DOI chapter:
Chapter II: Aims
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.62482#0053
AIMS
9
of raising art to the same level of culture in England as that
on which great poetry and great music stand ; in fact, to
bring the same high faculties of the human mind and spirit
to bear on creations in painting and sculpture that are the
sources of the more purely intellectual and abstract expres-
sions in writing and sound. No less from patriotic than from
artistic aspirations did Watts long to see the art of England
placed in the first rank among the serious concerns and
interests of his country.
By most of his fellow-artists, as well as by the world
in general, Watts, up to this time, had been viewed as a
portrait-painter only, though occupying a separate and rather
a higher position than most. I remember more than one
artist speaking of him as such, and rather contesting his
wisdom in attempting any other line of art. One of the
greatest in the pre-Raphaelite school was of this opinion,
and I remember his saying to me, referring to Watts’
portraits, “ He is no good at anything else.” The pre-
Raphaelites had portioned out various vocations to the several
members of their body, a few only having reserved to them-
selves the privilege of painting pictures. The brotherhood
would doubtless have accorded to Watts a place as their
portrait-painter, but Watts was not a pre-Raphaelite, though
he sympathised in a measure with the principles which insti-
gated the feeling of the movement.1 Moreover, he did not
intend only to paint portraits. One of his intimate acquaint-
ances informed us that Watts ought to paint portraits ; he
would never make money by anything else, and he ought
to make money. It can easily be understood we felt no in-
clination to discuss the matter further with this individual,
1 The influence of this school is to be traced in several of Watts’ pictures, but
most notably in the portrait of Mrs. Hughes, the mother of Mrs. Nassau Senior,
and of the author of “Tom Brown’s School Days.” See illustration.
9
of raising art to the same level of culture in England as that
on which great poetry and great music stand ; in fact, to
bring the same high faculties of the human mind and spirit
to bear on creations in painting and sculpture that are the
sources of the more purely intellectual and abstract expres-
sions in writing and sound. No less from patriotic than from
artistic aspirations did Watts long to see the art of England
placed in the first rank among the serious concerns and
interests of his country.
By most of his fellow-artists, as well as by the world
in general, Watts, up to this time, had been viewed as a
portrait-painter only, though occupying a separate and rather
a higher position than most. I remember more than one
artist speaking of him as such, and rather contesting his
wisdom in attempting any other line of art. One of the
greatest in the pre-Raphaelite school was of this opinion,
and I remember his saying to me, referring to Watts’
portraits, “ He is no good at anything else.” The pre-
Raphaelites had portioned out various vocations to the several
members of their body, a few only having reserved to them-
selves the privilege of painting pictures. The brotherhood
would doubtless have accorded to Watts a place as their
portrait-painter, but Watts was not a pre-Raphaelite, though
he sympathised in a measure with the principles which insti-
gated the feeling of the movement.1 Moreover, he did not
intend only to paint portraits. One of his intimate acquaint-
ances informed us that Watts ought to paint portraits ; he
would never make money by anything else, and he ought
to make money. It can easily be understood we felt no in-
clination to discuss the matter further with this individual,
1 The influence of this school is to be traced in several of Watts’ pictures, but
most notably in the portrait of Mrs. Hughes, the mother of Mrs. Nassau Senior,
and of the author of “Tom Brown’s School Days.” See illustration.