ABSTRACT
‘Thackeray was one of the best of art-critics. He had the true instinct and relish, and the nicety and directness, necessary for just as well as high criticism: the white light of his intellect found its way into this as into every region of his work…. It would not be easy to imagine better criticisms of art than those from Mr. Thackeray’s hand. His art “has its seat in reason,” and he is more objective, cool, and critical than Mr. Ruskin’ —so wrote Dr. John Brown; and few who have studied Thackeray’s papers on art in Fraser, in Ainsworth, in the Pictorial Times, in M. Marvy’s volume of engravings, 1 and elsewhere, will be inclined to dispute this judgment.
