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3 April 1881 — 3 Savile Row | |
Sunday. 3rd April [1881]. Monty took me with him to the service at the chapel Royal at 12. Heard the Bp of Liverpool (Ryle) preach. He is a fine looking man & preached extempore—taking for text Paul & Festus & Agrippa conversation abt Christianity. I did not think the sermon was always in the best taste but he was earnest– He said there were many of the Festus type & begged them to “listen to a bishop’s advice” & become real Christians. He said there were many young men who were almost Xtions but they could not give up their darling sin “than Herodias, or Dulcenia &c.” Mr & Mrs Gladstone were at the chapel—several M.P.s & several peers & Ld Spencer & Barrington & Sydney &c &c. Monty walked me home & left me to lunch with Henry. Directly after lunch Henry & I went out in the brougham to Alma Tadema’s house in St John’s Road. He was very polite to us & showed us the 2 pictures he was finishing for the Academy. One a Sappho—& the other a very small picture the Death of Claudius so finely painted that he gave you a lens by which to examine it. Tho only abt a foot & half long it contains abt 40 figures– We were very much struck by the decorations of the house—which is however too small & cockney to be really nice. The walls are a dull gold, the windows are composed of thin slices of marbles & precious agates thro’ wh a wonderfully mellow light comes– There is a wonderfully inlaid piano on wh several celebrated people have played these have been made to sign their names on a parchment wh has been purposely attached to the inside of the lid. Mme Tadema was in the drawing room as we returned from the studio. She is English & was a daughter of a Dr Epps. She has gold hair wh she wears very tangled & wore a shapeless garment of Louis XV silk very quaintly made. She was not absolutely pretty tho’ picturesque. We drove round to Leighton’s studio at Holland Park a good distance. Found a tremendous crowd there; did not much care for the pictures. Elisha reviving the Widow’s son—a portrait of himself done for the Florence gallery—& another picture called an Idyll—a man with his back towards one piping to 2 affected girls who were lolling on the ground– They are all rather weak pictures. Leighton’s house is lovely & he has an oriental room with old faience tiles & a fountain wh tho’ beautiful does not seem well adapted [to] our cold climate. We went on to Mr Poynter’s studio in Fulham Rd & saw his pictures a portrait of Ld Wharncliffe (weak), Helen of Troy (a portrait idealized) & a sketch of a future picture of Solomon receiving the Q. of Sheba wh promises to be fine. We met Mr Hallé and he took us into his studio next door but we saw nothing there worth remembering. Went to Connie’s house close by at 8 Onslow Gardens & found her at home. Met Lady (Blanche) Stewart & Charlie Hambro there– Had some tea & then drove home. Henry, Monty & I dined at home—quiet eveng. | |
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