No. 448. THE BOAT HOUSE; a coast sketch. The boat house is a cave hollowed out of the chalk cliff; the fisherman is seen within the cave, attending to his fishing gear.

Engraved by S. Bradshaw. On canvas, 1 ft. 4 in. h. by 1 ft. 8 in w. VERNON COLLECTION.

THOMAS SYDNEY COOPER, R.A.

No. 435. FARM YARD, MILKING TIME. A study from a farm near Canterbury; in the middle of the picture is a fine old oak.

Engraved by J. Godfrey. On canvas, 3 ft. 11 in. h. by 4 ft. 4 in. w.

Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1834. VERNON COL

LECTION.

No. 436. CATTLE, EARLY MORNING ON LAND HILLS, MIST CLEARING OFF.

THE CUMBER

Engraved by J. Cousen. On canvas, 1 ft. 11 in. h. by 2 ft. 11 in. w.

Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1847. VERNON COLLECTION. See Nos. 619 and 620.

JOHN SINGLETON COPLEY, R.A., historical and portrait painter, was born in 1737, at Boston, U.S., where his pa rents had then recently settled. His father was English, his mother Irish.* In 1774, having already attained eminence as a portrait painter at Boston, he set out for Italy by way of England. He returned from Italy at the close of the year 1775, and established himself in London, where he was elected an associate in 1777, and a member of the Royal Academy in 1779. This was the period that he executed his masterpieces, "The Death of Lord Chatham," and the

* Cunningham, Lives of the most Eminent British Painters, &c.

"Death of Major Peirson," both now in this collection. This picture was followed by another celebrated work, "Charles I. ordering the Arrest of the Five Members of the House of Commons." None of these pictures were exhibited at the Royal Academy. Copley sent only fortytwo works to the exhibition, and nearly all portraits; of the few exceptions were, "The Offer of the Crown to Lady Jane Gray," exhibited in 1808; and the "Resurrection of our Lord," in 1812, his last exhibited work. Copley died September the 9th, 1815.

No. 100. THE DEATH OF LORD CHATHAM. The scene represented in this picture took place in the old House of Lords (the Painted Chamber), April the 7th, 1778. The Earl, after unusual exertions, when in a very debilitated state of health, fainted in making an effort to reply to the Duke of Richmond's speech on a motion respecting an address to the King, intimating the necessity of the acknowledgment of the independence of that portion of the British North American colonies now constituting the United States.* The Earl was carried home, and never again rose from his bed. He died on the 11th of May following. The heads in this picture, of which there are fifty-five, are all portraits. The peers are in their state robes. The prominent figure to the right is the Duke of Richmond, the wellknown patron of the arts.†

Engraved on a large scale, by F. Bartolozzi; and in small in Jones's National Gallery. On canvas, 7 ft. 6 in. h. by 10 ft. 1 in. w.

This picture, painted in 1779-80, was presented to the National Gallery in 1828 by the Earl of Liverpool.

No. 733. THE DEATH OF MAJOR PEIRSON, who was killed in an engagement with some French troops at St. Helier, Jersey, on the 6th of January, 1781, in his twentyfourth year only. The French soldier who killed him was immediately shot down by the Major's black servant. The chief incident represented in the picture is the carrying the body of Major Peirson out of the fight, and the figures

* Thackray, History of the Earl of Chatham.
† See the Explanatory Key near the picture.

about and near this principal group are all portraits. They are, commencing from the spectator's left, Captain Clephane leading the charge, Captain Macneil, the Black Servant shooting the man who shot Major Peirson, Adjutant Harrison supporting the shoulders, the Major, Captain Corbett, Lieutenant Drysdale, Ensign Rowan, Ensign Smith, Captain Hemery, and Lieutenant Buchanan, all but one-a captain of the Jersey Militia-officers of the 95th Regiment.*

On the left is a dying serjeant, to the right a group of women flying from the scene; and in the back ground is a part of the town, and a distant hill beyond.

On canvas, 8 ft. 1 in. h. by 11 ft. 11 in. w. Engraved on a large scale by James Heath, for Alderman Boydell, in 1784; copied by A. Kessler.

Painted for Alderman Boydell, as a companion to the "Death of Chatham," in 1783. Purchased for the National Gallery at the sale of Lord Lyndhurst's pictures in 1864.

No. 787. THE SEIGE AND RELIEF OF GIBRALTAR, with portraits of Lord Heathfield, Sir Robert Boyd, Sir William Green, and others. The incident represented is the repulse of the Spanish floating batteries; the firing has partly ceased, and the English officers are endeavouring to rescue the sufferers from the burning vessels. A sketch or study for the large picture at Guild Hall painted for the Court of Common Council of the City of London.

On canvas, 4 ft. 4 in. h. by 6 ft. 2 in. w.

Engraved on a large scale by William Sharp.

Formerly in the possession of Lord Lyndhurst; purchased from Mr. William Grist in 1868.

THOMAS CRESWICK, R.A.

No. 429. THE PATHWAY TO THE VILLAGE CHURCH. A woody sunny landscape, with a young girl about to pass a stile, in the foreground.

Engraved by J. C. Bentley. On wood, 1 ft. 11 in. h. by 1 ft. 7 in. w.

Painted in 1839. VERNON COLLECTION.

* See a prospectus of the print from this picture, published by Alderman Boydell, in 1784.

CROME.

JOHN CROME, commonly called OLD CROME, to distinguish him from other younger painters of the name and family, was born at Norwich, where his father kept a publichouse, December 21st, 1769, and was brought up as a coach-painter; this occupation, however, he soon forsook for that of a drawing-master, devoting his leisure time to making sketches in oil colours, chiefly from the vicinity of his native city. The materials of Crome's pictures are generally exceedingly simple, but he has often produced an admirable effect with them. He exhibited occasionally at the Royal Academy in London; twelve of his works were hung between the years 1807 and 1818, both inclusive; all" views or "landscapes" with one exception, in 1809, when he exhibited a "Blacksmith's shop." "Blacksmith's shop." Crome died at

Norwich in 1821.

No. 689. MOUSEHOULD HEATH NEAR NORWICH, an extensive view of undulating moorland.

On canvas, 3 ft. 7 in. h. by 5 ft. 11 in. w.

Purchased from William Yetts, Esq. of Great Yarmouth, out of the International Exhibition of 1862.

GEORGE CRUIKSHANK.

No. 795. THE WORSHIP OF BACCHUS, OR THE DRINKING CUSTOMS OF SOCIETY, 1862, with the accidents and catastrophies arising from drunkenness.

"It is intended to show how universally the intoxicating drinks are used upon every occasion in life, from the CRADLE to the GRAVE."

"Although Bacchus is represented as a genteel smiling youth, he was always accompanied by the drunken brute, Silenus, to show what a little more drink, or excess, produced in the man; and in the accompanying Bacchante that the pure and modest charm of beauty in the woman is destroyed and degraded by anything like indulgence in stimulating drink. This part is intended as the high altar' of the Pagan Deity, and below the statues are the priests and priestesses officiating, or in other words, the publicans, their wives, pot-boys, and bar-maids handing the intoxicating liquors over the bar, and taking the money from the worshippers."*

A composition of several hundred small figures.

On canvas, 7 ft. 8 in. h. by 13 ft. 3 in. w.

Painted in 1862. Presented to the National Gallery in 1869, by Mr. R. E. Lofft and other friends of the painter.

See a lecture by the painter, The Worship of Bacchus, London, W. Tweedie, 1867.

DANBY.

FRANCIS DANBY, A.R.A., was born in the county of Wexford, in Ireland, November the 16th, 1793; he was educated in Dublin, and there learnt his art under a landscape painter of the name of O'Connor. He exhibited, and sold his first picture in 1812. In 1813 he was established as a teacher of water-colour drawing at Bristol. He eventually attracted public notice by a picture of "Sunset at Sea after a Storm," exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1824; it was purchased by Sir Thomas Lawrence. In the following year Danby removed to London, and exhibited a still more remarkable work, "The Delivery of Israel out of Egypt,' which procured him his election as an associate of the Academy, in 1825. This picture, now at Stafford House, and several others afterwards painted by Danby, are in the style of John Martin's extraordinary compositions. Danby is, however, most distinguished for his calm evening scenes at sea, generally sunsets, under various aspects, frequently combined with some poetic subject, incident, or sentiment, and nearly always conspicuous for their brilliant colouring. From 1830 till about 1842 he resided abroad, chiefly in Switzerland; he then lived for a short time near Lewisham, in Kent, and from 1846 near Exmouth, in Devonshire, where he died on the 10th of February 1861.* Danby contributed forty-nine works to the exhibitions of the Royal Academy.

No. 437. THE FISHERMAN'S HOME, SUNRISE. A cottage on a promontory, in a lake. Engraved by A. Willmore.

3 ft. 6 in. w.

On canvas, 2 ft. 6 in. h. by

Exhibited in 1846. VERNON COLLECTION.

W. DOUGLAS, R.S.A.

No. 617. BIBLIOMANIA. A Bookseller's shop, well stored with rare old folios, and other books, in which an old gentleman, the Bibliomaniac, is conversing with the Bibliopole. On the left are two passers-by examining the books exposed on a stall outside the shop.

On canvas, 2 ft. 10 in. h. by 4 ft. 2 in. w.

Painted in 1852. Bequeathed by Mr. Jacob Bell in 1859.

* Art Journal, April 1861; Royal Academy Catalogues.