1741. ÆTAT. 19. As young Reynolds had shewn so early an inclination towards the arts, a neighbour and friend of the family (a Mr. Cranch) advised the father to send his son to London, to be placed under the tuition of Mr. Hudson, a well known painter of portraits, who was also a native of Devonshire. This advice was followed; and Hudson's consent being obtained, young Reynolds was sent to receive instruction from his preceptor: with this view he first visited the capital on the 14th of October, 1741, when he was not quite eighteen years of age; and on the 18th of that month, the day of St. Luke the patron of painters, was placed with his master. In order to give the reader some idea of the state of the arts at that time, it must be observed that Hudson was then the greatest painter in England; and the qualification that enabled him to hold this decided pre-eminence, was the ability of producing a likeness with that kind of address which, by the vulgar, is considered as flattering to the person. But after having painted the head, Hudson's genius failed him, and he was obliged to apply to one Vanhaaken to put it on the shoulders and to finish the drapery, of both which he was himself totally incapable. Unluckily Vanhaaken died, and for a time Hudson was driven almost to despair, and feared he must have quitted his lucrative employment: he was, however, fortunate enough to meet with another drapery painter, named Roth, who, though not so expert as the former, was yet sufficiently qualified to carry on the manufactory. But Reynolds always through life considered himself as particularly indebted to Mr. Cranch for the good advice by which his father was persuaded to send him to the metropolis. That gentleman possessed a small independent fortune, and resided at the town of Plympton, living long enough to be pleased by the justification of his early opinions respecting Reynolds's future excellence; who, in grateful remembrance of that good opinion, many years afterwards had a silver cup made, for the purpose of presenting it to his judicious friend. However, before that could take place, Mr. Cranch's death prevented this act of gratitude; but I have often seen the cup at Sir Joshua's table. That the state of the arts, at Reynolds's first arrival in London, was despicable, is allowed; though one or two exceptions were beginning to appear and Hogarth seems to have been of opinion. that Hudson was not the only painter of his time who was indebted to Vanhaaken for assistance in finishing portraits; for, on the death of this eminent drapery painter, he produced a ludicrous caricature of Vanhaaken's funeral procession, containing a long train, composed of all the portrait painters of the metropolis as mourners, and overwhelmed with the deepest distress. The genius of Hogarth was too great, and his public employment too little, to require the assistance of a drapery painter, therefore he might safely point his satire at those who did. Such were the barren sources of instruction, at the time when Reynolds first came to London to be inspired by the genius of Hudson! It should be remarked, however, of Hudson, that though not a good painter himself, yet out of his school were produced several very excellent ones, viz. Reynolds, Mortimer, and Wright of Derby, who at that time formed a matchless triumvirate. Yet it appears that Hudson's instructions were evidently not of the first rate, nor his advice to his young pupil very judicious, when we find that, (probably from pure ignorance,) instead of directing him to study from the antique models, he recommended to him the careful copying of Guercino's drawings, thus trifling his time away; this instance serves to shew the deplorable state of the arts at that time in this country: however, the youthful and tractable pupil executed his task with such skill, that many of those early productions are now preserved in the cabinets of the curious in this kindom; most of which are actually considered as masterly originals by Guercino himself. He could not escape, indeed, without the ordinary fate of excellence, that of exciting jealousy even in the breast of his maestr; who, as it is related, having seen a head, painted whilst he was yet a pupil, from an elderly female servant in the family, in which he discovered a taste superior to that of the painters of the day, foretold the future success of his pupil, but not without feeling, and afterwards displaying, in his behaviour towards his young rival, some strong symptoms of that ungenerous passion. Soon after young Reynolds first came to London, he was sent by his master to make a purchase for him at a sale of pictures, and it being a collection of some consequence, the auction-room was uncommonly crowded. Reynolds was at the upper end of the room, near the auctioneer, when he perceived a considerable bustle at the farther part of the room, near the door, which he could not account for, and at first thought somebody had fainted, as the crowd and heat were so great. However he soon heard the name of " Mr. Pope, Mr. Pope," whispered from every mouth, for it was Mr. Pope himself who then entered the room. Immediately every person drew back to make a free passage for the distinguished poet, and all those on each side held out their hands for him to touch as he passed; Reynolds, although not in the front row, put out his hand also, under the arm of the person who stood before him, and Pope took hold of his hand, as he likewise did to all as he passed. This was the only time that Reynolds ever saw that great moralist.-Pity that Pope had not known the future importance of the hand he then received in his own! * The above anecdote I heard from Sir Joshua himself. 1743. ÆTAT. 19. REYNOLDS Continued only two years with his master, in which time he made so rapid a progress, that the picture of his painting, already noticed, having been accidentally seen in Hudson's gallery, it obtained so universal a preference that the preceptor immediately grew doubly jealous of his pupil's excellence, and on that account they soon afterwards parted. Reynolds returned to Devonshire, where he is said, by his biographer, to have dissipated the three following years, making little effort and as little improvement, to the great disquiet of his conscience afterwards. Yet it is well known that, during the period here spoken of, he produced a great many portraits, particularly one * Early anecdotes of Reynolds at that period, cannot be very numerous, or very interesting; but, in recording this respecting Pope, I have done it as an instance to shew the high respect that was paid to the poet whilst living, and also with what reverence young Reynolds beheld genius, whether poetical or graphic. |