Now! Then! London painter Joseph Farington gets gossip from a pupil about colleague William Hodges’ visit to Walter Fawkes at Farnley Hall, some years before Fawkes met Turner

6 December 1794: London painter Joseph Farington gets gossip from a pupil about colleague William Hodges’ visit to Walter Fawkes at Farnley Hall, some years before Fawkes met Turner

William Hodges’ view of Otley Bridge on the River Wharfe (Hodges 1783ish).

Joseph Farington. 1923. The Farington Diary, Vol. 1 (July 13, 1793, to August 24, 1802). Ed. James Greig. London: Hutchinson and Co. Get it:

Excerpt

Craig was at Mr Fawkes’s in Yorkshire, 12 miles from Leeds, when Hodges was there to make sketches for 4 pictures. Hodges charged 300 guineas for the four, besides frames. Mr Fawkes was extremely discontented. He complains that the views are not made like the place, that they are slightly painted, and the charge very great. The pictures are taken down and turned to the wall, and Mr Fawkes says he will never buy another oil picture.

Order the book

Subscribe to the free daily email

To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations

Comment

Editor Greig comments:

The main interest of this paragraph lies not in Hodges, whose father was a blacksmith in Clare Market, off Old Drury-lane, but in Mr. Fawkes (of Farnley), who was one of Turner’s earliest friends and patrons. The great artist first made his acquaintance about 1802, and before long he became a regular visitor to Farnley Hall, the members of its household regarding him with deep esteem, they finding him always full of fun and high spirits. He was known as “Overturner” by the Fawkes, because, while driving the family home one day, he upset the cart.

Something to say? Get in touch

Original

December 6.—Craig [Farington’s pupil] was at Mr Fawkes’s in Yorkshire, 12 miles from Leeds, when Hodges [R.A.] was there to make sketches for 4 pictures. . . . Hodges charged 300 guineas for the four, besides frames. Mr Fawkes was extremely discontented. He complains that the views are not made like the place, that they are slightly painted & the charge very great. The pictures are taken down & turned to the wall, & Mr Fawkes says he will never buy another oil picture.

80 words.