| Description | Letter dated 9 March 1878 to Macdonald from George Reid, R.S.A., 4 Pembroke Gardens, Kensington, West London, regarding postponed plans for travelling to Edinburgh, impossibility of visiting Mr. Hook, work on a portrait of Dr. Smith, who was an interesting sitter, unwilling to bother Millais with a visit, though pleased that he lent Reid his studio, Joseph Farquharson says that Millais has been extremely busy, mention of some of his paintings, visit to Orchardson in Ward's old house, his painting of an amusing ballroom incident in the Regency period, description of Pettie's pictures of 'a member of the Long Parliament' and a hut interior with an officer in it, Lawson's painting of a gladiator and a panther: 'What a fine fellow he is and how well he bears his long want of prosperity!', MacWhirter's painting of three birch trees, appreciation of Colin Hunter, visit to Watts' studio with Mr. Smiles, painting by Watts of a knight on a white horse, comments on improvement in Hugh Cameron's work, dinner with James Archer and meeting with Charles Keene, view of diploma pictures at the Royal Academy: 'what a queer lot!', mention of visit to the new rooms in the National Gallery 'It is really a splendid place now, quite bewildering in its extent', mention of a 'terrible occurrence' in Edinburgh, the death of a friend [almost certainly George Paul Chalmers, R.S.A., who died after a violent mugging off Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, 16 February 1878]: 'I feel that Edinburgh is no longer the same without him, and I almost dread returning to it on Monday', John Forbes White's distress at the same event. |