Showing 7 results

Seatoller, Borrowdale, Keswick. - Thanks his mother for her letter. The weather has not been so good recently, but any rain has been brief. Bessie seems 'very well at Rottingdean [where she is visiting her friend Jeanne Salomonson]' and is coming here on the 5th; wonders if it would suit for them to come to Wallington around the 13th or 14th, but expects Bessie will be writing about this. Does not think he will finish his play here, but will read it to her if she likes; will at least have done more than half of the final act.

The new Slade Professor is 'a certain Walstein [Charles Waldstein, later Walston]; he has held the position before and 'proved his incompetence'. He is 'the most notorious snob in Cambridge, far out-doing the O. B. [Oscar Browning], and a quite odious man as well''. Thinks his father met him recently there, and 'did not get a good impression'. Seems that it was settled that Fry should have the professorship, but 'at the last moment Poynter and Walstein, who is a great intimate with royalty, got it settled their way instead. Everyone is very angry': Sidney Colvin 'is said to be quite furious'.

That is a 'personal matter', and Robert only knows one side, but 'the bigger issue is really important'. Almost 'all the merit and intelligence among both artists and students has for a long time 'been outside and opposed to the [Royal] Academy', and yet the Academy has 'enormous power in many directions'. The 'Chantrey Bequest affair' is of 'secondary importance' in itself, but may 'serve as an occasion to break their power'. Certainly not the case of only a narrow clique '(the New Eng[lish Art Club, for instance) that is hostile to the Academy, but all who care strongly about art'; nor is the hostility 'a personal attack on Poynter, who is more intelligent than most of them', and Robert believes him to be 'a perfectly straight man according to his lights'.

Has a gun at Wallington, though may have 'Bowen's gun [which came to Robert after E E Bowen's death] sent there' from Westcott. Should have said that it is 'now really settled' about their house: the clearing of the site was to start last week, it is due to be finished by February 20 [1905], with the roof being on by 20th November [this year]. They are 'very glad all the bother is over'.

2, Cheyne Gardens, S.W.1. - Is not sure of Bob's address, so will write one letter to be forwarded on. Glad they liked "Garibaldi III" ["Garibaldi and the Making of Italy"], and is obliged for the corrections. Saw Will A. F. [Arnold Forster] as he passed through London on his 'belated way out through London on his belated way out to Italy'; Will 'suffers badly from the A.T. [Artistic Temperament' in terms of making arrangements and so on; he finished his 'big Malvern picture' and portrait of Janet were finished the day before he sailed, and they have been sent to the New Eng[lish] Art Club show. Glad that Bob is with [Catherine and Lascelles] Abercrombie. The 'Tripoli horrors and the whole folly of the [Italo-Turkish] war, and George will does not think he will have the 'heart' to go to Italy for a long time; lacks heart for "English Songs of Italian Freeman", which Bob has read the preface to, and which George is due to bring out soon, nor even for "Garibaldi". Is 'delighted to hear about the Stadtholder [Julian]'s earliest remarks.

Pension Palumbo, Ravello (Salerno). Addressed to Trevelyan at Roundhurst, Haslemere; forwarded on to him at Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Thanks Trevelyan for his letter, the first to reach them at Ravello. The Frys had a near escape from carbon monoxide poisoning on the anniversary of their wedding from a leaky stove in their room; this should not deter Trevelyan from coming. They have taken a studio in the village and are working. Fry has read one of Virgil's "Eclogues" in Latin and is trying Petrarch's sonnets in Italian, which he is finding very hard and may get lessons. Likes "Archilochus" very much: says Trevelyan's first ideas are always better than his second thoughts; makes some detailed comments. Asks how his painting looks in the N.E.A.C. exhibition. Is reading Ovid.

Hotel Biscione & Bellevue, Piazza Fontana No. 8 e 10, Milan. - Arrived on Friday, and is staying with the Frys [Robert and Helen] for a few days before going on to Ravello, to where she had better write as he plans to leave on Monday or Tuesday. Left all well at the Hague; will stop there on his way back and hopes a visit for Bessie to England in March or April may be arranged. They could not find a good photograph, but Bessie will have another taken and Caroline will be sent one. They celebrated 'old Hubrecht's' seventieth birthday last Wednesday with his son the professor [Ambrosius Hubrecht], his wife and two sons. Is having a good time with the Frys, though Mrs Fry is not well; there is much to see; the Castello is 'about the finest building in Italy... and full of treasures'. Liked the small painting by Francia he saw here; Fry says the Trevelyans' one is by far the best he knows, and that he was disappointed by the famous one ["The Adoration of the Child"?] he saw in Munich.

The Frys' prospects seem 'as dark as ever': Fry says there is 'no prospect' of selling his pictures, which the dealers will not interest themselves in, yet Robert believes he is painting very well now; Sidney Colvin was 'immensely struck' with the large one Robert has at Dorking ["The Valley of the Seine"?], thinking it 'one of the most interesting landscapes of modern years. Fry thinks he will have to turn to other work, perhaps lecturing again 'which of course he hates'. Fry's father's altered his three hundred pounds allowance to an investment, on which tax is payable, on Fry's marriage; Helen Fry has only the money she earns and is too ill to paint. Thinks Fry's art is 'too good to be sacrificed', and knows that they live in 'constant discomfort and worry', which he is sure contributes to Helen's bad health. Fry is 'very courageous, and may pull through'. but things would be much easier if his father 'had not such a hatred of art, and such absurd suspicions of his son and his wife'. This helps Robert appreciate how good his own father has been 'under somewhat similar circumstances'; Sir Edward Fry is 'narrow and prejudiced', but does not mean to be 'unjust or brutal', yet Robert believes he is so. Wonders whether his father has received the books by Pushkin and Hazlitt, and the life of Crabbe. Is just going to the Brera with Roger Fry.

29 Beaufort St, Chelsea:- Thanks his mother for her letter and the MS; is glad she likes it. Hopes to finish it when he is 'next in the country [Italy?] where alone it can or ought to be finished'. Roger [Fry] has had a bad cold 'at a most unfortunate moment', having gone to Ipswich to lecture 'against [Robert's] advice, which of course made him worse' and has had to keep to his room for two days. Roger must send in his pictures to the New English Art Club tomorrow, and 'will not have time to do all he would like', though he is well enough to work today.

Is 'getting on well with [his] Jacobean reading'; has now got the play he told her about [Cecilia Gonzaga] 'into final shape' in his mind, and has written a 'good deal of Act I', but it will need 'recasting' as he has 'altered the whole idea and proportion of the plan to some extent'. His own cold has been entirely gone for several days: the walk he took 'so unwittingly' with her was the 'prelude to its departure'.

'Hungry Bumpus shall be fed': asks his mother to thank Bo[o]a [Mary Prestwich] for the butter she sent. Is 'wearing the thick vests now' and 'hopes to keep colds at a distance' now the weather is much warmer. Has just had a 'cheerful letter' from George, but has not seen Charles since his mother left; expected he 'would be at the Booths' [Charles and Mary?]' at their 'Sunday evening meeting yesterday', but was not; must 'look in at G[rosvenor] C[rescent] to see how he is faring'.

Adds in a postscript that he will be 'glad to go with Papa to the play when he comes, either Pinero [The Benefit of the Doubt?] or the Mikado'; hopes his father is well.

Ivy Holt, Dorking. - Is writing to Trevelyan instead of working on his lectures on the Byzantines. Has just read [Stephen] Philips "P&F" ["Paolo and Francesca"] and shares Trevelyan's conclusions: it is very English and there is no real poetry in it. Trevelyan, Binyon and Moore are far superior, but it is Philips whom the critics praise. Has had an irritating letter from Mrs Grandmont. Yes, Moretto was a Brescian. Describes the Frys' journey back from Italy. Has been to Westcott and thinks the house will do very well: will get to work with the friezes soon. Helen says they will be delighted to have Amica [Elizabeth van der Hoeven] any time in February; hopes he will have some time free from lecturing to show her around Dorking. His arch at the New English [Art Club] looks 'abominable'. Hopes Trevelyan and Berenson will sort things out. Sends love to Ravello.

22 Willow Road, Hampstead. - Glad Bob liked his [painting of] the Beechen Tote [near H]aslemere; thinks it is one of his best and that [John] Masefield is sure to like it. Also thinks that 'the Cowdray oil is the best thing in a way' that he has painted; delighted that [Neville] Lytton agrees, though it will 'almost disappear on the walls of the N.E.A.C.' Hopes to see Lytton this afternoon. The children are with; they are taking Pamela to see Helen this morning. Helen is 'going on well & steadily'; though she tends to be depressed, he thinks this is better than the 'exalted state', and he feels hopeful.