| Description | Letter to Alexander Macdonald of Kepplestone from John Pettie, 21 St. John's Wood Road, N.W. London, with sketch of his picture for Macdonald, 'a subject grows gradually with me and I have no idea what it will eventually turn out either in size or anything else, also doing two portraits at present, glad that Tom Graham is to show Macdonald his Royal Academy picture 'which has been so unaccountably passed over', high praise for it, cannot understand the 'frightful want of judgement' of the Royal Academy, hopes that Macdonald will be able to help him show it elsewhere, visit from Dr. Jamieson and sorry that he had nothing much to show him, when he had travelled to 'so out of the way a place as St. John's Wood', McWhirter met him at Faed's, comparison of Millais' paintings, International Exhibition of old paintings but lighting very good, 8 May 1871 |