This very long (1350+ words) letter is terribly faded and I would have given up the task but for the fact that the writer is William Collins RA, father of the popular Victorian author Wilkie Collins now better remembered than his painter father. I read The Woman in White and The Moonstone with pleasure some years ago, both in Penguin Classics editions.
The
difficult task of transcribing this letter was rewarded: towards the end it includes
a striking cameo of the young Wilkie – first name William and thus Willy to his
father – clambering about on Vesuvius. The letter is very faded at the crucial
point; I will return to it at a later date to see if I can solve the mysteries currently
indicated by ….
William
Collins RA (1788-1847) was a popular and financially successful painter of
sentimental scenes, some of which were reproduced as carefully engraved prints.
He was able to afford to spend two years with his family in Italy (1836-1838) during
which period the letter transcribed below was written. His work no longer
arouses much interest, original oil paintings selling for a few hundred pounds;
the painting which made his fame, The Sale of the Pet Lamb (1812) was
estimated at £8-10000 in a 2026 Sothebys sale.
His
second son Charles Allston Collins (1828-73), mentioned in the letter, became a
Pre-Raphaelite painter and later a writer.
William
Collins and his wife were highly religious and they intended Wilkie for the priesthood;
on the family’s return to London he was sent to a private boarding school in
north London run by a Reverend Cole; he was bullied but escaped the worse fate
of his younger brother who was sent to the north of England Roman Catholic
boarding school Stonyhurst; it is appropriately named and more of its character
may be gathered from another letter I have from the same period:
https://www.otherpeoplesletters.com/2026/07/henry-bedingfeld-very-unhappy-pupil-of.html
The
addressee of the letter below is Jacob Bell, a prominent and wealthy pharmacist
and at the end of his life briefly a Whig/Liberal MP. He was a friend of Sir Edwin
Landseer (1802-73) and it is Bell’s two dogs which feature in Landseer’s
painting Dignity and Impudence.
Transcription
Addresses
to: Jacob Bell Esqr 338 Oxford
Street London per
Inghilterra
Datelined:
August 19th 1837
Undated
Crossed Keys postmark of the Papal States; London receiver mark of 9 SEP 1837
Docketing
note: Collins
Dear
Bell
Your
letter afforded us all the greatest pleasure and the best proof of the delusion
under which you labour in supposing yourself not a first rate hand in driving a
quill, and you cannot do us a greater favour than to write a few more, you
already perceive that I am making use of my wife’s hand, which I am obliged to
do in consequence of labouring under a violent rheumatic attack entirely
disabling my right hand, and so far affecting my eyes as to put a stop for the
present to either writing or drawing. My left ancle too is so much attacked as
at one time to lead to a suspicion of gout. I am however thank God fast
improving under the most attentive care of an extremely intelligent English
physician Dr Strange [ ? no details found ], who resides in this place,
all this has been brought upon me by a too eager desire to increase my
collection of sketches by which I have been induced to expose myself too much to the sun and atmosphere of this
climate, not liking to shut myself up during the day, which ought to be done
through the raging heat of the months July and august, had all this occurred
before the sales you speak of , it is impossible to say how much higher the
works of the old master might have sold. With respect to your question about
remaining abroad I never had the most distant idea of settling out of my own
country. When I started from England, I most faithfully intended as I mentioned
to you to be back in the autumn of – 37 -, but we have lost so much time in the
annoyances of avoiding Quarantines
connected with the cholera, that I fear our original intention may perhaps be
exceeded till the following spring; though we have not yet quite abandoned the
hope of being back by Decr. next all our friends strongly advise our passing
another winter in the genial climate of Italy. The Cholera has been most fatal
both at Naples and Palermo, and there seems very little doubt that it has at
length reached Rome, at Naples and the neighbouring villages it is considered
as quite over, and many friends who have been staying at this place are now
returning every day. Our present plan is to remain here quietly until I may be
blest with strength to leave and the weather becomes cooler, which it does
after the first rains (now expected every day) and then to proceed to Amalfi,
Castilla Mare, and other beautiful places, too numerous to mention spoken of by
all as affording the most perfect subjects for both the painter and poet, not
only as regards the objects themselves but as respects that peculiar glow of
colour and tint said to exist alone in fair Italy.
I
have been very industrious have made an immense number of sketches, many very
highly finished, but have begun no picture although I have made plans for many,
as I feel convinced that much greater acquisitions are to be made under the
character of a student. - Augst. 23d What was written above was as much
as my strength would endure, and until today I have been too feeble to attempt
anything further. My eyes I am happy to say are very considerably better, I
trust nearly well but require great care, my right arm is much better, my left
knee (newly attacked since I last wrote) still in great pain, so much for the
Bulletin of today. The information you gave me respecting the prints of “Sunday
Morning” and “Leaving Home” says much in
favour of adopting your advice as to the mode in which any future pictures may
be engraved, I am quite delighted with your description of Phelps [Benjamin Phelps Gibbon who engraved paintings by Landseer ] … you quite confirm my previous opinion of
his sterling talent. I had a letter from him since the arrival of yours in
which he tells me how much he is gratified by your approbation of his [seal
broken here, possibly the word is drawing] he wishes to know if the plate
is to be dedicated to you, I hope you have no objection to its being so. I am
surprised you had so much difficulty in finding Phelps and the picture, as I
particularly desired him to call upon you for the purpose of showing you the
etching, and other states of the plate, and I most certainly thought I had
myself furnished you with the address before I left London. I trust the print
will soon be finished and the picture placed in your safe keeping. When it does
reach your hands, have it wiped with a clean cloth by hand or at most washed
carefully with water alone but by no means allow any one to persuade you to
have it varnished until my return. I am much obliged to you for the readiness
you express to have charge of any picture I may send, I shall bear this in
mind, tho’ I do not think at present I shall have to trouble you. We have often
talked over the possibility of coming suddenly upon you and your sisters at the
foot of Vesuvious as we formerly met at Snowdon, and we do not yet despair but
what a mighty difference in the two ascents! The enormous height in the first
place, and part of the way up more than
ancle deep in ashes at every step but no price in the way of labour can be too
great for the truly sublime and terrific
[the word then used in aesthetics to refer to the awe-inspiring or
terrifying] which the summit
affords, though there is no great eruption at present, still volumes of …. and
hot ashes hurtling forth at intervals with a most awful and terrific noise, and
the red hot lava every where visible in
the wide & lengthened [?] chasms complete the picture of desolation
& horror. In this great undertaking I was accompanied by Willy, who was
delighted to find the shoes burnt off his feet even[?] to regale himself
with eggs roasted in the lava, and copious draughts of Palermian wine, and
would fain have …. his …. lighted at the lava ……. This description has nearly
diverted my original intention at the mention of your sisters to give a good
scolding in which we all heartily join for never mentioning one single word of
either Father, Mother, brothers or sisters.
In
a letter I recd. a few days ago from Mr
Rice [ ?] he advises me of the
payment you had made. I do not forget is included the price of one of the very
best sketches I can make you. I am much obliged
by your kind inquiries after my wife and children they are quite well.
Willy talks Italian with as much fluency as English & drives all our
bargains, which is …… here, as they always ask six times as much as they intend
to take. Charlie is pretty idle, and both fonder than ever of dogs and riding
any animal they can get.
Pray
remember us to Mr & Mrs Briggs [H P Briggs RA, painter] &
Landseer [Sir Edwin Landseer, friend of Bell ] the Rentons [John renton,
painter?] &c &c – and especially to the various members of your own
family – what progress has my rival for fame in the fine art trade in his
studies in architecture & almost forgot to tell you that as we found it impossible to return by
Michaelmas we have quite given up our house to Capt Washington [Captain John
Washington, a Royal Navy hydrographer] therefore you must find us on our
return a fine house in a fashionable square at 25 £ a year ….
I
must now having no more room though much inclination close this epistle having
just room to squeeze in at least one truth that I am faithfully yours William
Collins.
References
Wikipedia:
William Collins (painter)
Wikipedia:
Wilkie Collins
Wikipedia:
Charles Allston Collins
Wikipedia:
Jacob Bell (Chemist)
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