CHINNERY (Continuation)
133
I am obliged to "Old Mortality" for the sight of the "Memoirs of William Hickey" in four volumes, in which Memoirs there are several references to the artist. Mr. Hickey met Chinnery in Calcutta in the year 1808. In that year Chinnery had gone round to Bengal from Madras, upon special summons for the purpose of painting the portrait of Sir Henry Russell, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Judicature in Bengal.
The picture was executed by Chinnery by desire of, and at the expense of the principal native inhabitants of Calcutta, and is described as an infinite credit to the artist and one which must prove his genius so long as a particle of the canvas remains.
Mr. Hickey describes the artist as follows: "Mr. Chinnery, like many other men of extraordinary talent, was extremely odd and eccentric, so much so as at times to make me think him deranged. His health certainly was not good, and he had a strong tendency to hypochondria which frequently made him ridiculously fanciful, yet in spite of his mental and bodily infirmities, personal vanity showed itself in various ways. When not under the influence of low spirits, he was a cheerful pleasant companion, but if hypochondriacal, was melancholy and dejected to the greatest degree."
In a further reference to Chinnery Mr. Hickey adds: "I have lately heard that soon after my departure from Calcutta Mr. Chinnery became determinedly insane and has ever since been kept under restriction, being now pronounced a confirmed and incurable lunatic."
That Mr. Hickey was qualified to judge of the character and personality of Chinnery is borne out by the fact that he sat to the famous artist and the result, we are told, was a very capital likeness.
It may be added that Mr. Hickey as a young man visited Canton in 1769 and in several chapters of his Memoirs are given descriptions of the "factories" in that year. Should opportunity occur I hope at a later date to touch upon this phase of his journeyings.
It is not easy to think of Chinnery as a lunatic, and one may assume that the manifestations were the eccentricities of his genius, and a naturally highly-strung artistic temperament. Perhaps he found the climate of South China better suited to his health for his artistic and other faculties were retained until the end. We read that as he grew older, and became very stout he would be carried about Macao in a chair. When a suitable spot offered, he would tell the bearers to set him down, and sitting there would sketch until evening, with children clustering round him - a pleasant picture of the artist's declining years.
The portrait reproduced to-day is one painted by Chinnery of himself, acquired last year in Macao, and may be taken as a good likeness, for it agrees with one critic's description of him as being rather ugly "with heavy eyebrows, roughly-shaped nose and long pendulous under-lip.
ILLUSTRATION.
CHINWERY ( Continuation }
133
I am obliged to " Old Mortality " for the sight of the"Memoirs of William Hickey" in four volumes, in which Memoirs there are several references to the artist. Mr. Hickey met Chinnery in Calcutta in the year 1808. In that year Chinnery had gone round to Bengal from Madras, gpon special summons for the purpose of paintaing the portrait of Sir Henry Russell, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Judicature in Bengal.
The picture was executed by Chinnery by desire of, and at the expense of the principal native inhabitants cf Calcutta,
and is described as an infinite credit to the artist and one
炸
which must prove his genius so long as a particle of the
canvas remains."
Mr. Hickey describes the artist as follows: " Mr. Chinnery, like many other men of extraordinary talent, was extremely odd and eccentric, so much so as at times to make me think him deranged. His health certainly was not good, and he had a strong tendency to hypochondria which frequently made him ridiculously fanciful, yet in spite of his mental and bodily infirmities, personal vanity shewed itself in various ways. When not under the influence of low spirits, he was a cheerful pleasant companion, but if hypochondriacal, was melancholy and dejected to the greatest degree. "
In a further reference to Chinnery Mr. Hickay adds:
I have lately heard that soon, after my departure from Calcutta Ar. Chinnery became determinedly insane and has ever since been kept under restriction being now pronounced a confirmed and incu- Pable lunatic. "
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bao Mr. Hickey was qualified to judge of the character and personality of Chinnery is borne out by the fact that he sat " to the famous artist and the result, we are told, was a very capital likeness.
It may be added that Mr. Hickey as a young man visited Canton in 1769 and in several chapters of his Memoirs are given iescriptions of the " factories" in that year. Should oppor-
urity occur I hope at a later date to touch upon this phase of is journeyings.
It is not wagy to think of Chinnery as a lunatic, and one may assume that the manifestations were the eccentricities of nis genius, and a naturally highly-strung artistic temperament. Perhaps he found the climate of South China better suited to his health for his artistic and other faculties were retained until the end. We read that as he grew older, and became very stout he would be carried about Macão in a chairt When a suitable spot offered, he would tell the bearers to set him down, and sitting there would sketch until eveening, with children clustering round him a ;easant picture of the artist's decli- ning years.
The portait reproduced to-day is one painted by Chinnery of himself, acquired last year in Macao, and may be taken as a good likeness, for it agrees with one critic's description of him as being rather ugly "with heavy eyebrows, roughly-shaped nose and long pendulous under-lip.
ILLUSTRATION.
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