now highly satisfactory & well repaying all your pains. Yours faithfully That Rossetti was a man difficult to please in his literary work as well as in his art, the following is an apt illustration: In one of the "Allingham letters," he says: "I lately heard from Aubrey de Vere with a request to my sister and self to contribute something to a verse collection. The Ballad of Oriana. Tennyson. By Holman Hunt. By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co. Mr. W. M. Rossetti, writing of his brother's social peculiarities, says: "He assumed the easy attitude of one born to dominate—to know his own place and to set others in theirs. He was a genial despot, good natured, hearty and unassuming in manner, and only tenacious upon the question at issue." St. Cecillia. THE "PALACE OF ART." Tennyson. By Dante G. Rossetti. By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co. Though we never had any personal interview with Rossetti's sister, Miss Christina Rossetti, we had considerable correspondence with this gifted lady, extending over several years, she having written some short poems which helped to adorn the pages of one or more of our Fine Art Books. We also published her charming little Nursery Rhyme Book, "Sing Song," which was very tastefully illustrated by Arthur Hughes. The manuscript of this book was somewhat of a curiosity in its way. On each page, above the verse, was a slight pen sketch, drawn by Miss Rossetti, suggesting the subject to illustrate, but of these Mr. Hughes made very little use, and only in two instances actually followed the On one occasion when Mr. Arthur Hughes sent in some of the drawings which he had made, one of the pages of manuscript was missing, and on this being pointed out to him he sent the following note: "July 31, '71. "Dear Messrs. Dalziel,—I am sure that I put in the rhyme of 'Dancing on the hill tops.' I am very careful with them—going two or three times through them before packing up. I don't remember which was 45, but the four figures representing the Seasons is to the poem of the Months, beginning 'January, cold, desolate'; and as well as I can remember the poem for the drawing of a man with fagot and basket meeting his child—it goes thus: 'Dancing on the hill tops, Singing in the valleys, Laughing with the echoes, Merry little Alice. If her father's cottage Turned into a palace, And he owned the hill tops And the flowering valleys, She'd be none the happier— Happy little Alice.' —and had a pencil sketch at top of a child on a pointed hill. "I am just about finishing a batch of these—belonging to last week, alas!—but I am also finishing the frontispiece of the Carols. These shall come very soon. "Believe me, "Arthur Hughes." Hallelujah. THE "SUNDAY MAGAZINE." By Arthur Hughes. Published by Mr. Alexander Strahan. We had for a long time cherished the idea of doing an important series of illustrations to "The Parables of Our Lord." This occupied much anxious thought and careful consideration, for we felt it would be useless attempting the subject unless the drawings were made by an artist of acknowledged high-class ability. We found our chief difficulty in fixing upon one capable of treating the subject with sufficient dignity, and at the same time likely to avoid the old conventional style in which at that time Biblical art was treated. As many of Sir John Millais' charming drawings had been passing through our hands—among others we would mention some exceptionally beautiful work illustrating selected passages from poems by Byron and Coleridge, as well as his exquisite drawing of "The Finding of Moses"—it seemed to us that he would be a safe man to consult on the subject, and likely to give us something more original in treatment than any other artist who was doing this class of work. Millais entered warmly into the subject and very readily undertook the commission, as the accompanying letter will show: "Bowerswell, Perth, "Dear Sirs,—I shall be very glad to accept your offer, but you must give me time. One great inducement for me to undertake these illustrations is the fact that the book will be entirely illustrated by me alone. The subject is quite to my liking; you could not have chosen anything more congenial to my desire. I would set about them immediately if you will send me some blocks. Will you send me a list of the Parables, or leave it to me? I would prefer the former. There is so much labour in these drawings that I trust you will give me my own time, otherwise I could not undertake the commission. I should make it a labour of love like yourselves. "Yours very truly, "John Everett Millais." The Pearl of Great Price. FROM "THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD." By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A. By permission of Messrs. Herbert Virtue & Co., Ltd. Monday Bowerswell Dear Dalziel, At last I have finished "The Pearl of great price"—you will at once see there is a tremendous lot of work in it., & I have put a little more white in parts than perhaps is good,—but I could not help it, as I require to alter a good deal. I know very well you will give it all your attention & after all that you have done I feel sure it will be rendered a Yours sincerely, Messrs. Dalziel brothers Millais produced several of the drawings very promptly, but, as time went on and he became more popular—the demand for his pictures daily increasing—longer intervals gradually took place between the delivery of the drawings, and it was not until the end of 1864 that the last was sent in. Even then he had only made twenty drawings out of thirty, which he at first undertook to do. At the same time he requested us to release him from the remainder of the agreement, and to this we In 1862 we accepted an offer from Mr. Alexander Strahan, and twelve of these pictures were published in Good Words Magazine. Later, in 1864, the entire series was published for us in book form by George Routledge & Sons. But we are sorry to say they did not receive that liberal recognition from either the public or the critics which their undoubted excellence ought to have commanded. When we conceived the idea of doing an Illustrated Bible, of which we will have much to say further on, Millais was one of the first artists we consulted on the subject. He warmly approved of the project, and promised his most hearty and liberal co-operation; but like many other equally hearty promises from artists of note, they were never fulfilled, not, we are sure, from any want of sympathy with the subject, but owing entirely to the pressure of other engagements. At last his undertaking on this work simmered down to a positive promise of one drawing, and that to be "Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden," but though he was often solicited, and always promised to set about it immediately, he never made the drawing, nor do we know that he went so far as to make even the slightest rough sketch of a design for it. To us this was an inexpressible disappointment, as without that picture it was obviously impossible to commence the publication. The Unjust Judge. FROM "THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD." By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A. By permission of Messrs. Herbert Virtue & Co., Ltd.] Bowerswell Perth. Dear Sir, Nothing can be more exquisitely rendered than the "Importunate Widow". There are two or three little trifles wh. I will tell you when I come up. It appears to have been better cut than any other I have ever seen, you have only to show it to any artist, & he will at once see how it is executed—The two I am about are the "Ten Virgins". I will try & send Faithfully yrs, This, with many other similar disappointments of help which we had confidently relied upon, caused the project to hang fire, until at last, in 1880, we resolved to abandon the idea of an Illustrated Bible, and publish some of the engravings we had made in a folio under the title of "Dalziel's Bible Gallery." That our difficulties in carrying out the elaborate project we had formed began at an early date, the following extract from a letter by Sir John Millais, dated February 8th, 1863, will show: "There is a decided move in the matter of 'The Bible.' Hunt, Watts, and Leighton will not, I expect, work for you, as they say they are, with me, in honour bound to work for the "Yours very faithfully, "John Everett Millais." The "publisher who first made the proposal" here referred to was Mr. Joseph Cundall, who was not at that time in business as a publisher, but had formed a project of publishing an "Illustrated Bible." His progress in the matter merely consisted in his having commissioned the several artists named by Millais, with two or three others, while his actual purchase was three small drawings of minor importance. These, with his "priority of claim," we subsequently purchased from him. We never used the drawings, however, not considering them favourable specimens. In a letter, which is without date, showing how earnestly Millais laboured and how anxious he was to give his most perfect work in producing the charming series of illustrations to "The Parables of Our Lord," he says: "I send off by post the Parable of 'The Leaven which the woman hid in the three measures of meal'; she is mixing the leaven in the last of the three. The girl at the back I have made near the oven with one of the loaves, and the other rests against the wall of the window." The Leaven. FROM "THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD." By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A. By permission of Messrs. Herbert Virtue & Co., Ltd. Further on in the same letter he writes: "It is almost unnecessary for me to say that I cannot produce these quickly even if supposing I give all my time to them. They are separate pictures, and so I exert myself to the utmost to make them as complete as possible. I can do ordinary illustrations as quickly as most men, but these designs can scarcely be regarded in the same light—each Parable I illustrate perhaps a dozen times before I fix, and the 'Hidden Treasures' I have altered on the wood at least six times. The manipulation of the drawings takes much less time than the arrangement, although you cannot but see how carefully they are executed. Believe me, I will not again halt in the work, but will supply you regularly, although I may occasionally delay in the production. I know you will take every care in the cutting, so I will not say anything about that. I enclose with the block a few remarks. "Ever yours truly, "John Everett Millais. "I suppose you have nearly completed the 'Five Foolish Virgins.' I am always anxious to get the proofs." Sir John was at all times ready to help a brother or sister artist, and avoid as far as possible running in competition, as the following few lines will show. In a letter dated February 8th, 1863, he writes: "I forgot to ask you not to publish the 'Lost Sheep' amongst the Parables in Good Words, as I have had a letter from Mrs. Blackburn stating that she had a drawing for the paper of the same subject, and wishing me to keep back that illustration if it did not interfere with the arrangement. I suppose it will make no difference to you, so please withhold it from the set devoted to Good Words." In reference to the engraving of "The Lord of Burleigh" he says: "Perth, "My dear Sirs,—I received the proofs this afternoon and am quite satisfied with the cutting, which is perfect. I mention a few corrections, or rather additions, which I think will improve them. As I have omitted to add my monogram to the other drawings I should like it cut out of the snow in the illustration to the 'Old Year.' The only improvement I see is a want of softness in some of the outlines, which may be reduced or made "The more I have looked into the cutting of both these (but especially the 'Burleigh') the more delighted I am with the rendering. I wish you would send me a good proof of each of them, as I have all the others. "Again thanking you for the evident care you have taken in rendering my drawings, "Believe me, "John Everett Millais." Millais, on returning proofs which we had submitted for his touching or approval, invariably made such favourable remarks on our portion of the work as the following: "November 6, '63. "The proofs you sent me are perfectly satisfactory. 'The Good Shepherd' doesn't require anything, and the other only wants a touch on the face. Next to the King is a little coarse in the shadow: make it a little less scratchy." In reply to a letter of ours asking for a further supply of "Parable" drawings, Mrs. Millais writes: "Bowerswell, "Dear Sir,—I am very sorry to write to you instead of packing up for you some wood drawings. Mr. Millais has begged me to write to you, as he says he is ashamed of himself, but he has felt such a disinclination to turn to that kind of drawing at present, when he is painting out of doors, that he must beg you to have patience with him. Several times as he has got designs and drawings ready, I have got him to sit down to them, but he rose up disgusted and feeling incapable. He goes to London next week but returns in a few days. He declares he will then set to work, so we must hope the fit will have come on for work of the kind in which you are interested. In the meantime he has nothing nearly ready, if "With best regards, "Effie Millais." Mrs. Millais, writing on another occasion to account for the non-delivery of drawings, says: "Bowerswell, Perth, "He is very sorry not to answer your letter about the Parables. He says, at this season, that he is always occupied on his pictures, and that although he can occasionally do drawings on the wood at odd times, that he cannot attempt to do the Parables, which are, as you know, much finer work. He is anxious to make that work as perfect as possible, and when he does one or more he puts his painting aside for the time. He cannot do that during the winter and spring, and therefore begs you to have patience with him, as he will work at them whenever he has sufficient leisure. He is well aware how anxious you are to have the work finished. I am sure he is also. But he often makes designs, and continues to improve them until he is quite satisfied that it is as good as he can make it, and this takes a long time. "Very truly yours, "Effie Millais." On our sending Millais complete copies of "The Parables" he wrote the following letter: "7 Cromwell Place, "Dear Dalziel,—I am quite delighted with the Book, and I think you will find the public will slowly and surely appreciate it. Six copies will not quite do for the friends I have promised it to, but will be enough for the present. I desired to send copies "Sincerely yours, "John Everett Millais." "Now, Randolph, tell thy tidings, However sharp they be." "Edinburgh, after Flodden."—Aytoun. FROM "LAYS OF THE SCOTTISH CAVALIERS." By Sir J. Noel Paton, P.R.S.A. By permission of Messrs. William Blackwood & Sons. The following is an extract from the Preface to the first edition of the book: "Mr. Millais made his first drawing to illustrate the Parables in August, 1857, and the last in October, 1863. Thus he has been able to give that care and consideration to his subjects which the beauty as well as the importance of 'The Parables' demanded, for the work has extended over a period of six years." During the years from 1858 to 1863 we engraved several grand drawings by Sir J. Noel Paton in illustration to a fine art edition of Professor Aytoun's "Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers," published by Messrs. Blackwood of Edinburgh. In a letter, dated October 8th, 1858, he says: "33 George Street, Edinburgh. "Dear Sirs,—Judging from your work in the 'Tennyson,' and from proofs now before me, I can with perfect security and confidence recommend the Messrs. Blackwood to entrust you with as many of my drawings as you care to undertake. Indeed I did so in those very words when, a few months ago, we were discussing this question of engraving, and I am quite ready to repeat my recommendation, though having, by my own desire, left the choice of engravers entirely in the hands of Messrs. Blackwood. "I remain, Gentlemen, "J. Noel Paton." "Yet a black and murky battlement Lay resting on the hill." "The Execution of Montrose."—Aytoun. FROM "LAYS OF THE SCOTTISH CAVALIERS." By Sir J. Noel Paton, P.R.S.A. By permission of Messrs. William Blackwood & Sons. On returning parcels of touched proofs, he wrote the following letters: "33 George Street, Edinburgh, "Gentlemen,—I herewith return the three printed proofs touched upon, and by that you will kindly do your best to carry out the alterations indicated. "The last proofs sent (eight in number) will be forwarded to Mr. Simpson to-day. They are, upon the whole, very satisfactory, though all, more or less, requiring careful overhauling, though through no shortcoming of yours, as the drawings have been wonderfully rendered. I would more especially mention as worthy of all praise, as specimens of engraving, 'The Melrose,' and the interior with figures, and the suit of armour. The latter is certainly very perfect. "Your kind offer of a proof of Mr. Houghton's beautiful design, and your beautiful Engraving of the long-haired Lady with Children, I cannot refuse; though in what I said in my last, I merely meant to indicate the desire, which so many must feel, that high class things of that sort could be got by themselves and printed in a manner worthy of their excellence—they are generally so indifferently printed in the Periodicals in which they appear and dis-appear. "In haste. "J. Noel Paton." "Messrs. Dalziel." "Absence from Town, and other causes, has prevented me from acknowledging more promptly 15 proofs of your engravings for the 'Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers,' which, I am happy to say, are all very satisfactory indeed. "I am, Gentlemen, "J. Noel Paton." 37 Drummond Place Gentlem... I am sorry to find myself again convicted of culpable negligence, in having left your last beautiful proofs to lay unacknowledged.—As before, excessive occupation, tempered with indisposition is my excuse. The blocks In much haste— J. Noel Paton Messrs. Dalziel "On wheels of light, on wings of flame, The glorious hosts of Zion came." "The Song of Bethlehem."—Campbell. FROM "LAYS OF THE HOLY LAND." By J. R. Clayton. By permission of Messrs. James Nisbet & Co. "The Lays of the Holy Land" was projected by Mr. Watson, then the head of James Nisbet and Co., who, mainly under our guidance, made a very wise selection for the figure subjects. Tenniel's are exceptionally fine, "The Destruction of Sennacherib" being perhaps the most important. The "Song of the Jewish Maiden," by F. R. Pickersgill, R.A., is one of his best, and there is a lovely drawing, "Ruth and Naomi," by J. H. Powell, but the one picture that stands alone is "The Finding of Moses by Pharaoh's Daughter," by Millais. The strength and power as well as the treatment are so original as to give it even in this fine collection a marked degree of undoubted prominence. Wolf has several exquisite examples, so has Birket Foster. Of our own drawings we will only mention "Tears for Jerusalem" and "The Raising of Lazarus." There is also a very beautiful drawing, "The Song of Bethlehem," in a fine decorative manner, by J. R. Clayton. Clayton has been our friend and comrade for over fifty years. We met as fellow students at the Life School at Clipstone Street, when Edward Duncan was President and Treasurer, and Charles Keene, John Tenniel, George Boyce, H. T. Wells, and Arthur Lewis were amongst the regular workers. The Finding of Moses by Pharaoh's Daughter. FROM "LAYS OF THE HOLY LAND." By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A. By permission of Messrs. James Nisbet & Co. This much-gifted, many-sided man began his artistic work as a sculptor with Sir Charles Barry, and under the influence of Sir Gilbert Scott, attaining much knowledge in architecture and ecclesiastical matters, he soon developed a decided taste for decorative work. During this period, however, his wonderful facility for design found an easy outlet in drawing on wood. Our early connection with him began on the Illustrated London News, for which he did much beautiful work, notably some illustrations to "New Songs Written to Old Tunes," by Dr. Charles Mackay. He also illustrated an edition of "Krumacher's Fables," translated by Dr. Hy. W. Dulcken, a dear old friend, who was then one of the managers of Ingram and Cook's book branch of the Illustrated London News. Clayton also did a set of illustrations to "Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress." We had the benefit of his work in many of the "Fine Art Books" on which we were from time to time engaged. He did the figure subjects for "Herbert's Poetical Works," and, in companionship with Sir John Tenniel, made most of the figure subjects for "Pollock's Course of Time." Clayton's taste for decorative work gradually took the form of stained glass, and his success in that way became so extensive that the art of Book Illustration sank into the background. Although not really one of the P.R.B., he was of them, and with them in all their ways and works. If the Royal Academy had a more extensive scale of fitness for the honour, there is no man to our knowledge whose great ability as a true artist better deserves the distinction of R.A. There's nae Luck About the House. FROM "HOME AFFECTIONS WITH THE POETS." By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A. By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons. Bowerswell Perth Dear Sir, Both the illustrations are so perfectly cut that I have nothing to say, and therefore will keep both the proofs, as I should like to have them—Perhaps you may just fine down one or two lines in the "There's nae luck" the upper line of the womans hand Run the shading of the mans shoulder more into the outline also the little girls left leg should Yours very truly, Wm. Dalziel brothers Edward Duncan, George Dodgson and F. W. Topham, with a few other members of the "Old Society of Painters in Water Colours," formed a club for outdoor sketching, the rule being that at a selected spot all should sit down as close to each other as possible, taking various points of view according to individual taste. One day whilst at work in a field on the banks of the Upper Thames, they saw a sturdy farmer coming towards them looking very fierce and angry. When he got near the party he said: "What be you lot o' lazy devils a-doing in my field?" "Sketching, sir, sketching!" "Is that fit work for men? When the young ladies from Miss Gray's boarding school come down to 'sketch' I say let 'em; if it pleases them, it don't hurt me, an' there be no harm; but when I see a lot of great hulking men like you fellows about such nonsense it makes me fair angry! Why, domn it, you might be doing a lot o' good work o' some sort! I would rather break stones by the roadside for a shilling a day than fool away my time like you be doing. You ought to be ashamed o' yourselves, you ought!" They tried to explain to him that they made their living by painting pictures. After some strong expressions of doubt the farmer sobered down a little and asked Dodgson how much he would get for the one he was "doing." Dodgson, knowing the sort of man he had to deal with, said: "Perhaps as much as ten shillings, or maybe twenty if I can find a friend who fancies it." The answer came, "Thee be a domned liar as well as a lazy lout!" Then with a look of contempt the tiller of the soil stumped away. "From the window I look out, To mark thy beautiful parade; Stately marching in cap and coat, To some tune by fairies played." "Threnody."—Ralph Waldo Emerson. FROM "HOME AFFECTIONS WITH THE POETS." By Edward Dalziel. By permission of Messrs. George Routledge & Sons. "The Poets of the Nineteenth Century," in addition to the two fine drawings by Millais already named, has many other good pictures; one of the most remarkable, perhaps, is the "Prisoner of Chillon," by Ford Madox Brown. Sir John Tenniel is well represented, the "Death of Marmion" being one of his best. Sir John Gilbert, too, has several: "The Vicar," "To my Mother's Picture," and "Hohenlinden." So pleased were we with the latter design that we offered him a commission for a water colour drawing of the subject. His reply was, "Yes, and it shall be one of my best." And it certainly was one of his most successful as a highly-finished work and will always hold its own. There are also several interesting drawings by William Harvey, J. D. Harding, Edward Duncan, and G. Dodgson; a large number of exquisite examples of Birket Foster, and several figure subjects by J. R. Clayton, F. R. Pickersgill, R.A., Edward Corbould, and Harrison Weir. Of our own many drawings in this book we will mention a small roadside landscape, "Taste," and a single figure, "The History of a Life." On February 6th, 1856, Mr. Ford Madox Brown, in returning a volume of the Illustrated Edition of "Longfellow's Poems," wrote: "The bearer will return the volume of 'Longfellow,' which I have looked through with great delight; and I think it bears honourable testimony to the high excellence which wood engraving has attained in this country." Subsequently, on seeing the volume, "The Poets of the Nineteenth Century," he wrote: "Let me take this opportunity of expressing my admiration of the work you last brought out, and the drawings by Dalziel The Veiled Prophet of Khorassan. FROM "LALLA ROOKH." By Sir John Tenniel. By permission of Messrs. Longman & Co. In "Home Affections with the Poets," Millais again stands pre-eminent in his two contributions. "There's Nae Luck About the House," when compared with his drawing of the "Finding of Moses," is an apt illustration of his wonderful ver F. R. Pickersgill has some fine pictures in this book, his "Oriana" being full of tender feeling. Sir John Tenniel, too, is very strong, his "Fair Inez" being the best. Sir John Gilbert and Birket Foster are both very powerful; the former in "When I Come Home," "The Two Angels," and "The Wee Thing"; the latter in his "True Love," "Come Awa', Come Awa'," "My Sister Ellen," and "The Graves of the Household." There is a very clever drawing, "The Sailors Journal," by George Thomas, and a grand picture, "The Shipwreck," by Edward Duncan. Among our own drawings in the collection are, "To Mary in Heaven," Emerson's "Threnody," and "My Mother Dear." Among the first works of importance by Sir John Tenniel that came into our hands to engrave were several drawings for an illustrated edition of Tupper's "Proverbial Philosophy," as well as his contributions to the illustrated publications issued by the Art Union of London. He also made a great many important drawings for the numerous "Fine Art Books" which we produced; among them we would particularly mention "Dramatic Poems," by Barry Cornwall, and "Pollock's Course of Time"; likewise several exceptionally clever drawings for "The Ingoldsby Legends," published by Richard Bentley. "Poor maiden!" thought the youth, "if thou wert sent." The Veiled Prophet of Khorassan. FROM "LALLA ROOKH." By Sir John Tenniel. By permission of Messrs. Longman & Co. One of his most elaborate works was the set of illustrations to "Lalla Rookh." The drawings were all made on the wood with lead pencil, and were fine examples of his varied powers of design and delicate manipulation—such as gave us great pleasure in the rendering. The book was published by Messrs. Longman & Co. If Tenniel had never done any other work than "Lalla Rookh," and those two remarkable books "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass," they alone would have been sufficient to immortalise him. What a piece of work the frontispiece to the former is! What dignity and rare grotesque humour are shown in both these books! What beautiful pictures "Advice from Caterpillar" and "The Father William" make!— As a matter of fact, Tenniel did not wish to do the second book, so Mr. Dodgson ("Lewis Carrol"), the author, asked various other artists to undertake the task, amongst them Sir J. Noel Paton, who, being out of health at the time, at once declined, saying, "No, Tenniel is the man." And most fortunately, both for author and artist, he was, the drawings being most grotesque, and the delightful fooling and outrageous fancy beyond description: for instance, "Looking-Glass House," "Tweedle-dum-tweedle-dee-dee," "Humpty-Dumpty," "The Lion and Unicorn," and last of all "Queen Alice." Such pictures were half the battle in the success of these two delightful little volumes. During the process of completing the illustrations a great deal of correspondence, always of the most agreeable nature, took place with the Rev. Mr. Dodgson, as to their execution and finish. It is well known that he was more than usually critical, both with the drawings and with the engravings. Mr. Dodgson also entrusted us later with the drawings made by Mr. A. B. Frost—a very clever and highly esteemed American artist, who fully entered into the quaint humour of the text—for "Rhyme and Reason" and "A Tangled Tale." So much was Tenniel engaged at this time that we always regarded his undertaking the pictures, seven in number, for our "Arabian Nights," as an act of kindness to ourselves. Alice in Wonderland. By Sir John Tenniel. By permission of Messrs. Macmillan & Co. Outside his Punch work, we believe nearly all Tenniel's work for wood engraving was executed by us. 10 Portsdown Road All good wishes for the New Year!!! Dear Dalziel, Are you disposed to undertake the engraving of another little book for Mr. Dodgson?—It is a continuation of "Alice's Adventures," and I am going to work upon it at once. One line please to say "Yes"—and I'll let you know the size of blocks &c. In much haste Yours very truly The Sleeping Genie and the Lady. FROM "DALZIEL'S ARABIAN NIGHTS." By Sir John Tenniel. By permission of Messrs. Ward, Lock & Co. Messrs. Bradbury and Evans had at one time the idea of publishing an "Illustrated Shakespeare," and Tenniel was to do all the drawings, but beyond two very characteristic subjects which we engraved the project was abandoned. Doubtless he found the undertaking more than he could carry out when added to his weekly work for Punch and his other engagements. No matter what other work he had in hand, he always contributed his weekly cartoon to Punch. The moral teaching of these drawings is beyond measure. Whether it be in caustic satire or exquisite pathos, he held the town for over fifty years, proving himself to be not only a great artist, but one who will rank amongst the highest of Britain's worthies. Sir John Tenniel was never very effusive in his observations, though his remarks were invariably complimentary. The following are two of his letters received on submitting proofs for his correction: "3 Portsdown Road, "Dear Sirs,—The 'Falcon' proofs are everything I could wish. The third proof requires just a touch. "I wish you would find me two subjects instead of those which I return herewith—something with more action or incident in them. I am quite tired of love subjects, they admit of so little variety of treatment. "Before you send the wood for the 'Pollock' "I am, my dear Sirs, "John Tenniel." The Crawley Family. FROM "THE FRAMLEY PARSONAGE." By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A. By permission of Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co. "3 Portsdown Road, "Dear Sirs,—I like the proofs you sent very much, but they require just a little alteration, the 'Rokby' "I have such an accumulation of work on hand just now that I do not feel justified in undertaking the two new subjects you have sent, as I do not know when I shall be able to let you have the drawings. I am doing some work for the Queen, and as it is wanted as soon as possible, all things else must wait till it is finished. But apart from this, the 'Coronation' subject, although a good one, is very painful. I should not like doing it on that account. And the other, although certainly very beautiful, I do not care much about illustrating just now—it requires too much thought to be disposed of hurriedly. I will, however, do my best to let you have the 'Barry Cornwall' "Yours, my dear Sirs, "John Tenniel." When the Cornhill Magazine, in 1859, was first advertised for publication at the price of one shilling, with Thackeray as editor, the announcement fell like a bomb in the midst of the magazine publishers—Blackwood, Frazer, Colburn, Bentley and others—for nothing of this description had even been so much as dreamt of before at a less price than the orthodox half-crown. The heavy government duty on paper, then only recently removed, may have been some apology for the high price hitherto charged for this class of literature, which at the present day is so far surpassed, if not always in quality certainly in quantity, at less than half the price of the great "Cornhill innovation." Lady Lufton and the Duke of Omneum. FROM "THE FRAMLEY PARSONAGE." By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A. By permission of Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co. In 1847 or '48 we were introduced to Mr. George Smith, of Smith, Elder and Co., and for several years executed a fair share of the engravings they required. Amongst the earlier of these works we contributed to "The Jar of Honey, from Mount Hybla," by Leigh Hunt, and "The Dwarf of the Golden River," by John Ruskin. During this period we were not infrequently brought into correspondence with Mr. Williams, literary adviser of the firm. He was a grand old gentleman, with a kind, sympathetic manner, which won for him the sincere regard of all with whom he became associated. When the Cornhill Magazine was started we were asked by Mr. George Smith (whose courtesy and kindness were at all times most marked during the many years of our connection) to undertake the engravings, as he purposed issuing one or two full page plates with each monthly number. This we did for several years, producing during the time, among the more important works, charming illustrations by Millais, Richard Doyle, Lord Leighton, P.R.A., F. Sandys, and other artists, all of whom, as time rolled on, acquired a prominent position in their art. Artists not being proverbial for the just appreciation of punctuality, many of these engravings were produced under great pressure, as the following letter from Mr. George Smith will show: "Dear Sirs,—I am delighted with Mr. Millais' drawing, and I am obliged to you for having engraved it so well "Believe me, "G. Smith. "Messrs. Dalziel Brothers." Temptation.—Horace Saltoun. FROM THE "CORNHILL MAGAZINE." By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A. By permission of Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co. Richard Doyle's "Bird's-eye Views of Society," which first appeared in the Cornhill, were afterwards published in book form, and had a very considerable sale. It was also through our connection with the Cornhill Magazine that we were introduced to George Augustus Sala, who was at that time contributing a series of papers and illustrating the articles himself. On our submitting proofs for his correction or approval, he wrote: "Messrs. Dalziel. "Gentlemen,—I have received proofs of engravings. You will permit me to thank you for the exquisitely artistic manner in which my rude scratchings on Wood have been rendered by your graver. 'The Group of Beggars,' 'The View of Genoa,' and the background under the Arcade are, to me, marvellous. My chief defect appears to be heaviness and blackness of touch, caused by painfully defective sight. I will, however, endeavour to remedy this by using a harder point, and trusting more to your tasteful interpretation, without overloading my shadows with cross-hatching. There are a dozen more drawings to come, but I wanted to see the proofs of the first instalment before commencing the second batch. "Believe me to be, "George Augt. Sala." Lady with Hounds. FROM "LONDON SOCIETY." By Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A. By permission of Mr. James Hogg. FOOTNOTES:It is further interesting to note in Mr. Malcolm Bell's work of "Sir E. Burne-Jones: A Record and Review," that on seeing the engraving, "Elfin-Mere," it revealed to him for the first time the "World of radiant, many-coloured lights; of dim, mysterious shadows, of harmonies of form of line; that far-off World of Art into which he has made his way and brought back visions of delight to show his fellow man." |
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