The Cotman Letters 1835-1837

{typed transcript}
Addressed to J.J. Cotman Esqr
Bracondale

March ----- 1836.
London.

My dear Jack
There will be (to the best of my knowledge) but two Exhibitions open while you are in London; One, the British Institution, the other, the Suffolk Street Gallery. Neither good, yet the first mentioned is the best. In the last I have two pictures, which by the way look miserably. They looked so bad on the varnishing day that I was regretting I had sent them until Priest made me paint on the largest. He stood by me and acted the Master admirably, ordering me to do this, that and the other, until at last almost all the picture was painted over, and in the end, I fancy improved. Had it not been for him it would have hung on the wall untouched, as painting in the crowd made me so nervous and uneasy I hardly knew how to work or hold my pen even. All together it was the most miserable day I ever spent. It has however done me great good as I shall have less fear in using color for the future, so far it has been an excellent lesson. You will see it when you come so – “no more on this head.”

I spend last Sunday at Barnes. Fred was out but all the rest of the family were very glad to see me, tried all they could to pleasure me, and succeeded perfectly. Mr. and Mrs. Rosier and Miss Rosier were there, old acquaintances of mine. A Mr. Stothard too was there with whom I walked home at night and had a very long chat with as to the ways and means of becoming a Student at the Royal Academy also what sort of drawing they required as a specimen. He quite corroborated Father’s statement by saying, clearly “They cared not one rush as to the