Volume 1

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.

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    1794-95 Shakespeare Portraits and Famous Libraries December 26.—Hamilton, says the life Academy requires regula¬ tion : but the Plaister [statuary class] Academy much more. The Students act like a mob, in endeavouring to get places. The figures also are not turned so as to present different views to the students. [On Dec. 30 Tyler, R.A., said so many complaints had been made that he thinks an examination should be made into the merits of the students, and that only those who passed it successfully should be ad¬ mitted to the schools.] December 30.—Glover, called this morning, He was born at Leicester or somewhere in that neighbourhood.* He has only been settled at Lichfield a short time. He has been in London four times before this visit abt. Christmas, and came up to see two Exhibitions. During those visits to the Metropolis, He reed. 8 lessons in drawing from Payne,—and one lesson from Smith.—He has been well encouraged at Lichfield. When He went out to teach He had two guineas a day, or one guinea each when He went to two Houses. December 31.—I met G. Steevens [1736-1800] at the Shakespeare Gallery. He told me his library consisted of about 5000 volumes. [His books realised £2,740 on May 13, 1800.]—He mentioned the library of Lord Spencer as being the most select in England & not worth less than £30,000. [In 1892 this splendid collection, greatly added to, was pur¬ chased by Mrs. Rylands, and is now in the Rylands Library, Manchester. —Lord Spencer, possesses the edition of the Classics [bought in 1791 collected by Compte Revinsky [Count Reviczky, a Hungarian nobleman], who was Ambassador here. Lord Spencer was to give him an annuity as the purchaser, and the Compte died after receiving one years annuity. * John Glover was a native of Houghton-on-the-Hill, born in 1767. In 1805 he came to London and joined the newly-formed Water Colour Society (1804), of which he was President in 1815 ; it is known to-day as the Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours. Resigning his membership three years later, he in 1823 helped to found the (now Royal) Society of British Artists. In 1831 he went to Tasmania, and died in 1849.