The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 19, No. 550, June 2, 1832 — John Shaqi
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 19, No. 550, June 2, 1832Various
History
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 19, No. 550, June 2, 1832
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
By the way, there is a nice little anecdote connected with the sign of
the _Queen's Head_ at Epsom,[9] which the editor of this volume would do
well to insert in his next impression. The above sign, (the _original_;
for we fear the board has been repainted,) was executed by Harlow, the
artist of the celebrated picture of the _Trial of Queen Katherine_, or
the _Kemble Family_. The painter, it will be remembered, was a pupil of
the late Sir Thomas Lawrence. He was a young man of consummate vanity,
and having unwarrantably claimed the merit of painting the Newfoundland
dog introduced in Lawrence's portrait of Mrs. Angerstein, the two
artists quarrelled, and Harlow took his resentment as follows:
"He repaired to the Queen's Head at Epsom; where his style of living
having incurred a bill which he could not discharge, he proposed, like
Morland under similar circumstances, to paint a sign-board in
liquidation of his score. This was accepted--he painted both sides: the
one presented a front view of her Majesty, in a sort of clever dashing
caricature of Sir Thomas's style; the other represented the back view of
the Queen's person, as if looking into the sign-board; and underneath
was painted, 'T.L., Greek Street, Soho.' When Sir Thomas met him, he
addressed him with, 'I have seen your additional act of perfidy at
Epsom; and if you were not a scoundrel, I would kick you from one end of
the street to the other.'--'There is some privilege in being a
scoundrel, for the street is very long,' replied Harlow, unabashed, but
moving out of reach of the threatened vengeance. Such is the current
story; but there must be some error either in the facts or their date.
Harlow was but a youth eighteen years old when he left Lawrence, and too
young therefore for a man's resentment; neither had his conduct, a mere
tricky slip, been such as to call forth fierce language in a person
habitually so cautious and guarded as Lawrence. On the other hand, had
Harlow arrived at manhood when it happened, he would not have allowed
the words 'scoundrel' and 'perfidy' to pass with impunity. However all
this may have been; the pupil quarrelled with Lawrence, and resolving to
be master of his own movements in future, commenced working for
himself."[10]
[9] The Queen's Head is situated at the extremity of the town of
Epsom, so that a few race-visiters from London may extend their
journey to that point.
[10] Lives of British Painters. By Allan Cunningham, vol. v.
* * * * *
SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY.
* * * * *
POTTERY.[11]
(_Concluded from page 326._)
_Wedgewood's Staffordshire Ware._
[11] By Mr. A. Aikiu, in Trans. Soc. Arts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account