Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 4).djvu/132

 of the procession, and many other figures introduced into that most remarkable work; a sketch for the "Sluggard," and a tiny model in plaster of the trio of beautiful maidens which form the subject of one of his Academy pictures for this year, "The Garden of the Hesperides."

I asked Sir Frederick to tell me something about his studies for his pictures. I learnt that they were numberless. He is constantly making little play-sketches—hundreds of them in the course of a year; many of them may never be used, yet every one may come in useful at some time. He carefully preserves all these studies—he still has stored away the little book in which he used to draw as a boy when he was nine years of age. He is continually finding little sketches he made years ago coming in for pictures to-day. Sir Frederick took from a portfolio some of these studies. They were done on pieces of brown paper; one of these was for a Sibyl; two others were the first studies for two of the maidens in the "Garden of the Hesperides," and yet two more which were prominent figures in his famous work "Andromache." Some of these are reproduced in these pages.

There are quite a number of easels about with works upon them which are still in progress.

"Here is a very beautiful drawing by Gainsborough," said Sir Frederick, taking down from the wall one of the familiar Gainsborough women, with the equally familiar Gainsborough hat and feathers, which any modern woman would envy. "It was a study for a picture he painted for George III.