Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Sales catalogue 538: Maggs Bros. Source: Wellcome Collection.
79/276 page 65
![Flaxman (John)—continued. am employed to make a Monument to the Memory of Sr. William Jones (this is between ourselves for it is not publicly known at present) in which I have intro- duced a large bas relief of Sr. Wm. translating the Hindoo laws as the Bramins are reading them to him; this he did with the intention to secure the exact distri- bution of justice to the Natives in the decisions of their European Judges. I have somehing to say on a subject which I hope will afford you real pleasure, when you first placed Thomas with me, [ had a strong prejudice in his favour on his fathers account; but we now begin to perceive that [we] love him_ for himself, not to speak of his Education which makes his Company particularly agreeable to me, his Modesty, Cheerfulness, Good-Nature and splendid dawn of other Virtues render him very dear to us, in short our little peaceful fireside is not complete without him, nor must I omit to praise the progress he makes in his rew profession, his first model, fortunate Omen! was a copy from a Man & horse’s head in bas relief of the School of Phidias; he has modelled three antique Masks, and is now copying a beautiful Antique Fauns head as large as life; his health seems well established, he scarce ever complains of the Head ach, he seems very happy in the Study of Sculpture, and to judge by the short tryal we have had I think that all my friends will be his likewise; it is equally your wish and mine that our dear Disciple should attain to great excellence but as ‘ life is short and Art is long’ great excellence cannot be attained without great application, now I submit to you whether Thomas’s invitation to attend the lessons of dancing may not interfere with his other Studies, especially as some of the best hours of the day must by that means be lost to Sculpture. Sculpture is a jealous lady and will not be courted by halves. . .. ‘‘ My Dear Nancy has read your Life of Milton to her old sculptor, we think it a beautiful portrait of his talents and Virtues, an energetic display of the Bard who stands foremost, next to the inspired Writer; and the spirited defence of Genius, against the sly gibes and open fury of inflated Malevolence. “The figure of Collins at large as well as Love & Piety have had the good fortune to please Fuseli, Romney, Stothard, Locke &c. we are now cutting out the Marble in which these parts are to be executed.”’ Etc. eas I shall tell you freely that I am making two projects for the National Monument, one a standing figure of ‘ Britannica by Divine Providence Triumphant’ on a basement adorned with the portraits & honors of her Naval Heroes, the whole intended to be 230 feet high out of which the Statue is in the the proportion of 130 feet. ‘‘The other model is of a Column, surrounded by the Statues of Duncan Howe, Nelson & St. Vincent. The whole of this likewise is made to a scale of 230 feet 4 of an inch to a foot making the height of 4 feet 9 Inches & 3.” Etc. “. . . Mr. Johnson called on me immediately after I received your letter & gave the most satisfactory information concerning the place of Cowper’s intended monument in Dereham Church, & I consequently made some slight sketches from the nints You suggested in such general forms as seemed most agreeable to the Sittation, but Mrs. Flaxman judiciously observed that she did not think any successful cesign could be made without seeing your Epitaph in order that the Sculptor & the Poet go hand in hand, & to speak more modest language of the werkman, your Hpitaphs supply such excellent materials for our art, that I will beg of you to send me Cowper’s as soon as Convenient, after which I will very soon send the best design I can make for the purpose. ‘‘ Your friendly wishes propose that I should execute a monument to Cowper in Westminster Abbey & I am grateful for the kind distinction because the Sculptor can never be so much gratified as when he is employed in the celebration](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b31647182_0079.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
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