. John Pettie, , ; . This and thecompanion * His Grace were finely etched in1880, by C. P. Slocombe. Both pictures arepractically costume studies of single figures, with-out any deep interest of accessories, but Pettiegives them an extraordinary spirit, brilliance, andfreshness, where in other hands the same subjectmight have been commonplace. In addition to Before his Peers and Her Grace the Academyof 1881 contained Trout-Fishing in the High-lands, which proved that Pettie had no meanpower as a painter of landscape. An angler in greyis casting his line over a shallow drumlie strea
. John Pettie, , ; . This and thecompanion * His Grace were finely etched in1880, by C. P. Slocombe. Both pictures arepractically costume studies of single figures, with-out any deep interest of accessories, but Pettiegives them an extraordinary spirit, brilliance, andfreshness, where in other hands the same subjectmight have been commonplace. In addition to Before his Peers and Her Grace the Academyof 1881 contained Trout-Fishing in the High-lands, which proved that Pettie had no meanpower as a painter of landscape. An angler in greyis casting his line over a shallow drumlie stream,which traverses a bare glen, overhung with wreathsof mist. The tones of dress and landscape aresubtly harmonised. It is a capital bit of Scottishscenery, yet the best element of the picture is thespirited action of the figure. None but a fisher-man could have given that grace and naturalease of movement. It always reminds me ofBarries words about Robert Louis Stevenson TROUT-FISHING IN THE HIGHLANDS (Size oforipincd, 34 x 57.). ROYAL ACADEMICIAN 113 —words again that only an angler could have written : Before he was a writer of books he was in our part of thecountry with a fishing-wand in his hand, and I like to thinkthat I was the boy who met him that day by St. Margaretsstream, where the rowans are, and busked a fly for him, andstood by watching, while the lithe figure rose and fell as hecast and hinted back from the crystal waters of Noran-side. In Petties picture you can hear the swish of theline, and see the rise and fall of the arm, themovement of the lithe figure. Three large subject-pictures were exhibited atthe Academy of 1882. Most important was TheDuke of Monmouth begging his Life from JamesII. One can guess the tragedy, and gain pleasurefrom the picture, almost without knowing that thecentral figures are King James and his naturalnephew, who after being exiled during the reignof Charles II. landed at Lyme and marchedto rebellion with two thousand men. It will be
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherlondonaandcblack
