Leslie, the artist,
then a struggling genius like himself, was his fellow-lodger. His heart
was evidently in the profession of his choice. 'My passion for my art,'
he wrote to his mother, in 1812, 'is so firmly rooted that I am
confident no human power could destroy it. The more I study the greater
I think is its claim to the appellation of divine. I am now going to
begin a picture of the death of Hercules the figure to be as large as
life.'
After he had perfected this work to his own eyes, he showed it, with
not a little pride, to Mr. West, who after scanning it awhile said,
'Very good, very good. Go on and finish it.' Morse ventured to say
that it was finished. 'No! no! no!' answered West; 'see there, and
there, and there. There is much to be done yet. Go on and finish it.'
Each time the pupil showed it the master said, 'Go on and finish it.'
[THE TELEGRAPH IN AMERICA, by James D. Reid] This was a lesson in
thoroughness of work and attention to detail which was not lost on the
student. The picture was exhibited at the Royal Academy, in Somerset
House, during the summer of 1813, and West declared that if Morse were
to live to his own age he would never make a better composition. The
remark is equivocal, but was doubtless intended as a compliment to the
precocity of the young painter.
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