believe this etching to be more remote in execution than the
above-described examples, which are, as the productions of a boy of
eight years of age, so far wonderful that they are really better drawn
and more truly expressive than the work of most adult artists. On the
same plate with the sheep’s head in front view is (1) a Donkey, at full
length, so to say, _i.e._, standing on all fours, and biting at his
leg--a capital study, full of action and spirit; (2) a Donkey and her
Foal.
On another plate are the heads of a lion and tiger (see the last note),
in which the differing characters of the beasts are given with
marvellous craft, that would honour a much older artist than the
producer. The drawing of the tiger’s whiskers--always difficult things
to manage--is admirable in its rendering of foreshortened curves. Then
comes a drawing of a young bull, wrought by Edwin Landseer at nine
years of age, and etched by his by no means very distant senior brother
Thomas; this brute’s walk, the peculiar shouldering, lounging way of his
kind, rolling from shoulder to shoulder, is here in perfection; the bull
whisks his tail lightly from side to side.
Next is another specimen, but on a larger scale than those which are
above described. It exhibits an extraordinarily finely drawn bull, the
foreshortening and handling of whose form is perfect; his expression is
that of a rigid conventionalist--for bulls are not unlike men in these
matters of temperament--a thoroughly old-fashioned John Bull. Behind
this is a foreshortened view of a horse reclining, and, in the distance
of the field, which supplies a landscape-background to the composition,
is a goat. The work of the young artist’s tenth year shows great
progress to have been made, for he wrought the whole design, and
entirely etched the next plate, which represents two groups of cattle
placed one above the other on the paper, which is disposed, as artists
say, upright-fashion, and of about the size and proportion of a large
octavo book. In the lower section is the representation of a ponderous
beast, couched at ease, yet with all his strength drawn together by the
attitude of resting with his limbs beneath his bulky body; he has
downward-pointing horns. He is a surly “_oldish_” bull, who breathes the
breath of content in summer, but with possibilities of fury in his
irritable moodiness; not a stupid bull, although terrible when
exasperated; he is evidently apt to lose his temper on slight occasions.
Behind this surly monster stands an intensely stupid brute, one who is
evidently given up to all sorts of self-indulgences, and who in every
possible fashion spoils himself; his countenance is absolutely besotted;
he has a hog-like air, and his very tail hangs heavily straight down
from his back; with these is grouped a maternal cow, who is large, if
not like Byron’s “Dudu,” “languishing and lazy.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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