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have multiplied so freely since； in 1859； 〃Once a Week〃 first began to
attract and train such younger draughtsmen as Sandys； Lawless； Pinwell；
Houghton； Morten； and Paul Grey； some of whose best work in this way
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has been revived in the edition of Thornbury's 〃Ballads and Songs；〃
recently published by Chatto and Windus。 Ten years later came the
〃Graphic；〃 offering still wider opportunities to wood…cut art； and bringing
with it a fresh school of artists。 Herkomer； Fildes； Small； Green； Barnard；
Barnes； Crane； Caldecott； Hopkins； and others；quos nunc perscribere
longum esthave contributed good work to this popular rival of the older；
but still vigorous； 〃Illustrated。〃 And now again； another promising serial；
the 〃Magazine of Art；〃 affords a supplementary field to modern
refinements and younger energies。
Not a few of the artists named in the preceding paragraph have also
earned distinction in separate branches of the pictorial art； and specially in
that of humorous design；a department which has always been so richly
recruited in this country that it deserves more than a passing mention。
From the days of Hogarth onwards there has been an almost unbroken
series of humorous draughtsmen； who； both on wood and metal； play a
distinguished part in our illustrated literature。 Rowlandson； one of the
earliest； was a caricaturist of inexhaustible facility； and an artist who
scarcely did justice to his own powers。 He illustrated several books； but he
is chiefly remembered in this way by his plates to Combe's 〃Three Tours
of Dr。 Syntax。〃 Gillray； his contemporary； whose bias was political
rather than social； is said to have illustrated 〃The Deserted Village〃 in his
youth； but he is not famous as a book…illustrator。 Another of the early
men was Bunbury； whom 〃quality〃…loving Mr。 Walpole calls 〃the second
Hogarth； and first imitator who ever fully equalled his original （！）；〃 but
whose prints to 〃Tristram Shandy；〃 are nevertheless completely forgotten；
while； if he be remembered at all； it is by the plate of 〃The Long Minuet；〃
and the vulgar 〃Directions to Bad Horsemen。〃 With the first years of the
century； however； appears the great master of modern humorists； whose
long life ended only a few years since； 〃the veteran George Cruikshank〃
as his admirers were wont to style him。 He indeed may justly be
compared to Hogarth； since； in tragic power and intensity he occasionally
comes nearer to him than any artist of our time。 It is manifestly
impossible to mention here all the more important efforts of this
indefatigable worker； from those far…away days when he caricatured
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〃Boney〃 and championed Queen Caroline； to that final frontispiece for
〃The Rose and the Lily〃〃designed and etched （according to the
inscription） by George Cruikshank； age 83；〃 but the plates to the 〃Points
of Humour；〃 to Grimm's 〃Goblins；〃 to 〃Oliver Twist；〃 〃Jack Sheppard；〃
Maxwell's 〃Irish Rebellion；〃 and the 〃Table Book；〃 are sufficiently
favourable and varied specimens of his skill with the needle； while the
woodcuts to 〃Three Courses and a Dessert；〃 one of which is here given；
are equally good examples of his work on the block。 The 〃Triumph of
Cupid；〃 which begins the 〃Table Book；〃 is an excellent instance of his
lavish wealth of fancy； and it contains beside； onenay more than oneof
the many portraits of the artist。 He is shown en robe de chambre； smoking
（this was before his regenerate days！） in front of a blazing fire； with a pet
spaniel on his knee。 In the cloud which curls from his lips is a motley
procession of sailors； sweeps； jockeys； Greenwich pensioners； Jew
clothesmen； flunkies； and others more illustrious； chained to the chariot
wheels of Cupid； who； preceded by cherubic acolytes and banner…bearers；
winds round the top of the picture towards an altar of Hymen on the table。
When； by the aid of a pocket…glass； one has mastered these swarming
figures； as well as those in the foreground； it gradually dawns upon one
that all the furniture is strangely vitalised。 Masks laugh round the border
of the tablecloth； the markings of the mantelpiece resolve themselves into
rows of madly… racing figures； the tongs leers in a degage and cavalier way
at the artist； the shovel and poker grin in sympathy； there are faces in the
smoke； in the fire； in the fireplace；the very fender itself is a ring of
fantastic creatures who jubilantly hem in the ashes。 And it is not only in
the grotesque and fanciful that Cruikshank excels； he is master of the
strange； the supernatural； and the terrible。 In range of character （the
comparison is probably a hackneyed one）； both by his gifts and his
limitations； he resembles Dickens； and had he illustrated more of that
writer's works the resemblance would probably have been more evident。
In 〃Oliver Twist；〃 for example； where Dickens is strong； Cruikshank is
strong； where Dickens is weak； he is weak too。 His Fagin； his Bill Sikes；
his Bumble； and their following； are on a level with Dickens's conceptions；
his Monk and Rose Maylie are as poor as the originals。 But as the
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defects of Dickens are overbalanced by his merits； so Cruikshank's
strength is far in excess of his weakness。 It is not to his melodramatic
heroes or wasp…waisted heroines that we must look for his triumphs； it is
to his delineations； from the moralist's point of view； of vulgarity and
vice；of the 〃rank life of towns；〃 with all its squalid tragedy and comedy。
Here he finds his strongest ground； and possibly； notwithstanding his
powers as a comic artist and caricaturist； his loftiest claim to recollection。
Cruikshank was employed on two only of Dickens's books〃Oliver
Twist〃 and the 〃Sketches by Boz。〃 ｛13｝ The great majority of them were
illustrated by Hablot K。 Browne； an artist who followed the ill…fated
Seymour on the 〃Pickwick Papers。〃 To 〃Phiz；〃 as he is popularly called；
we are indebted for our pictorial ideas of Sam Weller； Mrs。 Gamp； Captain
Cuttle； and most of the author's characters； down to the 〃Tale of Two
Cities。〃 〃Phiz〃 also illustrated a great many of Lever's novels； for which
his skill in hunting and other Lever…like scenes especially qualified him。
With the name of Richard Doyle we come to the first of a group of
artists whose main work was； or is still； done for the time…honoured
miscellany of Mr。 Punch。 So familiar an object is 〃Punch〃 upon our
tables； that one is sometimes apt to forget how unfailing； and how good on
the whole； is the work we take so complacently as a matter of course。
And of this good work； in the earlier days； a large proportion was done by
Mr。 Doyle。 He is still living； although he has long ceased to gladden
those sprightly pages。 But it was to 〃Punch〃 that he contributed his
masterpiece； the 〃Manners and Customs of ye Englyshe；〃 a series of
outlines illustrating social life in 1849； and cleverly commented by a
shadowy 〃Mr。 Pips；〃 a sort of fetch or double of the bustling and garrulous
old Caroline diarist。 In these captivating pictures the life of thirty years
ago is indeed； as the title…page has it； 〃drawn from ye quick。〃 We see the
Molesworths and Cantilupes of the day p