66 ANIMAL PAINTERS 



the bill to pay to-day — tired and very shaky. I have not got 

 over the great shock sustained by the awful shoot out of the 

 dogcart downhill — this style of accident." ("Here follows a 

 rough sketch of a bolting horse, a smashed vehicle and a 

 figure heels in air labelled, E. L.] 



Landseer at this date was sixty-four years of age ; 



the fatigue which followed such exertion seems to 



have made him realise that he attempted more than 



his age warranted. He concludes this letter: — 



" Reaction [after exhaustion] may give me boldness. My 

 Hart is in my art. I long for meditation in my painting-room 

 and for the quiet and repose necessary to an old gentleman's 

 revival. Some things make age older, as in youth some 

 things make youth younger." 



Another letter to Mr. Hills shows Landseer as a 



taxidermist : 



" With regard to the stags' heads, you ought to have 

 received four harts and two roebucks. I don't want anything 

 done to either of them till I come, simply to have them pre- 

 served to prevent the hair coming off. No one can stuff them 

 but myself. The shilh are left in, bones of neck taken out. 

 If you can employ your art to keep them in stuffing order till 

 my return I shall be most grateful." 



To say that Landseer owed his financial success 

 to Messrs. Jacob Bell and Thomas Hyde Hills is to 

 state the truth in the barest fashion. The demand 

 for engravings from his works gave an exceptionally 

 high value to their copyright, and sales of copyright 

 to art publishers were always arranged first by the 

 one and afterwards by the other of these invaluable 

 advisers. 



