Who was Sir Joshua Reynolds’ editor?

Barrie Sheppard continues to delve into the life of the artist Sir Joshua Reynolds. Barrie writes: ‘Joshua Reynolds and lexicographer, novelist, essayist and literary critic Samuel Johnson were close friends – holding each other in great affection’.

‘Reynolds, as Director of the Royal Academy, published a set of fourteen Discourses –  transcripts of the lectures he delivered to students of the Royal Academy on the occasions of their annual graduations’.

‘It was speculated by some at the time, that Reynolds had help in the writing of the Discourses, and that that helper was Dr Johnson. Johnson, it was believed, freed Reynolds’ mind of “rubbish and spruced up the text for the press”, to use the words of what Johnson might have done by a recent Reynolds’ biographer – Ian McIntyre ( Joshua Reynolds, The life and Times of the First President of The Royal Academy, Allen Lane, 2003, p 458.)’

‘The writing of the final Discourse, however, was poor compared with those that came before it. Johnson was dying at the time and in no state to help. Reynolds is on record asking his friend and biographer, Edward Malone, to run his eye over the last of the Discourses “with a critical eye in regard to grammatical correctness, the propriety of expression, and the truth of the observations”. (op cit, p. 457) Malone obliged, editing the last four discourses, suggesting some “verbal alterations and some new arrangements” (ibid), which Reynolds adopted.’

‘This fuelled speculation as to the extent to which Johnson had been involved in the writing of  the Discourses before Malone became involved’.

‘Horace Walpole, writer, art historian and critic, weighed in on the matter: “Sir Joshua Reynolds’ last Discourse to the Royal Academy was observed to be much more incorrect in the style than any of his former & was therefore supposed to have wanted the assistance of his friend Dr Johnson, who was dying when it was composed”. (Walpole, Horace, Book of Materials – unpublished)’.

‘Walpole continued: “If Dr Johnson aided Sir Joshua in his Discourses, he was kinder to them than to his own compositions, for they (the Discourses) are elegant & have none of Johnson’s awkward pedantic verbosity and want of grace“.’

‘No, it couldn’t have been Johnson, said Walpole, but, if Reynolds was assisted, it was more likely to have been Edmund Burke, “a far more polished writer than Johnson”.’

‘Walpole didn’t, in fact, believe that it was Burke, but the idea took root and appeared in a later obscure memoir of Burke, in which it was suggested that Reynolds’ generosity to Burke in his will was a reward for his help with the Discourses.  Malone, in the second edition of his biography of Reynolds, described the claim as an “injurious calumny”.’

‘Walpole’s view of Johnson’s style would no doubt have got up the noses of Johnson’s admirers. And it still does!’

Thank you, Barrie, for adding to our knowledge of the ‘world of Reynolds’ and … declaring your allegiance to ‘Team Johnson’.