Page:Bryan's dictionary of painters and engravers, volume 5.djvu/54

 the same lady whom he had exhibited in pen-and- ink in the previous year, a picture of most marvel- lous execution, and two fancy portraits called 'Vivien' and 'La Belle Ysonde.' The oil portrait that was perhaps his greatest achierement was seen at the Academy in 1864. It was called 'A Portrait,' but represented Mrs. Jane Lewis, of Roehampton, and was a most wonderful example of elaborate miniature manipulation, almost perfect in its execution. With it he sent an oil picture called ' Morgan Le Fay,' and a pen-and-ink draw- ing of ' Judith.' Two oil pictures appeared in 1865, ' Cassandra,' and ' Gentle Spring,' and u grand illustration in the ' Shilling Magazine,' called ' Amor Mundi.' In 1866 his notable oil paintin^r of 'Lady Rose' was exliibited, and his work ap- peared in the 'Argosy,' 'Quiver,' 'Once a Week,' and the ' Cornliill Magazine,' the following being the titles of tlie pictures respectively : — 'If,' 'The Advent of Winter,' 'Cassandra and Helen,' and 'Cleopatra.' In 1868 he returned in his Royal Academy exhibits to his earlier medium of crayons, sending in the ' Study of a Head,' and a portrait of Mr. George Critchett. With them was sent in his great picture of ' Medea,' which was accepted, but rejected at the last moment. This procedure drew forth from his friends an indignant protest, and started a severe correspondence in the 'Times,' with a characteristic eulogy of the picture from Mr. Swinburne, with the result that in the follow- ing year the picture was hung on the line, and with it was accepted a crayon portrait of Mrs. Barstow. In 1871 another oil portrait was sent in, representing Mr. W. H. Clabburn, a crayon portrait of the same person, and a group in crayons of the children of Mr. J. J. Colman. Four crayon portraits appeared in 1873, representing Mrs. William Brand, Mr. Leopold de Rothschild, Mr. Frederick A. Millbimk, and Mrs. Millbank. His exhibits in 1875 were a crayon portrait of Father Rossi, anotlier of Miss Ellis, one without a name, and an oil painting of Mrs. William Brand. In 1876 he exliibited one crayon portrait only, Mrs. Charles Augustus Howell, in 1878 a similar one of Mr. Cj-ril Flower (now Lord Battersea), and in 1879 an oil portrait of Mrs. Temple Soanes. His exhibits in 1880, 1882, and 1883 were all in crayons, the two portraits in 1880 representing James Brand, Esq., and 'Ethel and Mabel'; those in 1882, Mr. Robert Browning, His Excellency the Hon. J. Kussell Lowell, Mr. Matthew Arnold, and Professor Goldwin Smith. In that year he h.'d an important illustration in ' Dalziel's Family Bible,' entitled ' Jacob hears the Voice of the Lord.' In 1883 he sent into the Academy a crayon portrait of Mrs. H. Chinnery, and in 1886 his last exhibit was an oil portrait of Mr. William Gilliian. The important work of Sandys was, however. by no means confined to his exhibits at the Royal Academy and his book illustrations. He first of all came before the public in connection with a clever satire of the pictures exhibited by Millais at the Royal Acadeniy in 1857, called 'Sir Isun - bras at the Ford.' Sandys' parody of the picture was a very brilliant drawing, representing Mil- lais, Rossetti, and Holman Hunt riding upon a donkey, inscribed " J. R. Oxon," and intended to represent Ruskin. The joke was directed against the Oxford Professor on account of his over-vehe- ment championship of Rossetti and Holman Hunt. It was the occasion of the first meeting between Rossetti and Sandys, and as the former artiot had sufficient sense of humour to take the satire in good part, it was the beginning of a warm friend- ship which sprang up between the two men, and lasted uninterruptedly until Rossetti's death. A' little later on Sandys took up his abode in K-n- sington, and became associated with that wonder- ful circle which included Swinburne and George Meredith, Tennyson and the Brownings, Biime- Jones, Madox Brown, William Morris, and others. It was from that time that his illustrative Wi.rk commenced, as previous to then in book illustra- tion he hiid only executed some pictures for the ' Birds of Norfolk ' and the ' Antiquities of Nor- wich.' There are many works by liim which were never exhibited at the Royal Academy, but that must be mentioned. In 1862 he painted three notable oil pictures, ' Fair Rosamond,' ' A Vestal offering her Hair on a Rose-crowned Altar,' and ' Mary Magdalene.' In 1868 his wonderful crayon drawing called 'Proud Maisie' appeared, perhaps the most vivid and dramatic work he ever exe- cuted, while in the same year he produced several symbolic figures, notable amongst which were 'Lethe,' 'Proserpine,' ' Fate,' ' Penelope,' and ' Mi- randa.' Amongst his crayon portraits should also be mentioned Bishop Denison, of Salisbury, the Misses Clabburn, Lady Buxton, 1875 ; Ladj' Law- rence, Mrs. Samuel Hoare and her children, 1884 ; Mrs. George Meredith and Miss Meredith, Mrs. Cyril Flower (now Lady Battersea), and Miss Clara Flower, 1872 ; Miss Christabel Gilliian, 1887 ; Mrs. H. P. Sturgis, 1894 ; Mrs. Palmer, 1896; St. George, 1880, and others. About the year 1880 Sandys received a commission from Messrs. Macmillan & Co. to execute a series of crayon portraits of well-known literary persons, and he devoted many years to this work. The series, which remains in the possession of Messrs. Mac- millan, includes portraits of Robert Browning, Matthew Arnold, John Morley, J. H. Shorthouse, Lord Tennyson, Dean Church, Dr. Westcott, J. R. Green, Lord Wolseley, aud Mrs. Oliphant, while in 1891 he produced a delightful portrait of the children of Mr. Alexander Macmillan, and in the following year, portraits of the same persons, two girls, entitled ' A Christmas Carol.'

Rossetti pronounced Sandys to be 'the greatest of living draughtsmen, and his exquisite skill in drawing is well represented in the wonderful picture of 'Proud Maisie,' now belonging to Dr. Todhunter, and in the studies of foliage, tree- trunks, branches and figures in which the artist delighted He was never a member of the pre- Raphaelite Brotherhood, nor in fact was he associ- ated with any society of artists at all. He lived in constant revolt against the Academy and all its works, and was in frequent conflict with every other artistic society, pursuing a resolute and life- long independence of all schools, teacliers and societies, and a warfare more or less with most artists. The methods and ideals, however, of the pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were his, and his pic- ture of 'Autumn,' exhibited in 1862, is a wonder- ful example of the work of this school of artists, carried out to a logical issue, and with marvellous perfection. It is probable, however, that the repu- tation of Sandys will rest mainly upon liis por- traits of Mrs. Anderson Rose, 1863, Mrs. Jane Lewis, 1864; and ' Medea,' 1869. These are lumin- ous and f Tcible works, brilliant in colouring, full of detail, and exquisitely finished. They partake strongly of a sympathy with early Flemish work,