ford madox brown - eTheses Repository - University of Birmingham

The sketch is to be 36 inches in height by 17 inches in width. The Subject
is to be the ASCENSION OF OUR SAVIOUR. The painting to have a
frame to be provided by the Trustees and with such frame to be of the
following size - viz. 11 feet in width by 23 feet in height.
The sketches to be sent without the name of the artist but with some motto
or initials, for the inspection of the Trustees, at the Committee room of the
Workhouse, in Russell Street, by Wednesday the 4th of December next. 66
The Art Union kept its readers abreast of the progress of the competition lamenting in
January 1845 that 'the trustees, unhappily, gave too little time for preparation -
something less than three months. Nevertheless the bait was a tempting one; and on
4 th of December … we understand no fewer than 72 sketches and 8 cartoons were
received by the trustees.' 67 Brown was among those who entered but was
unsuccessful and the commission went to the relatively unknown artist, John Wood
(1801-1877). 68 Although the artists entered anonymously, 'after the decision was
made, it was found that fifteen of the competitors had been Royal Academicians,
including [William] Etty, … [John] Herbert, who painted the frescoes in the Houses
of Parliament and [Frank] Howard, Professor of Painting.' 69 It is possible to work out
the identities of a number of the other competitors as many of them went on to exhibit
their entries. In the years running up to 1845 the Ascension was not a popular subject
66 The Art Union, vol. 6, no. 73, 1 October 1844, p. 297.
67 The Art Union, vol. 7, no. 76, 1 January 1845, p. 20.
68 The Art Union was not impressed with the choice of the judges, Charles Eastlake and Robert
Haydon, both well respected artists: 'Although we highly respect Mr John Wood, and think he is a
clever artist, we must say we have never seen any work of his that could lead to the belief that his altarpiece
… will be anything else than a big failure' (The Art Union, vol. 7, no. 77, 1 February 1845, p. 54).
69 Ruth Kendall, History of the Church of St James Bermondsey, written in 1979 and available on
http://www.stjamesbermondsey.org.uk/4790/10303.html (accessed on 9.9.08).
41