Autobiographical Recollections. By The Late Charles Robert Leslie, R.A. Edited, With A Prefatory Essay On Leslie As An Artist, And Selections From His Correspondence. By Tom Taylor, Esq., Editor Of "The Autobiography Of Haydon." In Two Volumes. - Vol. I. (II.) With Portrait.
Vol. I: [Blank with verso advertisement, frontis., t.p.] - Editor's Preface [By Tom Taylor] - Author's Preface - Contents - Introduction. On Leslie's Pictures. - [Text]; [colophon]. - Vol. II: [T.p.] - Contents - [Text]; [colophon] - [Publisher's advertisement].
Responsibility Note
The frontispiece portrait of Leslie in Volume I is captioned as '... From an early portrait by himself' and signed as engraved by William Holl. It carries the publisher's imprint of John Murray and the date (1860).
The printers' names are given on the versos of the title pages and in the colophons: 'London: Bradbury And Evans, Printers, Whitefriars.'
The back pastedown carries the binder's ticket, which reads, 'Bound By Edmonds & Remnants. London'.
References
D. Evans, Benjamin West and his American students [exhibition catalogue] (1980), p.161-70, 177-80. Two studies of the background were D.S. Macleod, Art and the Victorian middle class (1996), R. Strong, And when did you last see your father? (1978).
Summary Note
The first volume contains the autobiography and Taylor's prefatory remarks; the second, extracts from Leslie's correspondence and an Appendix 'List Of The Principal Pictures Painted, And Of All The Pictures Exhibited By C.R. Leslie, R.A.'
The frontispiece shows an early self-portrait of Leslie.
Leslie was born in London but brought up in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. He returned to Britain in 1811 and immediately joined the circle of Benjamin West, and entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1813. At first he painted history-paintings and portraits, but later his attention was engaged by genre-painting. He was elected Professor of Painting in the Academy in 1847 and served until 1852.
In 1843 Leslie published his 'Memoirs of the Life of John Constable'. His 'Life and Times of Sir Joshua Reynolds' was completed by Tom Taylor and published posthumously (1865), like the present autobiography.
Reproductions
A reprint was published in 1978, with introduction by R. Hamlyn.
Immediate source of Acquisition
Purchased in , 1867 (see Librarian's Report, RA Annual Report for 1867, p. 26).
Copy Note
The 2nd set contain the library stamp of the Carlton Club
Binding Note
19th-century purple cloth covered boards, upper and lower covers with blind-stamped borders; blind-decorated spines, lettered 'Leslie's Autobiographical Recollections Vol. I. (II.)' and 'London John Murray'.
Painters - Artists - Great Britain - History - 19th century
Biography - Memoirs - Art history - Catalogues - Publishers' catalogues - Great Britain - 19th century