James Spedding, 1885

Henry Herschel Hay Cameron? (1852 - 1911) and J.C. Smith?

RA Collection: Art

Photogravure of a chalk drawing, ca. 1853, of James Spedding by George Frederic Watts R.A. James Spedding was to become part of Tennyson's circle from their first meeting as students at Cambridge. Spedding devoted much of his life to the study of Francis Bacon, his edition of Bacon's work (1857-1874) ran to some 14 volumes. He was also one of a group of friends who would receive copies of small private editions from Tennyson and who would regularly provide reviews. When reviewing the poems 'The Palace of Art', St. Simeon Stylites, The Vision of Sin and 'The Two Voices' in 1842, Spedding was notably to encourage Tennyson to 'find a subject large enough to take the entire impress of his mind'.

Their friendship continued until Spedding's death from injuries in a street accident in 1881.