Dickens and His Illustrators Part 18

The year 1843 was memorable to John Leech, for then he first became acquainted with the author of "Pickwick." By whom the introduction was brought about is not quite clear; perhaps the credit of it may be awarded to Douglas Jerrold or Thomas Hood. In the above-mentioned year Leech's services were obtained for the ill.u.s.tration of "A Christmas Carol," for which he prepared eight designs; four of these were etched on steel, the impressions being afterwards coloured by hand, while the remaining four were drawn on wood, and beautifully engraved by W. J.

Linton. The popularity of the "Carol" (the pioneer of all d.i.c.kens's Christmas Books, and, indeed, of Christmas literature generally) proved enormous, and much of its success was undoubtedly due to the attractive designs of John Leech, who entered so thoroughly into the spirit of this charming little allegory. In 1893 the original drawings, with the exception of that ent.i.tled "Scrooge's Third Visitor," were sold at Sotheby's for 155 guineas, and afterwards catalogued by a London bookseller at 240--a considerable advance on the price paid to the artist and engraver, which was just under 50. This interesting series of drawings (two of them tinted in colours) had hitherto remained in the possession of a daughter of the artist.

PLATE XLIV

"RICHARD AND MARGARET"

_Facsimile_ of the Original Sketch for "The Chimes" by

JOHN LEECH

The figure of Richard was altered in the published design.

_By Permission of the Art Museum Committee of the Corporation of Nottingham._ * * * * *

[Sidenote: =The Chimes, 1845.=]

To "The Chimes" Leech contributed five ill.u.s.trations, the original drawings for which realised 66 guineas at Sotheby's in 1893. Some of these slight pencillings now form part of the Leech Collection at Nottingham Castle, including the first sketch for the ill.u.s.tration referred to by d.i.c.kens (in a letter to his wife) as being, together with a sketch by Doyle for the same story, so unlike his ideas that he invited both artists to breakfast with him one morning, and, "with that winning manner which you know of, got them, with the highest good-humour, to do both afresh." The design in question appears in the "Third Quarter," in which two scenes are represented, the upper one depicting Margaret in her garret, while in the lower compartment appears Richard, with "matted hair and unshorn beard," as he enters Trotty Veck's cottage. The artist misunderstood his author, and delineated, instead of Richard as described in the text, an extremely ragged and dissipated-looking character, with a battered hat upon his head. When the novelist saw it, the drawing had already been engraved, but the woodcut was promptly suppressed; there still exists, however, an impression of the cancelled engraving, which is bound up with what is evidently a unique copy of "The Chimes" (now the property of Mr. J. F.

Dexter), where blank s.p.a.ces are left for some of the woodcuts; this particular copy is probably the publishers' "make up," and had accidentally left their hands.

[Sidenote: =The Cricket on the Hearth, 1846.=]

"The Cricket on the Hearth" is embellished with seven designs by Leech.

The original sketch for one of these ill.u.s.trations, representing John and Dot seated by the fire, indicates that it was Leech's intention at first to introduce Tilly s...o...b..y nursing the baby; but it was apparently considered that her presence in the picture destroyed the domestic harmony of the scene, so the figure was omitted, and a separate woodcut made of the subject for a subsequent chapter. It is interesting to compare Leech's ill.u.s.tration of Caleb Plummer and his blind daughter at work with a similar design by Doyle in the same chapter, the vigorous character of the former happily contrasting with the more restrained treatment of the latter. In the final woodcut of "The Dance," Leech's sense of humour (not always devoid of exaggeration) has free play, for here not only do we see the human characters in the story indulging in the pleasant exercise, but observe that, in one corner, the carrier's pets, Boxer and the cat, are similarly disporting themselves, while even the artist's signature (in the opposite corner) of a leech in a bottle is placed upon a couple of lively legs, and is kicking away with an _abandon_ worthy of the occasion.

[Sidenote: =The Battle of Life, 1846.=]

In d.i.c.kens's fourth Christmas Book, "The Battle of Life," John Leech is represented by three ill.u.s.trations, all of which are designed in the manner characteristic of these little volumes, in having one scene superimposed upon another. The original sketches for two of these woodcuts, viz., "The Parting Breakfast" and "The Night of the Return,"

are in the South Kensington Museum,[37] while the third drawing has found its way to America, whither so many d.i.c.kens relics have departed.

When, in June 1893, some highly-finished _replicas_ of these designs were disposed of at Sotheby's, they realised the extraordinary sums of 35, 10s., 17, 10s., and 20, 10s. respectively. In the Forster Collection at South Kensington there are two very interesting letters, addressed by Leech to the biographer of d.i.c.kens, having special connection with these ill.u.s.trations. The first (dated November 16, 1846) refers to the breakfast scene, and from it we gather that there was a very limited time for preparing the designs:--

Footnote 37: _Facsimiles_ of these have already appeared in my Memoir of John Leech. A duplicate sketch (more completely carried out) of "The Parting Breakfast" will be found in the Print Room of the British Museum, but there is, I believe, some doubt as to its authenticity. The late Mr. G. A. Sala pointed out that the engraving of this subject contains an astonis.h.i.+ngly good likeness of that admired comedian, Robert Keeley, as the old servant Britain.

PLATE XLV

"JOHN, DOT, AND TILLY s...o...b..Y"

_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "The Cricket on the Hearth" by

JOHN LEECH

The figure of Tilly s...o...b..y was omitted in the published Drawing, a separate Ill.u.s.tration being made of that portion of the Design.

_Lent by Mr. W. H. Lever._

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"MY DEAR FORSTER,--I really cannot say off-hand how many ill.u.s.trations I can make within the week; indeed, I am so embarra.s.sed by the conditions under which I am to make my share of the drawings that I hardly know what to do at all.

_Conscientiously_, I could not make Clemency Newcome particularly beautiful. If you will read a little beyond the words 'plump and cheerful,' you will find the following: 'But the extraordinary homeliness of her gait and manner would have superseded any face in the world. To say that she had two left legs and somebody else's arms, and that all four limbs seemed to be out of joint, and to start from perfectly wrong places,' &c, &c. Again, she is described as having 'a prodigious pair of self-willed shoes,' and a gown of 'the most hideous pattern procurable for money.' The impression made upon me by such a description as I have quoted certainly is that the character so described is both awkward and comic. Of course I may be wrong in my conception of what d.i.c.kens intended, but _I_ imagine the lady in question a sort of clean 's...o...b..y.' The blessed public (if they consider the matter at all) will hold me responsible for what appears with my name; they will know nothing about my being obliged to conform to Maclise's ideas. I cannot tell you how loath I should be to cause any delay or difficulty in the production of the book, or what pain it would give me to cause either d.i.c.kens or yourself any annoyance. I confess I am a little out of heart.--Believe me ever yours faithfully,

"JOHN LEECH."

"JOHN FORSTER, Esq."

Maclise, who also provided ill.u.s.trations to "The Battle of Life," was anxious that his own type of character for Clemency Newcome should be reproduced in the designs by Leech; hence that artist's protest. Writing again two days later on the subject, Leech said:--

"MY DEAR FORSTER,--Perhaps I was wrong in using the word 'conditions' in my note to you--I should have said 'circ.u.mstances,' and by being 'embarra.s.sed' by them I meant that I found it very hara.s.sing to do work (that I am for several reasons anxious to do well) under the constant feeling that I have too little time to do it in; and also I meant to convey to you that the necessity (which I certainly supposed to exist) of preserving a sort of resemblance to the characters as conceived by Mr. Maclise made it a rather nervous undertaking to me. It seems I expressed myself clumsily, as the tone of my note appeared to you anything but what I intended it to be. Any suggestion from you I should always consider most valuable. I send you one drawing, completed this morning at four o'clock, and I a.s.sure you I would spare neither time nor any personal comfort to show my personal regard for both yourself and d.i.c.kens.

"I should not like to promise more than two other drawings, if Sat.u.r.day is positively the last day. I might be able to do more, but I should not like to promise, and fail. Pray overlook any glaring defects in the block I send, and believe me yours faithfully,

"JOHN LEECH.

"JOHN FORSTER, Esq., &c. &c.

"_P.S._ I should like, if there is no objection, that Linton should engrave for me."

PLATE XLVI

"CALEB AT WORK"

_Facsimile_ of the Original Drawing for "The Cricket on the Hearth" by

JOHN LEECH

_Lent by Mr. W. H. Lever._

[Ill.u.s.tration]

It was natural that, remembering the excellent reproductions of his wood-drawings in the "Carol" and "The Chimes," Leech should express a wish that Linton[38] might also engrave those in "The Battle of Life;"

but the signatures appended to the cuts show that, doubtless for some sufficient reason, the artist's wish was not respected.

Footnote 38: As I write, the decease of that admirable artist and engraver is reported from New Haven, U.S.A. W. J. Linton was born in London in 1812, and had therefore attained a venerable age, spending the latter portion of his life in America. During an extremely active career he produced, among other literary works, a valuable and comprehensive history of the art of which he was undoubtedly the most capable exponent. Mr. Linton, who may justly be termed the father of modern wood-engraving, carried on the tradition of Bewick, and was a thorough champion of the "white-line school." As a zealous Chartist he took an active and prominent part in politics, and, in addition to this, he was a voluminous writer both in poetry and prose, his works including "The English Republic," "Claribel, and other Poems," "A Life of Whittier," &c.

In his third design for "The Battle of Life" Leech committed an extraordinary blunder, the result (it must be confessed) of carelessly studying his author. In this ill.u.s.tration, where the festivities to welcome the bridegroom at the top of the page contrast with the flight of the bride represented below, Leech gravely erred in supposing that Michael Warden had taken part in the elopement, and has introduced his figure with that of Marion. This curious mistake, which might have been avoided had the drawing been submitted to d.i.c.kens, was not discovered until too late for remedy, and it is highly characteristic of the novelist, of the true regard he felt for the artist, that he preferred to pa.s.s it silently. The most remarkable thing of all is (as Forster has pointed out), n.o.body seems to have noticed the unfortunate oversight, although it must be obvious to every attentive reader that it makes great havoc of one of the most delicate episodes in the story. The feelings of the author, on realising the seriousness of this terrible misconception on the part of the artist, may be readily imagined.

Writing to his biographer, he said: "When I first saw it, it was with a horror and agony not to be expressed. Of course I need not tell _you_, my dear fellow, Warden has no business in the elopement scene. _He_ was never there! In the first hot sweat of this surprise and novelty, I was going to implore the printing of that sheet to be stopped, and the figure taken out of the block. But when I thought of the pain this might give to our kind-hearted Leech, and that what is such a monstrous enormity to me, as never having entered my brain, may not so present itself to others, I became more composed; though the fact is wonderful to me. No doubt a great number of copies will be printed by the time this reaches you, and therefore I shall take it for granted that it stands as it is. Leech otherwise is very good, and the ill.u.s.trations altogether are by far the best that have been done for any of my Christmas Books...."