64 ANIMAL PAINTERS 



employer's son, who was about the same age, 

 took a great liking to him, and when the founder 

 of the firm died, Mr. Jacob Bell took Mr. Hills 

 into partnership. 



Mr. Walter Hills, nephew and successor of the 

 latter gentleman, possesses numerous letters written 

 by Sir Edwin Landseer to his uncle, and many 

 of these are of interest as showing how com- 

 pletely the great painter depended on Mr. Hills 

 to take every difficulty, small or great, as it arose, 

 off his hands. Thus he writes begging " My 



dear Hills" to come and explain to Mr. , 



the art publisher, what he, Landseer, wishes and 

 does not wish done in respect of a certain plate 

 which is about to be engraved ; again, to put a 

 stop to the doings of a firm of photographers who 

 have taken negatives of a picture and, Landseer 

 suspects, intend to sell prints contrary to the under- 

 standing ; again, to implore Mr. Hills' good offices 

 to " smooth the feathers " of a friend Landseer 

 thinks he has offended, "so that he may fly back 

 again ; " and yet again, inviting Mr. Hills to lunch 

 to talk over " those bank and investment matters." 



Some of the letters, written in the 'sixties, betray 

 depression of spirits, concern about health, and 

 betray the nervousness which commonly charac- 

 terises the artistic temperament. More buoyant 

 and cheery are those penned from some Highland 



