Whittock, Nathaniel: The Oxford Drawing Book, Or The Art Of Drawing, And The Theory And Practice Of Perspective: In A Series Of Letters Containing Progressive Information On Sketching, Drawing, And Colouring Landscape Scenery, Animals, And The Human Figure: With A New Method Of Practical Perspective: Detailed In A Novel, Easy, And Perspicuous Style, For The Use Of Teachers, Or For Self-Instruction. Embellished With Upwards Of One Hundred And Fifty Lithographic Drawings, From Real Views, Taken Expressly For This Work (Oxford , London, 1825)

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Our young artist early exhibited a strong inclination to painting, but his genius was
much depressed by the circumstances and habits of his family. He was initiated very
soon into the mysteries of the gin-shop, the ale-house, and the stable; and in these
abodes of vice and misery, he unfortunately made his selection of existence and of
study. Yet with all these disadvantages, he produced a number of works possessing
very striking beauties. His favourite subjects were interiors of stables, pig-styes,
farm-yards, doors of public-houses, &c.; these he touched with great freedom and
ease, and frequently with very beautiful colour. Some of his smaller pictures of pigs
wallowing, or surrounded by young ones, playing or sucking, are master-pieces of
their kind. His talents in this line soon procured him considerable employment, and
afforded him the means of dissipation ; in which unhappily he indulged to excess, and
soon so far surpassed those means, that he fell into debt, and was confined in the
King’s-bench prison. Even in this abode of vice and wretchedness, his talents were
laid under contribution by frame-makers, picture dealers, &c. who, taking advantage
of his caprices and his love of liquor, indulged him to excess, receiving in return the
productions of his pencil. Some of them, more speculative than the rest, released
him from imprisonment, immured him in a private house, and took to themselves all
the benefit of his labours; keeping him in almost a constant state of intoxication.
In such a mode of existence, the vital spark could not long support the bodily frame;