Beschreibung:

THREE AUTOGRAPH LETTERS SIGNED ('Alex Fraser'), TO DAVID ROBERTS his friend and fellow-Scottish painter, describing working pell mell on a picture called 'Fishermen' ('...I have been constant in having Sitters in my room and when they are completed I must go out let the weather be what it may to make a few Sketches of the buildings sea view and other matters that may fill up my canvas which is about a Kit cat three figures are already painted in it and I am not Sure how many more I may add one woman is ready prepared to carry her...Fish to the Edin[burgh] market and another is baiting the hooks whilst a young girl is opening mussels for the one that is baiting I think of adding a Fisherman and Some of the poor little tattered loons idling about which will take me all next week I must be absent on tuesday as it is our! varnishing day I do not think you do things in this way at your poor Academy but we of the earthen mound are grand folks...I have added...a Fisherman and two Boys and one more figure will complete the group...Hay...was a good deal pleased with my Fishermen...'), saying he has sent in 'four fancy pictures' and two portraits, praising the artist John ('Jock') Wilson's work and his son's, giving an account of how hard he is working and thereby failing to call on people ('...I...have worked like a Slave every day from Morn to night and when you consider the Slow way in which my daubs advance it would perhaps Surprise you to see in So Short a time how this Picture has grown...'), reporting how well Roberts's pictures looked in Princes Street ('Sheils says they made a Sensation') and on other pictures at the Edinburgh Exhibition by [David] Wilkie, [William] Allan, [Henry] Duncan, Harvey, [Robert Scott] Lauder, [William] Kidd, [David Ramsay] Hay, [William] Sheils - 'that most unreasonable man' - John Wilson and [John] Watson Gordon, picking out [Horatio] Maculloch for special mention ('...his subjects appear ...too Simple and easily got over a naked Castle with the Sun behind it and a Sheet of water although beautiful painted is Soon done a Picture of this description is I think his best but he is a great Artist and I think it is a pity he does not grapple with more difficult Subjects...'), acknowledging Roberts's encouragement and direction, expressing his desire to get home and promising to visit Roberts's sister, 8 pages, quarto and octavo, three small brown marks, one integral address panel with trace of seal, postmarks, Newhaven, Mrs Clark's Hotel, 8 and 14 February 1841 and undated