Letter from Frances Hodgkins to Jane Saunders and Hannah Ritchie
Date
24 Jun 1922
See transcription
Catalogue number
FHL019
Date
24 Jun 1922
Transcript
Studio Burford Oxon Saturday
My Dear Miss Saunders & Ritchie
You must forgive me for not writing sooner to thank you for your letters & the interesting Eustace Miles Letters & the Roger Fry pamphlet.
They are the Law & the Prophets of Diet & Art & both speak with deepest conviction & a touch of righteous fanaticism. Certainly they are two subjects to be treated jointly. As far as my own food is concerned I hardly know which satisfied me most, the savoury mess or the dish of herbs; but some day, when leisure comes, I foresee myself designing & plotting & planning a meal as deliberately as I do my pictures. Meanwhile I “catch” my food rather as people catch trains & buses & that’s all there is to it – except frequent twinges of indigestion.
Since you left the weather has been – well you know what it has been without my enlarging on it. You had the cream of it. I have been hard put to it keeping my small band interested & happy & directing their thoughts from packing up & departing by the next train. Burford is a deadly place for stranded artists when it rains. I have had them all very heavily on my chest. A friend living at Taynton, 1 1/2 miles away, has let me have the run of her house & garden while she is in London – so we have been tramping out there in the wet with with our lunch & tea & painting flowers – of every description – a lovely rose garden with torrents of blossom from every tree. My non-conformist conscience won’t let me sent you off a bunch of buds but when she returns I’ll get some for you & post them. Of course I shall be delighted to have Miss Ritchie’s sister in Sept: & will do all I can to help her. These are the sort of pupils one prays for. I would like to see some of her work so as to “realise” her better when she comes. So – if you can – do bring some in Aug: when you come. I was sorry Miss Ritchie did not see V. Bell’s work. I see Marchand (?) has a Show at the Independent. Two of my party are running u for the day to see it. Miss Bryce has gone too. I will keep Miss Saunders list of books & nearer the time when you come I’ll get her to bring me one or two. For the moment I am so busy ( i.e. tired at night) to do much reading that it is hardly worth while posting them – much as I want to read them. Thank you so much for offering them. I feel I shall see you both again quite soon. Mr Conard (?) will be here. They have an evening sketch class while he is here. And the Gretton Lectures etc on Sat: nights.
No more now. I write this between thunder showers – pupils in separate corners working variously. I hope you are both well & the embryo artists all progressing as they should.
Well it will be nice to see you again. My love to you both. Yours very sincerely Frances Hodgkins.
My Dear Miss Saunders & Ritchie
You must forgive me for not writing sooner to thank you for your letters & the interesting Eustace Miles Letters & the Roger Fry pamphlet.
They are the Law & the Prophets of Diet & Art & both speak with deepest conviction & a touch of righteous fanaticism. Certainly they are two subjects to be treated jointly. As far as my own food is concerned I hardly know which satisfied me most, the savoury mess or the dish of herbs; but some day, when leisure comes, I foresee myself designing & plotting & planning a meal as deliberately as I do my pictures. Meanwhile I “catch” my food rather as people catch trains & buses & that’s all there is to it – except frequent twinges of indigestion.
Since you left the weather has been – well you know what it has been without my enlarging on it. You had the cream of it. I have been hard put to it keeping my small band interested & happy & directing their thoughts from packing up & departing by the next train. Burford is a deadly place for stranded artists when it rains. I have had them all very heavily on my chest. A friend living at Taynton, 1 1/2 miles away, has let me have the run of her house & garden while she is in London – so we have been tramping out there in the wet with with our lunch & tea & painting flowers – of every description – a lovely rose garden with torrents of blossom from every tree. My non-conformist conscience won’t let me sent you off a bunch of buds but when she returns I’ll get some for you & post them. Of course I shall be delighted to have Miss Ritchie’s sister in Sept: & will do all I can to help her. These are the sort of pupils one prays for. I would like to see some of her work so as to “realise” her better when she comes. So – if you can – do bring some in Aug: when you come. I was sorry Miss Ritchie did not see V. Bell’s work. I see Marchand (?) has a Show at the Independent. Two of my party are running u for the day to see it. Miss Bryce has gone too. I will keep Miss Saunders list of books & nearer the time when you come I’ll get her to bring me one or two. For the moment I am so busy ( i.e. tired at night) to do much reading that it is hardly worth while posting them – much as I want to read them. Thank you so much for offering them. I feel I shall see you both again quite soon. Mr Conard (?) will be here. They have an evening sketch class while he is here. And the Gretton Lectures etc on Sat: nights.
No more now. I write this between thunder showers – pupils in separate corners working variously. I hope you are both well & the embryo artists all progressing as they should.
Well it will be nice to see you again. My love to you both. Yours very sincerely Frances Hodgkins.
Sender's address
Studio - Burford, Oxon
Credit Line
E
H
McCormick
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