12 Hog hair tools of the smallest Size for portrai[ts]. 3 Oz. Italian White Cha[l]k.

2 Oz Italian Black Do.

Benjamin West to Copley

LONDON, June 16th, 1771.

SIR,

It was with great pleasure I received your letter by Dr Jarves as it informed me of your health and your intentions of Coming to Europe. I am still of the Same opinion, that it will every way answer your Expectations, and I hope to see you in London in the corse of this year, Where I shall be happy in rendering you all the Service lays in my Power.

Your Picture of Mrs. Greenwood was exhibited and did great honour.1 The other Picture you mentioned I have not seen but I hear them much spoke of. The arts Continue to receive great in Corragement. To London at preassent seems to be the onely place in Europe where a man is rewarded for his productions in the Art of painting. You will excuse the shortness of this letter and be assur'd I am with great respect, Your Obediend Huml. Servt.

B. WEST.

DEAR HARRY,

Copley to Henry Pelham

NEW YORK, 16 of June, 1771.

We are now fixed in a very comodious House in this City. We arrived here on Thursday night and our Journey perfectly agreable, and has contributed a great deal to my looks. I can

1 In the catalogue of 1771, it appears as "A lady, half length." Anderson, who saw the picture at Lord Lyndhurst's sale in 1864, describes it as the portrait of an old lady leaning on a Pembroke table.

John Singleton Copley

From the original miniature by Copley in the possession of Mr. Henry Copley Greene

cene

not say Sukey has improved so much in looks as myself, tho she is very well. Our Journey was not attended by the least unpleasing surcumstance, but was delightfull beyond all expectation. Our Horses held out wonderfully well and brought us with great spirit forty Miles the last Day of our Journey. I come now to say somthing of this place, but really I have not been yet able to attend to anything but that of getting myself a little settled, that I may go to Business, and I beleave you will think I have done pretty well to be ready to begin Mrs. Gages portrait tomorrow, which I propose to do, considering I have had but friday and Saturday to Deliver several Letters and get suitable Lodging. The City has more Grand Buildings than Boston, the streets much Cleaner and some much broader, but it is not Boston in my opinion yet. I have seen the Statues of the King and Mr Pitt, and I think them boath good Statues. I find it so expencive keeping horses here that I think to send the Mare back. Mr. Joy will take her, if he is not provided. This you will let me know by the next post. You may assure him she is as good to the full as he thought her. I beleive he cannot easily get so good a Creature. He offered me fifty-five Dollars, so do you agre with him according to your own discression, and I will send her by the next post, and take the chance of Buying in the fall. I want my Crayons much and Layman and Drawings. Do see Mr. Loyd, and find when Smith will sail, for I shall not be able to do long without them. Cloath there is anough here. Give our affectionate Duty to our Mamma. We long to hear from you. Hope you have wrote by this post, but I cant know till to morrow. We are ancious to know how Betsey is. let Mr. Clarke know we are well and send our Duty. I am your Affectionate Brother,

J. S. COPLEY.

You will find in one of the Draws of the Desk some Gold Buttonholes. Do send me 3 or 4 of the Best of them when you send the other things, or shall write by a private hand.

SIR,

Benjamin West to Shrimpton Hutchinson1

Mr. Temple having made Application to me in behalf of your Son's studying the Art of Painting under me, and finding my Objection to having Young Gentlemen in my House as Students for a certain Number of Years, the Particulars of which Mr. Temple will inform you. Tho' this may deprive your Son of coming to England for some Years longer, yet in my Opinion it will by no Means prevent his being a Painter. If it so happens that he should not come to England, my Advice is that he may be indulged in the Pursuit of the Art by his own Observations after Nature, and that he may the more speedily accomplish it, I beg he may be permitted the Use of Colours, tho' this is not the modern Receipt to make a Painter. Yet if I can judge from the Works of the great Masters, who are dead, they thought an early Knowledge of Colours, and the Use of the Brush highly necessary. For Example, Raphael and several other great Painters of those Times painted many fine Pictures (which are now to be seen) before they had obtained the Age of fifteen; so it appears evident to the great Object they had in View was to surmount, early in Life, the mechanical Difficultys of Painting, that is the Handling of the Pencil and the Management of Colours, that their Hand might keep pace with their Ideas, so as to receive

me,

1 There are two copies of this letter, with trifling variations. They were inclosed in Shrimpton Hutchinson's letter to Copley dated August 24, 1771. It is possible that the one here printed is the original sent to Mr. Hutchinson, though it is not in West's handwriting. See postscript. Shrimpton Hutchinson, born September 10, 1713, was son of William and Elizabeth Hutchinson.