The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-09
PAINTERS IN LONDON.
Profits ofthe Profession Niiilais md Leighton

LONDON June A.-Certainly painting is
by far the most lucrative profession now exist
ing fer aman who attains success in its follow
ing and from q material point Of view 1t seems
q pity that IL cannot be learned like shoemak-
ing. Not but what there are some painters, M
Tissot, for Instance, who make their way to pop
uiatity with no higher qualities than admirable
mechanical execution and touch Of vulgarlty.
This element, indeed, goes a considerable way
In obtaining the favor OF certain class OF buy
ers, who like TO see on their walls objects which
have some sort " intimate relation with them
selves. They like to sit among the evidences OF
their wealth and say to themselves Now that's
lust tho kind of thing should have done II I'd
been brought up painter fellow" they com.
fort themselves with the belief that tbev coulu
have made money. by painting, but that the
painters whose works they admire would have
had no head for the stock exchange. There Is
another comparatively easyway To success or no
Uncomfortable kind In money view as patn-
ter. To follow this way. however, one Gift Ia
necessary which WIZ not come Tor asking, nor
even by hard work yon must, II possole, be .he
son OF a peer, and have Honorable written
be, you must at least belong to a fam
1rstocracy. III you have begun life In crack
cavalry corps and have run through Tor.
your turn for drawing and p.intng, " will do
70 40 ha IN. know one such painter,who,with
the qreateat good humor and pluck, when he
found his private resources exhausted, thought
he would see II he couldn't make more bv
adopting as a profession what had before been
merely an an use ment. And he succeeded.
cannot say that his portraits are good, but they
find good market mono the less. lie Il a
thoroughly pleasant and good fellow, and to
other virtues he adds that OF dinidence, so that
when he fools the least difficulty ABOUT a piece
of work no has uIdertaken he Is accustomed TO
ask painter friend into nis pretty aud com
Portable studio aud beg him TO ut IN Just n
touch here or there. When a sufficient number
OF friends have come and put In touches the
picture H. finished.
Another method OF oJtaining notice, II not
popularity, IL to effect eccentricty, and set up
as the idol of "A small clique. F. do this, how
ever, II Ia necessary TO he man OF real talent,
one who Is capable Of doing lrst-rate work, but
who sees that chariatanism Will pay quicker N
not better, and that Noturnos In green, An
dantes IN blue, and 50 on, are less troublesome
10 paint than good. honest work, and more
likely to catch and bcwilder the eye. This kind
OF painting Is clever application OF the " onno
isnotuln principle. Ine painter y aware that
whatever appears unin.t lligiblo and If the work
of man known to be clever. will be thought by
many - have somo secret merit which they
had better at once recognize Tor fe.r Of appear
Ing ignorant. Thus II happens that while a
small cliouo exat tie painter In ordor Co show
gaping crowd follows Ia their wake.
suon successes as these however, are
not OF The, The highest; or even Of the
leighton aud Milais owe their reputation to
genius cultivated with ardent and unccasius
the next Presidency o. The Royal Acsdo ~ viii
lie aud 1t is more than probable that IL will fall
/
own aud IN foreign tongues which the other
cat painter does not possess. Aud there are
other r,Isohs into which | need not 90 why
L.ighton's would be more convenient appoint
mcnt. However, ~ is premature to talk oi.any
such appointment yet. Sir Francis Grant can
not yet DC "a hundred years Old. and age is sup
posed TO be the greatest recommendation for q
President OF the Royal Academy. II II not often
that n en- correspond so nearly In their private
ca aci,ies to the iGea gwen Of them 10y their
works az do no two painters have spoken o.
Mla!s IL Ike his pictures. fun 81 strength aud
mcsttry and fun also OF n certain nearly rough
ness whtcn Is far from UNPLEASANT leighton is
HE ais pictures, smooth, delicate finished, aud
Imaginative. | do not mean by saving this to
hint that Millais IL either In his work ne mipd
mat produces II wanting IN imr glnstiOn. | mean
only that With sOiuething Of the Eiizltothan
draWati-ts' purpose and power he seems
always bent On insisting upon the realities
OF hfe, hard though they NAV appear,
while Leighton loves TO soften them down,
and ike Cumberland, the ulavwr ght. paint
men az they ought to be, not IA they Lre." MI
las. painting an old face. Will insist upcn every
NrnlIie with all his strength aud SIKH. and turn
out "a staring likrness.' Leighton will satch
some dreamy and ideal aspect Of tn. head. aud
paint W 10 that. In private lie. "a have hint-
ed Leighton Is courteous ana gentle even to x
cess, while Milais, with no less courtesy aud
kindness ~ nature, clothes IT In rougher
and less insinuating shape. Ihey nigh. he com
pared, the one to a Paran vase, the other To a
nne mass of granite. need only Hdd that hith
deserve and command popularity III themselves
IS " ell in their works.