62 Some Notes on Gainsborough and his connection loith Brndford. 



whicli is generally admitted to be superior to Reynolds' far-famed 

 portrait of the inimitable mimic and actor. 



Of all the portraits Gainsborough painted, whether in Bath or 

 elsewhere, there is not one of greater power and excellence than 

 that of Orpen, the parish clerk of Bradford ; and lest I should detain 

 you too long, I must quit the gay scenes at Bath. Notwithstanding 

 his popularity in the artistic circles of Bath, and the extraordinary 

 number of commissions for portraits pressed on him by wealthy 

 visitors, landscape painting was his delight ; his passion for Nature 

 revived, and the varied scenery of hill and dale around Bath and 

 Bradford became as familiar to him as the Suffolk woods. 



I just now mentioned that his house in Ainslie's Belvedere com- 

 manded a view of Hampton Rocks, which are situated at the 

 entrance of the beautiful valley down which the Avon winds its 

 sluggish course from Bradford, flowing through the charming 

 meadows lying at the base of the Hampton Cliff. This valley had. 

 a rare fascination for Gainsborough. Ou the heights above he was 

 often seen sketching, and one of the crags yet bears the name of 

 " Gainsborough's Pallett.'^ From the opposite side of the valley he 

 could see the mansion of his friend, Mr. Wiltshire, the great London 

 carrier to the West of England, whose name will always be remem- 

 bered in connection with Gainsborough, who spent many pleasant 

 days at his beautiful country seat, and often walked from thence 

 with his drawing materials to Bradford, or rode the grey pony Mr. 

 Wiltshire had given him, through the interesting village of Monkton 

 Farleigh to Bradford. 



Wiltshire's appreciation of his painting, and regard for the man, 

 would not allow him to receive payment for the carriage of his 

 pictures to and from the London exhibitions. Gainsborough 

 handsomely reciprocated his friend's kindness by presenting him 

 with examples of his finest works, now of inestimable value. The 

 one best known, from its being the property of the nation, and 

 placed in the National Gallery, is the portrait of " The Parish Clerk." 

 This picture was the result of Gainsborough's pilgrimages to the 

 picturesque and flourishing little town of Bradford, whither he 

 wandered after leaving his sketching ground on Hampton Down, 



