DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.66024#0090
44
ANGELICA KAUFFMANN
“ Sir,—I am directed to acquaint you that, a ballot having been taken by
the council whether your picture, called ‘ The Conjurer,’ should be admitted
in the exhibition, it was determined in the negative. You are therefore desired
to send for the picture as soon as it may be convenient.”
This letter was signed by the Secretary, Mr. F. M. Newton.
It was not the first time Hone had come into conflict with the Academy,
because in 1770 he had painted a gentleman in masquerade, and had intro-
duced into the picture a cross, to which the Academicians objected. In
accordance with their wishes, he altered the picture, and changed the cross
into a punch-ladle, but later on he took out the punch-ladle and replaced
the cross, and in his own words, “ The cross is here restored, as at first intended,
instead of a punch-ladle, which was painted by order of the Council of the
Academy for its admittance.”
Hone proceeded to take out an affidavit to state that he did not introduce,
or intend to introduce, into his picture any figure reflecting on Angelica, or
on any lady whatever, but this did not make matters any better. The
Academy held to its decision, and Hone had to remove the picture. He
then took out the figure that was said to have been intended for Angelica,
and also, he states, “ all the other naked figures, lest they should be said to
be likenesses of any particular gentlemen or ladies, which Mr. Hone never
meant,” and the result of the controversy was that he took a room, which in
Smith’s time was a workshop, behind the house of Messrs. Mouchett & Wild,
wine merchants, of 70 St. Martin’s Lane, next to old Slaughter’s Coffee
House, and there he proceeded to have the first one-man show in London,
exhibiting not only this picture of “ The Conjurer,” but some sixty-five other
works by himself, in justification of the position he had taken up. He calls it
“ The Exhibition of Pictures by Nathaniel Hone, R.A., Mostly the Works
of his Leisure, and many of them in his own Possession.” He printed a little
catalogue of eight pages, which is now very rare, and placed on its title-page
a motto from Phaedrus : “Nisi utile est quod facimus, frustra est gloria.” 1
It is quite clear that the Academicians were indignant with Hone over
the whole transaction. Smith describes his visit to Nollekens, saying that
Hone was a tall, upright, large man, with a broad-brimmed hat and a lapel coat
buttoned up to the neck, and that he walked up to Nollekens with measured
and stately steps, and, folding his arms, saluted him with “ Joseph Nollekens,
Esq., R.A., how do you do ? ” Nollekens, says Smith, “ who never liked
him, answered, ‘ Well, now, I suppose you are come to get me to join in the
Academy to-night, against Sir Joshua, but you are very much mistaken, and
I can tell you more, I never will join you in anything you propose. You are
always running your rigs against Sir Joshua, and you may say what you please,
but I have never had any opinion of you, ever since you painted that picture
1 His own copy of the catalogue, having his initials upon it, happens to be in the possession
of one of the authors of this book.
ANGELICA KAUFFMANN
“ Sir,—I am directed to acquaint you that, a ballot having been taken by
the council whether your picture, called ‘ The Conjurer,’ should be admitted
in the exhibition, it was determined in the negative. You are therefore desired
to send for the picture as soon as it may be convenient.”
This letter was signed by the Secretary, Mr. F. M. Newton.
It was not the first time Hone had come into conflict with the Academy,
because in 1770 he had painted a gentleman in masquerade, and had intro-
duced into the picture a cross, to which the Academicians objected. In
accordance with their wishes, he altered the picture, and changed the cross
into a punch-ladle, but later on he took out the punch-ladle and replaced
the cross, and in his own words, “ The cross is here restored, as at first intended,
instead of a punch-ladle, which was painted by order of the Council of the
Academy for its admittance.”
Hone proceeded to take out an affidavit to state that he did not introduce,
or intend to introduce, into his picture any figure reflecting on Angelica, or
on any lady whatever, but this did not make matters any better. The
Academy held to its decision, and Hone had to remove the picture. He
then took out the figure that was said to have been intended for Angelica,
and also, he states, “ all the other naked figures, lest they should be said to
be likenesses of any particular gentlemen or ladies, which Mr. Hone never
meant,” and the result of the controversy was that he took a room, which in
Smith’s time was a workshop, behind the house of Messrs. Mouchett & Wild,
wine merchants, of 70 St. Martin’s Lane, next to old Slaughter’s Coffee
House, and there he proceeded to have the first one-man show in London,
exhibiting not only this picture of “ The Conjurer,” but some sixty-five other
works by himself, in justification of the position he had taken up. He calls it
“ The Exhibition of Pictures by Nathaniel Hone, R.A., Mostly the Works
of his Leisure, and many of them in his own Possession.” He printed a little
catalogue of eight pages, which is now very rare, and placed on its title-page
a motto from Phaedrus : “Nisi utile est quod facimus, frustra est gloria.” 1
It is quite clear that the Academicians were indignant with Hone over
the whole transaction. Smith describes his visit to Nollekens, saying that
Hone was a tall, upright, large man, with a broad-brimmed hat and a lapel coat
buttoned up to the neck, and that he walked up to Nollekens with measured
and stately steps, and, folding his arms, saluted him with “ Joseph Nollekens,
Esq., R.A., how do you do ? ” Nollekens, says Smith, “ who never liked
him, answered, ‘ Well, now, I suppose you are come to get me to join in the
Academy to-night, against Sir Joshua, but you are very much mistaken, and
I can tell you more, I never will join you in anything you propose. You are
always running your rigs against Sir Joshua, and you may say what you please,
but I have never had any opinion of you, ever since you painted that picture
1 His own copy of the catalogue, having his initials upon it, happens to be in the possession
of one of the authors of this book.