Hunt (William Holman, painter, 18271910) 8 Autograph Letters signed to William Linnell (1826-1906 painter), 21pp. & 1 envelope, 8vo, Warwick Gardens (2), Draycott Lodge (5) and the Orient Line RMS Ormuz, 1879-1892 where dated, on a variety of subjects, including: informing Linnell of the death of John L[ucas] Tupper (1824?-1879), who had been a fellow-student of the two of them and became an early member of the Pre-Raphaelite circle, praising his work, and asking Linnell for his assistance in setting up a public subscription for the widow and two young children, one of whom, Holman, was named after Hunt, his godfather; inviting him to come to view a picture; expressing his condolences on the death of Linnell's father (John Linnell, 1792-1882), and of his sister [Hannah, widow of Samuel Palmer]; asking (1887) Linnell to confirm an anecdote about John Varley (1778-1842), with Linnell's autograph copy of his response, reminiscing about Varley; a long letter written on board ship on Hunt's return voyage from his last visit to Jerusalem in 1892, discussing his models in England, praising the attractions of Greece and of Egypt, which he urges Linnell to visit, and denying his waning powers (a long paragraph written by Linnell at the foot of the eighth page denounces the Royal Academy); promising to write to Antonio Corio, apparently a potential model, "... At this moment I feel that I know better how to employ my talents, such as they are in Art better than ever before, but as the same time I feel the greater hopelessness of any attempt to get a fair chance of any really but mere household work in England - so that were I a young man I should doubt the opportunity of profiting by my greater certainty of aim and by what I also persuade myself I might command - a more decided and effective power of execution. When I speak of of the limitation of age you will see that it is only in respect to the time left not to the acuteness of perceptions and precision of hand which in trust I cannot regard as on the wane in any degree...": and another, a cut signature of Holman Hunt, folds (10).