Evening star., 1928-12-13
JOSHUA REYNOLDS !.
HOME IS NOW SHOP.
House of Painter Changed
But Little Since Pur-
chase in 1860.


LONDON. December 13.-Few people
hurrying from the hustle OF PiccaonIy
and Coventry street through the COM
narrative ouietness of the west side OF
Leicester Square give thought to NO.
AZ the plain yellow house with its SIX
fiat windows and its massive oak door'
which still maintains a quiet dignity
amid the jazz shops surrounding IT,
Fewer still stop to read the inscription
on the wall, which says:
LIVE$D HERE
SIR
JOSHUA REYNOLDS, P. R. A.
BORN 1923
DIED 1892
Yet the old house is much the same
as in 1850, when the great painter, tnen
81 and in the heyday Of his fame, pur-
chased it and added gallery for the
exhibition of his works. The house also
served him as studio.
REYNOLDS lived at No. Al until ms
death in 1892, and some of his greatest
portraits were painted there. Inus Iile
old door opened on all the celeorlgleS ol
the age, who f1ocked to Leicester FleloS'
as the square was then called, to be
painted by the master. Statesmen. ad-
mirals, generals, aristocrats ana the
greatest beauties in the land all crossed
this Threshold.
It was here that Mrs. Siddons came
to pose as the Tragic Muse. while Loro
Heathfield, the defender OF GlnralIar;
Nelly O'Brien, the famous beauty; GID.
bon. the historian; Warren Hastings ana
Lawrence Sterne are the others known
to have been painted in the house.
Form Royal Academy.
When in 1853 a small band Of ar
fists. including Sir William Chambers,
Youthful supercargo in the service OF
the Swedish East India Co. and
later architect. of Somerset House, ana
BENJAMIN West, the American Quaker,
who set the world agog in his Death
of Wolfe" by depicting for the hrst
time laced coats and cooked hats, IN
stead of Greek or Roman costume, con,
ceived the idea of forming Royal
Academy of Painting, they went 10
this house to ask Reynolds 70 JOIN III
their project.
suade Sir Joshua, and at last, calling
a coach, Reynolds accompanied West
to the place where his fellow artists
were assembled They all stood UP
when he entered. and saluted him as
"nresident." Reynolds, however, al
ways a cautious man, declined the
honor until he had had time TO cor
suit his friends, DR.. johnson ana Ed
mund Burke. Eventually ne accepteo
and was knighted by the King.
Shortly afterward Sir Joshua startled
the neighborhood by setting up a mag
nificent coach with its gilt wheels
carved and bearing on its panels tne
"Four Seasons" When his sister, who
kept house for him, protested that IL
was too snowy, the painter exclaimed:
'I won't have one like an apothecary.
His coachman, by the way, made an
appreciable sum in exhibiting TINS
coach to curious visitors.
Unlike most artists, Reynolds was
methodical as clerk. He started WORK
in his studio punctually at 10 every
the names and appointments OF his
clients. These were kept as meticu-
lously as those of fashionable spe-
ciaIist. He usually had six sitters a
dav and painted until 4 o'clock. He
di1ed at 5. and at his table were to be
found most of the famous men OF his
time. DR.. Johnson, Goldsmith ana
David Garrick were frequent visitors.
HiIarity at Dinners.
A description of these dinners Is In
teresting: The table was well furnished
and had certain Splendor, but though
usually prepared for or peo-
pie, it frequently had is c. 16. When
this difficulty was got over, deficiency
of knives. plates and forks succeeded,
and it was absolutely necessary to call
instantly for beer, bread or wine, tnat
you might be supplied before the first
course was over.
These preliminary embarrassments
however. Food might be scarce and
not always of the best, but the guests
enjoyed themselves, and the host sat
unrrloved and imperturable, always at
tentive to what was said, always 1gnor-
ing the lack of food, leaving every one
at perfect liberty to scramble for him
self.
At the height of his fame, Reynolds
income was $4,000 year, and he
died worth some $4,000. In 1TSl
he had paralytic stroke from
which he apparently recovered. Eight
years later, however, when finishing a
nortrait of the Marchioness of Hert-
ford. he felt a blindness overtaking him.
1t is recorded that he laid down his
pencil, sat a little while In mute con-
sideration, and never lifted it more"
He spent the last few years of his life.
almost blind, sitting at the window OF
his house, having the newspaper read
to him every morning by Ozias Hum
preys, making friends with little. bird
he had tanned. It used to perch on
his hand, and he talked to it in his
solitude. One day it few out OF an
open window across the fields, and the
deaf and purblind old man roamed for
hours in a vain search for 1t.
No. AZ is now occupied by a firm OF