Præraphaelite diaries and letters — Dante Alighieri — John Shaqi
Præraphaelite diaries and letters
Dante Alighieri · en
Holman Hunt’s “moonlight” was for the picture of _The Light of the
World_. Rossetti’s “Giotto’s Dante” was the water-colour of _Giotto
painting the Portrait of Dante_, sold to Mr. John Seddon. I am not
sure as to the commissions offered by McCracken of Belfast, and
Miller of Liverpool; it does not appear to me that my brother,
towards this date, actually pocketed any such sum as £150. The _Dante
and Beatrice_ must be the picture (intended but not executed) for
which he had lately painted the background at Sevenoaks. Brown’s
“School-nights” were at the so-called North London School for Drawing
and Modelling. Bateman was a Decorative Artist, Edward Latrobe
Bateman, who had gone out to Australia with Woolner, to seek his
fortune.
Blackfriars Bridge.
[1 March 1853.]
My dear Brown,
I have not seen you for an age. Can you not come down--to give
you a long date--on Saturday evening? I will ask Seddon if you
like, but shall not do so till I hear from you. I have just come
from Hunt’s, who is dreadfully fagged, sitting up all night to
paint his moonlight. Now do come. I think you have never seen my
Giotto’s Dante here, which I shall not have much longer. Not that
I have made any direct use of it as yet, nor am likely to do so
just now, as I have got a £150 commission from McC[racken], and
am in a fair way to get one from Miller of Liverpool--perhaps
a better one. However, I _may_ nail him for the _Dante and
Beatrice_.
I hope I shall see you. I have allowed for all obstacles--both my
engagements and your school-nights--and the date is a very long
one.
Meanwhile I am
Yours most sincerely,
DANTE G. ROSSETTI.
I saw the Howitts last night, who have heard of Bateman’s
arrival at Melbourne, though not through him; but still nothing
of Woolner. Have you heard anything through young W[oolner]?
P.P.S.--Please let me know in your answer (as soon as possible)
whether you ever named to McC[racken] anything regarding the
_prices_ which I took for those sketches now exhibiting. Ruskin
has written him some extravagant praises (though with obtuse
accompaniments) upon one of them--I cannot make out which--and
McC[racken] seems excited, wanting it, and not knowing (or making
believe not to know) that it is sold. I therefore want to be
sure whether he is actually acquainted with the price I had; as,
in answering him, were I to propose to do him a similar one, I
should not think of undertaking it at anything like a similar
price, and want to know whether it is necessary to specify that
those sketches were sold to _friends_.
LETTER XVIII.
TO MADOX BROWN, HAMPSTEAD.