Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-10-29
Liza and skstnhss Of Inhn Lasch.

The events OF Mr.. 1eech'S nie may
be summed up briefly. He vas born
in London, August 20, 1917, and was
educated at Charter house school,
where he was q sch~Oolfellow OF Thack-
cray. Leaving school ne studied med.
icine, until he made the discovery,
which every gifted man makes at
some time or other, that his speciality
was his destined profession. This
must have been early, for he publish
ed his first work In 1885, when he was
eighteen, and at the same time was
contributing illustrations to a news
paper. His earliest subjects were
drawn from London streets and COM
prised social scenes and characters gro
tesque and odd. For some years he
had to encounter uphill work, labor
Ing hard for small pay: but his genius
asserted itself as the years went on.
He drew better and observed better
as he grew older, and into all his pic
lures. however Ill or well paid, he put
careful work.
In 184l was published the hrstnum.
Der OF Punch, and John Leech's con-
nection with it dates nom its begin
ming. His first picture occupieda full
page, on the It'll Of August. 1t was
full of humorous appreciation and
harmless satire, mingling truth with
! ~earicature In a way peculiar to him.
self. From that date he was the lead
| ing artist on the staff of that we'll
known Journal, and constantly en-
bellished its pages with products OF
fable pencil and inexnaustible immag-
ination.
In private lie Mr.. Leech possessed
the same kindly spirit that pervades
his pictures. A thorough gentleman
by nature, he was generous, affable
and h~ospitable, beloved by a large
circle OF friends, and the idol of his
family. During his last few years he
was subject to the nervous irritation
of an invalid, and was one of the num-
berless victims to the noisy nuisances
which make night in London a purga-
tory to the afflicted. He worked on,
however, through all his pains and
agitations, and died suddenly October
%, 1854. On the following Friday he
was borne by his friends aud fellow
workers to mis- grave in Kensal Green
cemetery, and laid by the side Of his
old schoolmate Thackeray.
Leech seems to have been entirely
bis own teacher. Beari0gv this in
mind, his capacity for portraying
every subject and his accuracy of de-
lineation are marvellous. 1t Is not
known when he first began to draw;
whether, like Thackeray, he was in
the habit of illustrating the grammars
and dictionaries of ChestertoWn, or
whether the pictorial instinct declared
itself later. 1t Is on record, however,
that while attending the medical lee
lures at BartholOmew's he was in the
habit of iOtting down the heads and
figures OF his feIlow-students. His pic
lures of earliest date have all the char
~acteristies of his later ones, and 1t Is
difficult to realize that some of the
former are the production OF a lad IN.
der nineteen. The drawing has the
freedom of an old hand. In the back
ground are those apparently acciden-
tai lines by which he brought an OBJ
ject to the eyes az If by magic. These
pictures are full of a broader humor
than the artist relished at a later date,
but never offending propriety in the
slightest degree.
1t used to be said of Thackeray-in-
deed, Thackeray has been heard to
say it of himself-that he could not
draw a beautiful female face. 1t might
be seid of Leech that he could not
draw a homely one. Certain il is
that his female portratures-the girls
and young mothers, the wives and
sweethearts, Of whatever elass-are
sure to be after the best type Of fair
WomanhOod. They are, however,
English. Within the fifty
volumes of Punch that contain John
Leeeh's works there is not a single
face from his pencil. 1t is the
rue, genuine English feature, the
mile, that his pencil produces.
The great number of Leech'S works
and they must amount to several
housand-is due mainly to his work
ng only with pencil and pen. with an
Extraordinary readiness and facility
Il execution. His pictures embrace
.lmosL every social subject. He drew
too, the horse and dog espe
tally. as Enthusiastically as the hu-
nan figure, and threw them of with
he same celebrity.
But what is more to Leech's praise
ven than his ;onsummate skill, is the
'urity of his pencil. OF course, as the {
OF life, he vas obliged to ]
odd the mirror up to nature. But of
II his works there is not one the most ]
igid purist would suppress. 1t is to /
is honor that he has left Jar behind I
the Gilrays and Richardson's, the
atyrs and B~acchantes, in all their I
,antic grossness. II there were ever !
n addison Of art" it was John
: