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GEORGE DU MAURIER

THE SATIRIST OF THE VICTORIANS

A REVIEW OF HIS ART AND PERSONALITY

BY T. MARTIN WOOD

WITH FORTY-ONE ILLUSTRATIONS

London Chatto & Windus

1913

George du Maurier
From a portrait in water-colour by himself.
In the possession of the Artist's widow.

PREFACE

Du Maurier worked for periodicals which buried in a back number eachphase of his work as it came to an end. Thus it is that he is,unfortunately, chiefly now remembered by the last—the most accessible,but not by any means the finest—period of his work.

The present book is an attempt to correct this and to bring forward duMaurier's name again in the light of his earlier achievement.

No book on the artist, however, would be complete which omitted allreference to his literary attainment; nor would it be in order in anessay of this extent not to seek to demonstrate that connection whichalways exists between the life and the work of an artist of distinctivetemperament. The author has endeavoured, in the chapter devoted tooutlining the main incidents of du Maurier's career, to regard thefeeling of his representatives that the autobiography of the novels isitself so complete and sensitive as scarcely to call at present foranything supplemental. He wishes to acknowledge the kindness of theartist's family in lending him portraits, sketch-books, and manuscriptwith the permission for reproduction; also of Mr. W. Lawrence Bradbury,so zealous a guardian of all that redounds to the fame of his greatjournal, for every kind of assistance; and of Sir Francis Burnand, duMaurier's Editor and comrade, for letters assisting him to form animpression of du Maurier in the flesh. Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co. havealso been generous in allowing the reproduction of the four drawingsincluded here, which appeared originally in the Cornhill Magazine. Theauthor only wishes that he felt that what he has written more justifiedthis consideration from everyone who was approached in connection withhis undertaking.

CONTENTS

ILLUSTRATIONS