| Description | Little Holland House
My dear Leighton
I am more gratified than I can say by your intention, but I contemplate spending much time on the picture this summer and as an unfinished work of course it is out of court.
I believe the design intellectually and graphically would place the picture if the craftsmanship were satisfactory among the valuable possessions of the world. I am not afraid you will accuse me of vanity, you know my aspirations and sense of shortcomings too well for that, and I am sure agree with me in thinking that if we do know when and how far we succeed we cannot know how we fail, so with some sense of approval for the aim and character of the picture I am much dissatisfied with it in some important respects which seem to me to be within my power to modify, so as I said before I am going to spend time upon it. You will be quite sure how absolutely I appreciate your intention and how proud I should be to see my work the property of the Academy and the nation, but I the less regret the matter cannot be brought about for I think Val has painted his large picture with a view to the possible purchase of it by the Academy; how far such hopes are well grounded I do not know, but I should be unhappy if he had the barest chance of feeling that I stood in his way.
Yours aftly
[G F Watts] |