| Description | Letter to Alexander Macdonald of Kepplestone from John Pettie, 21, St. John's Wood Road, N.W. London, just back from Paris with his wife and McWhirter, great fete with gas and oil lamps, electric lights, flags and wreaths, White will have told Macdonald about the Salon exposition, British artists well represented, Millais uncomfortable about a jury system over medals, which apparently Tadema and Herkomer are to receive, Armitage and Leighton are jurors and Pettie doubts their judgement, Millais should be judged the best, condescending compliments concerning some of the French landscapes, but figure painters not so good, for example Bonnat, Leighton, however, could learn from some of them, some good German studies, the Salon was awful apart from the sculpture, glad that Macdonald enjoyed his London visit as did all his friends, good visit to Hook, he must go to the Isle of Wight for the summer and avoid fishing in cold water, hoping to go to Aberdeen next year, 7 July 1878 |