1219. Benjamin Robert Haydon to EBB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 7, 86–88.
London
April 25 1843
My dearest Friend /
Your advice is excellent but I think my reasons for not taking it are good too.
If Men who are acknowledged to be Men of Genius, were permitted to detail their early & progressive feelings without concealment there would not be such doubt about the faculty; I know the leading passion of human nature is hatred of superiority, and I know that any Man who has the Art like Wilkie to believe himself nothing, or affect it, is much more quietly born testimony to, than one who believes himself gifted & does not conceal it[.] Be assured Wellington believed it of himself but Wellington did not like Napoleon avow it– Wellington is therefore the more perfect character of the two, but I like notwithstanding “The Voyez cet êtoile[”] [1] of Napoleon– It is a matter of character–
Confidentially I ask you, what made me write? I dont know now a single rule of Composition– I got in a passion with Sir George [Beaumont]—people said who wrote that for you?– I said nobody—it is very well written was the reply– I reflected if this is to write well I can always do it——when I am in a passion–
Wilkie said your conception on Dentatus [2] is very fine[—]why?—your lines are repeated—your groups are divided & yet United—& from what he said of my composition, I laid down rules to compose—though I had actually composed it without being acquainted with a single rule!– I say to detail all the feelings of such a mind, dont laugh (great or small) from beginning to feel will be useful to the Student & the World– The pleasure I feel in writing you, is because you let me talk so much of myself:
I really declare to you I am not conceited because I leave nothing undone—but I was so much astonished at being called a Man of Genius that I began to investigate the nature of the faculty, which had produced what the World called so, and this is the real motive–
I never paint a hand without drawing it first—or a Picture without making a sketch– I paint every thing from Nature, down to a spear handle– Is this conceit?
Therefore I will hazard a Rousseau sort of confession of feeling [3] —from childhood to Manhood—and on. Wilkie & I, were so extremely intimate, till—till—I must not tell you at present—or you will say, was there ever such an invincible puppy?—and his Correspondence wherein the real Man is seen, will form part when I have got 300 pages ready—I will take your advice– I am now at the 220th
I shall take up & do justice to the Hunts, men who have had such an effect on their connections for Evil & for good– John Hunt was the noblest specimen of a human being I ever met. His affection for a Friend rose to blood heat, as his Friend sunk to adversity, Wilkie’s always sunk below Zero, exactly as misfortune depressed his Friend–
Leigh, was equally affectionate, but so insufferably selfish from incarnate Vanity that his heart was stifled by self love, & poor Robert, obscure & unknown had the warmth of both without the ability– [4]
I met him once in the street when I was painting Solomon,—how are you said he—dreadfully anxious—why? I have got 58 to pay to day & have only got 50, I am going to try if that will do for a week– My dear Haydon stop a moment—he darted off round a corner, & in 10 minutes brought me £8. squeezed my hand & said– Let me have it as soon as possible– What do you think he did—raised it on his watch!– That’s the history of the whole three—— Do you think such hearts, dont take the lead in the Deity’s eyes!—oh yes–
From your station, perhaps, you will not enter into this—as I do—perhaps you may be shocked at a Man raising money on his Watch to help his Friend– This was the bond between us all till Leigh Hunt’s despotism of Conceit became insufferable– Every body he touched he soiled. Byron, Moore, Wordsworth, Wilkie & myself—& all were obliged to let him go– Keats too—was obliged– [5]
John Hunt, was a noble natural Gentleman—no polish—no education—but well bred, from dignity of right feeling[.] I never respected any Man so much–
Albert has commissioned Eastlake[,] M’Clise & Ross to fresco, a Summer House in Buckingham Palace[.] [6]
I hope you enjoyed the Urn–
Good night
B R Haydon
Address: Miss B. Barrett / 50. Wimpole St.
Publication: EBB-BRH, pp. 85–87.
Manuscript: University of Vermont.
1. “Behold this star.” We have not located the source of this quotation.
2. Haydon had complained about the hanging of this picture in the Academy exhibition of 1809 (see letter 1136).
3. A reference to Les Confessions de Jean-Jacques Rousseau, suivies des Rêveries du Promeneur Solitaire (1782).
4. Robert Hunt, the elder brother of John and Leigh, was not involved in the prosecutions against them, arising from articles in The Examiner. He had studied engraving and wrote reviews of art exhibitions.
5. Hunt’s “warts and all” delineations in Lord Byron and Some of His Contemporaries (1828) had alienated some of his friends.
6. Prince Albert commissioned eight Academicians to decorate the Garden Pavilion with fresco, the subject being Comus. In addition to those named by Haydon, they were Clarkson Stanfield, Thomas Uwins, Charles Robert Leslie, Edwin Landseer and William Etty. Unfortunately, by 1928 the Pavilion was beyond repair. (See Buckingham Palace, by J. Harris, G. De Bellaigue and O. Millar, 1968, p. 241.) William Charles Ross (1794–1860) was elected A.R.A. in 1838 and R.A. in 1843. He painted Victoria and other members of the royal family, and was awarded £100 for his entry, “The Angel Raphael Discoursing with Adam,” in the Westminster Hall Cartoon Exhibition.
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