New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-04
q THE TRAGIC MUSE"
ORIGINAL STUDY OF A GREAT PICTURE

I,urtne his recent tour through England In search
of photographed rariucs. j. W. Bouton discovered
and obtained possession OF what no oeneVos W o0 '
original sketch OF Sir Joshua Reynolds famous pct-
,,rs Mrs Sddons as a The Tragic Muse" This splen-
ala work has worldwide fame among artists ana
connoIsscurs and is familiar In nearly every commu-
nifty through the line engraving OF r. hay"aru' ..
impression of which is found In every private ana
public collection Of any note. Inc PROOFS oi .no
authenticity and gcnuineness OF the study recently
brought here by Mr.. Bouton seem TO admit oil no
question Every detail Of Its history from the time
A. left the artists studio up TO the present Is clear
and Apparently satisfactory. On Is face IL SHOWS
AZ the peouliares Of color, technique and COMPOSE
es,n Characteristic of Sir Joshua Reynolds ana even
the cracking Of the paint, which has taken piaoe !"
nearly all his works. is present in this curiousy IN
tefcsting study, Just as 1t IS In the great "ofA VI
which the study was the forerunner.
'rbe sceptic will naturally put 1t down as copy
made nv some initator of Sir Joshua; but there are
several details about the sketch Itself which iorpla
tits conclusion. copy always brings out the most
salient and obvious details Of the original mo
shech lacks this Characteristic entirely and In many
respects IS totally different from the finished picture
u is clearly al experiment and many things
the were merely hnted at here, are care1uiiy
worked ont IN the completed canvas D'erehccs
which would not have been permitted by copyist
arc seen In the form OF the chair On which tne aces
sat- the clouds under the footsoo and the folds OF 'e
The sketch also lacks the remarkable signature OF the
painter on the HON Of the robe, which he said was
sufficient for him TO descend to posfer1S py' ihoso
and other details together with the authenuc h'soy
from the engraver Hayward, prove conciusivey mat
the original study Of The Tragic Muse mas io"no
its way TO the United states.
James Boaden In his Memoirs of Mrs saodons,
saws of the work: Sir Joshua had here umcuity'
he had to combine portrait with mythology, inc "o
with the muse. Had he intended the iatter merely
the substances Of the dress would have peeh hoio
solid and contained fewer small parts as he blended
tbe characters the materials of modern usage
and the forms alone exceed the dignity of the actresses
toilet The figure retIres little to the left siae'
the right arm depending over one arm OF the massive
chair the left, raised OBJ Its elbow, resting on 'ho
other The kind of expression gwen 10 inc lace,
which Is very beautiful, seems an abstraction oi
tragedy contemplating its essence rather IMAM It's
forms its effects rather than Its properues'
Its ministers attend behind in the Aristotelian
states of Terror and Pity; the first advances
trembling with the bowl of aconte, the second troops
over the reverted dagger. The hrbid Atmosphere,
while II sustans accOrds with the figures 10 which IL
adds It's elemental strife only less dreadi IMAM inc
war of passions. Sir Joshua inscribed his name ana
the date 1854 on the hem of the garment, as borne
IN posterty by Mrs. Sddons. / am happy 10 say
that the union thus given is never likely 10 be
severed for though the picture must one DAY persh
the engraving OF Hayward may be renewed forever
An even better idea of the value and interest OF
this work is found in "The Life and Times oi cir
4 J oshua Reynolds by Charles Robert Leslie H. A.
and Tom TAYLOR where the following account is given
OF the siings for this famous picture Mr. RUSSELL
anthor of the History Of Modern Europe, had sung
Der praises under the tile OF The Tragic Muse,
before she left London" latter her first great success
In the metropos). His verses are forgotten, but
they may have suggested to Reynolds the subject Of
his picture. In letter to DR.. Whallcy, written
from Dublin in July" Q753 " she says: L have sat
to a young man of this place, who has made small
fl-length OF me, Isabella, upon the hIst entrance
OF Biron. You will think this an arduous undertake
Ing but he has succeeded admiration. l think 10
more like than any have yet seen nave
Of this year. and continued into the spring OF 1884
I'm the Expos ton OF which year appeared this, the
finest example probably Of truly localized portrait
ure, In which We have at once an epitomc OF tne
1oftiest expression of which the real form and
features are capable. In the quality OF Color
as far the head, bust, and arms
are concerned, the picture ranks with the very
finest of the master, and Is In perfect
was no doubt suggested by Michael Angeles Isaiah
Ms. Siddons told Mr. Phillips that it, was the prp-
-tttcttet of pure accident sir Joshua had begun inc
occupied the preparation of color she changed
her position to look at picture hanging on The wall or
the room. When he again looked at her and saw
the action she had assumed he requested her not
to move: and thus the beautiful and expressive
figure in the picture"
The study has already been seen by many leading
critics. and 1t is not improbable that It will
Lave place of honor in the foyer of one of New
Yorks finest theatres.