[ George Hooper, artist ] Three substantial Autograph Letters Signed George Hooper and George to Brom [ John Bromfield Gay Rees, Welsh artist ] about his experiences in galleries in Englsnd and on continent.

LETTER ONE (April): Three pages, 12mo, good condition. He discusses their respective illnesses, him recuperating at Minehead. The district round about Minehead is very stimulating, & inspiring. Watchet, a romantic port near by, immediately took my fancy. I tried to do some watercolours here but my efforts met with indifferent success. I learned later that Watchet is the traditional place from which Coleridge's 'Ancient Mariner' sailed. A fellow artist ('Scott') 'assailed' him when he was 'back to school', saying, he was down at Chelsea , & there was quite a group of artists there now. Which sounded to me as though anyone outside the 'group' were not artists. He quotes a poem or hymn about exclusivity. He continues, Scott was doing some interesting work, as he always manages to do. He praises the nurses at the Nursing Home. LETTER TWO (16 June, Amsterdam) Two Pages, 4to, good condition. You will see that I have got as far as the above on my peregrinations. I first had a week in Antwerp, & saw the Rubens in the Beaux-Arts Museum, & had a shot at copying a little cupid. It was moderately successful [...] Then I went to The Hague & saw the Mauritshaus Museum. Unfortunately copying is not allowed there in the summer months, however, I took pencil notes. He then discusses a lovely Velasquez at length, of which he bought a photograph. Rembrandt and Rubens then enter his narrative, paintings he can describe as masterpieces, and later the Rijksmuseum (Vermeer etc) and other locations of art collections (Dutch art summarised in a paragraph). To Berlin next. LETTER THREE (Urbino, 17 August) He is enthusiastic about the countryside around Urbino (the birthplace of Raphael), quoting an old guidebook. He suggests there are too many places of interest and is keen to go home. He discusses Tintoretto and Titian, and has seen Durer, Cranach etc. He encourages Rees in a project (gold?). Don't be afraid of altering. He concludes with a comment on the Italians immaculate dress. I fancy I cut a poor figure as regards that, for my clothes after travelling about have heaps of creases but not of the right sort. Hooper seems to be remembered for his friendship with Duncan Grant as much as anything.