Beschreibung:

Sir Joshua Reynolds
Autograph letter signed ("J. Reynolds"), to William Roscoe, recounting his influence on younger artists ("... If all those whom I have endeavoured to help forward by lending them pictures and telling them their faults should do me the honour of calling themselves my scholars, I should have the greatest school that ever Painter had..."), 3 pages, 4to (221 x 190 mm), London, 19 November 1784, integral autograph address panel, black wax seal impression, seal tear neatly repaired but with loss of three letters, neat repairs to fold tears
Reynolds is here writing to the Liverpudlian collector, art historian, Abolitionist, and banker, William Roscoe (1753–1831) about a mutual acquaintance, "Mr Pack", a young artist, who can be identified as Faithful Christopher Pack (1760-1840). Pack had taken up painting as a career in 1781 and is known to have copied portraits by Reynolds, and in 1784 was resident in Roscoe's native Liverpool. Pack had evidently told Roscoe that he had studied under Reynolds, and Reynolds here explains their relationship in more detail: "Mr. Pack called on me a few days since to desire I would lend him a picture to copy for his improvement. About three or four year ago I lent him many for that purpose, and he used to bring me his works from life, in order to be told their faults. As he was only one of many that did the same, I did not recollect his name, nor am I sure I ever knew it."
Reynolds is, however, indulgent of young artists who exaggerate their connections: "If those young Painters think that from such an intercourse they have a right to say they are my scholars, they are very welcome, I have no kind of objection to it. There is certainly no great harm done in their endeavouring to produce a prejudice in their favour. If I may without vanity suppose this to be the reason of their wishing such an opinion to be entertained in the Country, and as you see, it is not entirely without some foundation." The last sentence most likely refers to Reynolds's appointment that year (1784) as Painter in Ordinary to the King.