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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    *794 Duke of Bedford and Democracy January 19.—Went to breakfast with Wyatt [R.A., archi¬ tect and Surveyor-General, in succession to Sir William Chambers, who died in 1796]. The drawing of the Staircase is the finest architectural drawing I ever saw. I judge from some circumstances it is for the King, as well as two designs for the outside of a palace. Bonomi [A.R.A.]* was there. I took the opportunity to obtain from each of them some circumstances of their progress in Art, the place of their birth, &c., &c. The whole or part of my notes will supply the volume of Dances Academi¬ cal Heads. Wyatt mentioned the unhandsome conduct of the Adams [the famous Architects of the Adelphi] towards him, and the reports, which had reached the Kings ear, propagated by them, of Wyatts having received instruc¬ tions from them and obtained drawings out of their collection. The whole grossly unfounded. January 21.—The name of the artist who is employed by Wyatt to draw for him is Dixon. He has been with Wyatt from the time of the building the Pantheon [in Oxford-street]. January 22.—Called on Opie. I think he daily improves in his painting, and begins to render the parts with more intelligence than He has hitherto done. This I told him. He said He had lately studied very hard. January 23.—Dined at G. Dances, with Smirke. Went with them to the Antiquarian Society, when Dance was introduced as a Member, having been elected a fortnight since. He was introduced by Sir Joseph Banks. Sir Harry Englefield in the Chair. Steers was also introduced. They both compounded, paying each -£27 6s., instead of £5 5s. and £2 2s. a year. * Sir Joshua Reynolds nominated Joseph Bonomi, a Roman architect, for the vacant Professorship of Perspective at the Academy, but on February io, 1790, his candidate got only nine votes to Fuseli’s twenty- one. In a letter written by Sir Joshua to Bone mi next morning he said : “I suppose you may have been apprised that this infamous Cabal [Sir William Chambers said to have been at its head] was begun when you was first proposed as a candidate, and has been increasing ever since. “ However, I may flatter myself in my vain moments that my leaving the Academy at this time may be some detriment to it, I cannot persuade myself any longer to rank with such beings, and have therefore this morning [Feby. 11] ordered my name to be erased from the list of Academicians.” A reconciliation was effected and Reynolds reoccupied the Presidential chair on March 18. He died on Feby. 23, 1792.