1 January 1858

Notes by Joseph John Jenkins (1811–85) on a meeting with Cornelius Varley (1782–1874) (Archives of the Royal Watercolour Society (J61/2))

Called on Cornelius Varley to see two pictures which he has just painted - got him to tell me about D^r Monro at whose house the young artists drew of an evening in Adelphi Terrace - spoke of the D^r as being a man of good taste a sketcher himself and an enthusiastic lover of art several examples of which he selected - His house was filled with pictures and drawings - many Gainsboroughs hanging upon his walls, which he allowed to be freely copied by young artists and took delight in assisting them with his advice - so fond of works of art was he that he never liked to be without some of them in sight - and he contrived a netting inside the roof of his carriage in which he always slipped a folio of drawings when he went to his country house at Fetcham Surrey - constantly changing them on the way - and he also contrived to have his drawings so arranged that they could be readily carried out in case of fire - Couzens Turner and Girtin and afterwards J & C Varley Cotman Linnel Hunt and others - the Dr provided desks with a candle - and they sat on each side so that one candle did - J Varley made a number of Coloured sketches of the the neighbourhood of Fetcham for the D^r - some his earliest and best. C Varley told me that Girtin made a great number of outlines which the D^r got Turner to tint in grey just washed afterwards with colour of this Girtin complained as not giving him the same chance of painting.

D^r Monro learnt drawing of Laporte and was looked upon in his day much in same way as Sir George Beaumont and Payne Knight as a leader in Connoisseurship.

Monro - the Earl of Essex and Mr Lassels Prince Lassels as he was called from his likeness to the Prince of Wales - seem to have been the principal encouragers of drawings in water colours - Girtin was much with them - so was J Varley who made drawings for all of them

Girtin was a hard worker and caught cold by sitting out in the damp which hastened his death. This agrees with what Mr Girtin the son of the painter told me -