Letter from George du Maurier, Dusseldorf, to Mrs. Fortescue, 1860 : autograph manuscript signed.

Relating news of his social life and circle of artists in Dusseldorf; saying that he and a Swiss artist "...have a studio together, looking out on the country - melancholy fields now covered with snow - but the studio is always as warm as summer, and in it H. and I work, sing, smoke and quarrel all day - when dark, 'les intimes' consisting of four English & Americans come in to talk of the mysteries of the Craft, and at five we all go to dinner together - I have just finished a portrait of one of them, a grand Virginian called Turner; it is very successful and I shall exhibit it, as by doing so I might hook in a stray order or two (from the Hohenzollern-sigmaringens, for instance, who are fond of being illustrated);" adding that in the Spring he "...and an American called Bancroft (one of the "intimes" and son of Bancroft the American Macaulay) are all going on a sketching tour in Brittany, from which we are to realize untold wealth. I find that I can work four or five hours a day without fatigue, but as yet see no other symptoms of improvement; how are Mr. Forestcue's eyes getting on - I have only seen a part of your letter, where they are not mentioned, but this is the time they ought to begin to improve;" asking her to give his compliments to "...Lady Isabelle Fitzmaurice (my model-beauty)...and tell her how her profile was remarked and recollected by an obscure individual soon to become a star of the first magnitude in the artistic firmament);" relating more news of friends and apologizing for not noticing that he took a five thaler note from Mr. Fortescue when they left Dusseldorf thinking he had taken a one thaler note.