XVII 



Wedgwood and Flaxman 223 



was never wanting in his praise. Thus, in the following 

 year, Flaxman informed Wedgwood that " Mr. Deveare 

 had finished the bas-relief of Proserpine in the most 

 beautiful manner." Wedgwood returned his thanks to 

 Flaxman in the most cordial manner, especially for 

 Deveare's model of the Discovery of Achilles. In the 

 meantime Flaxman mostly worked at the statues and 

 monuments, for which purpose he had come to Home. 

 He continued his drawings after the ancient classics, 

 always showing his fine sense of the harmony of com- 

 position; he executed his illustrations of Homer, 

 ^Eschylus, and Dante, saturating his fancy with the 

 spirit of the days of old. After spending several years 

 in Home, he returned to London, where he was duly 

 recognised as the greatest sculptor of his time. 



We have already given some account of the relation 

 between Flaxman and Deveare in regard to the bas- 

 reliefs. We now give another, and the last, letter from 

 Flaxman to Wedgwood : 



" Eome, 20th January 1790. Sir During my resi- 

 dence here, I have troubled you with two or three short 

 letters, chiefly relating to Mr. Deveare, and as I shall 

 leave this place in less than three months it is necessary 

 for me to add another, that everything relating to him 

 as far as concerns me may be settled before my depart- 

 ure. Mr. Deveare and myself felt particular uneasi- 

 ness at the information contained in your two last 

 letters, that the two last bas-reliefs he sent to you 

 were so much broken and spoiled. We both earnestly 



