MCLRKADY, WILLIAM, R.A. 



MUN, THOMAS. 



-i 



already meatfcoad. lk following work, at the Royal Academy : In 

 Bketcfc of an Egyptian SIave-mrkrt ;' 'Convent, Bay of 

 Narlia;' and the 'Sphinx;' in 1848. 'Araba asking Treasure;' 

 Prayers fat tit* Haterl;' and Wrlsh Mill on the Dolgarey.' He 



Prayers 



pubbthed in 1 Ml a beautiful work entitled ' 1'icturefque Sketchea of 

 taw Ac* of Francis I.' Shortly after bb death al-out 300 of his 

 tkrtcbc* and other worka were, aold by auction by Christie and 

 Mai.t<>n, and realised the remarkable aum of 43602.; a amall sketch of 

 hfe apartment at Macri alone brought 65 guinea). For a time indeed 

 the work* of Muller were eagerly nought after, and though now leaa 

 popular, they "till fetch high prices. 



MULRRADY, WILLIAM, K.A., waa born at Ennu, Ireland, in 

 1784. Having aa a boy ahown a strong inclination for painting, he 

 waa enlaced in bia fifteenth year aa a itudent in the Royal Academy. 

 There he made satisfactory pragma, and wai regarded by the more 

 observant as one likely to recure a high place at an artist. But after 

 through the eckooli it waa aome time before he (truck 



' 



the right path. Lake moat young (tudei ts Mulready'a thoughts 

 in the firat instance directed towards the classic and 'high 

 haUoric ' branchra of hia profeaaion. From three lie tunn d however 

 in good time to humbler courses. Perceiving bin deficiency in technical 

 akill and knowledge, he act himself resolutely to the study of the 

 leading masters of the Dutch school whom Reynolds had pointed out 

 to the Academy atudenta aa the painter's great exemplars in the 

 management of bia tools. He also painted many small landscape 

 and other studies from common every -day sources. Kensington Gravel- 

 pita and other places in the suburbs of London, which the ordinary 

 student would scarce glance at a second time, were in those days, 

 about 1807-9, Mulready'a favourite painting fields, and some of the 

 little pictures which he painted there have within the last few years 

 attracted a good deal of notice at the exhibitions of the Royal Academy 

 and the Society of Alia. The good effect of these studies waa evinced 

 even in Mr. Mulready'a early pictures. With all their immaturity of 

 thought, uncertainty of touch, and general incompleteness, there was 

 shown a feeling for the simplicity and directness of nature, mellowness 

 and truth of colour, and sober breadth of effect, which pleased the 

 ordinary spectator, yet satisfied the instructed eye that the picture 

 was the result of careful observation and of diligent study. 



Mr. Mulready'a early pictures were of small size. Many of those he 

 first exhibited were the landscapes and exteriors and interiors of old 

 bouaea and rustic cottages to which we have already alluded. One of 

 the fint of hia efforts in the style which has won him bis high reputa- 

 tion waa "The Rattle,' which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 



1808, with a ' Carpenter's Shop and Kitchen.' ' The Music Lesson,' 



1809, ' The Roadside Inn with Hones Baiting,' and the ' Barber's Shop,' 

 exhibited in 1811, showed a great advance in power, and every succes- 

 sive year witneased atraHy progress. His 'Punch,' 1812, though still 

 hardly equal in brilliancy and vigour to the productions of some other 

 of our luore eminent painters at the same age, showed that Mulready 

 waa now paying much more attention to the study of character, and 

 that and the 'Boys Fishiug," 1813, asrured his position aa an artist 

 In 1816 he exhibited hia 'Idle Boys,' which secured hia election iu 

 the following November as A.R.A. In 1810 be exhibited 'The 

 Fight interrupted,' and waa elected R.A. He was now one of the most 

 popular of our painters, but hia popularity never led him to fall into 

 caielees or slovenly habits ; nor when he was thrown for awhile 

 somewhat into the shade by the greater popularity of Wilkie did he 

 endeavour to attract notice by any exaggeration of style or meretri- 

 cicu>ne* of ornament. 'Lending a Bite,' exhibited in 1819 and 

 purchased by Karl Grey, and ' The Wolf aud the Lamb,' exhibited in 

 1620 and purchased by Ueorge IV., marked the maturity of his power. 

 Both pictures displayed rare artiitio merits with a quiet but true 

 humour, and both have become generally known by the engravings. 

 Mr. Mulready's subsequent more important worka were : ' The 

 Careless Meaarager,' 1821 ; ' The Convalescent,' 1822, one of his first 

 iffort* in a more poetic style, and in many respects one of hia finest 

 work.; 'The Widow,' le'24 ; 'The Origin of a Painter,' 1826; 'The 

 Cantioo.' 1627, an admirable picture, purchased by Sir Robert Peel ; 

 The Interior of an Knglish Cottage,' 1828, purchased by George IV.; 

 It* turn from Hastings,' and 'The Dog of Two Minds,' 1830; 'A 

 hailing Match,' 1831 ; 'The Forgotten Word,' and 'Peregrine Touch- 

 Wood breaking in upon the Rev. Joaiah CargilL' 1882; 'The First 

 Vojage,' 1633; "The Last In,' and "The Toy Seller,' 1885; 'Giving a 

 Bite,' 1834; ' Broth, r and huter (Pinch of the Ear),' 1837 ; the very 

 elaborate design representing the Bevt-n Agra of Sbakspere, under the 

 title of All the World's a Stage,' 1838 ; ' Open your Mouth and Shut 



nd 'The Sonnet,' 1839; ' First Love,' the 'Artist's Study.' 

 and ' Fair Time.' 1MO : ' Train up a Child in the Way he should go,' 

 1641; and 'The Ford,' 1842. 



In 1MO Mr. Mulready prrtred a aeries of twenty designs illuatrativo 

 of UM ' Vicar of Waketteld ; ' they were engraved ou wood by Thomson, 

 and published by Van Voont, and are, aa examples of woodcut book 

 Uluatiatiotis, ijuita umivallnl ; ii.died, in tli'ii way they are almost 

 perfect. 1 be general admiration which tboie designs excited soon 

 led to cotnmiatiooa for the embodying of some of them in more 

 durable mat* rials. For Mr. Baring he accordingly painted in 1843 

 The Wl.utoDi.il Controversy,' and in 1847, 'Burchell and Sophia, 

 haymaking;' and for Mr. hheepthauk*, hit master-piece, 'Choosing 



the Wedding Gown.' In all that concerns the thorough mastery over 

 the materials of art, in drawing, composition, light and shadow, and 

 colour, and in fimmrcs and neatness of touch, these pictures are 

 perhaps as nearly perfect aa any worka of their size in modern art. 

 Nor are they less admirable for their possession of the higher mental 

 qualities. Numerous as are pictures from the ' Vicar of Wakefield,' 

 it would bo probably by no means saying too much to affirm that 

 there is more of the true spirit of the author in these three small 

 works than in all the others put together, and certainly no other 

 W.kefield pictures have approached them in technical merit. 



In 1848 the Society of Arts inaugurated a scheme for exhibiting 

 annually " the pictures of aome one eminent living artist, his studies 

 and sketches, and engravings from bis works," by collecting iti their 

 great room in the Adelphi the works of William Mulready. About 

 a hundred of his paintings including almost every one named above 

 were then brought together, and a like number of his studies, 

 sketches, and finished drawings. They were the work of some three 

 and forty years placed side by side for examination and comparison. 

 Never before had an eminent living Knglish artist been subjected to 

 such an ordeal ; but it was passed triumphantly. There it waa seen 

 with what constant and thoughtful labour that great success had been 

 achieved ; with how steady and assured a progress the final result 

 had been arrived at. And instructive as well as interesting in no 

 common measure was it to trace the effects of a knowledge, growing 

 year by year more thorough, of the resource's and of the limits of the 

 painter's art; and to observe therewith the steady enlargement of 

 style, the growing refinement of taste, and delicacy and grace of senti- 

 ment and expression, and of a humour ever ripening yet bordering 

 constantly on tenderness, or even verging ou the pathetic. T < 

 understand bis singular artistic power it was necessary to examine bis 

 studies and sketches, as elaborate and faithful as photographs, with a 

 felicity of selection aud expression evidencing the possession of no ordi- 

 nary amount of mental power. His academy studies in red and black 

 chalk were seen to be something wonderful in their way. The works of 

 Ktty succeeded those of Mulready, being exhibited at the rooms of 

 the Society of Arts in 1849 (not 1848, as was by a clerical error stated 

 under KTTY, where also it should be read, col. 823, " the chief work 

 possessed by the nation of Ktty's painting is," &c., and not aa U 

 printed, " the only work," there being in fact several of his pictures in 

 the Vernon collection). No similar exhibition has since taken place 

 a circumstance very much to be regretted, for probably no other 

 art exhibition would afford more genuine gratification to the general 

 visitor, or so much instruction to the student 



Since the exhibition ol his collected worka Mr. Mulready has been 

 but little before the public eye. In the same year he had at tha 

 exhibition of the Royal Academy his excellent picture of ' The Butt ; ' 

 in 1849, ' Women Bathing,' and a drawing of ' The First Voyage ; ' 

 and in 1S52 ' Blackheath Park ; ' ho has not exhibited since. 



The nation already possesses three of Mulready's best pictures, tho 

 gift of Mr. Veruon : 'The Last In;' 'Fair Time;' and ' Crossing 

 the Ford,' remarkable for the peculiar manner iu which it is painted. 

 But besides these a great addition to the national treasures may be 

 anticipated from the munificence of Mr. Sheepshanks, whose almost 

 unrivalled collection of English pictures, which he has signified his 

 intention of presenting to the nation, contains no less than thirteen 

 of Mulready's paintings, including his most perfect work, ' Choosing 

 the Wedding Gown ;' ' The Sonnet/ ' Open your Mouth and Shut your 

 Eyes,' ' The Intercepted Bilk i,' ' The Pinch of the Er,' ' All thu 

 World's a Stage,' and some of the most pleasing of his earlier works. 



MUN, THOMAS, is the name of an Knglish writer on political 

 economy, who lived in the earlier part of tho 17th century, but of 

 whose personal history scarcely anything appears to be known, 

 best known work, a small 8vo volume published at London iu 

 is entitled ' England's Tieasure by Foreign Trade ; or, the Balance of 

 our Foreign Trade is the rule of our Treasure. Written by Thomas 

 Mun of London, merchant, and now published for the common good 

 by his son John Muu of Ik-anted, in the county of Kent, Esquire.' 

 This title-page comprehends nearly all the particulars we have been 

 able to discover respecting Mun. The book is dedicated to Thomas, 

 earl of Southampton, In an address iu which Mun's son says " It was 

 left me in the nature of a legacy by my father, for whose sake I cannot 

 but value it as one of my beat moveablex, and as such I dedicate it to 

 your lordship. He waa in his time famous amongst merchants, and 

 well known to most men of business for bis general experience iu 

 affairs and notable insight into trade; neither was he loss observed for 

 his integrity to his prince, and zeal to the common-wealth. The 

 serious discoveries of such men are commonly not unprofitable." A 

 passage which occurs in the body of the work may give some indi- 

 i .iii-n of the nature and extent of Mun's dealing*. Having observed 

 that Ferdinand I., the grand-duke of Tuscany, was very rich in 

 treasure, and enlarged his trade by lending to merchants great sums 

 of money at a low interest, he adds " Myself had 40,000 crowns of 

 him yrulu fur a whole year ; although he knew that I would presently 

 scud it away in specie to Turkey, to be employed in wares lor hi 

 country ; he being well assured that in this course of trade it ..i>|.l 

 return again, according to the old saying, with a duck iu the mouth. 

 By his thus encouraging of commerce, within these thirty years tho 

 trade of bia port of Leghorn is BO much increased, that, of a poor 



