| Description | [The first part of the following letter addressed to Ernest Rhys, Leighton's biographer, is in British Library's Dept of Manuscripts, Rhys papers Eg 3247, f.48-49
Dictated
20 Feb 1895
2 Holland Park Road, Kensington
Dear Mr Rhys
I have received your letter of yesterday's date, and will answer it as far as I can point by point. I am glad to hear you are advancing with the work. As regards the pictures of which you still desire to have illustration: 'Venus Disrobing' belongs to Mr Alexander Henderson, as also does the 'Daedalus and Icarus', both pictures being on the same walls as in the days when Mr Eustace Smith - I hope not 'the late' - still occupied the house, No 52 Princes Gate. 'Elijah in the Wilderness' is at Liverpool. There is a very fine woodcut of it, which I will look up and send to you. 'Simoetha the Sorceress' and 'Whispers', of the former of which there is a photograph by [Peaun?] and the latter of which was photographed by Messrs Tooth, are in the possession of Mrs Bloomfield Moore, an American lady, of No 12 Great Stanhope Street, Mayfair. Of the 'Phryne' you could probably get a photograph from the Berlin Photographic Company who made a very beautiful one. I have no reason to suppose Mr Leathart would refuse the reproduction of my 'David' and 'Dante in Exile' supposing him to possess them. As regards 'Lieder ohne Worte', it is no longer Mr Stuart [sic] Hodgson's and I would rather it were not reproduced. I am rather…]
[at RBKC:
…puzzled to gather from what you say that the Fine Art Society refused to let you reproduce 'Wedded'. Is this really so? I should have thought they had made, to say the least of it, enough money out of that work in the past. With regard to 'The Last Watch of Hero', no photograph of the picture exists. I shall be glad, however, if the picture is reproduced, as it is, I think, one of my best. As regards 'Captive Andromache', the Berlin Photograph Company are the people to turn to. They are generally liberal in these matters, and if they knew I wished it would, I think, allow of its reproduction. Certainly a work on my life which should not contain it would be a very incomplete thing.
I assume of course, that you are reproducing the two frescoes at South Kensington, which were photographed by the Autotype Company? There is also a photograph of my 'Slinger' now in the possession of Lord Justice Davey, which was made in old days, I think by Messrs Lucas. This I should not wish to have omitted, as it represents a side of my art not universally known. The same thing applies to 'Rizpah', which is now at Leeds, and which was photographed I think for Messrs Cassell & Co, by Messrs Dicksee. The same also applies to 'Hit' which, by-the-bye, has just been published by Messrs Goupil, whose permission should be obtained, as they are the owners of the copyright.
You have, I assume, 'Weaving the Wreath', which makes a very attractive piece of black and white? Have you my 'Nausicaa', of which there is a photograph?
I own that as you are, ex hypothesi, going to reproduce the South Kensington frescoes, I should prefer not adding the Lyndhurst fresco, unless you very much care for it.
I am
Yours faithfully
Fred Leighton
P.S. Colnaghi has the 'Summer term'.]
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