English Illustration 'The Sixties': 1855-70: With Numerous Illustrations by Ford Madox Brown: A. Boyd Houghton: Arthur Hughes: Charles Keene: M. J. Lawless: Lord Leighton, P.R.A.: Sir J. E. Millais, P.R.A.: G. Du Maurier: J. W. North, R.A.: G. J. Pinwell: Dante Gabriel Rossetti: W. Small: Frederick Sandys: J. Mcneill Whistler: Frederick Walker, A.R.A.: and Others
Dante Alighieri · en
In 1870 we find another change, this time to a page that may be a
quarto technically, but instead of the square proportions we usually
connect with that shape, it seems more akin to an octavo. The
illustrations are smaller, but far better engraved and better printed.
W. Small illustrates Wilkie Collins's cleverly-constructed story, _Man
and Wife_, with thirty-seven pictures. His character-drawing appears at
its best in 'Bishopriggs,' the old Scotch waiter, his love of beauty of
line in two or three sketches of the athlete, 'Geoffrey Delamayne,'
the working villain of the story. The dramatic force of the group on
p. 305, the mystery of the scene on p. 529, or the finely-contrasted
emotions of Anne Silvester and Sir Patrick on p. 481, could hardly
be beaten. The other contributors to this vol. i. of the new series,
include R. Barnes, Basil Bradley, H. K. Browne, W. R. Duckman, E. H.
Corbould, M. E. Edwards, E. Ellis, S. L. Fildes, F. A. Fraser, E.
Hughes, F. W. Lawson, H. Paterson, and others, most of whom it were
kindness to ignore. For side by side with Mr. Small's masterly designs
appear the weakest and most commonplace full pages. Hardly one, except
S. L. Fildes's _A Sonnet_ (p. 9), tempts you to linger a moment. In
vol. ii. the serial story, _Checkmate_, is illustrated by Towneley
Green. The drawings throughout are mainly by those who contributed to
the first volume. In the third volume, Charles Reade's _A Terrible
Temptation_ is illustrated by Edward Hughes; a somewhat powerful
composition by J. D. L[inton], p. 377; one by W. Small (p. 9), and
others by J. Lawson, F. W. Lawson, M. E. Edwards, are all that can
claim to be noted.
BELGRAVIA
This illustrated shilling monthly, the same size and shape as most of
its predecessors, was not started until 1866, and its earlier volumes
have nothing in them sufficiently important to be noticed. In the
seventies better things are to be found.
THE ARGOSY