Salon Painters / The Autobiography and Memoirs of Benjamin Robert Haydon
INTRODUCTION:
I would like to consider the normal maturation of a talent, in painting for example, and ask what qualities in the artist and what conditions in society make for success. With qualities so various and conditions so inconstant, any generalization will be difficult.
Let us begin with the artist. We shall assume an initial endowment, an innate sensibility which at the approach of adulthood manifests itself in the desire to be an artist. Here begins the first hazard – the choice of profession. It is by no means certain that the individual in question, on the basis of a diffused aesthetic sensibility, will hit upon the right craft. Paul Klee hesitated between painting and music, and we are glad that he chose painting; but to take a painter of another age, Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786-1846); this artist, in the belief that he was born to be a great historical painter, expended passionate energy and for a time was able to convince his contemporaries (or some of them) that he was a great genius; but in the end he failed miserably and committed suicide. He left behind a journal which is one of the most interesting documents in the literature of art, brilliantly written, and there can be little doubt that if Haydon had chosen to be a writer instead of a painter, he might have ranked with Scott or Balzac.
—— (From “Ambiguous Artist,” A Letter to a Young Artist by Sir Herbert Read)
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1f/Duran. Because Reynolds beat West in force, depth and colour, portrait painters beat historical painters in character, expression, form, drawing and composition! This is a specimen of the sort of family trash and namby-pamby that is the circulating medium of the Academy. It makes me sick.
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2f/Roybet. I was so elevated at their praise, and at the visit of crowds of beauties putting up their pretty glasses and lisping admiration of my efforts, that I rose into the heaven of heavens, and believed my fortune made. I walked about my room, looked into the glass, anticipated what the foreign ambassadors would say, studied my French for a good accent, believed that all the sovereigns of Europe would hail an English youth with delight who could paint a heroic picture.
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3f/Brouillet. Went to the Institution last night to see the Vandykes and the Rembrandts lighted by lamps. Was amazingly impressed with the care, diligence, and complete finish of the works of these great men. Came home, and looked at my own picture. It must be done so, and there is an end. The beauty of the women, the exquisite fresh, nosegay sweetness of their looks, their rich crimson velvet, and white satin, and lace, and muslin, and diamonds, with their black eyes and peachy complexions, and snowy necks, and delicious forms, and graceful motions, and sweet nothingness of conversation, bewildered and distracted me. What the nobility have to enjoy in this world! What has not the prince? But they do not seem happy; they want the stimulus of action: their minds preying on themselves seek refuge in novelty, and often sacrifice principle to procure it.
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4f/Moore. The danger of solitude is that man centres everything too much in himself. He fancies the world is watching and Heaven protecting him; that he only is employed; that he only is ambitious. When he goes into society he will find others occupied with works and efforts like his own; others who have been ambitious and are now humbled; others who have grandly failed in grandly struggling. This will subdue his own notions of his own importance and send him back to his study prepared for the misfortunes and fitted for the miseries of life which would otherwise have come unexpectedly.
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5f/Marqueste. I studied his fine head intensely. Arbuthnot had begun to doze. I was like a lamp newly trimmed, and could have listened all night. The Duke gave a tremendous yawn, and said: “It is time to go bed.” Candles were rung for. He took two, and lighted them himself. The rest lighted their own. The Duke took one and gave me (being the stranger) the other, and led the way.
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6f/Merson. I was glad to receive Wilkie’s letter about the purchase of the Distraining for Rent, cause at the Exhibition, beautiful as the picture was acknowledged to be, the aristocracy evidently though it an attack on their rights. Sir George was very sore on the private day, and said Wilkie should have shown why his landlord had distrained; he might be a dissipated tenant. I defended Wilkie as well as I could, but there was a decided set at the picture.
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7f/Brunet. I am perfectly convinced that if I could bring my mind for one whole year to a proper study of portrait it would be of essential use to my work in the history as long as I live. Then why do I not do it? It is a weakness and a disgrace to me. Shall I put up with this imputation on my own character, or shall I make a resolute struggle to vanquish the difficulties which have hitherto vanquished me?
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8f/Doucet. Worked hard, but, alas! on what?–a hand and drapery around it. I get excited, though, about portraits. My devotion to historical painting has plunged me into vast debts. Portraits and success are my only chance of paying them.
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9f/Munkacsy. The criticism of this picture has been absurd. Because it looks like mere nature, the critics think the art has been overlooked; whereas, there is as much, or more art, in this artless look than in many compositions of more profoundity.
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10f/FJ Barrias. Glazed and completed, but I can look back with little satisfaction on the passing of the last two months. So much harass and thinking for lectures, trough they were triumphantly received. So much necessity and pecuniary want are sad occupiers of time. However, I trust in God, as I have ever done, and hope humbly He will have the mercy to permit my two last pictures to be sold for my sake, and for the encouragement of my worthy landlord to go on helping me to finish other works.
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11f/Jimines. Received the first £100, and made up my mind to the loss philosophically. At the beginning of this week I had hardly a shilling. I end it having received £171. Such is the result of “seeing One who is invisible.” I close the week in gratitude.
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12f/Klumpke. Distracted as I was, I was perpetually drawn to the windows by the boisterous merriment of the unfortunate happy beneath me. Rabelais or Cervantes alone could do it justice with their pens.
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13f/PaintedMan. I thank God my mind is now in the right tone, and not till lately has it been so. My error has been always expecting every picture I brought out to do everything I hoped, and put me above anxiety. My ambition is greater than ever, but my dependence on any single effort moderated.
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14f/Pearce. A day of great misery. I said to my dear love, “I am not included.” Her expression was a study. She said, “We shall be ruined.”
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15f/Roll. What a delightful habit is the habit of work. How wretched, how miserable am I to-night from having been out for hours gabbling, idling, dining, when I had feet to prepare for to-morrow! But before I sleep it shall be done!
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16f/Dauphin. Here was a work the principles of which I could do nothing but develop for the remainder of my life–in which a visible and resolute attempt had been made to unite colour, expression, handling, light, shadow and heroic form, and to correct the habitual slovenliness of the English in drawing.
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17f/Barrias. Young Lough spent the evening with me, and a very unaffected, docile, simple, high-feeling young man he is. His account of himself was peculiarly touching. He was born in Northumberland. From his earliest boyhood he was always making figures in clay with his brother. In his father’s window lay an old Pope’s Homer. His brother and he were so delighted with it that they used to make thousands of models, he taking the Greeks, and his brother the Trojans.
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18f/Schutzenberger. Why are the no historical pictures? Hilton has had no commissions, Etty has had no commissions, I have had no commissions. Why are there so many portraits? Lawrence has had commissions, Jackson has had commissions, Shee has had commissions, and a hundred others have had commissions, and that is the reason there are so many portraits.
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19f/Boucher. My birthday–forty seven years old; passed the day in hard work and peace; with my dear children in the evening.
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20f/Vayson. There is in the English people a fierce resolution to make every man live according to the means he possesses. The principle is fine, but they do not sufficiently draw the line between the actual possession and the justifiable hope of possessing.
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21f/Rolshoven. My exhibiting with the Academicians has given great satisfaction to everybody, and they seem to regard me now without that gloomy dislike they used to do. I heartily wish they may become as they seem–cordial–and that in the end all animosities may be forgotten in our common desire to advance the art. This is my desire, God knows; whether it be theirs time only will show.
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22f/Chocarne-Moreau. Arranged for to-morrow the effect, sky, etc., and improved it much: made a drawing for the corner figure from my old model, Forster.
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23f/Harpignies. The whole system of competition will be a failure. It is not the way. It was not the way great men of former days were selected. It may do for young men, but selection among the established is the principle, and they will then form the youth. One commission to an established man is worth all the competition that ever was, and ever will be.
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24f/Ferrier. There is a tone about the picture which is very solemn; but to suppose that light and shadow, handling and keeping would take off from the grand style, is like supposing that to add a nose to a man’s face, born without one, would take off from the beauty of the face.
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25f/Anderson. The safest principle through life, instead of reforming others, is to set about perfecting yourself. I triumphed yesterday over my evil passions, and this thought was the result.
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26f/DuMond. My father was much plagued with apprentices who thought they were geniuses because they were idle. One, I remember, did nothing but draw and paint. He was the first I ever saw paint in oil.
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27f/Duez. The fact is the aristocracy are determined to carry the Academy through. The Academy is a necessary appendage to the spring fashions, and people of fashions can no more do without it than they can do without their valets or ladies’ maids.
https://www.turtlepointpress.com/traveltainted/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/27f.jpgI would like to consider the normal maturation of a talent, in painting for example, and ask what qualities in the artist and what conditions in society make for success.