Sunday, December 19, 2010

An Empty Easel

JMW Turner's passing was posted last year.  Turner worked with Sir Walter Scott on Scott's "Provincial Antiquities of Scotland", and "Poetical Works".  From American philosopher Elbert Hubbard comes the following on the collaboration between the two: 'One spot in Turner's life over which I like to linger is his friendship with Sir Walter Scott. They collaborated in the production of "Provincial Antiquities," and spent many happy hours together tramping over Scottish moors and mountains. Sir Walter lived out his days in happy ignorance concerning the art of painting, and although he liked the society of Turner, he confessed that it was quite beyond his ken why people bought his pictures.


"And as for your books," said Turner, "the covers of some are certainly very pretty."


Yet these men took a satisfaction in each other's society, such as brothers might enjoy, but without either man appreciating the greatness of the other. '

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