STEPHEN ELMER. A.R.A. I 53 



the list of his contributions to the Royal Academy ; 

 thus, in 1777 he exhibited "The Politician" (after- 

 wards engraved by T. Ryder), and in 1785 

 "Avarice." "The Miser," engraved by B. Granger, 

 was another of the same class ; but studies of birds, 

 noticeably pheasants, partridges and woodcock, of 

 trout and of fruit seem to have possessed most 

 attraction for him. 



In the vestry of Farnham Church is a picture of 

 "The Last Supper," which formerly hung over the 

 altar. This, so far as can be ascertained, is the 

 only work ot sacred character painted by Elmer : 

 and we may suppose that it was executed for 

 the express purpose of presentation to the church 

 of his native place. 



Elmer, in 1763, was a member of the Free 

 Society of Artists, at whose annual exhibitions he 

 showed numerous works. The fifth exhibition of 

 the Royal Academy, held in 1772, included nine 

 pictures by Elmer, then in his fifty-fifth year ; and 

 for the ensuing twenty-three years, until 1795, with 

 the e.xception of the 1792 exhibition, he was 

 unfailingly represented upon its walls. The nine 

 works contributed by him to the exhibition of 1772 

 were very fairly representative of his range of art, 

 including as they did pictures of a fox, hare, 

 pheasant, small birds and trout, flower and fruit 

 pieces, all of which were marked " For Sale." In 



