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Memoirs of the life of William Collins, Esq., R.A.
Memoirs of the life of William Collins Esq RA Author:Wilkie Collins Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. 1807—1816. Summary of the course of study at the Royal Academy—The painter's industry in his duties there—Anecdote of Fuseli—Pictures of 1809—L... more »etter from Mr. Collins, sen.—Pictures of 1810, 1811, and 1812—Epigram by James Smith—Correspondence with the late Mr. Howard, R.A.—Death of Mr. Collins, sen.—Extracts from the Painter's Journal of 1812—Pecuniary embarassments of his family—Pictures of 1813 and 1814—Election to associateship in the Royal Academy—Anecdotes respecting picture of " Bird-catchers," communicated by Mr. Stark—Diary of 1814—Anecdotes of the painter; of Elliston ; and of James Smith—Pictures and Diary of 1815—Tour in that year to Cromer—Letters—Removal of the painter to a larger house in New Cavendish-street—Letter to the late Sir T. Heathcote, bart. — Pictures of 1816 — Extract from journal—Serious increase of pecuniary difficulties—Determination to set out for Hastings, to make studies for sea-pieces—Kindness of Sir T. Heathcote in making an advance of money—Departure for Hastings. In commencing his course of instruction at the Royal Academy, the student sets out by making drawings from the best casts of the finest antique statues. By this first process his taste is formed on the universal and immutable models of the highest excellence in the Art he is to adopt; and he proceeds to the next gradation in his studies, drawing from the livingmodel, with such fixed ideas of symmetry and proportion as preserve him from confusing the faults and excellencies of the animated form, and enable him to appreciate its higher and more important general qualities, as the ulterior object of one main branch of his professional qualifications. While his ideas are thus preserved from the degeneration which the unavoidable imperfections of the models before him mi...« less