Chapter XVIII: Appendix: III

DICKENS IN ART

Paintings of Scenes and Characters in Dickens's
Novels--Portraits of Dolly Varden and Kate Nickleby Painted
for the Novelist by Mr. W. P. Frith, R.A.--A Humorous
Advertisement--Sale of the Two Pictures--Mr. Frith's
Recollections--Mr. James Hamilton Presents to Dickens his
Sketch of "What are the Wild Waves Saying?"--The Artist
Rewarded for his Generosity--Water-Colour Drawings by
Charles Green--How they Originated--An Interesting Series.

The novels of Charles Dickens are an interminable storehouse of subjects for pictures, so it is not surprising that they have always exercised a fascination over painters. The following is a list merely of those pictures that have come under my notice,--a collection which, doubtless, could be much amplified by reference to the catalogues of the Royal Academy and other important Art galleries.

W. A. ATKINSON.--"Little Nell and the two Gravediggers"
("The Old Curiosity Shop"). Royal Academy, 1856.

FRED. BARNARD.--"Sidney Carton" ("A Tale of Two Cities").
Exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1882.

"Horatio Sparkins" ("Sketches by Boz"). Institute of
Painters in Water-Colours, 1885.

W. H. BARTLETT.--"'The sea, Floy, what is it always
Saying?'" ("Dombey and Son").

EDGAR BUNDY, R.I.--"Barnaby Rudge at the Country Justice's."
Institute of Painters in Oil-Colours, 1896.

R. W. BUSS.--"Peerybingle, Dot, and Tilly Slowboy" ("The
Cricket on the Hearth").

"Joe Willet taking leave of Dolly Varden" ("Barnaby Rudge").

"Trotty Veck and his Dinner" ("The Chimes"). (_See p. 55._)

G. CATTERMOLE.--"Little Nell's Home" ("The Old Curiosity
Shop"), 1842.

"Little Nell's Grave" (companion picture), 1842. (_See p.
134._)

HORACE H. CAUTY.--"Bebelle looking out for the Corporal"
("Somebody's Luggage"). Society of British Artists, 1880.

HERBERT DICKSEE. "The Grandfather at the Grave of Little
Nell." Royal Academy, 1887.

W. MAW EGLEY.--"The Marchioness Playing Cribbage in Dick
Swiveller's Sick-Room" ("The Old Curiosity Shop"). Royal
Academy, 1898.

F. EDWIN ELWELL.--"Charles Dickens and Little Nell." A
bronze group, purchased by the Fairmount Park Art
Association for the Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, U.S.A. The
figure of Little Nell was exhibited at the Art Club,
Philadelphia, and awarded the Gold Medal, while the entire
group obtained a prize at the Columbian Exhibition. When
exhibited in England, this work of Art met with warm
approval, and the sculptor offered it to the London County
Council, but the emphatic wish of Dickens (as expressed in
his Will) prohibited their acceptance of this interesting
memorial.

W. P. FRITH, R.A.--"Dolly Varden," 1843. Also _replicas_ and
other portraits, including one representing her with Emma
Haredale. (_See pp. 246-7._)

"Kate Nickleby at Madame Mantalini's." Royal Academy, 1843.

"The Jailer's Little Daughter Feeding 'the Birds in the
Cage.'" ("Little Dorrit").

"Little Dorrit Visits Arthur Clennam at the Marshalsea."

The first portrait of Dolly Varden was engraved by C. E.
Wagstaffe in 1843; the third (now in South Kensington
Museum) was reproduced in mezzotint by S. W. Reynolds; the
fourth, "Dolly Varden and Emma Haredale," was engraved by S.
W. Reynolds and G. S. Shury in 1845. The second portrait of
Dolly, which was painted for Dickens, has never been
engraved; there are in existence, however, a few impressions
of a chromo-lithographic reproduction (now very scarce) of
Mr. Frith's original sketch for the picture, the publication
of which was unauthorised. The portrait of Kate Nickleby was
engraved by W. Holl, A.R.A., and published in 1848
exclusively for the members of the National Art Union for
Ireland.

The "Dorrit" pictures were painted in 1859, and engraved on
steel by Lumb Stocks, R.A., as vignettes for the Library
Edition, then in course of publication.

W. GALE.--"Mr. F.'s Aunt" ("Little Dorrit"). Royal Academy,
1857.

When Wilkie Collins saw this clever picture at the Academy,
he was so much impressed that he wrote at once concerning it
to Dickens, who replied (May 22, 1857): "I am very much
excited by what you tell me of Mr. F.'s Aunt. I already look
upon her as mine. Will you bring her with you?" The painting
was purchased by Dickens through Collins, and realised at
the sale of the novelist's effects the sum of sixty guineas.

FLORENCE GRAHAM.--"Little Nell seated in the Old Curiosity
Shop." Engraved in mezzotint by Edward Slocombe, and
published by Buck & Reid, 179 New Bond Street, 1888.

_Large Drawings in Water-Colours._

CHARLES GREEN, R.I.--"Gabriel Varden Preparing to go on
Parade" ("Barnaby Rudge").

"Tom Pinch and Ruth" ("Martin Chuzzlewit").

"Nell and her Grandfather at the Races" ("The Old Curiosity
Shop").

"Captain Cuttle and Florence Dombey."

"Little Dorrit's Visit to her Sister at the Theatre."

"Mr. Turveydrop's Dancing Academy" ("Bleak House").

"Mr. Mantalini and the Brokers" ("Nicholas Nickleby").

"The Pickwick Club."

_Small Drawings in Water-Colours._

"Barnaby Rudge with the Rioters."

"Simon Tappertit addressing the Rioters at the 'Boot'
Tavern" ("Barnaby Rudge").

"Dolly Varden's Visit to Miss Haredale" ("Barnaby Rudge").

"Dick Swiveller and the Marchioness" ("The Old Curiosity
Shop").

"Dick Swiveller and Fred. Trent in the Old Curiosity Shop."

"Sam Weller's Valentine."

JAMES HAMILTON.--"What are the Wild Waves Saying?" ("Dombey
and Son").

EDGAR HANLEY.--"Dolly Varden." Royal Academy, 1883.

E. HUNTER.--"Little Charlotte's Writing-Lesson" ("Bleak
House"). Royal Academy, 1858.