| Description | Letter dated 16 December 1874 to Macdonald from George Reid, R.S.A., 22 Scotland Street, Edinburgh (Robertson's), pleased that he liked Lady Huntly's portrait, painting Sir Robert Christison and Mr. Wilson: 'Christison is very nice and has a capital head', admiration of Chalmers' work for the Glasgow exhibition: 'I see no man whose work has more of the true painters spirit and feeling in it', admiration of Cameron's work, including a portrait of Mrs. Hope, Herdman's portrait of David Laing, the antiquary, he has also seen McTaggart's and Cassie's work, evening at Sir R. Christison's with some good raconteurs, visit to Sir George Harvey with Hugh Cameron, Harvey has been ill, 'What a kindly genial old man he is!', anecdotes of Harvey's early years as an artist, apparently Robert Horne often calls with him and even if he is not in goes up to the studio and leaves notes about how he should continue with his work, suggestion that Macdonald should lend his Watts to the new exhibition, 'I am disgusted to know that William Smith, Lauchlan McKinnon and your brother in law Rutherford [husband of Macdonald's sister Jessie] are having it all their own way with the old West Kirk [of St. Nicholas]. They will simply play the devil with it - After all that was done, to find such a philistine pack still bent on its destruction is, to say the least, aggravating'. |