HomeMy WebLinkAbout2126Charles Fothergill--letter to the Committee of the Artists and Amateurs Association, dated
18 June 1834 from Pickering Mills Fothergill Collection, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library,
f08 89-94.
Pickering Mills June 18th 1834
To the Committee of (th)e Artists and Amateurs Association &c &c
Gent'n
In forwarding so many as Ten Drawings and Sketches for exhibition I am fearful that I am
going beyond yr rules which prescribe not less than eight to the Members; but my reason for
doing so, is, to present as much variety as possible, both as to the subjects and the style of
drawing and sketching. I have only to lament, on my part, that they are not more worthy.
Should your rule not permit more than eight to be exhibited—please to reject the two which
you may deem least meritorious, or interesting, and I will send for them. I have annexed a list
of the different subjects in order that if you intend to prepare a Catalogue of the Exhibition
(which I think ought to be done) they may be duly inserted.
[fo 90] I hope to be able to furnish for the next season, after this, Sketches of some
remarkable Canadian scenery, and subjects of Canadian Nat. History. I am sorry to say that
I have not one single neighbor in the country who has any pretensions to being an Amateur
in this delightful art. Nevertheless I live in hope, and that the most ample success may attend
the Association in all their efforts to promote the cultivation and extension of the Fine Arts, is
the sincere prayer of Gentlemen
Your most Obedt
humble Servant
Charles Fothergill
P.S. May I be pardoned, as an amateur of water coloured paintings, for expressing a hope
that they will not be too closely contrasted with the deeper, richer, and bolder colouring of Oil
Paintings, which would be doing the former an injustice. In the Somerset House Exhibition, in
London, Sketches and water coloured drawings have a separate apartment; but that, I
suppose, cannot be done in our case.
[fo 91] Nevertheless the light of the apartment may be so managed, under a judicious eye as
to do justice to all parties; and I think it is the duty and must be the pleasing interest of the
Association to render that, their first exhibition, as attractive as possible, in order to ensure
future success which God grant.
Catalogue of Drawings and Sketches offered for the first Exhibition of the Artists and
Amateurs Association in the City of Toronto, June 1834.
All drawn and coloured from Nature by C. Fothergill.
No 1 A View of the celebrated Cradle of Noss in Zetland (very imperfectly represented by
Pennant in his Arctic Zoology), taken from a rock exactly opposite to it, by C. Fothergill.
2 Birdcatching, with a sketch of the extraordinary natural arch, formed by immense
masses of rock and stone, on the north western coast of Fula,
[fo 92] which lies in the Atlantic Ocean several leagues to the west of Zetland; together with
part of those stupendous cliffs which are more than 1400 feet of perpendicular height and of
nearly as many feet in depth to their foundation in the sea. Drawn on the spot in a rough sea
by C. Fothergill.
No 3 A sketch of the Ruins of the ancient Pictish Fort or round Tower of Culswick in Zetland,
as seen and drawn by C.F. in a storm at sea immediately under it.
4 A sketch of Helmsley Bridge and Castle Tower, in Yorkshire drawn on the spot by C.
Fothergill.
5 The Trumpeter Pigeon from the Life by C.F.
6 The Wall Creeper, an exceedingly rare and beautiful species of Certhia. From the
Life by C. Fothergill.
7 The white fronted Tern (Sterna Navia of Linnaeus) from the Life by C. Fothergill.
[fo 93]
No 8 A Non-Descript species of Godwit, discovered, and drawn from the Life by C.
Fothergill.
9 The Wild Rose on vellum by C. Fothergill.
10 A Group of Natural History, representing
(a) The Brown headed Gull (Larus Ridibundus)
(b) Common English Trout (Salmo Fario)
(c) Minute Blenny--of the full natural size. A new species discovered by C.F. on the coast of
the Isle of Mann.
(d) The Grev Salmon of Pennant (Salmo Eriox of Linnaeus and Le Salmone Schieffermuller
of La Cepede rather an uncommon species in the British Dominions.
(e) The Samlet. Well known in all the Trout streams of both the old and new worlds.
(f) The Red-Eye. A variety, scarcely to be called a new species of Roach (Cylorinus Ratilus
of Linnaeus)
(g) The White Water Lily (Nympha Alba) equally common to and equally
[fo 94] beautiful in the still waters of both the old and new Continents. Held Sacred in Egypt
under the name of Lotos.
All drawn and coloured from the Life (but the Gull and Water Lily are still unfinished) by C.
Fothergill.