SIMPSON'S CRIMEAN SKETCHES. (Hansard, 6 June 1856)

§ LORD ELCHO

said, he rose, pursuant to notice, to call the attention of the House to the propriety of purchasing for the nation Mr. Simpson's, Crimean sketches, which were now being exhibited at Messrs. Colnaghi's, Pall Mall East. The history of his bringing forward the Motion was simply this: Knowing the existence of those sketches, and that the collection was about to be broken up, it appeared to him that we should only be doing honour to our gallant army by endeavouring to keep together so faithful a record, made by a distinguished artist on the spot, of their heroic deeds, privations, and trials, during the late severe struggle in the Crimea. Mr. Simpson, the artist, was sent but specially by the Messrs. Colnaghi, for the purpose of illustrating upon the spot the many striking scenes in which our army was engaged in the Crimea. Mr. Simpson went out with every facility for doing so, and received letters to the late Commander in Chief, and other distinguished officers of our army in the East. He had discharged his difficult duties faithfully, conscientiously, and fearlessly, and most ably executed the commission entrusted to him. On referring to the catalogue, he found a paragraph, stating that while this gentleman was engaged in taking a particular scene a shell had dropped so close to him that it had the effect of covering his sketch with mud and dust. The collection of pictures embraced all the events in the Crimea, from the firing of the first shot to the last retreat of the Russians. He held in his hand letters from the Duke of Cambridge, Admiral Lyons, General Simpson, Colonel Steel (the military secretary of the late Lord Raglan), and other distinguished officers, all of which testified to their great merit and accuracy. He had also a letter 1101 from General Sir De Lacy Evans, in which that gallant Officer promised to support him (Lord Elcho) in his appeal to Government to purchase the pictures in question. The hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Layard), who was at present absent, unfortunately, on business in the East, had also promised to give him a similar support. With respect to the artistic merit of the pictures, he had the testimony of some of the most distinguished artists of the day—Mr. Stanfield, Mr. Roberts, and Mr. Haghe—all of whom spoke in high terms of them as works of art. He now came to the question which was the most important to the House, namely, the price at which they could be obtained. These pictures were ninety in number, and the whole price asked for them was only £1,400—a sum which Mr. Colnaghi had assured him was infinitely less than they had originally cost. There was another point on which he would urge the desirability of purchasing these pictures, and that was, that they would serve as faithful records of the Crimean campaign for the use of the future historian. He had heard that the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer had said, when he first saw them, that it was to be regretted, on historical grounds, that we had not similar records of the campaigns of Marlborough. A truthful account of the war in the Crimea was yet to be written. It could not be found either in the letters of "Our own Correspondent," or the Report of the Crimean Commissioners; still less in a work which had been published on the other side of the Channel, with an Imperial dedication upon the title-page. It was to enable a future generation to arrive at the truth that he (Lord Elcho) wished that this collection should be purchased and preserved by the country. A precedent for such a collection might be found in the Palace of Versailles, where, as it was well known, there was a series of paintings illustrating the great military achievements of the Republican and Imperial armies, but they were less interesting than those to which his remarks referred, inasmuch as they were not taken by the artist on the spot, but were in some measure imaginary. If Government were to purchase these pictures they might be hung either at Woolwich, where there was at present something like a military museum, or in the hall of Chelsea Hospital, the only use of which at present was to try, on the 1102 termination of a war, such officers as had zealously and faithfully performed their duty. He had yesterday heard that the right hon. Gentleman, notwithstanding his first admiration of the pictures, was not now disposed to recommend the Government to purchase them, and that he had come to that decision because Sir Charles Eastlake had pronounced against them. Now, although Sir Charles Eastlake was President of the Royal Academy and Director of the National Gallery, his opinion, he apprehended, had no weight With the artistic world. He understood that Sir Charles Eastlake's objections to the pictures were three in number, namely, that they were in water colours; that the price was excessive; and that they had been already engraved and published. The House should, however, bear in mind that Sir Charles Eastlake was a painter in oils, and on the principle "that there is nothing like leather," disapproved, of course, of paintings executed in water colours. He would also remind the House that there were many old paintings executed in water-colours, which still remained in a state of excellent preservation. With regard to the price, he thought it extremely moderate, and he certainly could not conceive that the fact of their having already been published was a valid objection. It was for the benefit of the public that he was anxious this collection should be purchased by the nation. The engraved copies were published at ten guineas; add it appeared to him to be a strange argument to Advance, that because a few persons could afford to give ten guineas for a copy, therefore it was not necessary to have these pictures purchased for the benefit of the million. He had nothing more to add, except to observe that, Whatever might be the opinion of the Government or the feeling of the House with reference to the purchasing of these pictures, there existed a strong desire out of doors that they should be kept together and possessed by the nation. Messrs. Colnaghi originally had no notion of offering them to the nation, and had disposed of many of them by private sale; but, as soon as the idea was suggested that they should be purchased by the Government, all those who had bought any of the pictures came forward and expressed their readiness to give them up for the benefit of the public. He trusted, therefore, the right hon. Gentleman would take a favourable view of the suggestion he had ventured to make, and 1103 feel it consistent with his duty to recommend the advance of a sum of money for the purpose of purchasing these pictures.