The Work of E. J. Poynter, R.A.

the city to be stoned. The grouping of the figures
forming this composition is exceedingly fine ; high
dramatic effect is given to the incident, whilst,
individually, the drawing of the figures is equal, if
not superior, to any which the artist has ever done,
notably that of the street ruffian with stones in
each hand, and right arm upraised ready to throw—
Mr. Poynter himself considering that he never
produced a better figure. There are, besides, two
small panels, each occupied by the figure of an
angel, the one on the left hand, seated at the
entrance of the tomb, holding out the crown of
thorns, while written on the scroll above are the
words, "Be thou faithful unto death"; the angel
on the right sitting at the Gate of Paradise, holding
up a golden crown with the words inscribed above,
" And I will give thee a crown of life." Other
pictures produced in the following three years
were: More of More Hall and the Dragon of
Wantley, companion picture to the Perseus and
Andromeda, The Festival, and The Golden Age.

In 1S75 Mr. Poynter, on being appointed
Director for Art and Principal of the National Art
Training Schools, South Kensington, resigned the
Slade Professorship at University College. Though
Mr. Poynter only occupied this position about six
years, he, during that period, effected some most
useful reforms in the work of the schools, attacking
with characteristic energy many of the abuses which
had crept in under the system of teaching pursued
hitherto. Against the use of the "point" in par-
ticular was his influence brought to bear—that is to
say, as it had been and was being used on his
entering the schools,—not against its intelligent
use; the adoption of the " stump" as a medium
was advocated instead, and the time spent on
each drawing was limited. A great improvement
in the general work of the establishment resulted
from this and other much needed changes ; students
from all parts of the kingdom filled the classes, and
there was probably at that time no better school
for drawing in the country. I have personal re-
collections of the kind help and encouragement
afforded to students individually by Mr. Poynter
when and where possible; of his generous, ready
perception of true merit, and of his criticisms,
which, though always severe, never failed to recog-
nise sincere effort.

Whilst at South Kensington, Mr. Poynter issued
his drawing-books—a series of copies for drawing
with instructions, carefully chosen from the best
examples, and drawn under his own supervision.
In June 1876, Mr. Poynter was elected a full
member of the Royal Academy, and produced his

Atalanta's Race, a very fine and important work.
Then follow, in 1877, The Forttine-Tellcr, his
diploma work; in 1878, Zenobia Captive, and Mrs.
Langtry; in 1879, AT<u/sicaa and her Maidens
Playing at Ball: and in 1880, A Visit to sEscula-
pius, which, purchased by the President and
Council of the Royal Academy under the terms of
the Chantrey bequest, has been placed in the
gallery at South Kensington devoted to works of
art bought under similar conditions. In the
Grosvenor Gallery, in that year, Mr. Poynter had
three pictures—viz., a finished study for Nausicaa
and Iter Maidens, and two water-colours, A Vestal,
and A Door on to the Silent Highway. At the
Royal Academy, i88r, two portraits, The Earl of
IVharncliffi', and Mrs. Robert Pell; also Helen ; in
the Grosvenor Gallery three : [itdith, Lady Wen-
lock, and Wharncliffe Chase.

In the Tepidarium was shown at the Royal
Academy Exhibition of 1882, also Mr. Poynter's
design for the decoration of the dome of St.
Paul's Cathedral. This was painted on a scale
model of a segment including one-sixth of the
dome. Alfred Stevens had left a design for half
the dome, the subjects to illustrate the Old
Testament, but nothing to indicate how he had
decided to treat the other half. In Stevens' design
the dome was divided into eight compartments by
" ribs," answering to the eight blocked-up windows
or solid piers of the drum ; each compartment con-
tained two circles, the upper, as the space became
narrower, being necessarily smaller than the lower ;
the " ribs" were built up of figures and architec-
ture, and above each pedestal forming the base
were three extremely fine nude figures, Michael-
angelesque in treatment, supporting the architec-
ture above them. The committee adopted the
lines and general disposition of Stevens' design,
but rejected the nude figures on the pedestal as
unsuitable, and selected instead subjects chosen
from the Book of Revelation, while it was decided
to change the figures of the Prophets below for
those of St. John the Evangelist, and the Bishops
of the Seven Churches of Asia. The subjects of
the eight large circular panels below were to be
painted by Sir Frederic Leighton, the smaller ones
above by Mr. Poynter, who also drew out the
whole design. The subjects on this section, which
takes in two ribs and one space, may be briefly
described. In the circle above were to be the
twenty-four elders, four of whose seated figures are
shown in this portion. The circular panels and
medallions contain the visions of the Apocalypse.
The large upper panel represents the vision of