THE BAPTISMAL FONT 



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seventieth year, neither mind nor hand manifested any very significant signs of 

 weakness. One of the three subjects was "The Lady Emily Peel with her favourite 

 Dogs, as graceful a portrait as the artist ever put on canvas. Her two dogs are 

 placed one on each side of the lady, and she is lecturing one of them, which in his 

 gambols has overturned a flower-pot: the delinquent animal seems to listen to his 

 mistress's chiding with submission and due penitence, while its companion looks at her 

 as if deprecating any feeling of anger, however justly merited. Another picture a 

 large canvas, was entitled ««The Baptismal Font," and it may be regarded 'as 

 somewhat remarkable that almost the last work he placed before the public is, as was 

 said of it, "inexpressibly rich in Christian allusion : " it is, in fact, a sacred allegory, 

 more original, and " more elaborately comprehensive than any essay of the like nature 

 which has ever appeared in Christian art; and so impressively set forth, that it might 

 fitly be appropriated as an altar-piece." Round and beneath a large font standing in 

 an open space of ground, is a flock of sheep and lambs, typifying, it may be assumed, 

 those of the Gospel, and imbued with eveiy taint of sin, from that of the youngest 

 lamb to the deep die of the blackest sheep. But in their respective positions about and 

 under the font, all seem to confess their faith in the invitation of the Saviour. The 

 sides of the basin are ornamented with a mark of Christ and symbolic attributes of the 

 atonement ; while doves have alighted on the edge of the font, and in the sky appears 

 the rainbow of promise and of hope. The sentiment of the composition is so entirely 

 opposed to anything which ever appeared from the hand of the artist, that its 

 authenticity might almost be questioned : yet no one would doubt his workmanship. 



The third picture of the year, "The Lion and the Lamb," is said to have been 

 suggested by Sir Edwin seeing a lamb lying incidentally near the model of one of the 

 Trafalgar Square lions. The painting when exhibited bore evident signs of being 

 unfinished ; but the design, and the treatment, so far as the latter was carried, were 

 worthy of the painter. It is by no means improbable that, if the work had again come 

 under his hand, he would have so transformed it as to make it illustrative of Isaiah's 

 well-known prophecy, " and the lion shall lie down with the lamb." 



The present year, 1873, brought two pictures from Landseer's studio to the 

 Academy exhibition : one, " Tracker," recalled to memory some of his works of long 

 by-gone days. " Tracker" is a collie-dog, which his master has left in charge of his 

 bonnet and Bible while he has gone over the hills, possibly in search of some wanderers 

 from his flock. The faithful animal has his eyes fixed on an open page of the sacred 

 volume with a singular expression of curiosity and intelligence. The other picture had 

 this title in the catalogue : " Sketch of her Majesty the Queen. (Unfinished.) Her 

 Majesty has not sat for the likeness." The Queen is seated on a white pony. The sketch 

 was, it is believed, made several years ago ; and in the unfinished state in which it was 

 exhibited cannot be justly made amenable to criticism. 



