| Description | Letter dated c.1867 to Macdonald from John F. White, Queen's Hotel, Harrogate, with account of return visit to the Royal Academy and to see Dore's [?] pictures, no time to visit Pettie or others, 'you are quite safe if Orchardson undertakes to give you a good picture. I think however you should ask for a picture by and in itself, not a Shakespearean illustrations, which line he is giving himself too much to', delight with a bust by E.F. Watts, purchase of a pamphlet with comments on the exhibition by Rossetti and Swinburne which is very unfair to Millais 'who is very splendid this year … he is painting now by shorthand', comments on the galleries of Dresden, Vienna and Munich, promise to write to Israels, purchase of pictures from Clays in Brussels, plans to stay in Harrogate for a few days, news of Miss Hollins for Field, mention of Reid doing Mrs. Field's portrait, 'I fear Leeds is not going to be a success financially. There seems no stir about it, and I heard yesterday with surprise that the lighting of the galleries is not good. They were never built for pictures - but for the wards of a hospital! Surely they ought to have made sure of a good light before bringing such a quantity of fine pictures together', Rossetti does not like Rettie's picture, risks of sending pictures by rail. |