Cruikshank, George, 1792-1878; Illustration of books -- Great Britain -- 19th century; Watercolor painting, British
I now feel it necessary to inform the public that the usual or ordinary
way of producing illustrated novels or romances is, for an
Author either to write out, _from his own ideas_, the whole of the tale,
or in parts; the _manuscript or letterpress_ of which is then handed to
an Artist to _read and select subjects from_ for his illustrations,
or sometimes _for the Author to suggest to the Artist_ such subjects,
scenes, or parts as he might wish to be illustrated. And I, being known
generally only as an Artist, or illustrator, it would therefore very
naturally be supposed that, _in all cases_, I have merely worked out
_other men’s ideas_. But, if I have the opportunity, I shall be able to
show that _other men have sometimes worked out my ideas_--but this will
be for another occasion. And I will now explain that _Oliver Twist,
The Tower of London, The Miser’s Daughter_, etc., were produced in
an entirely different manner from what would be considered the usual
course; for _I, the Artist, suggested to the Authors of these works the
original idea or subject_--for them to write out--furnishing, at the
same time, _the principal characters and the scenes_; and then, as the
tale had to be produced in monthly parts, _the Writer or Author, and the
Artist_ had every month to arrange and settle what scenes or subjects
and characters were to be introduced; and the _Author_ had to _weave in_
such scenes as I wished to represent, and sometimes I had to work out
his suggestions.
And as to Mr. W. Harrison Ainsworth’s ‘singular delusion’ of an artist
claiming to be the originator of works which he had merely illustrated,
no more absurd or contemptible and rubbishing nonsense could ever be
conceived; for no artist could possibly be in his right mind who would
make such a claim, and it becomes a serious question as to whether any
one who brings forth such nonsense can be in _his_ right mind, and
if this _Author_ has really lost his memory, and, as an invalid,
is suffering under ‘_singular delusions_,’ he has my pity and
commiseration.
I lay no claim to anything that has _originated_ from the mind of Mr.
Ainsworth, or any other man, but where _the original idea has emanated
from my own mind_, that I feel I have a right to claim, and by that
right I will stand firm, and I trust that at no distant date I may be
able to publish what I have already stated, to show the world how these
ideas originated in my mind, and why I wished to place them before the
public.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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