DOI article:
J. [James] Craig Annan, David Octavius Hill, R. S. A.—1802 – 1870
DOI article:Roland Rood, The Origin of the Poetical Feeling in Landscape
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.30574#0025
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Certain pictures evoke admiration in one artist and dislike in another,
according as they belong to the school of realists or impressionists,
but there are paintings of such merit that they command universal admi-
ration, such as the works of Titian, Velasquez, and Rembrandt. So is
it with Hill’s portraits, artists of every school seem to delight in their
fine qualities.
The late Sir Frederick Leighton had an intense admiration for them,
and Mr. Sargent, writing to Sir James Guthrie regarding them, says, “They
are simply magnificent; I have never seen more interesting photographs or
more interesting types.”
On one occasion the writer sent some copies to Mr. Whistler and by
return of post received the following note:
110, Rue du Bac, Paris.
Dear Sir: How very kind and nice of you to send me those most curiously attractive photo-
graphs! I should more simply say pictures, for they certainly are pictures, and very fine ones too !
Pray accept my best thanks for your present and for the flattering thought that prompted it.
Very faithfully yours,
May 26, 1893. J. McNeill Whistler.
After quoting the opinions of such authorities nothing more need be
said of the quality of Hill's work.
At the end of three years the studio on Calton Stairs was given up and
there is no evidence that he even photographed again.
The completion of his portrait group was a severe trial to him and it
was only the repeated injunction of his wife, "Stick to your guns, D.O.!”
which brought it to completion twenty years later.
He died in 1870 much honored and lamented for his many fine
personal and social qualities. J. Craig Annan.
THE ORIGIN OF THE POETICAL
FEELING IN LANDSCAPE.
MANY THEORIES as to the origin and nature of our poetical
emotions have been constructed by philosophers, and, having lived
their day and served their purpose, have been overthrown by other
philosophers. As at the present moment there seems to be rather a dearth
of theories, I propose to step into the breach and offer what appears to me to
be the most scientific and ultra modern explanation of that peculiar poetic or
personal feeling which we involuntarily ascribe to certain classes of landscape,
and also to show why certain classes of landscape lend themselves more
easily to pictorial photographic purposes than others.
We have all heard a thousand times of the charm of the Dutch land-
scape, of its romantic windmills, of its amusingly stunted trees, queer canals,
poetical little cottages, and the long, low horizons that all, without aid from
any artist, compose themselves into pictures. And these natural pictures
take us into their confidence; they tell us strange tales of a world we have
according as they belong to the school of realists or impressionists,
but there are paintings of such merit that they command universal admi-
ration, such as the works of Titian, Velasquez, and Rembrandt. So is
it with Hill’s portraits, artists of every school seem to delight in their
fine qualities.
The late Sir Frederick Leighton had an intense admiration for them,
and Mr. Sargent, writing to Sir James Guthrie regarding them, says, “They
are simply magnificent; I have never seen more interesting photographs or
more interesting types.”
On one occasion the writer sent some copies to Mr. Whistler and by
return of post received the following note:
110, Rue du Bac, Paris.
Dear Sir: How very kind and nice of you to send me those most curiously attractive photo-
graphs! I should more simply say pictures, for they certainly are pictures, and very fine ones too !
Pray accept my best thanks for your present and for the flattering thought that prompted it.
Very faithfully yours,
May 26, 1893. J. McNeill Whistler.
After quoting the opinions of such authorities nothing more need be
said of the quality of Hill's work.
At the end of three years the studio on Calton Stairs was given up and
there is no evidence that he even photographed again.
The completion of his portrait group was a severe trial to him and it
was only the repeated injunction of his wife, "Stick to your guns, D.O.!”
which brought it to completion twenty years later.
He died in 1870 much honored and lamented for his many fine
personal and social qualities. J. Craig Annan.
THE ORIGIN OF THE POETICAL
FEELING IN LANDSCAPE.
MANY THEORIES as to the origin and nature of our poetical
emotions have been constructed by philosophers, and, having lived
their day and served their purpose, have been overthrown by other
philosophers. As at the present moment there seems to be rather a dearth
of theories, I propose to step into the breach and offer what appears to me to
be the most scientific and ultra modern explanation of that peculiar poetic or
personal feeling which we involuntarily ascribe to certain classes of landscape,
and also to show why certain classes of landscape lend themselves more
easily to pictorial photographic purposes than others.
We have all heard a thousand times of the charm of the Dutch land-
scape, of its romantic windmills, of its amusingly stunted trees, queer canals,
poetical little cottages, and the long, low horizons that all, without aid from
any artist, compose themselves into pictures. And these natural pictures
take us into their confidence; they tell us strange tales of a world we have
