DOI Kapitel:
Chapter V: Our Friendship
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.62482#0292
i4o REMINISCENCES OF G. F. WATTS
what he described himself as a nervous irritability always
putting him in the wrong. As I said before, neither Mr.
Barrington nor I ever once saw this irritability evince itself
as far as our personal relations with him were concerned.
There were also intricacies in his nature which made it very
difficult for him to steer clear of rocks which it was his most
genuine intention to avoid. Among the many causes which
led to a deep-seated melancholy in him, this “ duality,” this
consciousness of inconsistency, may probably have been the
greatest.
His want of memory entangled him in one of these
irritations some time before the “critics” disturbance. We
were in Somerset when, in the autumn of 1855, I received
a letter saying that the weather was “ dreadful ” for painting,
but that it would matter little to him, as he was seriously
thinking it might be necessary for him to leave this country
altogether. He added that we knew that his desire and
object were to have no trouble about money, but to paint
his pictures with the view of making them public property.
The income-tax people were bothering him, and he found
that it was very possible he might be charged upon the
valuation of the work he did, and that he had done. This
would be simply ruinous, and more than he could possibly
meet, in which case he would sell his house and go to live
and work in Italy. “ I don’t know what party, confound
them both, is responsible for such a state of things. Per-
mission to work! Really, it is too bad. As to working
for money any more, I cannot, and will not.—Signor.” I
answered that I hoped he would let us know the train and
boat he was leaving by, that we might see him off! On
returning to London we discussed this income-tax matter
with a mutual friend who was then sitting for his portrait
to Watts, and a representation was made to the Inland
what he described himself as a nervous irritability always
putting him in the wrong. As I said before, neither Mr.
Barrington nor I ever once saw this irritability evince itself
as far as our personal relations with him were concerned.
There were also intricacies in his nature which made it very
difficult for him to steer clear of rocks which it was his most
genuine intention to avoid. Among the many causes which
led to a deep-seated melancholy in him, this “ duality,” this
consciousness of inconsistency, may probably have been the
greatest.
His want of memory entangled him in one of these
irritations some time before the “critics” disturbance. We
were in Somerset when, in the autumn of 1855, I received
a letter saying that the weather was “ dreadful ” for painting,
but that it would matter little to him, as he was seriously
thinking it might be necessary for him to leave this country
altogether. He added that we knew that his desire and
object were to have no trouble about money, but to paint
his pictures with the view of making them public property.
The income-tax people were bothering him, and he found
that it was very possible he might be charged upon the
valuation of the work he did, and that he had done. This
would be simply ruinous, and more than he could possibly
meet, in which case he would sell his house and go to live
and work in Italy. “ I don’t know what party, confound
them both, is responsible for such a state of things. Per-
mission to work! Really, it is too bad. As to working
for money any more, I cannot, and will not.—Signor.” I
answered that I hoped he would let us know the train and
boat he was leaving by, that we might see him off! On
returning to London we discussed this income-tax matter
with a mutual friend who was then sitting for his portrait
to Watts, and a representation was made to the Inland