Two women comforting a boy while a monk sits beside in despair. Wood engraving after Jessie MacGregor, 1872.

"Our illustrations. An act of mercy. The picture from which our engraving bearing the above title was taken received the Royal Academy Gold Medal for the "best historical painting in oil-colours," at the half yearly distribution of premiums in December last. The subject given was one of the three acts of mercy mentioned in the 25th chapter of St. Matthew, ver. 36, and it was especially required that it should be treated scripturally. The artist, it will be perceived, selected the second act of mercy, " I was sick, and ye visited me." The prize in this instance was obtained by Miss Jessie Macgregor, a young lady whose parentage, as her name denotes, is Scottish, but who was born in Liverpool, and brought up in London. Miss Macgregor was admitted a student of the Royal Academy in June 1870, having previously studied at the South Kensington Art Schools. She is a niece of Mr. Alfred Hunt, member of the Society of Painters in Water Colours. This is the second time a lady has taken the gold medal, the occasion being the 103rd anniversary of the foundation of the Royal Academy."--The graphic, loc. cit.