Volume 4

The Farington diary / edited by James Greig.

  • Joseph Farington
Date:
[1922?-1928]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Farington diary / edited by James Greig. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/340
    • •« are interesting anecdotes about Sir Joshua Reynolds, Mr. Coke of Norfolk is represented as an “ incessant talker,” politician and clever business man, and Wordsworth, as art critic, “thought Historical subjects shd. never be introduced into Landscape, but where the Landscape was to be subservient to them,” and so on. He thought the Royal Academy of 1807 “ a poor exhibition,” and upset Sir David Wilkie by proposing subjects for him to paint. Wilkie was then famous and when Sir John Leicester asked Turner the price of his picture of a Forge, Turner answered that he understood Wilkie was to have 100 guineas for “His Blind Fiddler, and He should not rate His picture at a less price.” Catalani, the celebrated singer, appeared at the Opera for the first time on Satur¬ day, December 13, 1806, in a new serious work called La S emir amide by Portogallo, and on the 21st, Farington says, “ she has {2000 for the season—and a benefit. She is about 24 years [she was 26],—and is married.” Later he informs us that Mrs. Billington had .£2,500, but this is concealed from Catalani, who “ produces greater profits to the Opera House than were ever before known, the receipts of the House, exclusive of Boxes, is upon an average between 6 & £700 a night. . . . She is very much attached to Her Husband, & cannot be approached by those who would offer temptations to Her.” Ralph Kirtley, Sir Joshua Reynolds’ old servant, is responsible for the following pathetic story. “ From the time that Sir Joshua found He must die He appeared to wish that no one should visit him, but he could not refuse Mr. Burke. He lay whole nights seemingly witht. sleep, but silent, except that after a long interval in the night He wd. hastily call out Ralph as if to assure himself that He was not alone.” The kindness of Princess Sophia of Gloucester is recorded, and we learn that Dr. Fisher, Bishop of Salisbury, got into trouble with the Prince of Wales because he complained of the “ great negligence shewn in educating and attending the Princess ” Charlotte of Wales, whose preceptor he was. As an instance of this neglect “ the Bishop noticed that Her nose requiring to be wiped, she did not apply Her Handkerchief, but wiped Her nose with Her sleeve, as vulgar people do.” Many more entertaining entries could be summarized, but readers must go to the text itself and find by means of the full index subjects such as “ The Prince and Metcalfe,” “ Coalition against Bonaparte,” “ Lord Thomond as Waiter,” “ Soane cleaned the Shoes,” “ Artists and Critics,” “ Holt, a Political Writer,” “ Women and Art,” “ Boxer and Duellist,” “ Indiscretion of the Marchioness,” “ Greeks Ignorant of Anatomy,” “ Constable declines,” “ Freedom of the Seas,” “ Newspapers and the Public,” “ Coleridge and Kindness,” and “ The Lovers of Angelica Kauffman.” Editorial interpolations in the text are placed, as in previous volumes, within brackets, and Farington’s spelling and punctuation are preserved throughout. To Mr. T. P. Greig belongs the credit of compiling the Index, and Mr. Robert Harris again helped in the proof reading.
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3