DOI chapter:
Chapter III: Genius
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.62482#0092
32 REMINISCENCES OF G. F. WATTS
painted them on the walls of the old Little Holland House.
Some of his finest portraits were also painted during these
years. His own, which belonged to Sir William Bowman ;
also the portrait of the great oculist himself, Mr. Russell
Gurney, Calderon, the artist, and several others, which
as simple portraits and specimens of complete workmanship,
are among the best which in Watts’ own opinion he ever
painted.1 But these works, though evincing the highest
qualities in drawing, composition, and fine restrained colour,
do not yet touch the essence of Watts’ genius. “Life’s
Illusions,” “Time and Oblivion,” “Satan goeth to and fro
seeking whom he may devour,” “The Good Samaritan,”
and other Scripture subjects, likewise a group of singu-
larly interesting tragic subjects, full of pathos, and showing
a very human side of Watts’ character, were among the
first pictures he painted which indicated a moral or symbolic
tendency in his art. From having seen very opposite
aspects of life, the contrast in the lot of different human
beings was forcibly realised by him. Though his natural
preference for the refinements of life resulted in his finding
himself surrounded by these as soon as he could command
his own way of living, he was nevertheless haunted by the
tragedy of poverty and need. His disapproval of extrava-
gance rose at times to passionate resentment when condi-
tions of sad distress were realised and often exaggerated
in his mind. The outcome of these feelings is to be seen
in his pictures—“Found Drowned,” “ Under a Dry Arch-
way,” “ The Song of the Shirt,” and the “ Irish Peasants
during the Famine.” Pathos and dramatic power in paint-
ing could hardly go further. Still, it is not even in these
1 It was when I was collecting for him the scattered works for his exhibition
in the Grosvenor Gallery in 1882, that I remember most clearly his giving me his
views as to the comparative artistic value of his pictures.
painted them on the walls of the old Little Holland House.
Some of his finest portraits were also painted during these
years. His own, which belonged to Sir William Bowman ;
also the portrait of the great oculist himself, Mr. Russell
Gurney, Calderon, the artist, and several others, which
as simple portraits and specimens of complete workmanship,
are among the best which in Watts’ own opinion he ever
painted.1 But these works, though evincing the highest
qualities in drawing, composition, and fine restrained colour,
do not yet touch the essence of Watts’ genius. “Life’s
Illusions,” “Time and Oblivion,” “Satan goeth to and fro
seeking whom he may devour,” “The Good Samaritan,”
and other Scripture subjects, likewise a group of singu-
larly interesting tragic subjects, full of pathos, and showing
a very human side of Watts’ character, were among the
first pictures he painted which indicated a moral or symbolic
tendency in his art. From having seen very opposite
aspects of life, the contrast in the lot of different human
beings was forcibly realised by him. Though his natural
preference for the refinements of life resulted in his finding
himself surrounded by these as soon as he could command
his own way of living, he was nevertheless haunted by the
tragedy of poverty and need. His disapproval of extrava-
gance rose at times to passionate resentment when condi-
tions of sad distress were realised and often exaggerated
in his mind. The outcome of these feelings is to be seen
in his pictures—“Found Drowned,” “ Under a Dry Arch-
way,” “ The Song of the Shirt,” and the “ Irish Peasants
during the Famine.” Pathos and dramatic power in paint-
ing could hardly go further. Still, it is not even in these
1 It was when I was collecting for him the scattered works for his exhibition
in the Grosvenor Gallery in 1882, that I remember most clearly his giving me his
views as to the comparative artistic value of his pictures.