SD283. William Artaud to Wager Tayler
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 319 (in part).
Hope End
March 29 1818
My dear Sir,
I was sorry to hear from John Wood but an indifferent account of my sisters and Marys health and am afraid that these March hurricans and changes of the weather may retard the completion of their recovery. My present residence is at E. M. Barret Esq., Hope End, near Ledbury, Herefordshire, a West Indian of considerable property a most determined Whig and moving heaven and earth to oust the two ministerial candidates, one of which is an old member for the county and the other a new member for the city and standing under the auspices of Lord Summers a political apostate. A Colonel Cornwell and the son of Mr. Price, where I first opened my graphical campayne stand as candidates for the county on the independent interest, and they have strong and I trust wellfounded hopes of defeating both the ministerial competitors.
I am now painting for Mr. Barret a picture of the dimentions of what is called a Bishops half length, containing a composition of four of his children, whole lengths and the size of life, the eldest not quite six years old. You may therefore conceive how patient they are during their sittings. In fact it is the most arduous undertaking I ever attempted as they never remain for a single instant in the same position and the finishing part of the execution is almost entirely done from memory. The parents are however pleased as far as I have gone, and I have every prospect of completing the whole to their satisfaction. I expect also to paint a companion to it, of the same size, to consist of a group of children more advanced in age and reason and of course their countenances more decidedly marked and more capable of suffering the restraint of sitting with some degree of patience. The eldest of these is a girl of about eleven years old, and possessing an extraordinary genius. She has a command of language and ideas that is quite marvellous and her versifycation is sufficiently varied and harmonious. She absorbs the learned languages as freely and rapidly as chalk does water, and yet with all the power of application. She has all the engenuous simplicity and airy volatillaty of spirits of the most sprightly of her age and sex. Her brother tho by no means difficient has no chance in competition with her[.] She is idolized by her parents and yet such is the excellence of her disposition that I think she is not in the least danger of being spoilt. Indeed she bids fair to be one of those sublimatics of the sex which to the cordial satisfaction of Mary and her little coterie of independent females, may stand up and fairly defy those imperious and boisterous creatures called men; to produce with all their lofty pretentions one among them of superior spiritual endowments.
My resedence here is very agreeable. Mr. Barret is of an excellent temper and cheerful spirit and his lady is most amiable and excellent. The grounds about the house are remarkable and beautiful and within the dwelling abounds with comfort splendour and all manner of luxurious hospitallaties. I have sent three portraits to the Exhibition. Mr. Clarke his wife and their son. I have also request William Dobree to send the pictures which I painted for him last year. When I have secured the likenesses in the picture I am painting for Mr. Barret I shall finish the other details of them in London but I cannot at present say precisely when I shall get there. I am not quite sure if the lease of the Welbeck Street house expires next September and I am sorry I did not take a memorandum of it, when I left London you will probably hear something about it. If you will do me the favor of receiving at the usual time, my half years rent, and should it be the case, I shall be much obliged by your advice repecting what is to be done under such circumstances, I shall be able from my gains this year, to lay out what may be required for necessary repairs. If you will act as if the property was your own I shall take it very kindly, and most certainly be perfectly satisfied.
Remember me most kindly to Mrs. Tayler, Mary Richard and Stephen
and believe dear Sir
ever yours
most sincerely
Wm. Artaud
Address: Mr. Wager Tayler / Dorset Place / Clapham Road / Surrey.
Publication: Connoisseur, 137 (1956), 179–181 (in part).
Source: Transcript in editors’ file.
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