Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-13
SIR EDWIN LANDSEBR.
what . woman Says Of Him.

tItltd Logan tAe Nsac l0rk GrGpSIc.l
When q man makes his name great il is In
sisted on by the public that he is also good, and
as in the case of the late Sir Edwin Laudseer,
he IL invested with all the noble qualities which
should accompany genius. / WAS personally
acquainted with Sir Edwin and his two broth
ers-- Charles, an excellent and most cons cien-
tious painter, and Thomas, the engrayer of
nearly all Sir Edwin's pictures. Sir Edwin,
however the English through national pride
may ay to the contrary, was not witty, nor ge-
NAL, nor good. He WAS hyrocrite, q toady
10 the great; but for his extreme ugliness he
would have been q libertine; and he was a
spendthrift, being nearly all the time Sin the
hands Of the Jews" Moreover, he was not so
coed a painter as he is credited with being. l
DO not know if there is any OF his original paint
ings in our country TO bear out what say, but
his originals fall far beneath the engrsvings of
them, tor the reason that Tom Landseer," in
engraving, corIects their faults OF drawing,
and the hid6ous coloring peculiar TO the mod
.rn English school is not, of course, seen in the
engraved works.
Sir Edwin was Incapable of painting animals
in the grand and spirited manner OF Rosa Bon
heur, and of many other French artists. He
had to have stuffed model of every amin al he
Grew, and there are few pictures of his eStsnt
IN which there is an animal in motion. He was
stlli-llfe painter, II such term could be APP
piled to an artist who painted living creatures.
His stuffed models were painted in his studio,
and, OF course, remained immova able for months
and months while he plodded on their likeness,
for he was slow painter. He could not and
never has painted such picture as Bonheur's
"Horse Fair, with men Juggling at the brid es
OF rearing, kicking, plungIng horses. In his
dignity and Impudence" large and small
dog gaze motionless at the spectator. In one of
his best pictures, two King Charles sp2niels lie
still on a table beside their masters hat and
gloves. In another famous painting-a csrca-
ture of body of men in consultation, Parlia-
mentary or otherwise | do not now remember
a row OF dogs sit motionless. In 1.-The Old
Shepherds Chief Mourner' the dog sits
tioDless, with his head on the coffin, and so on
through almost the whole list OF his works, Sir
Edwin vas, no doubt, an excellent painter; but
his brother Charles was as good a one, and he
is but little known. Sir Edwin was fortunate.
He came to the fore with his still-life dogs at a
time when England had no tirst-clsss animal
painter; when Prince Albert, who preferred
this style of art, was at the zenith of his power
though he was never popular until he died.
Without possessing any talent, the Queen also
much affected art, and Sir Edwin was not only
content but happy TO dance attendance on and
toady TO the great He got his reward in fame
and kDighthOod, which attained, this crusty and
niggaTdly old bachelor became so "stuck up"
as to be uncomfortable to people who despised
"erooking the pregnant hinges of the knee that
thrift may follow tawning."
Of a different stamp was the true genius of
the family, Thomas Landseer. After repeated
refusals he was at length induced to answer the
summons of Her Majesty to present himself at
Windsor Castle to teach her some easy branch
OF his art. Windsor was some distance from
London, and the engraver's time was gold. He
was kept waiting in an ante-chamber for two
hours alter the appointed time for reception,
when Prince Albert made his appearance, say
sons that day, but she would send for him when
she did. He thereupon commenced hsggling
about terms. although the engraver had pre-
viousy stated his price, which think, was go
a lesson. Thomas Landseer retired, SO filed
with contempt for the great that no royal com
mands could ever influence him to go near the
Court. He was never knighted This incident
was told me by Thomas Landseer himself who
said he could earn all he required without royal
patronage, and not even Queen should keep
him waiting like a servant in an ante chamber.
Sooner than submit to such disrespect he would
starye. So incensed was Sir Edwin at Toms
attitude, which he vainly endeayOred to alter,
that GOODNESS arose between the brothers.
Sir Edwin obtained the commission TO model
the great lions of Trafalg gar Square, not that he
was sculptor or knew anything about model
ing, but he had great name and friends at
Court. He induced Baron Marochetti, then a
famous Italian sculptor in London, to make
them for him privately, Sir Edwin dropping
into the baron's studio once in every three
months so as to see how they were progressing.
Having received an enormous sum down, Sir
Edwin was in no particular hurry to have them
finished, nor was the baron, who had plenty of
paying orders. 1t was some ten years that the
patient English public waited for the lions,
awed by Sir Edwin's greatness; but at last the
English worm turned; the press handled Sir
Edwin without gloves; as nearly as possible ac-
cused him OF defraudiDg the public; protested
loudly against the commission having been
given to painter instead of to a sculptor, and
raised such a storm about his ears that the lions
were comparatively quickly finished.