Rossetti, Dante Gabriel, 1828-1882

Scope and Contents: "My Dear Mr. Clabburn, Thanks for your letter. On taking exact measurements, I find that the photograph is 12 inches by 10 1/2. The plan therefore will be to enlarge it to double its size, making 24 by 21. Two feet square would not therefore be a possible size or exact proportion and any fractional adaption of the measurements would cause more than double trouble in squaring it off. Still, it is not improbable that I might be adding somewhat all round to the composition, in which...

Scope and Contents:

"My dear Sir

The Magdalene picture for you is already in hand. Thanks for your letter just received, - I trust the picture when I show it to you will meet all your wishes. I shall be glad to receive the £70 by return, as you kindly purpose.

With kind remembrances,

I am my dear Sir, Yours very truly

DG Rossetti"

Scope and Contents: "My dear ClabburnI saw Legros who tells me he would paint the companion picture from the lithograph with pleasure, & would sell the 2 landscapes for 50 guineas, framed.You will receive the drawing of the Death of St. Francis in a day or two, & I will get his receipt for you in return for the cheque - 25 guineas. You must know I have generally been his business secretary, but he will have another now I dare say, as he has got...

Scope and Contents:

"My dear Clabburn

Received cheque for £70 - being the second payment of a third on account of the Mary Magdalene.

Thanks.

Yours ever truly

DG Rossetti"

Scope and Contents: "My dear Clabburn,I am taking your Magdalene in hand again, and shall have finished it without fail in six weeks or two months at latest, probably earlier. Meanwhile it would be greatly to my convenience if you would kindly let me have the remainder of its price now on its last resumption instead of on delivery. I have hesitated to ask this favour of you, lest the long delay which has occurred with the picture should cause you to think its completion...

Scope and Contents: "My dear Clabburn,Thanks for the £70 completing payment in full for the Magdalene picture, which will be done by the time named if not sooner. I shall be very glad to see you when in town, & hope you may be accompanied by Mrs. Clabburn.The Academy lectures [?] are generally "much of a muchness" I fear. I suppose, as things go, the Athenaeum is likely to be as tolerable as any. I have not yet seen the Exhibition myself....

Scope and Contents:

"My [letterhead and salutation removed] I have sent your cheque to Legros telling him to sign a receipt. I enclose his & forward it to you -- also telling him what you say. Excuse haste & believe me,

Very truly yours

DG Rossetti"

Scope and Contents: "My dear Mr. Clabburn, The peacocks have arrived safely and are gorgeous beyond expression -- real treasures! I have housed them for the moment in a large disused servants' hall in the basement, but am going to have other provision made for them immediately. Many and many thanks for them --[Text lacking, due to removal of letterhead]The cock seems very tame and tractable - the hen less so as yet. Your experience of her is a warning I will bear in mind and...

Scope and Contents:

"My dear Mr. Clabburn,

Many thanks for the £70 received on account of the picture of Mary Magdalene commenced for you. I will get you a photograph, but may not be able to do it immediately.

With kind remembrances to yourself & Mrs Clabburn.

I am yours very truly,

DG Rossetti

[in margin:] When you are in town again I may probably have the picture forward."

Scope and Contents: Burne-Jones says he has been a "villain" in his lack of correspondence with Price and says that the rest of the day will be given over to writing him letters, remarking that although the letter will only take half an hour to write, "the exertion will completely do for [him]." He asks if Price is "lonely out there" and says he has encouraged William Morris to write to him and will try to get "everyone" to do the same. He says they will all be so glad when Price comes back. ...

Scope and Contents: Burne-Jones thanks Price for his last letter, commenting that it has been passed around and shared with "all who want [Price] back." He pleads with Price to move back to Britain, offering Price a room in his home until he can find something permanent. He tells Price his family are spending three months in Venice from May and that Price could have their home in London to himself. Burne-Jones tells Price that Elizabeth Siddall has died and that Rossetti is "smashed for the time."...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin comments on a variety of Rossetti works which Heaton might wish to purchase. He complains about Rossetti's penchant for throwing away his works or altering them so much that they develop "odd faults." Ruskin tells Heaton that although Rossetti's The Passover in the Holy Family was intended for him, Ruskin had planned to "give it up" for Heaton, that was until Rossetti altered it, and increased its price. Ruskin tells Heaton that Rossetti...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin tells Heaton that if he sends her any Rossetti works they must not be described as belonging to him. Ruskin explains he has not been able to answer her letters as he is still unwell. Ruskin informs Heaton he managed to purchase for her two prints from Turner's Liber Studiorium compositions, although he states that these are not "good" and that he will also send her another two, which are. Ruskin approves of Heaton's plans for a Rossetti exhibition...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin tells Heaton he has sent her the Rossetti works which he suggests she look at extensively but that she should "keep them locked up -- lest the one should be laughed at for its errors." He remarks that Rossetti's Francesca di Rimini is a "bold -- but perfectly true reading of Dante.". He tells Heaton that he is going to make Rossetti redo Guinevere & Lancelot "without mistakes" and that he will keep...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin apologizes for not having previously written to Heaton about Rossetti's Paolo and Francesca and tells her if she likes his Rossetti better, he will make an exchange with her as "both are exquisite examples of him." Ruskin tells her that he now has more free time, having finished his draft of what will become Modern Painters III, and that he shall read Heaton's writings. In a postscript, he admits that he doesn't care...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin tells Heaton he will send her requested photographs alongside the bill for them. He remarks that Rossetti's Rachel shows the dangers of commissioning specific scenes for the artist as "he never would fail in a subject of his own choice.". He thinks that Rachel's face is very beautiful and is "spoiled only by [sic] small underlip." He tells Heaton that it is a portrait of Elizabeth Siddall. He praises the work's use of colour. Ruskin asks...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin admits that he had not written about Heaton's latest commission for Rossetti as he assumed she would know he was pleased by it. He tells Heaton to keep both Rossettis as long as she likes. He tells her to send him the money for Rossetti's Rachel which will allow him to buy Rossetti's Francesca. Ruskin admits that Rossetti had offered to sell him the Francesca at a lower price but Ruskin insisted that he...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin admits that time constraints mean that his letter is late and "hastily" written. He asks Heaton about the positioning of the proofs of the latest Bolton Abbey photographs and enquires after a bridge, mentioned in Heaton's last letter to him, which has apparently been built since Ruskin's last visit to the area. Ruskin asks Heaton to arrange for another two photographs to be taken, with a view from Holme Terrace. Ruskin says Heaton can return Rossetti's ...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin stresses that he is not ungrateful for Heaton's help and wishes her a merry Christmas. He explains that he cannot give Heaton the reasons for his commissioning of the Bolton photographs because it is related to the fourth volume of Modern Painters, which will not be published for at least two months. Ruskin encourages Heaton to contemplate "Dante's riddle about Rachel and Matilda" and gives her hints about how she might "make it out."...

Scope and Contents: Ruskin wishes Heaton a happy new year. Ruskin gives further hints to Heaton about "Dante's riddle,", expanding on the idea that Beatrice and Matilda represent the "Active and Contemplative faculties" and musing upon Dante's meaning. Ruskin tells Heaton that Rossetti's Francesca arrived with him safely and that he is glad that the work was well-received in Heaton's circle. Ruskin tells Heaton that she cannot yet commission any work from Elizabeth...