FUNERAL OP SIR EDWIN LANDSEER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1152, 27 December 1873, Page 12

FUNERAL OP SIR EDWIN LANDSEER.

Amid every demonstration of respect, the remains of Sir Edward Landseer were on the 10th inst. deposited in St Paul's Cathedral. Under a grey sky, such as he loved to paint in his Highland pictures, the funeral procession of this truly popular artist started from his residence m St John's Wood at 10 a.m. The house is a long, low, stuccoed, one-storey building, standing back from the road, and sheltered by trees ; and on the right of the entrance are a couple of low buildings, decorated with basreliefs and the antlers of red deer, the place looking very sombre amid the falling leaves. The hearse was followed by three mourning coaches, containing the relatives and intimate friends of the deceased. Her Majesty's carriage joined the procession on the road, and his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales was also xepresented. The coffin was of massive polished oak, of a chamfered mediaeval pattern, the square silver studs, heavy handles, and ornaments being chaste and artistic, wreaths and reversed torches being the principal pieces of ornamentation. The breastplate was of dead silver, perfectly plain, and bearing in simple black letters the words, "Edwin Landseer, .born 7th March, 1802; died Ist October, 1873." Over this was thrown the pall of black velvet, bearing the deceased artist'B mono* gram, which was also borne by the hearse in black and silver. The procession slowly wended its way along the St. John's Wood road, passing through Portland Place, sad Regent street to Trafalgar Square, where it was joined by ten more mourning coaches containing the President and Council of the Royal Academy. Here a large body of spectators had assembled, the neighbourhood of that great work of the deceased man — the four lions at the foot of the Nelson Column — coming in for its share of attention. The procession, attended by detachments of mounted police, wended its way amidst the utmost stillness down the Strand and Fleet street, up Ludgate Hill, and reached its destination at St. Paul's about half -past twelve o'clock. Here the silence was entire. The Academical body ranged themselves b a double line, while the coffin, its bearers and the mourners entered 'the Cathedral The P>l •be*rera,fivf in BHDAb^r, wwe awiw

members of the Royal Academy ; Messrs Thomas Webster, Cope, Richard Redgrave, John Rogers Herbert, and Marshall. The burial service was conducted by Bishop Claughton. On 3unday morning, the 11th, a funeral sermon was preached for Sir Edwin Landseer at St. Paul's Cathedral, by the Rev. Dr Hessey, who selected for his text the words in Ecclesiastes : "He hath made everything beautiful in his time." Notwithstanding the rain which came down in torrents a large congregation was present.