Miniatures in the Pierpont Morgan Collection

ing, Mr. R. B. Nisbet a charming evening effect,
Mr. J. H. Lorimer a particularly expressive
March landscape, and Mr. D. Y. Cameron two
fine architectural subjects. In landscape Mr.
W. S. MacGeorge is seen to much advantage in
his God's Quiet Garden by the Sea and The Apple-
Tree, particularly the former. Mr. Gemmell
Hutchison's group of three children feasting
under the trees in a garden is very satisfying.
Mr. George Smith shows large pictures of cattle
under strong sunlight effects, Mr. William Walls
a group of penguins, and Mr. Murray Thomson
a capital study of polar bears basking in the
Arctic sunshine.

The water-colours are of good general quality
without anything distinctive, and in the Sculp-
ture Hall, apart from Rodin's large Calais
Citizen, the only things of importance are a
couple of plaster busts by Dr. MacGillivra})'.

A. Eddington.

MINIATURES IN THE PIERPONT
MORGAN COLLECTION. V.—A POR-
TRAIT OF JAMES H. LEIGH HUNT.

IN the article contained in our issue of last
July, page 90, we referred to the history
of the little packet of miniatures which
Mr. Morgan acquired from the Leigh
Hunt family. Our illustration this month is of
the portrait of Leigh Hunt himself. We are
fortunate in possessing many verbal portraits
of Hunt, and it is interesting to compare them
with the miniature in question.

Carlyle, in 1834, speaks of his visit to the
poet, and refers to his " dignity and king-like
behaviour " in the " pitiable " poverty which
Carlyle terms " Tinkerdom."

He also alludes to the " lovable " character
of the man, and to the brilliance of his " black
hazel eyes." John Forster, in 1872, writes of
the " delicate, worn, keenly intelligent face,"
with its " large, luminous eyes " and its then
" wiry grey hair." Proctor, in 1874, describes
Hunt as having black hair, very dark but
shining eyes, and speaks of the absence of the
" fierce glare which black eyes so frequently
possess," which was superseded in Hunt's case
by an extraordinary luminous quality. Ten-
derly he mentions that Hunt was " always in
trouble about money," but was " seldom sad,
and never sour," and finally alludes to his then
60

lithe figure, and to his " expressive but(-pro-
truding " mouth. S. C. Hall, in his allusions
to Hunt, tells us that he was tall and upright,
with brilliant and gentle eyes. Francis Espi-
nasse, writing in 1893, says that Hunt was " tall,
dark complexioned," with a thoughtful brow,
a grave aspect, and " expressive dark hazel
eyes." Locker Lampson, in 1895, alludes to
the tall, dark, graceful man with " bright eyes."
Sir George Murray Smith tells us he was " sallow,
not to say yellow, in complexion," that his
mouth " lacked in refinement," but that his
eyes were " large and expressive." Harriet
Martineau says he was bright, and had an
" acute, cheery face," " full of sensibility,"
and Carlyle in another place refers to his clear,
" dusky brown complexion," to his face of
" cast-iron gravity," and to " the thin glimmer
of a smile " which spread over it.

All these allusions enable us to realize how
accurately the artist delineated Hunt in the
portrait that was so long the cherished possession
of his family, and which they stoutly refused
to sell for many years, regarding it as the most
important likeness of him in existence.

There were many portraits of Leigh Hunt.
He was painted in 1802 by Bowyer, in 1815 by
Wageman, in 1818 by Wildman, in 1820 by
Severn and by Jackson, in 1821 by Hayden,
in 1828 by Hayter, in 1834 twice by Maclise,
in 1837 by S. Lawrence, in 1841 by Glidden, in
1846 by Gillies, in 1850 by Williams and by
Ford, and the portraits by Glidden, Jackson,
Hayter, Severn, and Maclise were all engraved.
Bates speaks of several other portraits, but the
artists are unknown. This perchance is one
of them. It has been attributed to Maclise,
and is a little like his work, but the family do
not know who painted it; all they could say
was, it was the best portrait of all, most like
him at the particular period when it was painted,
and beyond that no one can say. The gravity,
the luminous eyes, the thin glimmer of a smile
are all most characteristic.

We need not enter into the details of the life
of the great essayist; his story was one of a
pitiable struggle, boldly and splendidly met.
He must also be remembered as one of the best
and greatest of modern talkers. His conversa-
tion was always a source of joy and delight to
those who heard him hold forth to his friends
on topics of common interest.

George C. Williamson.