88 
WILLIAM ETTY. 
Mr. Labouchere. A number of small pictures followed, chiefly 
fanciful in design, but very carefully finished. In 1822, Etty 
once more started for Italy, intending to make a stay of six 
months, which was eventually extended to two years. This 
time he was able to see the galleries of the Louvre, which had 
been closed on his earlier visit, and was deeply impressed with 
the almost overpowering magnificence of the building and its 
priceless contents, Rubens and the painters of the Venetian 
School arousing his most keen admiration. After a short stay 
in Paris, he continued his journey with halts at Geneva, Milan, 
and Ifiorence, and at length after enduring much discomfort 
arrived at Rome on the 15th of August, perhaps the worst 
season of the year for an Englishman, but he was determined 
not to fail this time, “ even,” he says, “ should it cost me my 
life.” His letters, especially those to Sir Thomas Lawrence, 
give vivid and interesting accounts of his visits to the sights of 
Rome. He was so truly an artist that beauty of every kind 
appealed to him, whether of colour, form, proportion or sound ; 
he admired the paintings of Michael Angelo and Raphael, the 
sculptures in the Vatican, the vast cathedral of S. Peter, and 
the beautiful music, not forgetting too, the beauties of nature. 
He went about with his friend Bonomi, and spent some time 
in sketching from Michael Angelo. He next visited Naples, 
and stayed three weeks, sight-seeing and drawing industriously 
at the Museum from the Antiques of Plerculaneum and 
Pompeii. He also made the ascent of Vesuvius, visited the 
beautiful Bay of Baiae, and explored the excavations at 
Herculaneum and Pompeii. He then returned to Rome and 
set to work in good earnest, studying, copying, sight-seeing, 
and enjoying the society of his fellow-countrymen, among 
whom were Severn (the friend of Reats), Kirkup, Eastlake, 
and others. His stay was not long, by the end of October he 
was again moving, intending to go straight home, but 
eventually stopping at Venice. As on the occasion of his first 
foreign trip, Etty was suffering from love-sickness. He had 
an artist’s impressionable nature, but was not successful in his 
love-making, his somewhat uncouth and slovenly appearance 
did not commend itself to those who could not discern the 
real man under the rough exterior. He suffered acutely till 
