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〃Punch〃 artists； of whom Mr。 George du Maurier； Mr。 Linley Sambourne；
and Mr。 Charles Keene are the most illustrious。 The first is nearly as
popular as Leech； and is certainly a greater favourite with cultivated
audiences。 He is not so much a humorist as a satirist of the Thackeray
type；unsparing in his denunciation of shams； affectations； and flimsy
pretences of all kinds。 A master of composition and accomplished
draughtsman； he excels in the delineation of 〃society〃its bishops； its
〃professional beauties〃 and 〃aesthetes；〃 its nouveaux riches； its
distinguished foreigners；… …while now and then （but not too often） he lets
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us know that if he chose he could be equally happy in depicting the lowest
classes。 There was a bar…room scene not long ago in 〃Punch〃 which gave
the clearest evidence of this。 Some of those for whom no good thing is
good enough complain； it is said； that he lacks varietythat he is too
constant to one type of feminine beauty。 But any one who will be at the
pains to study a group of conventional 〃society〃 faces from any of his 〃At
Homes〃 or 〃Musical Parties〃 will speedily discover that they are really
very subtly diversified and contrasted。 For a case in point； take the
decorously sympathetic group round the sensitive German musician； who
is 〃veeping〃 over one of his own compositions。 Or follow the titter
running round that amused assembly to whom the tenor warbler is singing
〃Me…e…e…et me once again；〃 with such passionate emphasis that the
domestic cat mistakes it for a well…known area cry。 As for his ladies； it
may perhaps be conceded that his type is a little persistent。 Still it is a
type so refined； so graceful； so attractive altogether； that in the jarring of
less well…favoured realities it is an advantage to have it always before our
eyes as a standard to which we can appeal。 Mr。 du Maurier is a fertile
book…illustrator； whose hand is frequently seen in the 〃Cornhill；〃 and
elsewhere。 Some of his best work of this kind is in Douglas Jerrold's
〃Story of a Feather；〃 in Thackeray's 〃Ballads；〃 and the large edition of the
〃Ingoldsby Legends；〃 to which Leech； Tenniel； and Cruikshank also
contributed。 One of his prettiest compositions is the group here reproduced
from 〃Punch's Almanack〃 for 1877。 The talent of his colleague； Mr。
Linley Sambourne； may fairly be styled unique。 It is difficult to compare
it with anything in its way； except some of the happier efforts of the late
Mr。 Charles Bennett； to which； nevertheless； it is greatly superior in
execution。 To this clever artist's invention everything seems to present
itself with a train of fantastic accessory so whimsically inexhaustible that
it almost overpowers one with its prodigality。 Each fresh examination of
his designs discloses something overlooked or unexpected。 Let the
reader study for a moment the famous 〃Birds of a Feather〃 of 1875； or that
ingenious skit of 1877 upon the rival Grosvenor Gallery and Academy； in
which the late President of the latter is shown as the proudest of peacocks；
the eyes of whose tail are portraits of Royal Academicians； and whose
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body…feathers are paint brushes and shillings of admission。 Mr。
Sambourne is excellent； too； at adaptations of popular pictures；witness
the more than happy parodies of Herrman's 〃A Bout d'Arguments；〃 and
〃Une Bonne Histoire。〃 His book…illustrations have been comparatively
few； those to Burnand's laughable burlesque of 〃Sandford and Merton〃
being among the best。 Rumour asserts that he is at present engaged upon
Kingsley's 〃Water Babies；〃 a subject which might almost be supposed to
have been created for his pencil。 There are indications； it may be added；
that Mr。 Sambourne's talents are by no means limited to the domain in
which for the present he chooses to exercise them； and it is not impossible
that he may hereafter take high rank as a cartoonist。 Mr。 Charles Keene；
a selection from whose sketches has recently been issued under the title of
〃Our People；〃 is unrivalled in certain bourgeois； military； and provincial
types。 No one can draw a volunteer； a monthly nurse； a Scotchman； an
〃ancient mariner〃 of the watering…place species； with such absolutely
humorous verisimilitude。 Personages； too； in whose eyesto use Mr。
Swiveller's euphemism〃the sun has shone too strongly；〃 find in Mr。
Keene a merciless satirist of their 〃pleasant vices。〃 Like Leech； he has
also a remarkable power of indicating a landscape background with the
fewest possible touches。 His book… illustrations have been 。mainly
confined to magazines and novels。 Those in 〃Once a Week〃 to a 〃Good
Fight；〃 the tale subsequently elaborated by Charles Reade into the
〃Cloister and the Hearth；〃 present some good specimens of his earlier
work。 One of these； in which the dwarf of the story is seen climbing up a
wall with a lantern at his back； will probably be remembered by many。
After the 〃Punch〃 school there are other lesser luminaries。 Mr。 W。 S。
Gilbert's drawings to his own inimitable 〃Bab Ballads〃 have a perverse
drollery which is quite in keeping with that erratic text。 Mr。 F。 Barnard；
whose exceptional talents have not been sufficiently recognised； is a
master of certain phases of strongly marked character； and； like Mr。
Charles Green； has contributed some excellent sketches to the 〃Household
Edition〃 of Dickens。 Mr。 Sullivan of 〃Fun；〃 whose grotesque studies of
the 〃British Tradesman〃 and 〃Workman〃 have recently been republished；
has abounding vis comica； but he has hitherto done little in the way of
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illustrating books。 For minute pictorial stocktaking and photographic
retention of detail； Mr。 Sullivan's artistic memory may almost be
compared to the wonderful literary memory of Mr。 Sala。 Mr。 John Proctor；
who some years ago （in 〃Will o' the Wisp〃） seemed likely to rival Tenniel
as a cartoonist； has not been very active in this way； while Mr。 Matthew
Morgan； the clever artist of the 〃Tomahawk；〃 has transferred his services
to the United States。 Of Mr。 Bowcher of 〃Judy；〃 and various other
professedly humorous designers； space permits no further mention。
There remains； however； one popular branch of book…illustration；
which has attracted the talents of some of the most skilful and original of
modern draughtsmen； i。e。 the embellishment of children's books。 From
the days when Mulready drew the old 〃Butterfly's Ball〃 and 〃Peacock at
Home〃 of our youth； to those of the delightfully Blake…like fancies of E。 V。
B。； whose 〃Child's Play〃 has recently been re…published for the delectation
of a new generation of admirers； this has always been a popular and
profitable employment； but of late years it has been raised to the level of a
fine art。 Mr。 H。 S。 Marks； Mr。 J。 D。 Watson； Mr。 Walter Crane； have
produced specimens of nursery literature which； for refinement of
colouring and beauty of ornament； cannot easily be surpassed。 The
equipments of the last named； especially； are of a very high order。 He
began as a landscapist on wood； he now chiefly devotes himself to the
figure； and he seems to have the decorative art at his fingers' ends as a
nat