616 iktn^s of tfoe 1Rob, IRifle, an& (Bun 



of Landseer's marvellous combination of rapidity in 

 execution with felicity and skill. Mr. Redgrave writes : 



" In the collection of the late Mr. Wells, of Redleaf, 

 among many other works by this artist [Landseer] 

 are two which are particularly illustrative of this quality ; 

 one is a spaniel rushing out of a thicket with a wounded 

 rabbit. The rabbit and dog are the size of life, they 

 have the fullest appearance of completeness, yet the 

 picture was painted in two hours and a half. The other 

 picture is of a fallow deer, and of the size of life, painted 

 down to the knees. Mr. Wells used to relate that on 

 leaving the house to go to Penshurst Church, the panel 

 for this picture was being placed on the easel by his 

 butler, and on his return in about three hours the 

 painting was complete ; so complete, indeed, that it is 

 more than doubtful if equal truth of imitation could 

 have resulted from a more prolonged and laborious 

 execution." 



This picture was exhibited in the Royal Academy, 

 1874. Finally, as to this astonishing facility in 

 painting, let me state that in the National Portrait 

 Exhibition of 1868 was a portrait of the second 

 Lord Ashburton, a three-quarters view, painted on a 

 canvas thirty-six inches high by twenty-eight inches 

 wide, and said to have been executed, like " Odin," in 

 one sitting. Of course it is not highly finished. But as 

 a vigorous sketch, the thinking and power of execution 

 involved in such rapid production are marvellous. The 

 picture "Spaniel and Rabbit," referred to above and shown 

 at the Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition, was in- 

 scribed by the artist, " painted in two hours and a half." 



