154 ANIMAL PAINTERS 



regard to this it is worth noting that as time passed 

 by Elmer appears to have made no attempt to sell 

 his pictures ; at all events he possessed a large 

 collection of his own paintings at the time of his 

 death. His reputation had been well established 

 long ere this date, and the Royal Academy evidently 

 only waited until he should send pictures to their 

 exhibition to elect him an Associate ; for this honour 

 was conferred upon him in 1772, the first year in 

 which he exhibited. Between that year and 1795 

 he sent altogether 1 1 7 works to the Royal Academy 

 exhibitions. 



Elmer's addresses in the catalogues are given as 

 Farnham, Surrey, and 44, Watling Street, London ; 

 the latter perhaps being an occasionally visited place 

 of business, for he seems to have made the pretty 

 little Surrey town where he was born his place of 

 residence. 



Foxhounds and other sporting dogs furnished 

 subjects for some of Elmer's best pictures. Two of 

 his pictures were engraved by W. Smith for repro- 

 duction in the Sporting Magazine. One occurs in 

 the issue for April, 1805, entitled "Mallard and 

 French Spaniel ; " it shows a dog whose closely 

 shaven legs, shaven tail, with tip-tuft and fierce 

 moustaches suggest the poodle rather than spaniel. 

 The letterpress describing the original as the work 

 of "the ingenious Mr. Elmer, of Farnham," says 



