DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.66024#0053
EARLY LIFE 17
to put aside Dance. One page in his Diary, in which he refers to the matter,
is of some considerable interest.
“ George Dance,” he says, “ went to Italy by Sea. He sailed from Graves-
end in December 1758, & did not arrive at Rome till the end of May follow-
ing—having had a tedious passage, & stopping at Florence where His
Brother N. Dance, met Him.—N. Dance (now Sir N. Holland) went to Italy
in 1755, having before that period been abt. 2 years with Hayman as a pupil,
where He became acquainted with Gainsborough.—At Rome He became
acquainted with Angelica Kauffmann, and became so enamoured of Her, she
encouraging His passion, that when He came to England, whither she also
came, it was settled between them that they shd. marry.—But in England she
became acquainted with Sir Joshua Reynolds, who showed Her much attention,
& it is supposed she looked to Him, expecting that He wd. offer Himself to Her.
Her reception of Dance having now become more cold, & Her intercourse
with Sir Joshua being noticed by Him. He remonstrated with Her in such
a manner that she complained of His temper & assigned that as a reason for
now refusing to marry Him.—His passion for Her was extreme & He engaged
His Father to write to Her, but all wd. not do, Her resolution remained unaltered.
—Dance sd. she never was beautiful, but there was something amiable &
feminine in Her appearance that engaged people to Her.”
In another place, in 1797, Farington quite distinctly says that Angelica
came to London in the expectation of marrying Dance, with whom she had
become acquainted in Rome. He writes thus :—
“ 1797, Feb. 3. Rigaud said Angelica (Kauffman) was born at a Town
on the Lake of Constance. She is a Grison. Her Father was an itinerant
Painter, but gave up his own practise to forward the education of his daughter.
She had a Genius for music as well as for Painting, and the stage had been
thought of for her.—At Milan it was determined that she should devote herself
to painting.—West said He saw Her at Florence, and reccomended her to
many Commissions—from the Duke of Gordon, &c.—she came to England
with Lady Wentworth, at that time with an expectation of marrying N. Dance
who she became acquainted with at Rome.”
The matter is rendered still more clear by Farington’s account of the death
of Dance (then Dance-Holland), which took place in Winchester, on the 15th
of October, 1811; and on the way from the Academy, Farington says that
Dance’s brother gave him particulars of the death of the Academician, and in
this entry in the Diary he makes it clear that an arrangement, almost tantamount
to an engagement, had taken place between the two artists, and that Angelica
had not behaved in a satisfactory fashion to poor Dance.
“ He was,” said He (the brother), “ as honest a man as in the world, and had
very strong affections. The latter was shown in his passionate love of the late
c
to put aside Dance. One page in his Diary, in which he refers to the matter,
is of some considerable interest.
“ George Dance,” he says, “ went to Italy by Sea. He sailed from Graves-
end in December 1758, & did not arrive at Rome till the end of May follow-
ing—having had a tedious passage, & stopping at Florence where His
Brother N. Dance, met Him.—N. Dance (now Sir N. Holland) went to Italy
in 1755, having before that period been abt. 2 years with Hayman as a pupil,
where He became acquainted with Gainsborough.—At Rome He became
acquainted with Angelica Kauffmann, and became so enamoured of Her, she
encouraging His passion, that when He came to England, whither she also
came, it was settled between them that they shd. marry.—But in England she
became acquainted with Sir Joshua Reynolds, who showed Her much attention,
& it is supposed she looked to Him, expecting that He wd. offer Himself to Her.
Her reception of Dance having now become more cold, & Her intercourse
with Sir Joshua being noticed by Him. He remonstrated with Her in such
a manner that she complained of His temper & assigned that as a reason for
now refusing to marry Him.—His passion for Her was extreme & He engaged
His Father to write to Her, but all wd. not do, Her resolution remained unaltered.
—Dance sd. she never was beautiful, but there was something amiable &
feminine in Her appearance that engaged people to Her.”
In another place, in 1797, Farington quite distinctly says that Angelica
came to London in the expectation of marrying Dance, with whom she had
become acquainted in Rome. He writes thus :—
“ 1797, Feb. 3. Rigaud said Angelica (Kauffman) was born at a Town
on the Lake of Constance. She is a Grison. Her Father was an itinerant
Painter, but gave up his own practise to forward the education of his daughter.
She had a Genius for music as well as for Painting, and the stage had been
thought of for her.—At Milan it was determined that she should devote herself
to painting.—West said He saw Her at Florence, and reccomended her to
many Commissions—from the Duke of Gordon, &c.—she came to England
with Lady Wentworth, at that time with an expectation of marrying N. Dance
who she became acquainted with at Rome.”
The matter is rendered still more clear by Farington’s account of the death
of Dance (then Dance-Holland), which took place in Winchester, on the 15th
of October, 1811; and on the way from the Academy, Farington says that
Dance’s brother gave him particulars of the death of the Academician, and in
this entry in the Diary he makes it clear that an arrangement, almost tantamount
to an engagement, had taken place between the two artists, and that Angelica
had not behaved in a satisfactory fashion to poor Dance.
“ He was,” said He (the brother), “ as honest a man as in the world, and had
very strong affections. The latter was shown in his passionate love of the late
c