DOI Heft:
Nr. 160 (June 1910)
DOI Artikel:Erskine, Steuart: The drawings of Lady Waterford
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19866#0385
Lady PVaterford's Drawings
who strove to mould her
talent to a certain shape
instead of helping her to
acquire that knowledge
which would have been
of service to her. ■ Still, she
had a great admiration for
Ruskin, and read everyone
of his books with eager
interest; while he had an
enthusiastic admiration for
her as a colourist.
"children with palms " by louisa, marchioness of waterford Of Lady Waterford's
technique I know nothing
fine old house partly spoiled by restoration, situated beyond the fact that she did not trouble about it
in the romantic country south of thelCheviots near at all. As long as she accomplished her purpose
to Flodden Field. the means by which she achieved it were to her
It was here during the first years of her the merest matter of detail. The talented artist
widowhood that she began the great work of her herself is remembered with love, and even venera-
life, the frescoes for the school at Ford—a work tion, by those who were fortunate enough to know
which occupied about twenty-two years. The herwell. Herappearance was extremely picturesque;
original idea was to instruct the school chil- her manner, as she advanced in life and forgot her
dren, and for this purpose she chose subjects natural shyness, was charming. She was adored
illustrative of the lives of good children. Cain and by her friends and her relatives, and by the
Abel, Abraham and Isaac, Jacob and Esau, Joseph poor to whom she devoted such a great part
and his brethren, little Josiah, the king of eight of her life,
years old, Samuel, David the shepherd, and such
subjects were all represented, with a large design of
Christ blessing little children, which took up the 'Tff^BWWlBWHPWlB^ra;,»Tra'»ffa58
whole of the end wall. models these pic- ^IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIhM
tures were the village schoolmaster, the organist, M
the carpenter, the gardeners, the colliers, indoor
and outdoor servants, and the school children.
During the progress of this woik a procession
of villagers went up to the castle to be sketched,
and the paintings exhibit a regular village picture
gallery. The children were her special delight and
her favourite models; her love of children is shown
in the way she handles her subject.
Lady Waterfoid at one time had lessons
from Ruskin, the only lessons which she is ever
known to have taken since her childhood. These
lessons did more harm than good. Ruskin worried
her and insisted on her painting minutely in the
pre-Raphaelite style, in a manner totally foreign to
her nature. She persevered bravely, and executed
some extraordinarily clever paintings of school-
children, following out exactly his instructions.
These pictures, however, are quite without the
stamp of genius which mark her spontaneous
work, and the master himself was the first to
perceive it. He told her that she must follow her
own inspiration and not take any more lessons. "child dancing"
It seems a pity that she should have had a master by louisa, marchioness of wateri-ord
286
who strove to mould her
talent to a certain shape
instead of helping her to
acquire that knowledge
which would have been
of service to her. ■ Still, she
had a great admiration for
Ruskin, and read everyone
of his books with eager
interest; while he had an
enthusiastic admiration for
her as a colourist.
"children with palms " by louisa, marchioness of waterford Of Lady Waterford's
technique I know nothing
fine old house partly spoiled by restoration, situated beyond the fact that she did not trouble about it
in the romantic country south of thelCheviots near at all. As long as she accomplished her purpose
to Flodden Field. the means by which she achieved it were to her
It was here during the first years of her the merest matter of detail. The talented artist
widowhood that she began the great work of her herself is remembered with love, and even venera-
life, the frescoes for the school at Ford—a work tion, by those who were fortunate enough to know
which occupied about twenty-two years. The herwell. Herappearance was extremely picturesque;
original idea was to instruct the school chil- her manner, as she advanced in life and forgot her
dren, and for this purpose she chose subjects natural shyness, was charming. She was adored
illustrative of the lives of good children. Cain and by her friends and her relatives, and by the
Abel, Abraham and Isaac, Jacob and Esau, Joseph poor to whom she devoted such a great part
and his brethren, little Josiah, the king of eight of her life,
years old, Samuel, David the shepherd, and such
subjects were all represented, with a large design of
Christ blessing little children, which took up the 'Tff^BWWlBWHPWlB^ra;,»Tra'»ffa58
whole of the end wall. models these pic- ^IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIhM
tures were the village schoolmaster, the organist, M
the carpenter, the gardeners, the colliers, indoor
and outdoor servants, and the school children.
During the progress of this woik a procession
of villagers went up to the castle to be sketched,
and the paintings exhibit a regular village picture
gallery. The children were her special delight and
her favourite models; her love of children is shown
in the way she handles her subject.
Lady Waterfoid at one time had lessons
from Ruskin, the only lessons which she is ever
known to have taken since her childhood. These
lessons did more harm than good. Ruskin worried
her and insisted on her painting minutely in the
pre-Raphaelite style, in a manner totally foreign to
her nature. She persevered bravely, and executed
some extraordinarily clever paintings of school-
children, following out exactly his instructions.
These pictures, however, are quite without the
stamp of genius which mark her spontaneous
work, and the master himself was the first to
perceive it. He told her that she must follow her
own inspiration and not take any more lessons. "child dancing"
It seems a pity that she should have had a master by louisa, marchioness of wateri-ord
286