Then there were Burgess and Long who painted Spanish subjects. Long
was best known, however, by his picture of the "Babylonian Marriage
Mart," and Burgess as a young man sprang into fame with his picture
called "Bravo Toro." Like almost every other artist, Long took to
portrait painting, and his pictures became a great financial success;
but his portraits were not for the most part successful from an
artist's point of view.
Most of the well-known artists of the day visited my parents, and
amongst them I remember Sydney Cooper, David Roberts, C. R. Leslie,
Peter Graham, Stanfield, Edward Cooke, Frith, Millais, etc., etc.
Stephens, the art critic of the "Athenæum," came with his intimate
friend, Holman Hunt; he assisted the famous pre-Raphaelite in painting
in the detail in some of his pictures, such as the Moorish temple in
"The Saviour in the Temple." Later, he wrote the catalogue of "Prints
and Drawings" at the British Museum. The last time I met Mr. Stephens,
he told me the greatest pleasure he could possibly have was to go
round London with my father, for there was not a place of interest of
which he could not tell some anecdote of historical or topical
information; and as an antiquary of some merit, the art critic was
evidently in a position to give his appreciation with the authority of
knowledge.
I think my father's closest friend was John Doran. To quote Mr.
Edge:--" ... Doctor Doran, known as the 'Doctor,' having graduated in
Germany as a 'Doctor of Philosophy.' He was a delightful raconteur, a
brilliant conversationalist, a man to put the shyest at his ease. He,
too, studied history and wrote some of the most delightful biographies
in the English language. The painter (my father) and the Doctor took
many an excursion together to old-world places celebrated for memories
quaint, tragic or humorous, and their rambles were perpetuated in
their pictures and books."
Doran began his literary career by producing a melodrama at the Surrey
Theatre when he was only fifteen years of age, and continued up to his
death to produce a series of interesting works, although he did not
write for the stage after his early success. He was editor of _Notes
and Queries_ and the author of "Table Traits and Something on Them."
Perhaps his best-known work was "Her Majesty's Servants." Among his
later works, "Monarchs Retired from Business," and "The History of
Court Fools" occur to my mind simultaneously.
The three following anecdotes from Dr. Doran's journal, will appeal on
the strength of their own dry humour and at the same time give the
reader a glimpse of the character of my father's Irish friend:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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