New Materials For The Life Of John Flaxman, R.A.

his superior , and whose worth he could not understand . He has conjured up this story frome some very trifling occurrence ( having just wit enough for this ) , in order to gain that attention , when a draft on his own resources would not have been honoured . Mr . Plaxman was as free from personal vanity as any man living .

Page 279 . This story of Mortimer ' s is wrongly told . Young Plaxman was receiving lessons in drawing at school . One evening , a friend coming in , the lad showed him a copy of an eye ho had been making from a drawing by his masterwhen this friend asked

, him " if it was a flat-fish ? " This jest gave the youth so mean an opinion of his master ' s abilities , that he could not be prevailed upon to take any more lessons . Nor do I think Mortimer was the friend .

Page 281 . Mr . Plaxman was a good Greek , as well as Latin and Italian scholar , and was not a bad Prench scholar , though he did not speak it well . He always made his designs from the ori ginal text , unless he had to compose subjects to accompany translations . Page . 282 . It was the year after his death that the statue of Kemble was exhibited at the Royal

Academy . Note to page 282 . Tlie three small busts of Mr . Plaxman , sen ., Mr . Howard , and Mr . Hayley , were modelled soon after Mr . Plaxman came from Italy . Page 285 . Conceit was never the characteristic part of his character . There seems but little knowlodge , judgement , justice , or foresight in the Academy at this time in this siffiviv .

Page 290 . There was nothing like despondency in his composition , —quite the reverse . Courtship and matrimony rather doubled his diligence than retarded it . Mrs . Plaxman never called her husbany "John " in her life ; it was "Plaxman ; " nor did he ever call her " Ann" ( this mode of speaking of them totally changes their character ) ; it was either " my

love , " or " my dear Nancy . " Page 292 . Yoa must lie careful how you quote ( Nol lekens ) Smith ;— -he had too coarse a mind to understand Mr . Plaxman ' s ways , and knew very , very little of Mr . Plaxman ' s affairs . Mr . Plaxman never was a collector of water-rates , —at least , I never heard it ;

but I do know that he scrupulously avoided all parish business throughout his life . The ink-bottle story , as well as many more that he and others have related , must belong to some one else . Page 293 . The monument to Collins was executed in 1795 ; consequentl y , not till after Mr . Plaxman ' s return from abroad . The group of Venus and Cupid was not his favourite work : the Poet Collins and Miss Cromwell were .

Page 296 . It is not true that he transcribed subjects from the Greek vases , for his Homeric works ; this was done in part for what he did for Mr . Wedgwood . Page 303 . The Group of Athamas * was , by some unaccountable accident , lost sight of for many years . Nor did it come to England till within these few years , when it was purchased by the present Lord Bristol , and sent to Iekworth .

The restoration of the group of Hercules and Hebe was an order from the late Mr . Thomas Hope . Mr . Plaxman never approved of it himself after it was finished ; therefore he refused to work in marble , though pressed to do so " by Mr . Hope ; nevertheless it was a general and well deserved favourite of all who saw it ; and it is greatly to be regretted that it was destroyed . This you would have said had you ever seen it .

Page 521 . The basso relievo of " Christ raising the daughter of Jairus , " was designed for a monument to the memory of a young lady in 1822 . Page 321 . " Peed the hungry , " and " Comfort and help the weak-hearted . " were also of a much later date .

Page 322 . It is not till after an artist has been elected an Academician that he is expected to present to the Royal Academy a specimen of his art . I do not understand the drift of your tailor story in this place . It seems to me what the painters call " ' out of keeping . " Mr . Plaxman did not desire to be employed on

national works . He infinitely preferred the employ of private individuals , wdio had good sense enough to leave the artist to his own taste and judgment , which is not always the case with committee . But on this occason , Mr . Plaxman , with other artists , both sculptors and architects , were called upon to make designs

for a national monument . He not only made a model of Britannia Triumphant , but two other designs , one a triumphal arch , the other a naval pillar , besides writing the letter you speak of ; but , at the request of the committee , iu this act he was most singular . Other artists did the same , and when they were all

brought together in one room , they formed a very interesting exhibition ; ancl as a large subscription had been raised , it was thought something would be done . But as you say ( p . 323 ) , " The Committee deliberated and dined , as committees generally do , and then as deliberately let the money as well as the matter drop ;"

but whether into their own pockets or any other strong box , remains a secret to this day . On this subject history is silent ! ! ! and there this matter ended . Nor did the failure of this plan grieve Mr . Plaxman , except in a national point of view , for it had taken up much of his valuable time from more imjiortant business , and the remarks you , have quoted my brother mi ght well smile at—they are such as envy flings at superior merit .

Mr . Klaxman did not execute the monwnent to "Walker and " Beclcett . The Statue of Karl JEEoice was purposely left unfinished , in order that it mi ght be finished working in the light it was to remain in , which was very different to that in his own study . . And with respect to national monumentswe ought

, to take into consideration how artists are tied down by the commonplace notions of committee-men who are , on these occasions , lord and master . Page 326 . " It was the practice of this eminent artist to work in marbles from half-sized models . " This was not altogether the caseand when he did it

, was from necessity , and not by choice . All his early Avorks were modelled /? . ^ sized , as well as many of his latter ones . The whole of Lord Mansfield ' s monument , for instance , and others of the same period , were modelled full sized ; and only those that required a