SIR EDWIN LANDSEER. R.A. 



the Art- Union of London to engrave it for their subscribers, to whom the print, 

 excellently engraved by the late J. T. Willmore, A.R.A., was presented in 1856. 

 More than one eminent publisher had applied to its owner for liberty to engrave the 

 work, and had offered a very large sum for the privilege. Mr. Cartwright, however, 

 resolutely declined all requests, keeping his treasure at his mansion near Tunbridge 

 for many years ; but at length granted to a society, whose object is to create a love of 

 art among the thousands, what was refused to private speculations. I mention 

 these facts to show the opinion of this beautiful picture by those capable of understand- 

 ing and valuing its merits. Although it is now tolerably well-known, a few words of 

 description may not be out of place here. From the left of the composition a 

 lofty range of mountains stretches away into the extreme distance : a considerable 

 portion of this high ground is concealed by clouds and vapours, for a heavy shower 

 has passed over the distant landscape, now in deep shadow, except where a rain- 

 bow appears to spring from the horixon : the long level plain between this and the 

 foreground is more or less lighted up with gleams of sunshine. In the foreground, 

 on the left, and leading into the centre of the sunshine, is the corn, partly in sheaves 

 and partly standing ; nor does it seem that the owner of the produce is over-anxious 

 to have the crop garnered, for the labourers are few,— perhaps they are scarce in 

 those regions — one elderly woman, with a kind of rake in her hand, and a young girl 

 holding a sickle, and bearing a small sheaf under her arm ; the lass is conversing with 

 a number of boys, one of whom restrains a collie-dog whose attention is directed to a 

 group of deer-stalkers coming up from the distance, laden with their spoils. Between 

 the old woman and the children is a cart laden wi-th corn; it is drawn by a 

 rough-looking animal with a foal by its side ; and to the right of the group, among a 

 mass of granite-boulders, are a calf tethered, and a goat with its kids. It is altogether 

 a most picturesque scene, every passage of which shows masterly yet delicate execu- 

 tion. The drawing, in water-colours, made by Woodman for the use of the engraver 

 of the picture, was sold, in 1866, with the collection of the late Mr. R. H. Grundy, of 

 Liverpool, for 130 guineas. 



" Bolton Abbey in the Olden Time " was his principal contribution to the Academy 

 exhibition of the following year ; and perhaps no picture Landseer ever produced has 

 proved so universally popular and is so widely known, for it has been multiplied by 

 engravings large and small ; the principal one being that by Mr. S. Cousins, R.A., 

 published three or four years after the appearance of the picture, and of which proof 

 impressions are now very rare and valuable. The original painting is in the possession 

 of the Duke of Devonshire, to whom the ruins of the grand old abbey, or rather priory, 

 belong, with the manor on which they stand. Landseer has only introduced the entrance 

 gateway of the edifice, as it may be supposed to have presented itself four or five cen- 

 turies ago, when the monastic institution was flourishing in full vigour, and its " reverend 



