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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    claims for pictures. She sd. Mr. Drew represented the case of the pictures in such a manner to Mr. Burke as to make him of the same opinion. I told her Ladyship it made no difference to me what Mr. Drew said. The case was plain. We went into the dining parlour where stood the whole length of the Duchess of Gordon. Mr. Burke asked me if I considered that as a picture finished in such a manner as Sir Joshua [Reynolds] wd. have suffered to pass. I answered that I had seen many pictures of his less finished. Mr. Burke on the whole was satisfied with my remarks, and Mr. Drew made no more difficulties. Mr. Malone [Shakespearean commentator] was now with us. I left Lady Inchiquin well satisfied. February 4.—Mr. Lodge came to the Gallery [BoydelPs] and ex¬ pressed his deep concern for the loss of two intimate friends, Mr. Brooke and Mr. Pingo of the Heralds office, who were last night with others crushed to death at the little Theatre in the Haymarket, by the pressure in the first opening the doors. It was in the Pit passage [15 killed]. The King, Queen, and family were at the Play. Early this morning Stothard called on me. He is very anxious abt. the [R.A.] election. He told me his Father kept a public House in Long Acre. That he was bred in Yorkshire. His Father placed him at school that his morals might not be affected by the scenes in a public House. He was apprenticed to a pattern drawer. I recommended to him to call on some of the Academicians, as He is not personally much known. February 6.—Lawrence called ... I told him that a complaint had been made of his not speaking to Mosnier [Jean Laurent Mosnier, a Paris artist, working in London] when He met him as an instance of supercilious conduct. He said Fie did not know enough of Mosnier to speak to him unless the latter had shown some disposition to it. February 9.—Breakfasted with Wyatt [the architect]; who showed me several paintings of flowers in water colours, by the Princess Elizabeth, painted for the Queen, and intended for screens. The Queen has given Wyatt a gold watch and the Princesses Elizabeth and Augusta a Silver Ink Stand with their cyphers and Coronet on it. February 10.—Fuseli and Opie dined with me. Dance came in, and went with us to the Academy [where three Academicians were elected]. In the first ballot in room of Webber, Stothard got 16 votes and Hoppner 8. In the second ballot Stothard got 16, Hoppner 13. In the room of Hoare Lawrence had 14 and Hoppner 7 in the first ballot, and in the second Lawrence 15, Hoppner 13. In the room of Serres Westall had 16 votes and Hoppner 5 in the first ballot, in the second Westall 14, Hoppner 14. Mr. West gave a casting vote in favour of Westall. He said when artists of equal merits were so situated he considered it his duty to give a preference to seniority. Stothard, Lawrence, and Westall were thus elected Royal Academicians on February 10, 1794. Hoppner is much mortified at losing the election.