Duplicity, Deceit, & Defamation
So Far.... Come t'Salisbury, I had secur'd a Comfortable Position as a Drawinge-Master &c. &c. & struck uppe a “Friendship” with Mister John CONSTABLe.....
Figures Underneath a Tree, Pencil Sketch
You will recall from my previous writings th'seeming benevolence of Mister CONSTABLe towards myselfe & my EXCEPTIONAL TALENT, and of how th'Publick had e'en begun t'say I had 'OUTRUN th'CONSTABLe!'. Innocently I accept'd his kind offer t'shew my works in London, little realising th'BITTER ANIMOSITY which woulde come t'CONSUMe him as he CONCEIV'd FULLY th'THREAT which my WONDROUS ABILITIEs pos'd t'him & his vaunt'd position in th'ARTISTICK HEIRARCHY.
To whit I present for yr. judgement a series of excerpts taken from correspondence 'twixt Mister John CONSTABLe and my neighbour, Arch-Deacon John FISHER , which have only lately come into my possession. I shalle comment no further for once you have reach'd th'foot of th'page, I'll wager you shalle be as HORRIFY'd as I t'see Mister CONSTABLE's unseemly descent into BITTER ENVY & UNBRIDL'd PARANOIA, and will come t'comprehend my most RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION towards this WICK'd Gentleman!
Nov 30th 1822 from Arch-Deacon John FISHER to CONSTABLe
“I cannot live without communication with th'ART; so in default of yr. Companie, I have cultivat'd th'society of 'READ of th'Flowing Locks'. He has really something of th'sincere love & feeling for th'ART about him. He has just finish'd a laborious careful study of an OLD SHEPHERD & wishes t'get it if possible into th'BRITISH GALLERY. He has begg'd that I would apply t'you for yr. assistance & advice. If he sends it uppe carriage paid will you try & get it admitt'd? And if you cannot GET IT IN, will you give it wall room for a short while 'til he can make uppe his mind what he should do with it? He is AMAZINGLY IMPROV'd. Yet th'SHEPHERD I think a failure: & tried to persuade him t'stick to Landscape. But he is at present WILD, & talks of RAPHAEL & DOMENICHINO & UNIVERSAL ART. His sketches this year are VERY INTERESTING & have some GENUINe FEELING in them. He talks of coming to London & getting into th'Academy”
Dec 6th 1822 CONSTABLe to FISHER
“I will GLADY do alle I can for READ's picture but you know I can onlie give it it's chaunce. I possess neither affection nor favour at that WRETCH'd PLACe. It shalle go with my own. Is it not possible to dissuade him from coming to London? But perhaps he prefers STARVING in a crowd, & if he is determin'd t'make th'adventure let him by alle means preserve his FLOWING LOCKs. They will be sure t'procure him employment, & cannot fail of making him known. They may do him more service than e'en th'talents of Claude LORRAIN, if he had them.”
Feb 1st 1823 CONSTABLe to FISHER
“You have written t'me but two hasty half-sheets for th'last three months, & those were t'INCUMBER me with th'WRETCH'd READ & his WRETCH'd PICTUREs!"
"Poor READ I am uncomfortable about. 'Tis trew I excit'd your neighbourly benevolence towards him for th'sake of his INNOCENT FAMILY, but that certainly would not have been th'case had I thought it would have brought him one step nearer this FEILD of BATTLe, in which so much WORTH & INNOCENCe are doom'd t'perish. None of his pictures are receiv'd at th'Gallery. No one for a moment who saw them expect'd they would. Thus he has involv'd himselfe in no small expense to rid himselfe of his little local reputation. Th'FEILD of WATERLOO is a FEILD of MERCY to ours. Would to GOD you would endeavour to use it t'th'advantage of his Family & prevail on him t'QUIT a profession which he CANNOT FAIL to DISGRACe. Th'TRUTH must now be told you, which is that, he is IGNORANT of ev'ry rudiment of Art, without one GRAIN of original feeling, without one ATOM of talent, and, able onlie t'do something, WORSe than NOTHING at thirty years of age."
"When th'OLD SHEPHERD was laying on his back at my door with a mob of fifty people about it I would have THANK'd ANYBODY t'have SET MY HOUSe ON FIRe, though my Wife & Children were at th'Drawing Room windows. I have order'd them back in th'night.”
Next... Yet More DAMNING & DEFAMATORY YELPING from th'LIBELLOUS CUR & his ECCLESIASTICKAL BITCH......
All quotes from 'Constable & The Fishers: The Record of a Friendship' - R.B. Beckett 1952 pp.111-3, 115-7
