Chapter 16

Hablot Knight Browne ("Phiz").--Invincible Tendency to Exaggeration.--Charles Lever's Opinion.--Weakness and Attenuation of his Figures.--Compared with John Leech.--Tendency to Reproduce.--All his Heroes closely Resemble One Another.--Charles Lever's Complaint on this Score.--Great Ability of the Artist.--"Ralph Nickleby's Visit to his Poor Relations."--Newman Noggs.--Squeers.--Mrs. Nickleby's Lunatic Admirer.--"Pecksniff's Reception of the New Pupil."--"Pleasant Little Family Party at Mr. Pecksniff's."--"Warm Reception of Mr. Pecksniff by his Venerable Friend."--Quilp and Samson Brass.--Quilp and the Dog.--Mrs. Jarley's Waxwork Brigand.--Capture of Bunsby by Mrs. Macstinger.--"Sunday under Three Heads."--The Jack Sheppard Mania of 1840.--"The Way to the Gallows made Easy and Pleasant."--"Phiz" not a Born Comic Artist.--Excellence in Depicting Graver Subjects.--"The Dombey Family."--"Mrs. Dombey at Home."--"Abstraction and Recognition."--"The Dark Road."--"Carker in his Hour of Triumph."--"Bleak House."--Why Browne suited Charles Dickens's Requirements.--Coolness between Artist and Author.--One of Browne's Finest Illustrations.--Decline of Book Etching.--Browne without an Idea of his Own.--Powerful Assistance rendered to Novelists by Book Illustrators of his day.--Sketches and Studies.--Death of the Artist. _pp._ 336-354.