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Darlington -Memorial .Library | |
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ANECDOTES
O P
PAINTING in ENGLAND;
With fome Account of the principal Artifts ; And incidental NOTES on other ARTS;
Colle&ed by the iate
Mr. GEORGE VERTUE;
And now digefted and publifhed from his original MSS.
By Mr. HORACE WALPOLEj
To which is added
The HISTORY of The MODERN TASTE in GARDENING,
The Glory of Lebanon Jhall come unto thee, the Fir-Tree, the Pine-Tree, and the Box together, to beautify the Place of my Zaniluary, and I i»ill make the Place of my Feet glorious. Ifaiah, lx. 13.
The THIRD EDITION with ADDITIONS. VOLUME the FOURTH and laft.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR J. DODSLEY, PALL-MALL.
M.DCC.LXXXVI.
.^
tx
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oV-Vn
TO HIS GRACE
CHARLES,
Duke of Richmond, Lenox, and Aubigny.
My Lord,
IT is not to court protection to this work ; it is not to celebrate your Grace's virtues and abilities, which want no panegyric; it is to indulge the fentiments of refpect and efteem, that I take the liberty of prefixing your name to this volume, the for- mer parts of thefe Anecdotes having been infcribed to a Lady, now dead, to whom I had great obligations, a 2 The
yi DEDICATION.
The publications of myprefs have been appropriated to Gratitude and Friend- fhip, not to Flattery. Your Grace's fingular Encouragement of Arts, a vir- tue inherited with others from your noble Father, in titles you to this A4- drefs -, and allow me to fay, my Lord, it is a proof of your Judgment and Tafte, that in your countenance of talents there is but one inftance of partiality — I mean, your Favour to
My Lord, Tour Grace s
mojl faithful and obedient humble Servant,
HORACE WALPOLE.
ADVERTISEMENT.
THI S laft volume has been long writ- ten, and even printed. The publi- cation, * though a debt to the purchafers of the preceding volumes, was delayed from motives of tendernefs. The author, who could not refolve, like moft biographers, to' difpenfe univerfal panegyric, efpecially on many incompetent artifls, was ftill unwilling to utter even gentle cenfures, which might wound the affections, or offend the prejudices of thofe related to the perfons whom truth for- bad him to commend beyond their merits. He hopes, that as his opinion is no ftandard, it will pafs for miftaken judgment with fuch as fhall be difpleafed with his cnticifms. If his encomiums feem too lavifh to others, the pub- lic will at leaft know that they are bellowed fincerely. He would not have hefitated to publifh his remarks fooner, if he had not been averfe to exaggeration.
The work is carried as far as the author in- tended to go, though he is fenfible he could continue it with more fatisfaclion to himfelf, as
* It was not publirtiei till 0<5Uber 9, 1780, though printed in 1771.
a 3. the
vi JD-VERTIS EME.NF.
the arts, at leaft thofe of painting and architec- ture, are emerging from the wretched ftate in* which they lay at the acceflion of George the firft. To architecture, tafte and vigour were given by lord Burlington and Kent—- They have fucceflbrs worthy of the tone they gave; if, as refinement generally verges to ex- treme contrarieties, Kent's ponderofity does not degenerate into, fill igraine — But the mo- dern Pantheon, uniting grandeur and lightnefs, fimplicity and ornament, feems to have marked the medium, where tafte muft flop. The archi- tect who fli all endeavour to refine on Mr., Wyat, will perhaps give date to the age of em- broidery. Virgil,. Longinus,, and Vitruvius af- ford no rules, no examples, of fcattering finery.. This delicate redundance of ornament grow- ing into our architecture might perhaps be checked, if our artifts would ftudy the fublime dreams of Piranefi, who feems to^ have con- ceived vifions of Rome beyond what it boafted> even in the meridian of its fplendor. Savage as Salvator Rofa, fierce as Michael Angelo, and exuberant as Rubens, he has imagined; fcenes that would ftartle geometry, and ex- haufl the Indies to realize. He piles palaces on. bridges, and temples on palaces, and fcales.
Heaven.
JD VERf IS EMENT. vii
Heaven with mountains of edifices. Yet what tafte in his boldnefs ! what grandeur in his wildnefs ! what labour and thought both in his rafhnefs and details ! Architecture, indeed, has in a manner two fexes ; its mafculine dignity- can only exert its mufcles in public works and at public expence : its fofter beauties come better within the compafs of private refidence and enjoyment.
How painting has rekindled from its em- bers, the works of many living artifts demon- flratc. The prints after the works of fir Jo- fhua Reynolds have fpread his fame to Italy, where they have not at prefent a fingle painter that can pretend to rival an imagination fo fertile, that the attitudes of his portraits are as * various as thofe of hiflory. In what age
were
* Sir J. Reynolds has been accufed of plagiarifm for having borrowed attitudes from ancient matters. Not only candour but criticifm muft deny the force of the charge. When a fingle pofture is imitated from an hiftoric picture and applied to a portrait in a different drefs and with new attributes, This is not plagiarif.T), but quotation : and a quotation from a great author, with a novel application of the fenfe, has always been allowed to be an inrrancc of parts and tafte ; and may have more merit than the original. When the fons of Jacob impo- fcd on their father by a falfe coat of Jofeph, faying, " Know now whether This be thy fon's coat or" not," they only afked a deceitful queftion— but that interrogation became wit, when
Richard
a 4
viii JDyERTlSEMENT.
were paternal defpair and the horrors of death pronounced with more exprefTive accents than in his picture of count Ugolino ? When was infantine lovelinefs> or embrio-paffions, touch- ed with fweeter truth than in his portraits of rhifs Price and the baby Jupiter]? What frank - nefs of nature in Mr. Gainfborough's land- iCapes ; which may entitle them to rank in the nobleft collections ! What genuine humour in Zoffanii's comic fcenes; which do not, like the works of Dutch and Flemiih painters, invite laughter to divert itfelf with the naftieft inde- licacy of boors !
Such topics would pleafe a pen that delights to do juftice to its country — but the author has forbidden himfelf to treat of living profeffors. Pofterity appreciates impartially the works of the dead. To pofterity he leaves the continua- tion of thefe volumes j and recommends to the
Richard id. on the pope reclaiming a bifhop whom the king had taken prifoner in battle, fent him the prelate's coat of mail, and in the words of fcripture aflced his holinefs, whether that was the coat of his fon or not ? Is not there humour and fatire in fir Joflma's reducing Holbein's fwaggering and colofla! haughtinefs of Henry 8th. to the boyifh jollity of mafter Crewe ? — .One prophecy I will venture to make ; fir Joflrna is not a plagiary, but will beget a thoufand. The exuberance of his invention will be the grammar of future painters of portrait.
j lovers
AD FERT1S EMENT.
IK
lovers of arts the induftry of Mr. Vertue, who preferved notices of all his cotemporaries, as he had collected of paft ages, and thence gave birth to this work. In that fupple- ment will not be forgotten the wonderful progrefs in miniature of * lady Lucan, who has arrived at copying the moft exquifite works of Ifaac and Peter Oliver, Hofkins and Cooper, with a genius that almoft depreciates thofe matters, when we confider that they fpent their lives in attaining perfection ; and who, foaring above their modeft timidity, has transferred the vigour of Raphael to her copies in water-colours. There will be recorded the living etchings of Mr. H. Bunbury, the fecond Hogarth, and firft imitator who ever fully equalled his original ; and who, like Hogarth, has more humour when he invents, than when he illuftrates f — probably becaufe genius can draw from the fources of nature with more fpirit than from the ideas of another. Has any painter ever executed a fcene, a character of Shakefpeare, that approached to the prototype fo near as Shakefpeare himfelf attained to na-
• Margaret Smith, Wife of Sir Charles Bingham Baron Lu. can in Ireland.
f For inftance, in his prints to Triftram Shandy.
ture ?
3 Ah VERTISEMENT.
tyre ? Yet is there a pencil in a living hand as ca- pable of pronouncing the paffions as our un- equalled poet i a. pencil not only infpired by his iniight into nature, but by the graces and tafte of Grecian artifts — but it is not fair to excite the curiofity of the public, when both the rank and bafhful merit of the poffeflbr, and a too rare exertion of fuperior talents, confine the proofs to a narrow circle. * Whoever has feen the drawings, and bafreliefs, defigned and executed by * lady Diana Beauclerc, is fenfi- ble that thefe imperfect encomiums are far fhort of the excellence of her works. Her por- trait of the duchefs of Devonshire, in feveral hands, confirms the truth of part of thefe af- fertions. The nymph-like fimplicity of the figure is equal to what a Grecian (latuary would have formed for a dryad or goddefs of a river. Bartolozzi's print of her two daugh- ters after the drawing of the fame lady, is ano- ther fpecimen of her fingular genius and tafte. The gay and fportive innocence of the young- er daughter, and the demure application of the elder, are as characteriftically contrafted
* Eldeft Daughter of Charles Spencer fecond Duke of Marl- borough, married firft to Frederic St. John Vifcount Boling- broke, and afterwards to Tophara Beauclerc3 only fon of Lord Sidney Beauclerc.
8 as
ADVERTISEMENT. ti
as Milton's Allegro and Penferofo. A third female genius is Mrs. Darner, * daughter of General Conway, in a walk more difficult and far more uncommon than painting. The an- nals of ftatuary record few artifls of the fair fex, and not one that T recalled of any cele- brity. Mrs. Darner's bulls from the life are not inferior to the antique, and theirs we are fure were not more like. Her fhock dog, large as life,, and only not alive, has a loofenefs and foftnefs in the curls that feemed impofii- ble to terra-cotta : it rivals the marble one of Bernini in the royal colle&ion. As the anci- ents have left us but five animals of equal merit with their human figures, namely, the Barberini goat, the Tufcan boar, the Mattel eagle, the eagle at Strawberry-hill, and Mr* Jennings's, now Mr. Duncombe's, dog, the- talent of Mrs. Darner muft appear in the mofb diftinguiihed light. Aided by fome inflruc- tions from that mafterly ftatuary Mr. Bacon*, {he has attempted and executed a bull in mar- ble. Ceracchi, from whom firft fhe received four or five lefibns, has given a whole figure
*Only child of general. Henry Seymour, commander in chief. in 1781 and 1783, by lady Caroline Campbeu, countefs dowa- ger of Ai'.efbuiy. Mrs. Damer wa<> widow of J<hn Damer* «Jdeft fori of Jofeph lord Milton,
of
xii ADVERTISEMENT
of her as the mufe of fculpture, in which he has happily preferved the graceful lightnefa, of her form and air.
Little is faid here but hiftorically of the art of gardening. Mr. Mafon in his firft beautiful canto on that "tubjecl: has mown that Spenfer and Addifon ought not to have been omitted in the lift of our authors who were not blind to the graces of natural tafte. The public muft wifh with the author of this work, that Mr. Mafon would complete his poem, and leave this effay as unneceffary as it is imperfect.
The hiftoric compofitions offered for St. Paul's by fome of our firft artifts, feemed to difclofe a vifion of future improvement — a period the more to be wifhed, as the wound given to painting through the fides of the "Romifh religion menaces the arts as well as idolatry — unlefs the methodifts, whofe ri- gour feems to foften and adopt the artifices of the catholics, [for our itinerant mounte- banks already are fond of being fainted in mezzotinto, as well as their St. Bridgets and Terefas ] mould borrow the paraphernalia of enthufiafm now waning in Italy, and fuperadd the witchery of painting to that of mufic. Whitfield's temples encircled with glory may
convert
JDVERTISEMENT. xlii
convert nifties, who have never heard of his or Ignatius Loyola's peregrinations. Ifenthu- fiafm is to revive, and tabernacles to rife as convents are demolifhed, may we not hope at leaft to fee them painted ? Le Sueur's cloyfter at Paris makes fome little amends for the im- prifonment of the Carthufians. The abfurdity of the legend of the reviving canon is loft in the amazing art of the painter ; and the laft fcene of St. Bruno expiring, in which are ex- preffed all the ftages of devotion from the youngeft mind imprefted with fear to the compofed resignation of the prior, is perhaps inferior to no fingle picture of the greatefl mafter. If Raphael died young, fo did Le Sueur; the former had feen the antique, the latter only prints from Raphael : yet in the Chartreufe, what airs of heads ! what harmony of colouring ! what aerial perfpe&ive ! How- Grecian the fimplicity of archite&ure and drapery ! How diverfified a fingle quadrangle, though the life of a hermit be the only Subject, and devotion the only pathetic ! In fhort, till we have other pictures than portraits, and painting has ampler fields to range in than private apartments, it is in vain to expect the art fhould recover its genuine luftre. Statuary
has
xiv ADVERTISEMENT.
has frill lefs encouragement. Sepulchral deco- rations are almoft difufed ; and though the rage for portraits is at its highefl tide both in pictures and prints, bufts and ftatues are ne- ver demanded. We feem to wifh no longer duration to the monuments of our expence, than the inhabitants of Peru and Ruflla, where edifices are calculated to laft but to the jfiext earthquake or conflagration,
October J, ioS»i
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
O F T H E
FOURTH VOLUME.
CHAP. I.
p AIMERS in the Reign of King George I.
CHAP. II.
Architects and other Artifis in the Reign of George I. f. 84,
CHAP. III.
Painters in the Reign of George II. p. 10$.
CHAP. IV.
Account of William Hogarth, and Catalogue ef his Prints, p. 146.
Vol. IV. C H A P.
CONTENTS.
CHAP. V.
Painters in Enamel and Miniature, Statu- ariesj and Medalists, in the Reign of George II,
CHAP. VI.
ArehiteRs in the Reign of George 11. p. 221,
CHAP. VII.
Hifiory of modern Gardening, p, 247.
ANEC-
ANECDOTES
O F
PAINTING, &l
CHAP. I.
Painters in the Reign of King George I.
WE are now arrived at the period in which the arts were funk to the loweft ebb in Britain. From the ftifFrtefs introduced by Holbein and the Flemifii mafters, who not only laboured under the timidity of the new art, but who faw 'no- thing but the ftarch and unpliant habits of the times, we were fallen into a loofe, and, if I may ufe the word, a diflolutc kind of paint- Vou IV. A jing,
2 Painters in the Reign of George I.
ing, which was not lefs barbarous than the oppofite' extreme, and yet had not the merit of reprefenting even the drelTes of the age. Sir Godfrey Kneller ftill lived, but only in name, which he proftituted by fuffering the moft wretched daubings of hired fubftkutes to pafs for his works, while at moft he gave himfelf the trouble of taking the likenefs of the perfon who fat to him. His bold an4 free manner was the fole admiration of his fucceflbrs, who thought they had caught his flyle, when they neglected drawing, proba- bility, and finifhing. Kneller had exagge- rated the curls of full-bottomed wigs, and the tiaras of ribbands, lace, and hair, till he had ftruck out a graceful kind of unnatural grandeurj but the fucceeding modes were ftill lefs favourable to picturefque imagina- tion. The habits of the time were fhrunk to awkward coats and waiftcoats for the men 5 and for the women, to tight-laced gowns, round hoops, and half a dozen
fqueezed
Painters in the Reign of George I, 3
fqueezed plaits of linen, to which dangled behind two unmeaning pendants, called lappets, not half covering their ftrait-drawn hair. Dahl, Dagar, Richardfon, Jervas, and others, rebuffed by fuch barbarous forms, and not porTeiling genius enough to deviate from what they faw into graceful variations, cloathed all their perfonages with a loofe drapery and airy mantles, which not only were not, but could not be the drefs of any age or nation, fo little were they adapted to cover the limbs, to exhibit any form, or to adhere to the perfon, which they fcarce enveloped, and from which they muft fall on the leaft motion. As thofe cafual lappings and flowing ftreamers were imitat- ed from nothing, they feldom have any folds or chiaro fcuro ; anatomy and colour- ing being equally forgotten. Linen, from what ceconomy I know not, is feldom al- lowed in thofe portraits, even to the ladies, who lean carelefly on a bank, and play with A 2 a parrot
4 Painters in the Reign of George I.
a parrot they do not look at, under a tran- quillity which ill accords with their, feeming fituation, the flightnefs of their veftment and the lanknefs of their hair having the appearance of their being juft rifen from the bath, and of having found none of their cloaths to put on, but a loofe gown. Ar- chitecture was perverted to meer houfe- building, where it retained not* a litle of Vanbrugh ; and if employed on churches, produced at b eft but corrupt and tawdry imitations of fir Chriftopher Wren. Statu- ary ftill lefs deferved the name of an art.
The new monarch was void of tafte, and not likely at an advanced age to encourage the embellifhment of a country, to which he had little partiality, and with the face of which he had few opportunities of getting acquainted; though had he been better known, he muft have grown the delight of it, pofTeffing all that plain good-humoured fimplicity and focial integrity, which pecu- liarly
Painters in the Reign of George I. $
Harly diftinguifhes the honeft EngHJh private gentleman. Like thofe patriots, it was more natural • to George the firft to be con- tent with, or even partial to whatever he found eftablifhed, than to feek for improve- ment and foreign ornament. But the arts, when neglected, always degenerate. En- couragement muft keep them up, or a ge- nius revivify them. Neither happened under the firfl of the houfe of Brunfwic. I fhall be as brief as I can in my account of fo ungrateful a period, for though the elder Dahl and Richardfon, and a very few more had merit in fome particulars, I cannot help again advertifing "my readers, that no reign, fince the arts have been in atty efteem, produced fewer works, that will deferve the attention of pofterity. As the reign too was of no long duration, mofl of the artifts had lived under the predecefibrs of George the firft, or flourifhed under his fon, where feveral will be ranked with A 3 more
6 Painters in the Reign of George I, more propriety. Of the former clafs,
was
LOUIS LAGUERRE,
The affiftant and imitator of Verrio, with whofe name his will be preferred when their united labours fhall be no more, both being immortalized by that unpropitious line of Pope,
Where fprawl the faints of Verrio and Laguerre.
The fame redundancy of hiftory and fable is difplayed in the works of both ; and it is JDut juftice to fay that their performances were at leaft in as^jood atafte as the edi- fices they were appointed to adorn.
Laguerre's father was a Catalan, who fettled in France, and became mafter of the menagerie at Verfailles. The fon being torn at Paris in 1663, Louis the fourteenth
did
Painters in the Reign of George I. 7
did him jhe honour of being his godfather, and gave him his own name* At firft he was placed in the Jefuits college, but hav- ing a hefitation in his fpeech, and difcover- ing much inclination to drawing, the good fathers advifed his parents to breed him to a profefiion that might be of ufe to him- felf, fince he was not likely to prove fer- viceable to them. He however brought away learning enough to affift him after- wards in his allegoric and hifloric works. He then ftudied in the royal academy of painting, and for a fhort time under Le Brun. In 1683 he came to England with one Ricard, a painter of architecture, and both were employed by Verrio. Laguerre painted for him molt part of the large pio> ture in St. Bartholomew's hofpital, and fucceeding fo well when little above twenty, he rofe into much bufinefs, executing great numbers of cielings, halls, and ftaircafes, particularly at lord Exeter's at Burleigh, A 4 the
S Painters in the Reign of George I.
the ftaircafe at old Devonfhire-houfe in Pio cadilly, the ftaircafe and falon at Bucking- ham-houfe, the ftaircafe at Petworth, many of the apartments at Burleigh on the hill, where the walls are covered with his Cae- fars, fome things at Marlborough-houfe in St. James's Park, and, which is his bell work, the falon at Blenheim. King Wil- liam gave him lodgings at Hampton-court, where he painted the labours of Hercules in chiaro fcuro -, and being appointed to repair thofe valuable pictures, the triumphs of Julius Casfar by Andrea Montegna, he had the judgment to imitate the ftyle of the original, inftead of new cloathing them in vermillion and ultramarine j a fate that be- fel Raphael even from the pencil of Carlo Maratti.
Laguerre was at firft chofen unanimoufly by the commifiioners for rebuilding St, Paul's to decorate the infide of the cupola, but was fet afide by the prevailing intereft
of
Pointers in the Reign of George I. 9
of Thornhill, a preference not raviftied from him by fuperior merit. Sir Godfrey Kneller was more juft to him,* though from pique to Thornhill, and employed him to paint the ftaircafe of his houfe at Witton where Laguerre diftinguifhed him- felf beyond his common performances. Oh the union of England and Scotland he was ordered by queen Anne to make defigns for a fet of tapeftry on that occafion, in which were to be introduced the portraits of her majefly and the principal miniftcrs \ but though he gave the drawings, the work went no farther. A few pictures he painted befides, and made defigns for engravers. In 17 1 1 he was a dire<5tor of an academy of painting erected in London, and was likely to be chofen governor on the refignation of Kneller, but was again baffled by his com- petitor Thornhill. In truth he was, fays
* Vide life of Kneller in the preceding volume.
Vertue,
io Painters in the Reign of George I.
Vertue, a modeft unintriguing man, and as his father-in-law * John Tijou faid, God had made him a painter, and there left him. The ever-grateful and humble Vertue com- mends him highly, and acknowledges in- ftrudtions received from him; the fource, I doubt, of fome of his encomiums. At a tavern in Drury-lane, where was held a club of virtuofi, he painted in chiaro fcuro round the room a Bacchanalian proceffion, and made them a prefent of his labour. Vertue thinks that fir James Thornhill was indebted to him for his knowledge of hiftoric painting on cielings, &c. and fays he was imitated by -j- others, as one J Ri- ario, Johnfon, Brown, and feveral, whofe names are perifhed as well as that gawdy ftyle.
* A founder of iron baluftrades.
■f Lanfcroon was another affiftant of Verrio and La- guerre, on his firfl arrival from Flanders. He died poor in 17375 leaving a fon of his profefHon.
J Riario painted a ftaircafe at lord Carpenter's
Laguerre
Painters in the Reign of George I. tl
Laguerre towards his latter end grew dropfical and inactive, and going to fee the Ifland Princefs at Drury-lane, which was acted for the benefit of his fon, then newly entered to fing on the ftage, he was feized with a ftroke of apoplexy, and dying before the play began, April 20, 17 21, he was buried in the church-yard of St. Martin's in the Fields.
John Laguerre the fon had talents for painting, but wanted application, prefer- ring the ftage to more laborious ftudies. After quitting that profeflion, I think he painted fcenes, and publifhed a fet of prints of Hob in the well, which had a great fale, but he died at laft in indigent circumftances in March, 1748.
MICHAEL
i 2 Painters in the Reign of George I.
MICHAEL DAHL
Was born at Stockholm, and received fome inftruclions from Ernftraen Klocke, an efleemed artift in that country and painter to the crown, who in the early part of his life had been in England. At the age of 22 Dahl was brought over by Mr. Pouters, a merchant, who five years afterwards in- troduced Boit from the fame country. After a year's refidence here, Dahl con- tinued his travels in fearch of improvement, {laid about a year at Paris, and bellowed about three more on the principal cities in Italy. At Rome he painted the portrait of P. F. Garroli, a fculptor and architect, under whom Gibbs fludied for fome time. But it was more flattering to Dahl to be employed by one that had been his fovereign, the famous queen Chriftina. As he worked on
her
Painters in the Reign of George I. 13
her picture, fhe afked what he intended fhe fhould hold in her hand ? He replied, a fan. Her majefty, whofe ejaculations were rarely delicate, vented a very grofs one, and added, cc a fan ! give me a lion; that is fitter for a queen of Swe- den." I repeat this, without any intention of approving it. It was a pedantic affec- tation of fpirit in a woman who had quitted a crown to ramble over Europe in a motley kind of mafculine mafquerade, afluming a right of arTaffinating her galants, as if ty- ranny as well as the priefthood were an in- delible character, and throwing herfelf for protection into the bofom of a church fhe laughed at, for the comfortable enjoyment of talking indecently with learned men, and of living fo with any other men. Con- temptible in her ambition by abandoning the happieft opportunity of performing great and good actions, to hunt for venal praifes from thofe parafites the literati, fhe
attained,
14 Painters in the Reign of George I.
attained, or deferved to attain, that fole renown which neceffarily accompanies great crimes or great follies in perfons of fuperior rank. Her letters difcover no genius or parts, and do not even wear that now trite mantle of the learned, the affectation of philofophy. Her womanifh paflions and anger difplay themfelves without referve, and ihe is ever miftaking herfelf for a queen, after having done every thing fhe could to relinquifh and difgrace the character.
Dahl returned to England in 1688, "where^ he found fir Godfrey Kneller rifing to the head of the profefTion, and where he had yet merit enough to diftinguifh himfelf as no mean competitor. His colouring was good, and attempting nothing beyond portraits, he has certainly left many valu- able pictures, efpecially as he did not ne- glect every thing but the head like Kneller, and drew the reft of the figure much better than Richardfon, Some of Dahl's works
are
Painters in the Reign of George I. 15
%-e worthy of Riley. The large equeftrian picture of his fovereign Charles the ele- venth at Windfor has much merit, and in the gallery of admirals at Hampton- court he fuffers but little from the fuperiority of iir Godfrey. In my mother's picture at Houghton there is great grace, though it was not his moll common excellence. At Petworth are feveral whole lengths of la- dies by him extremely well coloured. The more univerfal talents of Kneller and his aflfuming prefumption carried away the croud from the modeft and filent Dahl, yet they feem to have been amicable rivals, fir Godfrey having drawn his portrait. He did another of himfelf, but Vertue owns that fir Godfrey deferved the preference for likenefs, grace, and colouring. Queen Anne fat to. him, and prince George was v much his patron.
Virtuous and efleemed, eafy in his cir- cumftances and fortunate in his health,
DaM 4
1 6 Painters in the Reign of George I.
Dahl reached the long term of eighty-feveif years, and dying October 20, 1743, was buried in St. James's church. He left two daughters, and about three years before loft his only fon, who was a very inferior painter, called the younger Dahl, but of whofe life I find no particulars among Venue's collections.
PETER ANGELIS
Worked in a very different ftyle from the two preceding painters, executing nothing but converfations and landfcapes with fmall figures, which he was fond of enriching with reprefentations of fruit and fifh. His manner was a mixture of Teniers and Wat-, teau, with more grace than the former, more nature than the latter. His pencil was eafy, bright, and flowing, but his co- 8 louring
Taint en In the Reign of George I. 17
touring too faint and nervelefs. He after* wards adopted the habits of Rubens and Vandyck, more picturefque indeed, but not fo proper to improve his productions in what their chief beauty confifted, familiar life* He was born at Dunkirk in 1685, anc^ Vi" fiting Flanders and Germany in the courf of his ftudies, made the longeft ftay at Duf- feldorpe, enchanted with the treafures of painting in that city. He came to Eng- land about the year 17 12, and foon became a favourite painter; but in the year 1728 he fet out for Italy, * where he fpent three years. At Rome his pictures pleafed ex- tremely, but being of a referved temper, and not oftentatious of his merit, he dif- gufted feveral by the reluctance with which he exhibited his works : his ftudious and
* After making an audUon of his pi&ures, amongft which were copies of the four markets, then at Hough- ton, by Rubens and Snyder.
Vol. IV. B fbber
s 8 Painters in the Reign of George I.
fober temper, inclining him more to the purfuit of his art, than to the advantage of his fortune. Yet his attention to the latter prevented his return to England as he in- tended, for flopping at Kennes in Bretagner a rich and parliamentary town, he was fo immediately overwhelmed with employ- ment there, that he fettled in that city, and died there in a fhort time, in the year 1734, when he was not above forty-nine years of age. Hy fling painted his picture while he was in England,
ANTONY RUSSEL
Is recorded by Vertue, as one of Riley's fchool, [confequently a painter of por- traits] as were Murray and Richardfon, though he owns with lefs fuceefs and lefs merit : nor does he mention any other fads relating to him, except that;
he
Painters in the Reign of George I. I $
he died in July i743> aged above four- Tcore. I fhould not be follicitous to pre- ferve fuch dates, but that they fometimes afcertain the hands by which pictures have been painted — and yet I have lived long enougji fince the firft volumes of this work were printed, to fee many pieces afcribed to Holbein and Vandyck in auctions, though bearing dates notorioufly pofterior to the deaths of thofe matters : fuch notices as thefe often helping more men to cheat than to diftinguifli*
LUKE CRADOCK,
Who died early in this reign, was a pain- ter of birds and animals, in which walk he attained much merit by the bent and force of his own genius, having been fo little initiated even in the grammar of his profef- $ 2 fion,
co Painters in the Reign of George I.
fion, that he was fent from Somerton near Uchefter in Somerfetihire, where he was born, to be apprentice to a houfe-painter in London, with whom he ferved his time. Yet there, without inftructions, and with few opportunities of ftudying nature in the very part of the creation which his talents led him to reprefent, he became, if not a great matter, a faithful imitator of the in- ferior clafs of beings. His birds in parti- cular are flrongly and richly coloured, and were much fought as ornaments over doors and chimney-pieces. I have feen fome pieces of his hand painted with a freedom and fire that intitled them to more diftinc- tion. He worked in general by the. day and for dealers who retailed his works, pof- fefling that confcious dignity of talents that "fcorned dependence, and made him hate to be employed by men whofe birth and for- tune confined his fancy and reflrained his freedom. Vertue records a proof of his
merit
Painters in the Reign of George I. *V
merit which I fear will enter into the pane- gyrics of few modern painters — he fays he fow feveral of Cradock's pictures rife quickly after his death to three and four times the price that he had received for them living. He died in 17 17, and was buried at St. Mary's White-chapel.
PETER CASTEELS
Was, like Cradock, though inferior in merit, a painter of fowls, but more com- monly of flowers, yet neither with the boldnefs and relievo of a matter, nor with the finifhed accuracy that in fo many Fle- mim painters almoft atones for want of genius. He was born at Antwerp in 1684, and in 1708 came over with his * brother
* So Vertue. I fuppofe he means brother-in-law.
B 2 Peter
J.1 Painters in the Reign of George I.
Peter Tillemans. In 171 6 he made a fhort journey to his native city, but returned foon. In 1726 he publifhed twelve plates of birds and fowl which he had defigned and etched himfelf, and did a few other things in the fame way. In 1735 ne retired to Tooting, to defign for callico- printers : and laflly, the manufacture being removed thither, to Richmond, where he died of a lingering illnefs May i6% 1749-
D A Q A R,
The fon of a French painter, and himfelf born in France, came young into England and rofe to great bufinefs, though upon a very {lender flock of merit. He was vio- lently afflicted with the gout and ftone,. and died in May 1723, at the age of fifty-four.
He
Painters in the Reign of George I. 23
He left a fon whom he bred to his own profeffion,
CHARLES JERVAS.
No painter of fo much eminence as Jervass is taken fo little notice of by Vertue in his memorandums, who neither fpecifies the fa- mily, birth, or death of this artift. The latter happened at his * houfe in Cleveland-court, in 1739. One would think Vertue forefaw how little curiofity pofterity would feel to know more of a man who has bequeathed to them fuch wretched daubings. Yet, be- tween the badnefs of the age's tafte, the dearth of good mailers, and a fafhionable reputation, Jervas fat at the top of his pro-
* He had another houfe at Hampton,
B 4 fefTion j
24 Painters in the Reign of George I.
feffion j " and his own vanity thought no en- comium difproportionate to his merit. Yet was he defective in drawing, colouring, composition, and even in that moll necef- fary, and perhaps molt eafy talent of a por- trait-painter, likenefs. In general, his pic- tures are a light flimfy kind of fan-painting as large as the life. Yet I have feen a few of his works highly coloured ; and it is cer- tain that his copies of Carlo Maratti, whom moft he ftudied and imitated, were ex- tremely juft, and fcarce inferior to the originals. It is a well-known ftory of him, that having fucceeded happily in copying [he thought, in furpaffing] a picture of Titian, he looked firft at the one, then at the other, and then with parental compla- cency cried, " Poor little Tit ! how he would ftare V*
But what will recommend the name of Jervas to inquifitive pofterity was his inti- macy
Painters in the Reign of George I. i§
macy with Pope, * whom he inflrueled- to draw and paint, whom therefore thefe anecdotes are proud to boaft of and enroll j- among our artifts, and who has enfnrined J the feeble talents of the painter in the lucid amber of his glowing lines. The repeated name of lady || Bridgewater in that epiftle
* Jervas, who affe&ed to be a Free-thinker, was one day talking very irreverently of the bible. Dr. Arbuth- not maintained to him that he was not only a fpecula- tive but a practical believer. Jervas denied it. Ar- buthnot faid he would prove it : " You fhidtjy obferve the fecond commandment, faid the dodlqr ; for in your pictures you make not the likenefs of any thing that is in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth."
f See his lecters to Jervas, and a fhorr copy of verfes on a fan defigned by himfelf on the ftory of Ce- phalus and Procrls. There is afmall edition of the Ef- fty on Man, with a frontifpiece likewife of his defio-n. . % See Pope's epiftle to Jervas with Dryden's transla- tion of Frefnoy's Art of Painting.
II Elizabeth countefs of Bridgwater, one of the beautiful daughters of the great duke of Marlborough.
.was
16 Painters in the Reign of George I.
was not the fole effect of chance, of the lady's charms, or of the conveniency of her name to the meafure of the verfe. Jervas had ventured to look on that fair one with more than a painter's eyes ; fo entirely did the lovely form poifefs his imagination, that many a homely dame was delighted to find her picture refemble lady Bridgwater. Yet neither his prefumption nor his paflion could extinguifh his felf4ove. One day, as fhe was fitting to him, he ran over the beauties of her face with rapture — " but, faid he, I cannot help telling your ladyfhip that you have not ahandibme ear.*' " No !" laid lady Bridgwater \ " pray, Mr, Jervas, what is a handfome ear ?'' He turned afide his cap, and (hawed her his own.
What little more I have to fay of him, is chiefly fcattered amongft the notes of Ver- tue. He was born in Ireland, and for a year fludied under fir Godfrey Kneller, Norris, frame-maker and keeper of the 5 pictures
Painters in the Reign of George I. 27
pictures to king William and queen Anne, was his firft patron, and permitted him to copy what he pleafed in the royal collec- tion. At Hampton-court he copied the cartoons in little, and fold them to Dr. George Clarke of Oxford, who became his protector, and furnifhed him with money to vifit Paris and Italy. At the former he lent two of his cartoons to Audran, who engraved them, but died before he could begin the reft. At Rome he applied hiin- felf to learn to draw, for though thirty years old, he faid he had begun at the wrong end, and had only ftudied colour- ing. The friend (hip of Pope, and the pa- tronage of other men of genius and rank, * extended a reputation built on fuch flight foundations : to which not a little contri- buted, we may fuppofe, the Tatler, No. VIII.
* Sevea letters from Jervas to Pope are printed in the two additional volumes to that poet's works, publiftied by R, Baldwin 1776.
April
2? Painter's in the Reign of George I.
April 1 8, 1709, who calls him the loft great painter that Italy has Jent us. To this in- cenfe a widow worth 20,000/. added the folidj and made him her hufband. In 1738 he again travelled to Italy for his health, but furvived that journey only a ftiort time, dying Nov. 2d, 1739.
He tranflated and publifhed a new edi- tion of Don Quixote. His collection of drawings and Roman fayence, called * Ra- phael's earthen-ware, and a fine cabinet of ivory carvings by Fiamingo, were fold, the drawings in April 1741, and the reft "after the death of his wife.
It will eafily be conceived by thofe who know any thing of the ftate of painting in this country of late years, that this work pretends to no more than fpecifying the
* There is a large and fine colle&ion of this ware at the late fir Andrew Fountain's at Narford in Nor- folk,
i - profetfbrs
Painters in the Reigtr of George I. $$
profeflbrs of moft vogue. Portrait-paint- ing has increafed. to fo exuberant a degree in this age, that.it would be difficult even to compute the number of limners that have appeared within the century. Con- fequently it is almoft as necefTary that the reprefentations of men ihould perifh and quit the fcene to their fucceilbrs, as it is that the human race fhould give place to rifing generations. And indeed the mortality is almoft as rapid. Portraits that coft twenty, thirty, fixty guineas, and that proudly take poffeffion of the drawing- room, give way in the next generation to thofe of the new-married couple, defend- ing into the parlour, where they are flightly mentioned as my father's and mothers pic- tures. When they become my grandfather and grandmother, they mount to the two pair of flairs ; and then, unlefs difpatched to the manfion-houfe in the country, or crouded into the houfe-keeper's room, they
perifh
30 Painters in the Reign of George ft
pm£h among the lumber of garrets, or flutter into rags before a broker's fhop at the Seven Dials. Such already has been the fate of fome of thofe deathlefs beau- ties, who Pope promifed his friend fhould
Bloom in his colours for a thoufand years i
And fuch, I doubt, will be the precipitate cataftrophe of the works of many more who' babble of Titian and Vandyck, yet only imitate Giordano, whofe hafty and rapa- cious pencil defervedly accquired him the rjifgraceful title of Lucafa preftoi
JONATHAN RICHARDSON
Was undoubtedly one of the belt Englhli painters of a head, that had appeared in this country. There is ftrength, roundnefs, and boldnefs in his colouring; but his men
want
Painters in the Reign of George I. jt.
want dignity, and his women grace. The good fenfe of the nation is character ifed in his portraits. You fee he lived in an age when neither enthuliafm nor fervility were predominant. Yet with a pencil fo firm, poffefTed of a numerous and excellent col- lection of drawings, full of the theory, and profound in reflections on his art, he drew nothing well below the head, and was void of imagination. His attitudes, draperies, and back-grounds are totally infipid and unmeaning : fo ill did he apply to his own practice the fagacious rules and hints he bellowed on others. Though he wrote with fire and judgment, his paintings owed little to either. No man dived deeper into the inexhauflible (lores of Raphael, or was more fmitten with the native luflre of Vandyck. Yet though capable of tailing the elevation of the one and the elegance of the other, he could never contrive to fee with their eyes, when he was to copy nature himfelf.
One
3- Painter* in the Reign of George I.
One wonders that he could comment their works fo well, and imitate them fo little.
Richardfon was born about the year 1665, and againfh his inclination was placed by his * father-in-law apprentice to a fcri- vener, with whom he lived fix years, when obtaining his freedom by the death of his mailer, he followed the bent of his difpo- fition, and at twenty years old became the difciple of Riley j with whom he lived four years, whofe niece he married, and of whofe manner he acquired enough to main- tain a folid and lading reputation, even during the lives of Kneller and Dahl, and to remain at the head of the profefllon when they went off the ftage. He quitted bufinefs himfelf fome years before his death ; but his temperance and virtue con- tributed to protract his life to a great length in the full enjoyment of his understanding,
* His own father died when he was five years old..
and
Painters in the Reign of George I. 33
and in the felicity of domeftic friendihip. He had had a paralytic ftroke that affected his arm, yet never difabbd him fiom his cuftomary walks and exercife. He had been in St. James's Park, and died fud- denly at his houfe in Queen- fquare on his return home, May 28, 1745, when he had pafTed the eightieth year of his age. He left a fon and four daughters, one of whom was married to his difciple Mr. Hudfon, and another to Mr. Grigfon, an attorney. The tafte and learning of the fon, and the harmony in which he lived with his father, are vifible in the joint works they com- pofed. The father in 1719 published two difcourfes; 1. An EfTay on the whole Art of Criticifrn as it relates to Painting; 2. An Argument in Behalf of the * Science
* He tells us, that being in fearch of a proper term for this fcience, Mr. Prior propofed to name it eo7inoiJfance ; but that word has not obtained pofleffion as connoijfeur has.
Vol, IV. C of
34 Painters In the Reign of George I.
of a Connoifleur; bound in one volume Octavo. In 1722 came forth an Account of fome of the Statues, Baf-reliefs> Draw- ings and Pictures, in Italy, &c. with Re- marks by Mr. Richardfon, Sen. and Jun. The fon made the journey ; and from his notes, letters, and obfervations, they both at his return compiled this valuable work. As the father was a formal man, with a flow, but loud and fonorous voice, and, in truth, with fome affectation in his manner ; and as there is much Angularity in his flyle and exprefiion, thofe peculiarities, for they were fcarce foibles, (truck fuperficial read- ers, and between the laughers and the envious, the book was much ridiculed. Yet both this and the former are full of matter, good fenfe and inftruction : and the very quaintnefs of fome expreflions, and their laboured novelty, fhow the difficulty the author had to convey meer vifible ideas through the medium of language. Thofe
works
Painters in the Reign of George I. 35
works remind one of Cibber's inimitable treatife on the ftage : when an author writes on his, own profefiion, feels it profoundly, and is fenfible his readers do not, he is not only excufable, but meritorious, for illu- minating the fubject by new metaphors or bolder figures than ordinary. He is the coxcomb that fneers, not he that inftrudls in appropriated diction.
If thefe authors were cenfured, when con- verfant within their own circle, it was not to be expected that they would be treated with milder indulgence, when they ven- tured into a filler region. In 1734 they published a very thick octavo, containing explanatory notes and remarks on Milton's Paradife Loft, with the life of the author, and a difcourfe on the poem. Again were the good fenfe, the judicious criticifms, and the fentiments that broke forth in this work, forgotten in the fingularities that diftinguifh it. The father having faid in C 2 apology
3 6 Painters in the Reign of George I.
apology for being little converfant in claf- fic literature, that he had looked into them through his fon, Hogarth, whom a quibble could furnifh with wit, drew the father peeping through the nether end of a tele- fcope, with which his fon was perforated, at a Virgil aloft on a ihelf. Yet how for- cibly Richardfon entered into the fpirit of his author appears from his comprehenfive expreflion, that Milton was an ancient born two thoufand years after his time. Richardfon, however, was as incapable of reaching the fublime or harmonious in poetry as he was in painting, though fo capable of illuftrat- ing both. Some fpecimens of verfe, that he has given us here and there in his works, excite no curiofity for more, * though
he
# More have been given. In June 1776 was pub- lifhed an o&avo volume of poems (and another pro- mifed) by Jonathan Richardfon, fenior, with notes by his fon. They are chiefly moral and religious medi- tations ; now and then there is a pitturefque line or
image ;
Painters in the Reign of George I. 37
he informs us in his Milton, that if paint- ing was his wife, poetry had been his fe- cret concubine. It is remarkable that another commentator of Milton has made the fame confeflion j
• funt & mihi carmina, me quoque dicunt
Vatem paftores-
fays Dr. Bentley. Neither the doclor nor the painter add, Jed non ego credulus Mis, though all their readers are ready to fupply it for both.
image ; but in general the poetry is very carelefs and indifferent — Yet fuch a picture of a good mind, ferene in confcious innocence, is fcarcely to be found. It is impoIHble not to love the author, or not to wilh to be as fincerely and intentionally virtuous. The book is perhaps more capable of infpiring emulation of goodnefs than any profeffed book of devotion, for the author perpetually defcribes the peace of his mind from the fatisfa&ion of having never deviated from what he thought right.
C 3 Befides
38 Painters in the Reign of George I.
Befides his pictures and commentaries, we have a few etchings by his hand, par- ticularly two or three of Milton, and his own head.
The fale of his collection of drawings, in February 1747, lafted eighteen days, and produced about 2060/. his pictures about 700/. Hudfon, his fon-in-law, bought many of the drawings. After the death of the fon in 1771, the remains of the father's collection were fold. There were hundreds of portraits of both in chalks by the father, with the dates when executed, for after his retirement from bufinefs, the good old man feems to have amufed him- felf with writing a fhort poem and drawing. his own or fon's portrait every day. The fon, equally tender, had marked feveral v/ith expreflions of affection on his dear father. There were a few pictures and drawings by the fon, for he painted a little too.
GRISONI
Painters in the Reign of George I. 39
G R I S O N I
Was the fon of a painter at Florence, whence Mr. Talman brought him over in 17 15. He painted hiftory, landfcape, and fometimes portrait ; but his bufinefs de- clining, he fold his pictures by auction, in 1728, and returned to his own country with a wife whom he had married here of the name of St. John.
WILLIAM AIKMAN
Was born in Scotland, and educated under fir John Medina. He came young to Lon- don, travelled to Italy, and vifited Turkey, and returned through London to Scotland, where he was patronized by John duke of C 4 Argyle
40 Painters in the Reign of George I.
Argyle the general, and many of the nobi- lity. After two or three years he fettled in London, and met with no lefs encourage- ment— but falling into a long and languifh- ing diftemper, his phyficians advifed him to try his native air, but he died at his houfe in Leicefter- fields, in June 1731, aged fifty. His body, by his own defire, was carried to and interred in Scotland. Vertue com- mends his portrait of Gay for the great likenefs, and quotes the following lines, addreffed to Aikman on one of his per- formances, by S. Boyfe -3
As Nature blufhing and aftonifhed eyed
Young Aikman's draught, furpriz'd the goddefs
cried, Where didfl: thou form, ram youth, the bold defign To teach thy labours to refemble mine ? So fcft thy colours, yet fo juft thy ftroke, That undetermin'd on thy work I look. To crown thy art cou'dft thou but language join, The form had fpoke, and call'd the conqueil thine.
In
Painters in the Reign of George 1 . 4. i
In * Mallet's works is an epitaph on Mr. Aikman and his only fon (who died before him) and who were both interred in the fame grave.
JOHN ALEXANDER,
Of the fame country with the preceding, was fon of a clergyman, and I think de- fcended from their boafted Jamifone. He travelled to Italy, and in 17 18 etched fome plates after Raphael. In 17 21 was printed a letter to a friend at Edinburgh, defcribing a ftaircafe painted at the cattle of Gordon with the rape of Proferpine by this Mr. Alexander.
* Vol. i. p. 13. printed by Millar, in 3 vols, fmall o&avo, 1769.
Sir
4 2 Painters in the Reign of George I.
Sir JAMES THORNHILL,
A man of much note in his time, who fuc- ceeded Verrio and was the rival of La- guerre in the decorations of our palaces and public buildings, was born at Wey- mouth in Dorfetlhire, was knighted by- George the firft, and was elected to repre- fent his native town in parliament. His chief works were, the dome of St Paul's, an apartment at Hampton-court, the altar- piece of the chapel of All Souls at Oxford, another for * Weymouth of which he made them a prefent, the hall at Blenheim, the chapel at lord Oxford's at Wimpole in Cambridgeshire, the falon and other things
* The altar-piece at Weymouth was engraved by a young man, his fcholar, whom he fe.t up in that bufinefs.
4 for
Painters in the Reign of George I. 43
for Mr. Styles at More-park, Hertford- ihire, and the great hall at Greenwich hof- pital. Yet high as his reputation was, and laborious as his works, he was far from being generouily rewarded for fome of them, and far others he found it difficult to obtain the ftipukted prices. His de- mands were contefted at Greenwich, and though La FofTe received 2000 /. for his work at Montao-u-houfe, and was allowed 500 /. for his diet befides, fir James could obtain but 40 s. a yard fquare for the cu- pola of St. Paul's, and I think no more for Greenwich. When the affairs of the South- fea company were made up, Thornhill, who had painted their flair-cafe and a little hall by order of Mr. Knight their cafhier, demanded 1 500 /. but the directors learn- ing that he had been paid but 25 s. a yard for the hall at Blenheim, they would allow no more. He had a longer conteft with Mr. Styles, who had agreed to give him
3500 /.
44 Painters in the Reign of George I.
3500 /. but not being fatisfied with the execution, a law-fuit was commenced, and Dahl, Richardfon, and others were ap- pointed to infpe£t the work. They ap- peared in court, bearing teftimony to the merit of the performance ; Mr. Styles was condemned to pay the money, and by their arbitration 500 /. more, for decorations about the houfe and for Thornhill's act- ing as furveyor of the building. This fuit occafioning enquiries into matters of the like nature, it appeared that 300 /. a year had been allowed to the furveyor of Blenheim, befides travelling charges : 2.00/. a year to others; and that Gibbs received but 550 /. for building St. Martin's church.
By the favour of that general Mecas- nas, * the earl of Halifax, fir James was
allowed
* If was by the influence of the fame patron that fir James was employed to paint the princeis's apartment at Hampton-court. The duke of Shrewfbury, lord
chamberlain*
Painters in the Reign of George I. 45
allowed to copy the cartoons at Hamp- ton-court, on which he employed three years. He executed a lmaller fet, of one- fourth part of the dimenfions. Having been very accurate in noticing the defects, and the additions by Cooke who repaired them, and in examining the parts turned in to fit them to the places ; and having made copious ftudies of the heads, hands and feet, he intended to publifh an exact account of the whole, for the ufe of ftuaents : but this work has never appeared. In 1724 he opened an academy for drawing at his houfe in Covent-garden, and had before propofed to lord Halifax to obtain the foundation of a royal academy at the upper end of the Mews, with apartment* for the
chamberlain, intended it fhould be executed by Sebaf- tian Ricci, but the earl, then fir it commiffioner of the treafury, preferring his own countryman, told the duke, that if Ricci painted it, he would not pay him.
profeifors,
46 Painters in the Reign of George L
profeiTors, which by an eftimate he had made would have coil but 3139/. for fir James dabbled in architecture, and ftirred up much envy in that profeffion by an- nouncing a defign of taking it up, as he had before by thinking of applying himfclf to painting portraits.
Afflicted with the gout and his legs fwel- ling, he fet out for his feat *at * Thornhill y near Weymouth, where four days after his arrival he expired in his chair, May 4, 1734, aged fifty-feven, leaving one fon named James, whom he had procured to be appointed ferjeant-painter, and painter to the navy; and one daughter, married
* Sir Jajjaeswas defcended of a very ancient family in Dorfetfhire, and repurchafed the feat of his ances- tors, which had been alienated. There he gratefully ere&ed an obelifk to the memory of George I. his protector. See his pedigree, and a farther account of Thornhill in Hutchins's Hiftory of Dorfetfhire, vol. i. 410, 413. vol. ii. 185, 246, 451, 452,
, • to
Painters in the Reign of George I. ift
to that original and unequalled genius, Hogarth.
Sir James's collection, among which were a few capital pictures of the great mafters, was fold in the following year; and with them his two fets of the cartoons, the fmaller for feventy-five guineas, the larger for only 200 /. a price we ought in juftice to fuppofe was owing to the few bidders who had fpaces in their houfes large enough to receive them. They were purchafed by the duke of Bedford, and are in the gallery at Bedford-houfe in Bloomfbury - fquare. In the fame col- lection were drawings by one Andrea, a difciple of Thornhill, who died about the fame time at Paris.
ROBERT
4$ Painters in the Reign of George I.
ROBERT BROWN
Was a difcipje of Thornhill, and worked under him on the cupola of St. Paul's. Setting up for himfelf, he was much em- ployed in decorating feverai churches in the city, being admired for his fkill in painting crimfon curtains, apoftles, and ftories out of the New Teftament. He painted the altar-piece of St. Andrew Un- derfhaft, and the fpaces between the gothic arches in chiaro fcuro. In the parifh church of St. Botolph, Aldgate, he painted the transfiguration for the altar ; in St. Andrew's, Holborn, the figures of St. An- drew and St. John, and two hiftories on the fides of the organ. In the chapel of St. John at the end of Bedford- row, he painted St. John the Baptift and St. John the Evan- gelift, and even two figns that were much
admired
Painters in the Reign of George I. 49
admired, that for the Paul's head tavern in Cateaton-ftreet, and the Baptift's head at the corner of Aldermanbury. Correggio'a fign of the muleteer is mentioned by all his biographers. Brown, I doubt, was no Correggio.
~ — BELLUCCI,
An Italian painter of hiflory, arrived here in 17 16, from the court of the elector Pa- latine. In 1722 he finifhed a cieling at Buckingham-houfe, for which the ducheis paid him 500/. He was alfo employed on the chapel of Canons; that large and coftly palace of the duke of Chandos, which by a fate as tranfient as its founder's, barely furvived him, being pulled down as foon as he was dead ; and, as if in mock- ery of fublunary grandeur, the fcite and Vol. IV. D materials
50 Painters In the Reign of George I.
materials were purchafed by Hallet the cabinet-maker. Though Pope was too grateful to mean- a fatire on Canons, while he recorded all its oftentatious want of tafte, and too fincere to have denied it, if he had meant it, he might without blame have moralized on the event in an epiftle purely ethic, had he lived to behold its fall and change of matters.
Bellucci executed fome other works which Vertue does not fpeeify ; but being afflicted with the gout, quitted this country, leaving a nephew, who went to Ireland* and made a fortune by painting portraits there.
BALTHAZAR
Painters in the Reign of George I. |I
BALTHAZAR DENNER,
Of Hamburgh, one of thofe laborious af» tifts, whofe works furprize rather than pleafe, and who could not be fo excellent if they had not more patience than genius, came hither upon encouragement from the king, who had feen of his works at Hanover and promifed to lit to him, but Denner fucceeding ill in the pictures of two of the favourite German ladies, he loft the footing He had expected at court : his fame however rofe very high on his exhibiting the head of an old woman, that he brought over v/ith him, about fixteen inches high, 2nd thirteen wide, in which the grain of the fkin, the hairs, the down, the glafly humour of the eyes, were reprefented with the moft exacl: minutenefs. It gained him more applaufe. than cuftom, for a man D 2 could
52 Painters in the Reign of George I.
could not execute many works who em- ployed fo much time to finifh them. Nor did he even find a purchafer here j but the emperor bought the picture for fix hundred ducats. At Hamburgh he began a com- panion to it, an old man, which he brought over and fin ifhed here in 1726, and fold like the former. He painted himfelf, his wife and children, with the fame circum- ftantial detail, and a half length of himfelf, which was in the pofTeflion of one Swarts, a painter, totally unknown to me. He refolved however, fays Vertue, to quit this painful practice, and turn to a bolder and lefs finifhed ftyle j but whether he did or mot is uncertain. He left England in 1728. The portrait of John Frederic Weickman of Hamburgh, painted by Denner, is faid to be in the Bodleian library at Oxford.
FRANCIS
Painters in the Reign of George I. $3
FRANCIS FERG,
Born at Vienna in 1689, was a charming painter, who had compofed a manner of his own from* various Flemifh painters, though refembling Polenburgh moll in the enamelled foftnefs and mellownefs of his colouring : but his figures are greatly fu- perior; every part of them is fufKciently finifhed, every action expreflive. He painted fmall landfcapes, fairs, and rural meetings, with the moil agreeable truth; his horfes and cattle are not inferior to
* Hans Graf, Orient, and laftly Alex. Thiele, painter of the court of Saxony, who invited him to Drefden to infert fmall figures in his landfcapes. Ferg thence went into Lower Saxony and painted for the duke of Biunfwick, and for the gallery of Saltz- dahJ.
D 3 Wouver-
|4 Painters in the Reign of George X.
Wouvermans, and his buildings and difr tances feem to owe their refpe&ive foftnefs to the intervening air, not to the pencil. More faithful to nature than Denner, he knew how to omit exact nefs, when the re- fult of the whole demands a lefs precifion, in parts. This pleafmg artift pafTed twenty years here, but lktle known, and always indigent, unhappy in his domeftic, he was fometimes in prifon, and never at eafe at home, the confequence of which was dif- fipation. He died fuddenly in the ftreet one night, as he was returning from fome friends, about the year 1738, having no$^ attained his fiftieth year, Jie left fpuf children.
THOMAS
Painters in the Reign of George I. $5
THOMAS GIBSON,
A man of a moft amiable character, fays, Vertue, had for fome. time great bufinefs, but an ill ftate cf health for fome years in- terrupted his application, and about 1730 he difpofed of his piclures privately amongft his friends. He not long after removed to Oxford, and I believe praclifed again in London. He died April 28, 175 1, aged, about feventy-one. Vertue fpeaks highly of his integrity and modefty, and fays he offended his cotemporary artifls by for- bearing to raife his prices j and adds, what was not furprifing in fuch congenial good- nefs, that of all the profeflion Gibfon was his moft fincere friend.
D4 HILL
5 6 Painters in the Reign of George I.
— HILL
Was born in 1661, and learned to draw of the engraver Faithorne. He painted many- portraits, and died at Mitcham in 1734.
P. M O N A M Y,
A good painter of fea-pieces, was born in Jerfey, and certainly from his circum- ftances or the views of his family, had little reafon to expect the fame he afterwards acquired, having received his firft rudiments of drawing from a fign and houfe-painter on London-bridge. But when nature gives real talents, they break forth in the home- lier!: fchool. The lhallow waves that rolled under his window taught young Monamy
what
Painters in the Reign of George I. 57
what his matter could not teach him, and fitted him to imitate the turbulence of the ocean. In painter's-hail is a large piece by him, painted in 1726. He died at his houfe in Weftminfter the beginning of
1749-
JAMES VAN HUYSUM,
Brother of John, that exquifite painter of fruit and flowers, came over in 17 21, and would have been thought a great mailer in that way, if his brother had never appeared. Old Baptift had more freedom than John Huyfum, but no man ever yet approached to the finiihing and roundnefs of the latter. James lived a year or two with fir Robert Walpole at Chelfea, and copied many pieces of Michael Angelo Caravaggio, Claud Lorrain, Gafpar, and other matters,
which
5 8 Painters in the Reign of George I.
which are now over the doors and chinv nies in the attic flory at Houghton ; but his drunken diflblute conduct occafioned his being difmiffed.
JAMES MAUBERT
Diftinguifhed himfelf by copying all the portraits he could meet with of Englifh poets, fome of which he painted in fmalj ovals. Dryden, Wycherley, Congreve, Pope, and fome others, he painted from the life. He died at the end of 1746. Vertue fays he mightily adorned his pic- tures with flowers, honey-fuckles, &c,
PESNES
fain ten in the Reign of George I. J 9
P E S N E,
A Parifian, who had ftudied at Rome, and been painter to the king of Pruflia, great- grandfather of the prefent king. He came hither in 1724, and drew fome of the royal family, but in the gawdy ftyle of his own country, which did not at that time fucceed here.
JOHN STEVENS,
A landfcape-painter, who chiefly imitated Vandieft, painted fmail pictures, but was moftly employed for pieces over doors and chimnies. He died in 1722.
II JOHN
€o Painters in the Reign of George I.
JOHN SMIBERT,
Of Edinburgh, was born about 1684, and ferved his time with a common houfe- painter -, but eager to handle a pencil in a more elevated ftyle, he came to London, where however for fubfiftence he was forced to content himfelf at firft with working for coach-painters. It was a little rife to be employed in copying for dealers, and from thence he obtained ad- mittance into the academy. His efforts and ardour at laft carried him to Italy, where he fpent three years in copying portraits of Raphael, Titian, Vandyck, and Rubens, and improved enough to meet with much bufinefs at his return. When his induftry and abilities had thus furmounted the afperities of his fortune, he was tempted againft the perfuafion of his
friends
Painters in the Reign of George I. Gt
friends to embark in the uncertain buta- mufing fcheme of the famous dean Berke- ley, afterwards bifhop of Cloyne, whofe benevolent heart was then warmly fet on the erection of an univerfal college of fcience and arts in Bermudas, for the in- ftruction of heathen children in chriftian duties and civil knowledge. Smibert, a filent and modeft man, who abhorred the finefTe of fome of his profeffion, was en- chanted with a plan that he thought pro- mifed him tranquility and honeft fubful- ence in a healthful Elyfian climate, * and
* One may conceive too how a man fo devoted to his art mufl have been ani mated , when the dean's en- thufiafm and eloquence painted to his imagination a new theatre of profpects, rich, warm, and glowing with fcenery, which no pencil had yet made cheap and common by a famenefs of thinking and imagina- tion. As our difputes and politics have travelled to America, is it not probable that poetry and painting too will revive amidft thofe extenfive trafts as they in- creafe in opulence and empire, and where the ftores of nature are fo various, fo magnificent, and fo new ?
10 in
62 Painters in the Reign 6f George I.
in fpite of remonftrances engaged with the dean, whofe zeal had ranged the favour of the court on his fide. The king's death difpelled the vifion* Smibert however, who had Fet fail, found it convenient or had refolution enough to proceed, but fet- tled at Bofton in New England, where he fucceeded to his wifh, and married a wo- man with a confiderable fortune, whom he ieft a widow with two children in March 175 1. A panegyric on him, written there, was printed here in the Gourant, 173O0 Vertue, in whofe notes I find thefe parti- culars, mentions another painter of the fame country, one Alexander Nefbitt of Leith, born in 1682, but without record- ing any cirumftances relative to him*
TREVETT
Painters in the Reign of George I. 6$
TREVETT
Was a painter of architecture and mailer of the company of painter-ftainers, to whofc hall he prefented one of his works. He painted feveral views both of the infide and outfide of St. Paul's, intending to have them engraved, for which purpofe Vertue worked on them fome time j but the de- fign was never compleated. He began too a large view of London, on feveral fheets, from the fteeple of St. Mary Overy, but died in 1723,
HENRY TRENCH
Was a cotemporary of Kent, and ga'necf a prize in the academy of St. Luke at Rome,
at
6 4 Painters in the Reign of George I.
at the fame time. Trench was born in Ireland, but ftudied many years in Italy, and for fome time under Giofeppe Chiari. Returning to England, he profeffed paint- ing hiftory, but not finding encourage- ment, went back to Italy and ftudied two years more. He came over for the lad time in 1725, but died the next year, and was buried at Paddington.
PETER TILLEMANS
Not only diftinguifhed himfelf above moft of his competitors, but which is far more to his honour, has left works that fuftain themfelves even in * capital collections. He
* His view of Chatfworth hangs among feveral fine pi&ures at Devonfhire-houfe, and is not difgraced by them.
was
Painters in the Reign of George I. 6$
was t born at Antwerp, and made hirrifelf a painter, though he ftudied under very- indifferent matters. In 1708 he was brought to England, with his brother-in-law Caf- teels, by one Turner, a dealer in pictures j and employed by him in copying Bourgog- non and other mafters, in which he fuc- ceeded admirably, particularly Teniers, of whom he preferved all the freedom and fpirit. He generally painted landfcapes with fmall figures, fea-ports and views; but when he came to be known, he was patronized by feveral men of quality ; and drew views of their feats, huntings, races, and horfes in perfection. In this way he was much employed both in the weft and north of England, and in Wales, and drew many profpects for the intended hiftory of Nottinghamfhire by Mr. Bridges. He had the honour of inftructing the late lord
f His father was a diamond-cutter.
. Vol, IV. E Byron,
66 Painters in the Reign of Gtsrge I.
Byron, who did great credit to his mailer, as may be ken by feveral of his lordfhip'* drawings at his beautiful and venerable feat at Newftede-abbey in Nottingham- ihire, and where Tillemans himfelf muft have improved amidft fb many * fine pic- tures of animals and huntings. There are two long prints of horfes and hunting de- figned and etched by him, and dedicated to his patrons, the duke of Devonfhire and lord Byron, With Jofeph Goupy he was prevailed upon to paint a fet of fcenes for the opera, which were much admired- Af- ter labouring many years under an afthma, for which he chiefly refided at Richmond, he died at Norton % in Suffolk Decem-
* Thefe have flnce been fold by auctiom There is a very fcarce print of John Weft, firft earl of Dela* warre, from a drawing by that Lord Byron.
f In the houfe of Dr. Macro, by whom he had been* long employed. He was buried in the church oC Stovv-Langtoft. Brit. Topogr. vol. ii. p. 38-
ber
Painters in the Reign of George L 67
ber 5, 1734, at about the fiftieth year of his age*
John vandRebank,
A painter much in fafhiOn in the reigns of the two laft kings, is faid by Vertue to be an Englifhman (though by his name at leaft of foreign extraction) and to have at- tained his fkill without any afiiftance from ftudy abroad. Had he not been carelefs and extravagant, fays my author, he might have made a greater figure than almoft any painter this nation had produced ; fo bold and free was his pencil and fo mafterly his drawing. He died of a confumption when he was not above forty-five, in Hollis- ftreet, davendifh-fquare, December 23, 1739. J°hn Vandrebarik gave the defigns of a fet of plates for Don Quixote. He E 2 had
(5S Painters in the Reign of George I.
had a brother of the fame profeffion -t and a coufin, called
SAMUEL BARKER,
Whom he inftr lifted in the art, but who having a talent for painting fruit and flowers, imitated Baptift, and would pro- bably have made a good mailer, but died young in 1727.
PETER VAN BLEECK,
Came into England in 1723, and was reckoned a good painter of portraits. There is a fine mezzotinto, done in the following reign, from a picture which he painted of thofe excellent comedians, John-
fon
Painters in the Reign of George I. 69
fon and Griffin, in the characters of Ana- nias and Tribulation, in the Alchymift,. I have mentioned Johnfon in this work be- fore, as the mod natural a&or I ever faw. Griffin's eye and tone were a little too comic, and betrayed his inward mirth, though his mufcles were ftriftly Heady. Mr. Wefton is not inferior to Johnfon in the firm.nefs of his countenance, though lefs univerfal, as Johnfon was equally great in fome tragic characters. In bifhop Gar- diner he fupported the infolent dignity of a perfecutor; and compleatly a prieft, fhifted it in an inftant to the fawning in- Fincerity -of a (lave, as foon as Henry frowned. This was indeed hiftory, when Shakefpeare wrote it, and Johnfon repre- fented it. When we read it in fictitious harangues and wordy declamation, it is a tale told by a pedant to a fchool»boy0 Vanbleeck died July 20, 1764.
E3 H. VAN-
79 Painters in the Reign of George L
H, VANDERMIJN,
Another Dutch painter, came over recom- mended by lord Cadogan the general, and in his manner carried to excefs the labori- ous minutenefs of his countrymen j faith- fully imitating the details of lace, em- broidery, fringes, and even the threads of ftockings, Yet even this accuracy in arti- ficial trifles, which is often praifed by the people as natural, nor the protection of the court, could eftablifh. his reputation as a, good mafter j though perhaps the time he ^vafted on his works, in which at leaft he was the reverfe of his flatternly cotempo- faries, prevented his enriching himfelf as they did. In hiftory he is faid to have had greater merit. He was more fortunate m receiving 500 /. for repairing the paintings it Burleigh, The prince erf" Orange fat tc?
him,*
Painters in the Reign of George 1 . 71
him, and he fucceeded fo well in the like- nefs, that the late prince of Wales not only fent for him to draw his picture, but pre- vailed on his filler the princefs of Orange to draw Vandermijn's -, for her royal high- nefs, as well as princefs Caroline, both honoured the art by their performances in crayons. This fingular diftinction was not the only one Vandermijn received ; George the firft, and the late king and queen, then prince and princefs, anfwered for his fon, a hopeful lad, who was loll at the age of fixteen, by the breaking of the ice as he was fcating at Marybone, at the end of the great froll in 1740. Vandermijn had a filler called Agatha, who came over with him, and painted fruit, flowers, and dead fowls. I do not find in what year he died.
E4 ENOCH
7 2 Painters in the Reign of George I.
ENOCH ZEEMAN,
Vertue has preferved few anecdotes of this painter, whom I remember in much bufr% nefs. His father and three brothers fol- lowed the fame profefTion ; one of them in water-colours ; but Enoch was moft in falhion. At nineteen he painted his own portrait in the finical manner of Denner, and executed the heads of an old man and woman in the fame ftyle afterwards. He died fuddenly in 1744, leaving a fon, call- ed Paul, who followed the fame profeffion. Ifaae Zeeman, brother of Enoch, died April 4, 17 5 1, leaving alfo a fon who w$§ 3, painter.
WATTEAU,
Tmniers in the Reign of George I. 73
W A T T E A U«
England has very {lender pretenfions to this original and engaging painter ; he having come hither only to confult Dr, Meade, for whom he painted two pictures, that were fold in the doctor's collection. The genius of Watteau refembled that of his countryman D'urfe ? the one drew and the other wrote of imaginary nymphs and fwains, and defcribed a kind of impoflible paftoral, a rural life led by thofe oppofites of rural fimplicity, people of falhion and rank. Watteau's fhepherdefTes, nay, his very fheep, are coquet ; yet he avoided the glare and clinquant of his countrymen ; and though he fell Ihort of the dignified grace of the Italians, there is an eafy air in his figures, and that more familiar fpecies of the graceful which we call genteel. His
nymphs
74 Painters in the Reign of George I.
nymphs are as much below the forbidding majefty of goddeffes, as they are above the hoyden awkwardnefs of country-girls. In his halts and marches of armies, the care- lefs flouch of his foldiers ftill retain the air of a nation that afpires to be agreeable as well as victorious.
But there is one fault of Watteau, for which till lately I could never account. His trees appear as unnatural to our eyes, as his figures muft do to a real peafant who had never ftirred beyond his village. In my late journies to Paris the caufe of this grievous abfurdity was apparent to me, though nothing can excufe it, Watteau's trees are copied from thofe of the Tuille- jdes and villas near Paris ; a ftrange fcene to ftudy nature in ! There I faw the ori- ginals of thofe tufts of plumes and fans, and trimmed-up groves, that nod to one another like the fcenes of an opera. Fan- taftic people ! who range and fafhion their
trees,
Painters in the Reign of George I, *j$
trees, and teach them to hold up their heads, as a dancing^mafter would, if he. expected Orpheus fhould return to play a minuet to them.
ROBERTWOODCOCK,
Of a gentleman's family, became a painter by genius and inclination, He had a place under the government, which he quitted to devote himfelf to his art, which he prac- tifed folely on fea -pieces. He drew in that way from his childhood, and ftudied the technical part of fhips with fo much attention, that he could cut out a fhip with, all the mafts and rigging to the utmoft ex- aetnefs. In 1723 he began to practife in oil, and in two years copied above forty pictures of Vandevelde. With fo good a foundation he openly profeffed the art, and his improvements were fo rapid that {he duke of Chandos gave him thirty
guineas
7 6 Painters in the Reign of George L
guineas for one of his pieces. Nor was his talent for mufic lefs remarkable. He both played on the hautboy and compofed, and fome of his compofitions in feveral parts were publifhed. But thefe promifing a- bilities were cut off e'er they had reached their maturity, by that enemy of the in* genious and fedentary, the gout. He died April 10, 1728, in the thirty-feventh year of his age, and was buried at Chelfea.
ISAAC WHOOD
Painted portraits in oil, and in black-lead on vellom, chiefly profiles. He was pa- tronized by Wriothefiey duke of Bedford, and has left feveral of his works at Wo- burn-abbey. . He died in Bloomfbury- fquare, February 24, 1752, aged fixty- three. He was remarkable for his humour, and happy application of pafiages in Hu- dibras.
— VOGELSANG,
Painters in the Reign of George I. 77
VOGELSANG,
Of what country I know not, was a land- fcape-painter, who went to Ireland, where he had good bufinefs ; but leaving it to go to Scotland, was not equally fuccefs- ful, and returned to London. Thefe are all the traces I find of him in Vertue's notes,
ZURICH,
Of Drefden, was fon of a jeweller, who bred him to his own bufinefs, but giving him fome inftru&ions in drawing too, the young man preferred the latter, and ap- plied himfelf to miniature and enamelling. . He ftudied in the academy of Berlin, and came to England about 17 15, where he met with encouragement, though now for-r, gotten, and obfcured by his countryman that fecond Petitot, Zincke, whom I fhall mention in the next reign. Zurich died
about
7 8 Painters in the Reign of George L
about Chriftmas 1735, in the fiftieth year of his age, and was buried near the Lu>- theran church in the Savoy, leaving a fori about twelve years old. Frederic Peterfort •was an enameller about the fame time, and died in 172,9.
CHRISTIAN RICHTER,
Son of a filverfmith at Stockholm, came over in 1702 and pra&ifed in oil, chiefly ftudying the works of Dahl, from which hp learned a ftrong manner of colouring, and which he tranfplanted into his minia- tures, for which he is bell known. In the latter part of his life he applied to en* amelling, but died, before he had made great proficience in that branch, in November, 1.732, at about the age of ftftf. He had feveral brothers, artifts, one a medaliift at Vienna, and another at Ve- nice, a painter of views. Richter was member of a club with Dahl and feveral
gentlemen,
¥ aimers in the Reign tf George I. 79
gentlemen, whole heads his brother mo- delled by the life, and from thence made medals in filver. I mention this as it may explain to collectors the origine of thofe medals, when they are met with. Sir Wil- liam Rich, Grey Neville, and others, were of the club, and I think .fome foreign gen- tlemen.
JACQUES ANTOINE ARLAUD
Was born at Geneva, May 18, 1668, and was defigned for the church, but poverty obliged him to turn painter. At the age of twenty he quitted Geneva, worked at Dijon, and from thence repaired to Paris, where, fucceeding in miniature, he was approved of by the academy and coun- tenanced by the king. The regent ad- mired him ftill more— I am almoft afraid to repeat what follows, fo much exaggera- tion teems toiaive been mixed with the
account.
So . Painters in the Reign of George- 1 .
account. Having copied a Leda, my au- thor fays from a baferelief of Angelo, I rather firppofe it was the famous Leda of Coreggio deftroyed by the bigotry of the regent's fon, all Paris was ftruck with the performance.' The due de la Force gave twelve thoufand livres for it, but the duke being a fufferer by die Miffifllpi [probably before the picture was paid for] reftored it to Arlaud,' with 4000 livres for the time he had enjoyed it. In 17 21 Arlaud brought this chef d'eeuvre to London^ but would not fell it— but fold a copy of it, fays the fame author, for fix hundred pounds fier- Iing. This fact is quite ' incredible. The painter was at leaft fo much admired, that he received many prefents of medals, which are' ftill in the library of Geneva. But poor Leda was again condemned to be the victim of devotion — in 1738 Arlaud him- felf deftroyed her in. a fit of piety, yet (till with fo much parental fondnefs, that he
cut
Painters in the Reign of George I. 8 1
cut her to pieces anatomically. This hap- pened at Geneva. Monf. de Champeau, then refident there from France, obtained the head and one foot of the diffectedj a lady got an arm. The comte de Lautrec, then at Geneva, and not quite fo fcrupu- lous, rated Arlaud for demolishing fo fine a work. The painter died May 25, 1743. Thefe particularities are extracted from the poems of Monf. de Bar, printed at Amfter- dam in 3 volumes, 1750. In the third volume is an ode on the Leda in queftion* Vertue fpeaks incidentally of the noife this picture made in London, but fays nothing of the extravagant price of the copy. The duchefs of Montagu has a head of her father when young, and another of her grandfather the great duke of Marlbo- rough, both in water-colours by Arlaud. The celebrated count Hamilton wrote a little poem to him on his portrait ) the Pretender's fitter. See bis works, vol. 4, h 279-
Vol. IV. F Mrs,
8 2 Painters in the Reign of George I.
Mrs. HOADLEY,
Whofe maiden name was Sarah Curtis, wa& difciple of Mrs. Beal, and a paintrefs of portraits by profeffion^ when fhe was fa happy as to become the wife of that great and good man,. Dr. Hoadley, afterwards bifhop of Winchester. From that time Ihe only pra<5tifed the art for her amufement ;. though if we may judge of her talents by the print from her portrait of Whifton, the art loft as much as me gained — but orien- tation was below the fimplicity of character that enobled that excellent family. She died in 1743. Iri the library at Chatfworth, in a collection of poems is one addreffed by a lady to Mrs. Sarah Hoadley on her ex- cellent painting.
ANECDOTES
ANECDOTES
O F
PAINTING, &c.
CHAP. II.
Architects and other Artifts, in the Reign of George I.
TH E flages of no art have been more diftinctly marked than thofe of ar- chitecture in Britain. It is not probable that our matters the Romans ever taught us more than the conftru&ion of arches. Thofe, impofed on clufters of difpropor- tioned pillars, compofed the whole gram- F 2 mar
84 Architetts and other Artifts,
mar of our Saxon anceftors. Churches and caftles were the only buildings, I ihould fuppofe, they erected of ftone. As no tafte was beftowed on the former, no beauty was fought in the latter. MafTes to refill, and uncouth towers for keeping watch, were all the conveniencies they demanded. As even luxury was not fecure but in a church, fucceeding refinements were folely laid out on religious fabrics, till by degrees was perfected the bold fcenery of Gothic architecture, with all its airy embroidery and penfile vaults. Holbein, as I have fhewn, checked that falfe, yet venerable ftyle, and firft attempted to fober it to claflic meafures ; but not having gone far enough, his imitators, without his tafte, compounded a mungrel fpecies, that had no boldnefs, no lightnefs, and no fyftem. This lafted till Inigo Jones, like his coun- tryman and cotemporary Milton, difclofed the beauties of ancient Greece, and efta- 7 blilhed
in the Reign of George I. 85
bliflied fimplicity, harmony, and propor- tion. That fchool however was too chafte to flourifli long. Sir Chriftopher Wren lived to fee it almoft expire before him; and after a mixture of French and Dutch uglinefs had expelled truth, without erect- ing any certain ityle in its {lead, Vanbrugh with his ponderous and unmeaning mafles overwhelmed architecture in meer mafonry. Will pofterity believe that fuch piles were erected in the very period when St. Paul's was finishing ?
Vanbrugh's immediate fucceflbrs had no tafte, yet fome of them did not forget that there was fuch a fcience as regular archi- tecture. Still there was a Mr. Archer, the groom-porter, who built Hethrop, * and a
temple
* St. Philip's church at Birmingham, Cliefden- houfe, and a houfe at Roehampton, (which as a fpeci- men of his wretched tafte maybe feen in the Vitruvius
Britan-
F3
86 Architects and other Artifts,
temple at Wreft ; and one Wakefield, who gave the defign of Helmfley ; each of whom feemed to think that Vanbrugh had deli- vered the art from fhackles -, and that they might build whatever feemed good in their own eyes. Yet before I mention the struggles made by the art to refume its juft empire, there was a difciple of Sir Chrifto- pher Wren that ought not to be forgotten j his name was
NICHOLAS HAWKSMOOR.
At eighteen he became the fcholar of Wren, under whom during his life, and on his own account after his matter's death, he was concerned in erecting many public
Britannicus) were other works of the fame perfon ; but the chef d'ceuvre of his abfurdity was the church of St. John, with four belfrys in "Weftminfter.
edifices.
in the Reign of George I. 87
edifices. So early as Charles's reign he was fupervifor of the palace at Winchefter, and under the fame eminent architect af- fifted in conducting the works at St. Paul's to their conclufion. He was deputy-fuf- veyor at the building Chelfea-college, and clerk of the works at Greenwich, and was continued in the fame poft by king Wil- liam, queen Anne, and George the firft, at Kenfington, Whitehall, and St. James's ; and under the latter prince was firft fur- veyor of all the new churches and of Weft- rninfter-abbey from the death of Sir Chrif- topher, and defigned feveral of the temples that were erected in purfuance of the fta- tute of queen Anne for raifing fifty new churches ; their names are, St. Mary Wool- noth, in Lombard-ftreet j Chrift-church, Spital-fields -, St. George, Middlefex^ St. Anne, Limehoufe j and St. George, Bloomf- bury ; the fteeple of which is a mafter- ftroke of abfurdity, confifting of an obelifk,
crowned F4
S8 Architects and other Artifts>
crowned with the ftatue of king George the Firft, and hugged by the royal fupporters. A lion, an unicorn, and a king on fuch an eminence are very furprifing :
The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare, But wonder how the devil they got there.
He alfo rebuilt fome part of All-Souls college, * Oxford, the two towers over the gate of which are copies of his own fleeple of St. Anne, Limehoufe. At Blen- heim and Caftle- Howard he was afibciated with Vanbrugh, at the latter of which he was employed in erecting the magnificent maufoleum there when he died. He built feveral confiderable houfes for various per- fons, particularly Eafton Nefton in Nor-
* Dr. Clarke, member for Oxford, and benefactor to that univerfity, built three fides of the fquare called Peckwater at Chrift-church, and the church of All §aints in the high Itreet there.
thamptonfhire j
in the Reign of George I. 89
thamptonfhire j reftored a defect in the min- der of Beverley by a machine of his own invention -, * repaired in a judicious man- ner the weft end of Weftminfter-abbey ; and gave a defign for the Ratcliffe library at Oxford. His knowledge in every fcience connected with his art is much commend- ed, and his character remains unblemifhed. He died March 25, 1736, aged near feven- ty. The above particulars are taken from an account of him given in the public papers, and fuppofed by Vertue to be drawn up by his fon-in-law Mr. Blackerby. Many of the encomiums I omit, beeaufe this is in- tended as an impartial regifler of, not as a panegyric on, our artifts. When I have erred on either fide, in commending or blaming, I offer but my own judgment.
* Of that machine by which he fcrewed up the fabric with extraordinary art, there was a print pub* lifted,
which
go Architects and other Artifts,
'which is authority to nobody elfe, and ought to be canvarTed or fet right by abler decifions. Hawkfmoor deviated a little from the leflbns and practice of his mafter, and certainly did not improve on them ; but the moft diftinguifhed archi- tect was
JAMES GIBBS,
Who without deviating from eftablilhed rules, proved what has been feen in other arts, that meer mechanic knowledge may avoid faults, without furnifhing beauties ; that grace does not depend on rules ; and that tafte is not to be learnt. Virgil and Statius ufed the fame number of feet in their verfes ; and Gibbs knew the propor- tions of the five orders as well as Inigo ; yet the Banquetting-houfe is a ftandard, and no. man talks of one edifice of Gibbs.
In
in the Reign of George I. 91
In all is wanting that harmonious fimpli- city that fpeaks a genius — and that is often not remarked till it has been ap- proved of by one. It is that grace and that truth, fo much meditated, and de- livered at once with fuch correctnefs and eafe in the works of the ancients, which good fenfe admires and confecrates, be- caufe it correfponds with nature. Their fmall temples and ftatues, like their writings, charm- every age by their fym- metry and graces and the juft meafure of what is neceffary j while pyramids and the ruins of Perfepolis, only make the vulgar flare at their gigantic and clumfy grandeur. Gibbs, like Vanbrugh, had no averfion to ponderofity, but not being en- dued with much invention, was only regu- larly heavy. His praife was fidelity to rules -, his failing, want of grace.
He was born at Aberdeen in 1683, and ftudied his art in Italy. About the year
1720
©2 Architects and other Artfjls,
1720 he became the architect moft in vogue, and the next year gave the defign of St. Martin's church, which was finifhed in five years, and coft thirty-two thoufand pounds. His likewife was St. Mary's in the Strand, one of the fifty new churches, a monument of the piety more than of the tafte of the nation. The new church at Derby was another of his works ; fo was the new building at King's college, Cam- bridge, and the fenate-houfe there, the latter of which was not fo bad as to jufti- fy erecting the middle building in a ftyle very dilfonant. The Ratcliffe library * is more exceptionable, and feems to have funk into the ground j or, as Sarah Duchefs of Marlborough faid of another building, -j-
it
* At the opening the library, Gibbs was compli- mented by the univerfity with the degree of Mailer of Arts.
f Of her own houfe at Wimbledon, built for her by Henry earl of Pembroke, mentioned hereafter ; but it
was
( in the Reign of George I. 93
it looks as if it was making a curtfy. Gibbs, though he knew little of Gothic architecture, was more fortunate in the quadrangle of All Souls, * which has blun- dered
was her own fault. She infifted on the offices not be- ing under ground, and yet Ihe would not mount a flight of fteps. The earl ingenioufly avoided fuch a contra- diction by finking the ground round the lower flory. * In the late publication of A. Wood's Hiftory and Antiquities of the Colleges and Halls in Oxford, I am juftly corrected for attributing the new buildings at All Souls to Gibbs, though in another place I had rightly afcribed them to Hawkfmoor. It is very true ; I confefs my miftake and flrange negligence, for I made thofe contradictory affertions within very few pages of each other. I am told too that there was no blunder in the ftyle of the building, which was in- tentional ; the library being built in conformity to the chapel, and it being the intention of the architect of the new buildings to build them in the fame ftyle, viz. in the Gothic. It was undoubtedly judicious to make the library confonant to the chapel, and the new build- ings to both, which the Editor fays are Gothic. If the new buildings are jufl copies of Gothic, it is I who have blundered, not the architect — but I confefs I thought the architect had imitated his models fo ill, and yet had contrived to ftrike out fo handfome a piece
of
94 ArchiteBs and other Artijis,
dered into a pidturefque fcenery not void of grandeur, eipecially if feen through the gate that leads from the fchools. The af- femblage of buildings in that quarter, though no fingle one is beautiful, always
of fcenery, that what I meant to exprefs, was, that he had happily blundered into fomething, which though it milled the graceful and imposing dignity of Gothic architecture, has yet fome refemblance to It in the ef- fedt of the whole. When Hawkfmoor lived, Gothic architecture had been little ftudied, nor were its con- flituent beauties at all underftood : and whatever the intention of the architect or of his directors was, I be- lieve they blundered, if they thought that the new buildings at All Souls are in the true Gothic flyle. I was in the wrong to impute that error to Gibbs ; but I doubt Hawkfmoor will not remain juftified, if, as it is faid, he intended to make the new buildings Gothic, which I prefume they are far from being correctly, as they might rather be taken for a mixture of Vanbrugh's and Batty Langley's clumfy mifconceptions. Should the univerfity be difpofed to add decorations in the ge- nuine flyle of the colleges, they poffefs an architect who is capable of thinking in the fpirit of the founders. Mr. Wyat, at Mr. Barrett's at Lee near Canterbury, has, with a difciple's fidelity to the models of his maf- ters, fnperadded the invention of a genius. The little library has all the air of an abbot's ftudy, except that it difcovers more tafte.
ftruck
in the Reign of George I. 95
(truck me with Angular pleafure, as it con- veys fuch a vifion of large edifices, un- broken by private houfes, as the mind is apt to entertain of renowned cities that exift no longer. *
In 1728 Gibbs publifhed a large folio of his own defigns, which I think will con- firm the character I have given of his
* It is the fame kind of vifionary enchantment that ilrikes in the gardens at Stowe. Though fome of the buildings, particularly thofe of Vanbrugh and Gibbs, are far from beautiful, yet the rich landfcapes occafioned by the multiplicity of temples and obelifks, and the various pictures that prefent themfelves as we fhift our fituation, occafion furprize and pleafure, fometimes recalling Albano's landfcapes to our mind, and oftener to our fancy the idolatrous and luxurious vales of Daphne and Tempe. It is juft to add that the improvements made by lord Temple have profited of the prefent perfect ftyle of architecture and gardening. The temple of Concord and Viftory prefiding over fo noble a valley, the great arch defigned by Mr. T. Pitt, and the fmaller in honour of Princefs Amelie, difclofmg a wonderfully beautiful perfpedlive over the Elyfian fields to the Palladian bridge, and up to the eaftle on the hill, are monuments of tafte, and fcenes, that I much queftion if Tempe or Daphne exhibited.
works.
96 Architects and other Art'ifis,
works. " His arched windows, his ruftio laced windows, his barbarous buildings for gardens, his cumbrous chimney-pieces, and vafes without grace, are finking proofs of his want of tafte. He got 1500/. by this publication, and fold the plates after- wards for 400 /. more. His reputation was however eftablifhed, and the following compliment, preferved by Vertue, on his monument of Prior in Weftminfter-ab- bey, fhews that he did not want fond ad- mirers :
While Gibbs difplays his elegant defign,
And Ryfbrack's art does in the fculpture mine,
With due compofure and proportion jufl
Adding new luitre to the finifh'd bull,
Each artift here perpetuates his name,
And fhares with Prior an immortal fame. T. W.
There are three prints of Gibbs, one from a picture of Huy fling, and another from one of Schryder, a Swifs, who was afterwards painter to the king of Sweden, and the third from Hogarth. Gibbs was afflict- ed
in the Reign of George \. 97
ed. with the gravel and ftone and went to Spa in 1749, but did not die till Au- guft 5, 1754. He bequeathed an hundred pounds to St. Bartholomew's hofpital, of which he was architect and governor, the lame to the Foundling hofpital, and his library and prints to the RatclifFe library at Oxford, befides charities, and legacies to his relations and friends,
COLIN CAMPBELL,
A countryman of Gibbs, had fewer faults, but not more imagination. He publifhed three large folios under the title of Vitru- vius Britannicus, containing many of his own defigns, with plans of other architects ; but he did not forefee with how much more juftice that title would be worn by fucceeding volumes to be added to his works. One has already been given. The Vol. IV. G bell
98 Architects and other Artijls,
beft of Campbell's defigns, are Wanftead/ the Rolls, and Mereworth in Kent: the latter avowedly copied from Palladio. Campbell was furveyor of the works at Greenwich hofpital, and died in 1734.
JOHN JAMES,
Of whom I find no mention in Vertue's notes, was, as I am informed, confider- ably employed in the works at Greenwich j where he fettled. He built- the church there, and the houfe for fir Gregory Page at Biackheath, the idea of which was taken from Houghton. James likewife built the church of St. George Hanover-fquare, the body of the church at' Twickenham, and that of St. Luke, Middlefex, which has a fluted obelifk for its fteeple. He tranfla- ted from the French fome books on gar- dening.
~ C A R-
in the Reign of George I. 99
CARPENTIERE*
Or Charpentiere> a ftatuary much employ- ed by the duke of Chandos at Canons, was for fome years principal affiftant to Van Oft, an artift of whom I have found no me- morials, and afterwards fet up for himfelf. Towards the end of his life he kept a manufacture of leaden ftatues in Piccadilly, and died in 1737, aged above fixty.
CHARLES CHRISTIAN REISEN,
The celebrated engraver of feals, was fort of Chriftian Reifen of Drontheim in Nor- way, * who had followed the fame profef-
fion,
* The father, on his voyage to England, had been
driven by a ftorm to Scotland, and worked at Aber^
G * deen
loo Architetls and other Artifts,
fion, and who with one S tykes were the firfc artifts of that kind, who had diftin- guiflied themfelves in England. The fa- ther died here leaving a widow and a nu- merous family, the eldeft of which was Charles Chriftian, who though fcarce twen- ty had made fo rapid a progrefs under his father's inftructions, that he became the fupport of the family, and in a few years equalled any modern that had attempted the art of intaglia. He was born in the parifh of St. Clement's Danes, and on ac- count of his extraction was recommended ro prince George, but being little verfed in tlie language of his family, does -not ap-
deen for one Mfelvin, a goldfmith, for two years be- ibre he came to London, where he arrived on the fe- cond day of the great fire in September 1666. Here lie firfc began to engrave feals, having been only a goldfmith before. Afterwards he was confined in the Tower for four years, on fafpicion of engraving dies •for coining, but was difcharged without a trial,
pear
m the Reign of George \. 101
pear to have been particularly encouraged by his royal highnefs. The for.ce of his genius however attracted the notice of fuch a patron as genius deferved, and always found at that time, Robert earl of Oxford, whofe munificence and recommendation foon placed Chriftian (by which name he is beft known) on the bafis of fortune and fame. In the library and mufeum of that noble collector he found all the helps that a very deficient education had deprived him of -, there he learned to fee with Gre- cian and Roman eyes, and to produce heads after the antique worthy of his mo- dels y for though greatly employed on cut- ting arms and crefts, and fuch taftelefs fan- tafies, his excellence lay in imitating the heroes and empreiTes of antiquity. I do not find that he ever attempted cameo. The magic of thofe works, in which by the help of glaflfes we difcover all the beau- ties of flatuary and drawing, and even the G 3 fcience
102 ' Architects and other Art'ifis*
fcience of anatomy, has been reflrlcled tot an age that was ignorant of microfcopic glaiTes; a problem hitherto unrefolved tq fatisfaftion. Chriftian's fame fpread be- yond the confines of our ifland, and he received frequent commiflions from Den- mark, Germany, and .France. Chriftian, as his fortune and tafle improved, made a collection himfelf of medals, prints, draw- ings and books ; and was chofen director of the academy under fir Godfrey Kneller. On the trial of bifhop A-tterbury, on a queftion relating to the imprelTion of a feal, he was thought the beft judge, and was examined accordingly. Vertue repre- fents him as a man of a jovial and free, and even farcaftic temper and of much humour, an inftance of which was, that being illiterate, but converfing with men of various countries., he had compofed a dialect fo droll and diverting, that it grew into a kind of ufe among his acquaintance,
and
in the Reign of George 1 . 105
and he threatened to publifh a dictionary of it. His countenance harmonized with his humour, and Chrifcian's mazard was a conftant joke; a circumftance not worth mentioning, no more than the lines it oc- cafioned, but as they fell from the pen of that engaging writer, Mr. Prior. Sir James Thornhill having drawn an extem- pore profile of Chriftian, the poet added this diftich,
This, drawn by candle-light and hazard, Was meant to fhow Charles Chriftian's mazard..
This great artift lived * chiefly in the neighbourhood of Covent-garden, Co long the refidence of mod of our profeffors in- virtu. He died there of the gout, De-
* He had a houfe too at Putney ; a view of which, under the fatii ic title of Bearfdenhall, was publifhed about 1720. V. Brit. Topogr. vol. ii. p. 280.
G 4 cember
I04 Architects and other Artift$> &c.
(cember 15, 1725, when he had not patted the forty-fixth year of his age, and was buried in the church-yard on the north fide next to the fteps. He appointed his friend fir James Thornhill one of his executors, and dying a batchelor left the bulk of his fortune to a maiden filter who had con- ftantly lived with him, and a portion to his brother John.
ANECDOTES
ANECDOTES
PF
PAINTING, g£,
CHAP. III.
Painters in the Reign of King George IL
T T is with, complacency I enter upon a ■*• more ihining period in the hiftory of arts, upon a new aera j for though painting made but feeble efforts towards advance- ment, yet it was in the reign of George the Second that architecture revived in antique purity j and that an art unknown to every age and climate not only flarted into be- ing, but advanced with mafter-fteps to vi- gorous
io6 Painters in the Reign of George II.
gorous perfection, I mean, the art of gar- dening, or as I fhould chufe to call it, the art of creating landfcape. * Ryfbrack and Roubiliac redeemed ftatuary from reproach, and engraving began to demand better painters, whofe works it might imitate. The king, it is true, had little propen- fity to refined pleafures; but queen Ca- roline was ever ready to reward merit, and wifhed to have their reign illuftrated by monuments of genius. She enfhrined Newton, Boyle, and Locke : {he employed Kent, and fat to Zincke. Pope might, have
* I have not been able to pleafe myfelf with a fingle term that will exprefs ground laid out on principles of natural pidlurefque beauty, in contradistinction to iyinmetrical gardens — but I am very clear that the «Jefigner of modern improvements in Landfcape -Gar- dens (as I will call them for want of a happier appella? tkm) ought by no means to be confounded with the *}omeflic called a Gardiner j efpecially as a word pre- fents itfelf which will diftinguifh the different provinces ,of defigning a garden, and of fuperintending it when laid out. The latter will remain the Gardiner, the projector I fhould propofe to denominate a Gardenijt.
enjoyed
Painters in the Reign of George II. 107
enjoyed her favour, and Swift had it at firft, till infolent under the mafk of inde- pendence} and not content without domi- neering over her politics, ihe abandoned him to his ill-humour, and to the vexation of that mifguided and difappointed ambi- tion, that perverted and preyed on his ex- cellent genius.
To have an exadl view of fo long a reign as that of George the Second, it muft be remembered that many of the artifts already recorded lived paft the beginning of it, and were principal performers. Thus the ftyle that had predominated both in painting and architecture in the two prece- ceding reigns, (till exifted during the firft years of the late king, and may be con- fidered as the remains of the fchools of Dahl and fir Godfrey Kneller, and of fir Chriftopher Wren. Richardfon and Jervas, Gibbs and Campbell, were ftill at the head p{ their refpective profeflions. Each art jmproved, before the old profeffbrs left
the
io8 Painters in the Reign of George II.
the ftage. Vanloo introduced a better ftyle of draperies, which by the help of Vanaken became common to and indeed the fame in the works of almoft all our painters ; and Leoni, by publifhing and imitating Palladio, difencumbered architecture from fome of the weight with which it had been overloaded. Kent, lord Burlington, and lord Pembroke, though the two firft were no foes to heavy ornaments, reflored every other grace to that impofing fcience, and left the art in porTefiion of all its rights — yet ftill Mr. Adam and fir Wil- liam Chambers were wanting to give it perfect delicacy. The reign was not clofed^ when fir Jolhua Reynolds ranfomed por- trait-painting from infipidity, and would have excelled the greateft mailers in that branch, if his colouring were as lafting, as his tafte and imagination are inexhauflible — but I mean not to fpeak of living maf- ters, and mull therefore omit fome of
the
Painters in the Reign of George II. 109
the ornaments of that reign. Thofe I fhall firft recapitulate were not the moft meritorious.
HANS HUYSSING,
Born at Stockholm, came over in 1700, and lived many years with Dahl, whole manner he imitated and retained. He drew the three eldeft princefTes, daughters of the king, in the robes they wore at the coronation.
CHARLES CO LLINS
Painted all forts of fowl and game. He drew a piece with a hare and birds and his own portrait in a hat. He died in J744.
_ COOPER
i io Painters in the Reign of George fL
COOPER
Imitated Michael Angeio di Caravaggid in painting fruit and flowers. He died to- wards the end of 17431
BARTHOLOMEW DANDRIDGE,
Son of a houfe-painter, had great bufinefs from his felicity in taking a likenefs. He" fometimes painted fmall conventions, but died in the vigour of his age.
D A M I N I,
An Italian painter of hiftory, was fcholar
-of Pelegrini. He returned to his own
§ countrj*
Painters in the Reign of George II. 1 1 1
country in 1730, in company with Mr.
Huffey, whofe genius for drawing was thought equal to very great matters.
JEREMIAH DAVISON
Was born in England, of Scots parents. He chiefly ftudied fir Peter Lely, and with the afiiftance of Vanaken, excelled in painting fattins. Having got acquainted with die duke of Athol at a lodge of free-mafens, he painted his grace's picture and prefented it to the fociety. The duke fat to him again with his duchefs, and patronized and car- ried him into Scotland, where, as well as in London, he had great bufinefs. He died, the latter end of 1745, aged about fifty.
JOHN
H2 Painters in the Reign of George II.
JOHN ELLIS,
Born in 1701, was at fifteen placed with fir James Thornhill, and afterwards was a fhort time with Schmutz j but he chiefly imitated Vandrebank, to whofe houfe and bufinefs he fucceeded j and by the favour of the duke of Montagu., great mafler of the wardrobe, purchafed Vandrebank's place of tapeftry- weaver to the crown, as by the intereft of fir Robert Walpole, for whom he bought pictures, he was appointed mafter-keeper of the lions in the Tower. In thefe eafy cir- cumftances he was not very afliduous in his profeflion.
PHILIP MERCIER,
Of French extraction, but born at Berlin, ftudied there in the academy and under
monfieur
Painters in the Reig7i of George II. 1 1 J
monfieur Pefhe. After vifiting France and Italy he went to Hanover, where he drew prince Frederic's picture, which he brought to England, and when his royal highnefs came over, Mercier was appointed his pain- ter, became a favourite and was taken into his fervice and houfhold j and by the prince's order drew feveral of the royal family, particularly the three eldeft prin- ceffes, which pictures were publifhed in mezzotinto. After nine years, he loft the favour of the prince of Wales, and was dif- miffed from his fervice. At firft he talked of quitting his profefiion, retired into the country, and bought a fmall eftate j but foon returned and took a houfe in Covent- garden, painting portraits and pictures of familiar life in a genteel ftyle of his own, and with a little of Watteau, in whofe man- ner there is an etching of Mercier and his wife and two of their children. There is another print of his daughter. Children Vol. IV. H too
ii4 Painters in the Reign of George I J.
too and their fports he painted for prints. From London^ he went to York, and met with encouragement, and for a fhort time to Portugal and Ireland y and died July 1 8, 1760, aged feventy-one.
JOSEPH FRANCIS NOLLI&INS,
Of Antwerp, fon of a painter who had long refided in England, but who had fettled and died at Roan. The fon came over young, and fludied under Tillemans, and afterwards copied Watteau and Paulo Pa- nini. He painted landfcape, figures, and converfationS) and particularly the amufe- ments of children. He was much em- ployed by lord Cobham at Stowe, and by the late earl of Tilney. He died in St. Anne's parifh, January 21, 1748, aged forty-two, and left a wife a>nd a numerous voung family. Slater painted in the fame
kind
Painters in the Reign of George II. 115
kind with Nollikins, and executed cielings and works in frefco at Stowe and at the earl of Weftmorland's at Mereworth in Kent.
ROBINSON,
A young painter from Bath, had been edu- cated under Vandrebank, but marrying a wife with 4 or 5000 /. and taking the houfe in Cleveland-court in which Jervas had lived, he fuddenly came into great buli- nefs, though his colouring was faint and feeble. He affected to drefs all his pictures in Vandyck's habits ; a fantaftic fafhion with which the age was pleafed in other painters too, and which, could they be taken for the works of that great man, would only ferve to perplex pofterity. Vanaken afiifted to give fome credit to the delufion. Robinfon died when he was not above thirty, in 1745.
Hs ANDREA
1 1 6 Painters in the Reign of Georgt IT.
ANDREA SOLDI,
Of Florence, arrived in 1735, being theii about the age of thirty-three.- He had been to vifit the Holy Land, and at Aleppo having drawn the pictures of fome Englifh merchants, they gave him recommenda- tions to their countrymen. For fome time he had much bufinefs, and painted both portraits and hiftory, but outlived his in- come and fell into misfortunes*
CHEVALIER RUSCA,
A Milanefe, came over in 1738, and paint- ed a few pictures here in a gawdy flutter- ing ftyle, bu: with fome merit. I think her ftaid here but very few years.
STEPHEN
Painters in the Reign of George II. 117
STEPHEN SLAUGHTER
Succeeded Mr. Walton as fupervifor of the king's pictures, and had been for fome time in Ireland, where he painted feveral portraits. He had a fitter that ex- celled in imitating bronzes and bafreliefs to the higheft degree of deception. He died at Kenfington, whither he had retired, May 15, 1765. He was fycceeded in his office of furveyor and keeper of the pic- tures by Mr. George Knap ton, painter in crayons.
JAMES WORSDALE
Would have been little known, had he
lbeen diftinguilhed by no talents but his
pencil. He was apprentice to fir Godfrey
H 3 Kneller,
1 1 8 Painters in the Reign of George IX.
Kneller, but marrying his wife's niece without their confent, was difinifTed by his matter. On the reputation however of that education, by his finging, excellent mi- mickry and facetious fpirit, he gained many patrons and bufinefs, and was appointed mafter-painter to the board of ordnance. He * publifhed feveral fmall pieces, fongs, tec. befides the following dramatic per- formances :
i. A Cure for a Scold, a ballad opera, taken from Shakefpeare's Taming of a Shrew,
2. The Affembly, a farce, in which Mr* Worfdale himfelf played the part of old lady Scandal admirably well.
3. The Queen of Spain.
4. The extravagant Juftice.
He died June 13, 1767, and was buried
* Vide Baker's Companion to the Playhoufe.
at
Painters in the Reign of George II. 119
at St. Paul's Covent-garden, with this epi- taph' compofed by himfelf,
Eager to get, but not to keep the pelf, A friend to all mankind, except himfelf.
RANELAGH BARRETT
Was a noted copyift, who being counte- nanced by fir Robert Walpole, copied fe- deral of his collection, and others of the •duke of Devonfhire and Dr. Meade. He was indefatigable, and executed a vaft num- ber of works. He fucceeded greatly in •copying Rubens. He died in 1768, and his pictures were fold by auction in Decem- ber of that year.
JOHN W O O T T O N,
A fcholar of Wyck, was a very capital maf-
ter .in the branch of his profeffion to which
H4 te
1 20 Painters in the Reign of George II.
he principally devoted himfelf, and by which he was peculiarly qualified to pleafe in this country > I mean, by painting horfes and dogs, which he both drew and coloured with confummate fkill, fire and truth. He was firft diftinguifhed by frequenting New- market and drawing race-horfes. The prints from his hunting-pieces are well known. He afterwards applied to land- fcape, approached towards Gafpar Pouflin, and fometimes imitated happily the glow of Claud Lorrain. In his latter pieces the leafage of his trees, from the failure of his eyes, is hard and too diftinctly marked. He died in January, 1765, at his houfe in Cavendifh-fquare, which he built, and had painted with much tafte and judgment;. His prices were high -3 for a fingle horfe he has been paid 40 guineas j and 20, when fmaller than life. His collection was fold before his death, on his quitting bufmefs \ his drawings and prints January 21, 176 1,
and
Painters in the Reign of George II. \zt
and his pictures the 12th and 13th of March following,
JOSEPH HIGHMORE,
Nephew of ferjeant Highmore, was bred a lawyer, but quitted that profeflion for painting, which he exercifed with reputa- tion amongft the fucceffors of Kneller, un- der whom he entered into the academy, and living at firft in the city, was much employed there for family-pieces. He af- terwards removed to Lincoln's-Inn Fields, sand painted the portraits of the knights of the Bath, on the revival of that order, for the feries of plates, which he firft projected, and which were engraved by Pine. High- more publifhed two pamphlets •, one called, A critical Examination of the Cieling paint- ed by Rubens in the Banquetting Houfe, in which Architecture is introduced, as far as
relates
1 22 Painters in the Reign of George ft*
relates to Perfpective ; together with the Difcufiion of a Queftion, which has been the fubjecT: of Debate among Painters. Written many years fince, but now firft publifhed, 1764, quarto. * The other, The Practice of Perfpedtive on the Principles of Dr. Brook Taylor, &x. Written many years fince, but now firft publifhed, 1764, quarto; with 50 copper plates; price one guinea in boards. He had a daughter who was mar- ried to a prebendary of Canterbury, and to her he retired on his quitting bufinefs, and died there in March 1780, aged 88. f
THOMAS HUDSON,
The fcholar and fon-in-law of Riehardfon, enjoyed for many years the chief bufinefs of
* Gough's Topogr. art. London.
t There is a larger account of Mr. Highmore in the Oentleman's Magazine for April 1 780, with a portrait of him.
portrait-
Painters in the Reign of George II . 123
portrait-painting in the capital, after the fa- vorite artifts, his matter and Jervas, were gone off the ftage ; though Vanloo firft, and Liotard afterwards, for a few years diverted the torrent of fafhion from the eilabliihed prof fTor. Still the country gentlemen were faithful to their compatriot, and were con- tent with his honeil fimilitudes, and with the fair tied wigs, blue velvet coats, and white fattin waiftcoats, which he bellowed liberally on his cuftomers, and which with compla- cence they beheld multiplied in Faber's mezzotintos. The better tafte introduced by Sir Jofhua Reynolds put an end to Hud- fon's reign, who had the good fenfe to re- fign the throne foon after finifhing his ca- pital work, the family-piece of Charles duke of Marlborough. He retired to a fmall villa he had built at Twickenham on a moil beautiful point of the river, and where he furniflied the befl rooms with a well-chofen collection of cabinet-pictures and drawings by great mailers -3 having purchafed many
of
1 24 Painters in the Reign of George II.
of the latter from his father-in-law's capi- tal collection. Towards the end of his life he married to his fecond wife Mrs. Fiennes, a gentlewoman with a good fortune, to whom he bequeathed his villa, and died Jan. 26, *779j aged 78. On the death of his widow his collection of pictures and drawings were fold by auction in 1785.
FRANCIS HAYMAN,
A nati veof Devonfhire and fcholar of Brown, owed his reputation to the pictures he paint- ed for Vauxhall, which recommended him to much practice in giving deligns for prints to books, in which he fometimes fucceeded well, though a flrong * mannerifl, and eafily diftinguifhable by the large nofes and fham- bling legs of his figures. In his pictures his colouring was raw, nor in any light did
* Churchill, in his firft book of Gotham, objects th.at
fault to him.
he
Painters in the Reign of George II. 1 2$
he attain excellence. He was a rough man, with good natural parts, and a humourift— a character often tailed by cotemporaries, but which feldom aflimilates with or for- gives the rifing generation. He died of the gout at his houfe in Dean Street, Soho, in 1776, aged 6$.
SAMUEL SCOTT,
Of the fame aera, was not only the firft pain- ter of his own age, but one whofe works will charm in every age. If he was but fe- cond to Vandevelde in fea-pieces, he ex- celled him in variety, and often introduced buildings in his pictures with contaminate fkill. His views of * London-bridge, of the * quay at the Cuftom-houfe, &c. were equal
* In the collection of Sir Edward Walpole, who had feveral of the bell works of Scott, Lambert, Oram and "Wootton,
to
. 1 26 Painters in the Reign of George if*
to his marines, and his figures were judi- cioufiy chofen and admirably painted ; nor were his walked drawings inferior to his fi- nifhed pictures. Sir Edward Walpoje has feveral of his largeft and moft capital works. The gout harafied and terminated his life, but he had formed a fcholar that compen- fated for his lofs to the public, Mr. Mar- low. Mr. Scott died . October 12, 1772, leaving an only daughter by his wife, who Survived him till April 17 81.
Mr. TAVERNER,
A proctor in the Commons, painted land- fcape for his amufement, but would have rnade a confiderable figure amongft the re- nowned profeiTors of the art. The earl of Harcourt and Mr. Fr. Fauquier have each; two pictures by him, that mult be miftaken for, and are worthy of Gafpar PouiTin.
1 GEORGE
Painters in the Reign of George II. 1 27
GEORG E KNAPT ON
Was fcholar of Richardfon, but painted chiefly in crayons. Like his mailer he was well verfed in the theory of painting, and had a thorough knowledge of the hands of the good matters, and was concerned with. Pond in his various publications. In 1765, Knapton was painter to the fociety of Dilet- tanti, and on the death of Slaughter, was appointed flirveyor and keeper of the king's pictures, and died at the age of 80, in 1778, at Kenfmgton, where he was buried.
FRANCIS COTE a,
Scholar of Knapton, painted portraits in oil and crayons, in the latter of which he ar- rived at uncommon perfection, though be.
died
128 Painters in the Reign of George II.
died untimely of the (lone in July 1770$ not having pafled the 45 th year of his age* His pictures of the Queen holding the prin- cefs royal, then an infant, in her lap ; of his own wife -, of Polly Jones, a woman of pleafure ; of Mr. Obrien, the comedian ; of Mrs. Child, of Oflerley-park j andofMifs Wilton, now lady Chambers -, are portraits which, if they yield to Rofalba's in foftnefs, cxcell her's in vivacity and invention.
WILLIAM ORAM
Was bred an architect, but taking to land- fcape-painting, arrived at great merit in that branch ; and was made mailer- carpenter to the board of works, by the intereft of fir Ed- ward Walpole, who has feveral of his pic- tures and drawings.
JOHN
Painters in the Reign of George II. 129
JOHN SHACKLETON
Was principal painter to the crown in the latter end of the reign of George II. and to his death, which happened March 16, 1767.
GIACOMO AMICONI,
A Venetian painter of hiftory, came to Eng- land in 1729, when he was about forty years of age. He had ftudied under Bellucci in the Palatine court, and had been foine years in the elector of Bavaria's iervice. His manner was a ftill fainter imitation of that nervelefs matter Sebaftian Ricci, and as. void of the glow of life as the Neapolitan Solimeni : fo little attention do the modern Venetian painters pay to Titian, Tintoret, and Paul Veronefe, even in Venice, Ami- Vol. IV. I coni's
1 30 Painters in the Reign of George II.
coni's women are meer chalk, as if he had only painted from ladies who paint them- ielves. Nor was this his worfe defect ; his figures are fo entirely without exprefiion, that his hiftorical compofitions feem to re- prefent a fet of actors in a tragedy, ranged in attitudes againft the curtain draws up. His Marc Antonys are as free from pafiion as his Scipios. Yet novelty was propitious to Amiconi, and for a few years he had great bufinefs. He was employed to paint a ftaircafe at lord Tankerville's in St. James's- fquare [now deftroyed]. It repre- fented ftories of Achilles, Telemachus and Tirefias. When he was to be paid, he pro- duced bills of workmen for fcaffolding, &c. amounting to ninety pounds, and afked no more ; content, he faid, with the opportunity of mowing what he could do. The peer gave him 200 /. more. Amiconi then was em- ployed on the ftaircafe at Powis-houfe in Great Ormond-ftreet, which he decorated
with
Painters in the Reign of George II. 131
with the ftory of Holofernes, but with the additional fault of beftowing Roman drefTes on the perfonages. His next work was a picture of Shakefpeare and the mufes over the orcheftra of the new theatre in Covent- garden. But as portraiture is the one thing necefiary to a painter in this country, he was obliged to betake himfelf to that em- ployment, * much »againft his inclination j yet the Englifh never perhaps were lefs in the wrong in infilling that a painter of his- tory fhould turn limner; the barrenefs of Amiconi's imagination being more fuited to the inactive tamenefs of a portrait than to groupes and expreffion. The duke of Lorrain, afterwards emperor, was then at London and fat to him. He drew the queen and the three eldeft princeffes, and prints were taken from his pictures, which he generally endeavoured to emblematicize by genii and Cupids. In 1736 he made a.
* For a whole length he was paid fixty guineas.
I 1 journey
132 Painters in the Reign of George II .
journey to Paris with the celebrated finger Farinelli and returned with him in the Oc- tober following. His portrait of Farinelli was engraved. He then engaged with Wag- ner, an engraver, in a fcheme of prints from Canalletti's views of Venice, and hav- ing married an Italian finger* returned to his own country in ^1739, having acquired here about 5000/. At laft he fettled in Spain, was appointed painter to the king, and died at Madrid, September i752.*Ami- coni's daughters, the Signora Belluomini and the Signora Caftellini, the latter a pain- trefs in crayons, were living at Madrid in i'773. Twifs's Travels, p. 167. 4-to. 1775. Brunetti, an Italian, who had arrived before Amiconi, and was a painter of architecture and ornaments, afiifted the latter at lord Tankerville's and other places, and painted fcenes for the opera. He etched fome plates of grotefque ornaments, but left England for want of bufinefs.
JAMES
Painters in the Reign of George II. 133
JAMES SE Y MOUR1
Was thought even fuperior to Wootton in drawing a horfe, but was too idle to apply himfelf to his profeflion, and never attained any higher excellence, He was the only fon of Mr. James Seymour, a banker and great virtuofo, who drew well himfelf and had been intimate with Faithorne, Lely, Simon, and fir Chriflopher Wren, and died at the age of eighty- one, in 1739 ; tne ^on in 1752, aged fifty. *
* Charles, the old haughty duke of Somerfet, fent for Seymour to Petvvorth to paint a room with portraits of his running horfes, and one day at dinner drank to him with a fneer, " Coufin Seymour, your health. !' The painter replied, " My Lord, I really do believe that I have the honour of being of your grace's fa- mily." The duke offended, rofe from table, and fent his fteward to pay Seymour, and difmifshim. An- other painter of horfes was fent for, who finding him- felf unworthy to finiih Seymour's work, honeftly told the duke-fo, and humbly recommended to him to re- call Seymour. The haughty peer did condefcend to fummon bis coufin once more — Seymour anfwered tha mandate in thefe words, " My Lord, I will now prove I am of your grace's family, for I won't come."
I 3 JOHN
1 34 Painters in the Reign of George II.
JOHN BAPTIST VANLOO,
Brother of Carlo Vanloo, a painter in great efteem at Paris, ftudied in the academy at Rome, and became painter to the king of Sardinia, in whofe court he made a consi- derable fortune, but loft it all in the Mifiif- fipi, going to Paris in the year of that bub- ble. He was countenanced by the regent, and appointed one of the king's painters, though inferior in merit to his brother. At Paris he had the honour of drawing the por- trait of king Staniflas. In 1737 he came to England with his fon, when he was about the age of fifty-five. His firft works here were the portraits of Colley Cibber and Owen Mac Swinney, whofe long filver- grey hairs were extremely picturefque, and contributed to give the new painter repu- tation. Mac Swinney was a remarkable perfon, * of much humour, and had been formerly a manager of the operas, but for
* See more of him in Cibber 's apology for his own life.
feveral
Painters in the Reign of George II. 135
feveral years had refided at Venice. He had been concerned in a publication of prints from Vandyck, ten whole lengths of which were engraved by Van Gunft. He after- wards engaged in procuring a fet of emble- matic pictures, exhibiting the moll Ihining a&ions of Englifh heroes, ftatefmen, and patriots. Thefe were painted by the beft mailers then in Italy, and pompous prints made from them -3 but with indifferent fuc- cefs, the ftories being fo ill told, that it is extremely difficult to decypher to what in- dividual fo many tombs, edifices and alle- gories belong in each refpective piece. Se- veral of thefe paintings are in the pofleflion of his grace the duke of Richmond.
Vanloo foon bore away the chief bufinefs of London from every other painter. His likeneflfes were very ftrong, but not favour- able, and his heads coloured with force. He executed very little of the reft of his pi&ures, the draperies of which were fup- plied by Vanaken, and Vanloo's own dif- I 4 ciples
136 Painters in the Reign of George II.
ciples Eccardt * and Root. However, Van- loo certainly introduced a better ftylej his pictures were thoroughly finifhed, natural, and no part neglected. He was laborious, and demanded five fittings, from each per- fon. But he foon left the palm to be again contended for by his rivals. He laboured under a complication of diftempers, and be- ing advifed to try the air of his own coun^ try, Provence, he retired thither in Octo- ber 1742, and died there in April 1746.
JOSEPH VANAKEN.
As in England almoft every body's picture is painted, fo almoft every painter's works were painted by Vanaken. He was born at
* Eccardt was a German, and a modeft worthy man. He remained here after Vanloo's return to France, and fucceeded to fome of his bufinefs ; but having mar- ried the daughter of Mr. Duhamel, watchmaker, in Henrietta-ftreet, with whom he lodged, he retired to Chelfea, where he died in O&ober 1 779, leaving a fon, whp is a clerk in the Cultom-houfe.
Antwerp,,
Painters in the Reign of George II. 137
Antwerp, and excelling in fattins, velvets, lace, embroidery, &c. he was employed by feveral confiderable painters here to draw the attitudes and drefs the figures in their pictures ; which makes it very difficult to diftinguim the works of the feveral per- formers. Hogarth drew the fuppofed fune- ral of Vanaken, attended by the painters he worked for, difcovering every mark of grief and defpair. He died of a fever July 4, 1749, aged about fifty. He left a brother, who followed the fame bufinefs.
There was another of the fame firname, Arnold Vanaken, who painted fmall figures, landfcapes, converfations, and publifhed a fet of prints of fifhes, or the wonders of the deep. Arnold had a brother who paint- ed in the fame way, and fcraped mezzos tintos.
CLER-
1 3$ Painters in the Reign of George II.
CLERMONT,
A Frenchman, was many years in England, painted in grotefque, foliages with birds and monkies, and executed feveral cielings and ornaments of buildings in gardens; particularly a gallery for Frederic prince of Wales, at Kew ; two temples in the duke of Marlborough's ifland near Windfor, called from his grotefques, Monkey-ifland ; the cieling of lord Radnor's gallery, and of my Gothic library, at Twickenham ; the fides of lord Strafford's eating-room in St. James's-fquare, from Raphael's loggie in the Vatican ; and a cieling for lord Nor- thumberland at Sion. Clermont returned to his own country in 1754.
CANAL-
Painters in the Reign of George II. 139
CANALLETTI,
The well-known painter of views of Venice came to England in 1746, when he was about the age of fifty, by perfuafion of his countryman Amiconi, and encouraged by the multitudes of pictures he had fold to or fent over to the Engliih. He was then in good circumflances, and it was faid came to veft his money in our flocks. I think he did not ftay here above two years. I have a perfpeftive by him of the infide of King's- college chapel.
JOLI,
I think a Venetian, was in England in this reign, and painted ruins with hifloric fi- gures, in the manner of Paolo Panini. At Joli's houfe I faw one of thofe pictures, in
which
140 Painters in the Reign of George II.
which were arTembled as many blunders and improprieties as could be well con- tained in that compafs. The fubjecl was Alexander adorning the tomb of Achilles— on a grave-ftone was infcribed, Hie Jacet M. Achille, P. P. i. e. pater patriae. The Chriftian Latin, the Roman M. for Marcus, the Pater Patriae, and the Italian termina- tion to Achilles, all this confufion of igno- rance, made the pidlure a real curiofity.
GEORGE LAMBERT.
In a country fo profufely beautified with the amaenities of nature, it is extraordinary that we have produced fo few good painters of landfcape. As our poets warm their ima- ginations with funny hills, or figh after grottoes and cooling breezes, our painters draw rocks and precipices and cancellated mountains, becaufe Virgil galped for breath
at
Painters in the Reign of George I L 1 4.1
at Naples, and Salvator wandered amidfl: Alps and Apennines. Our ever-verdant lawns, rich vales, field of haycocks, and hop-grounds, are neglected as homely and familiar fubjects. The latter, which I never faw painted, are very picturefque, particu- larly in the feafon of gathering, when fome tendrils are ambitioufly climbing, and others dangling in natural fefcoons; while poles, defpoiled of their garlands, are erect- ed into eafy pyramids that contrafl with the taper and upright columns. In Kent fuch fcenes are often backed by fand-hills that enliven the green, and the gatherers di£- perfed among the narrow alleys enliven the picture, and give it various diftances.
* Lambert, who was inftrufled by HalTel, and at firft imitated Wootton, was a very
* There Is a print by Smith of one John Lambert, Efq; painting an hiftoric piece, from a portrait done by himfelf : I do not know whether he was related to George Lambert.
5 good
142. "Painters in the Reign of George II.
good mailer in the Italian ftyle, and follow- ed the manner of Galpar, but with more richnefs in his compofitions. His trees were in a great talle, and grouped nobly. He painted many admirable fcenes for the playhoufe, where he had room to difplay his genius; and, in concert with Scott, exe- cuted fix large pictures of their fettlements for the Eaft-India company, which are placed at their houfe in Leadenhall-ilreet. He died Feb. i, 1765. He did a few land- fcapes in crayons.
THOMAS WORLIDGE
For the greater part of his life painted por- traits in miniature : he afterwards with worfe fuccefs performed them in oil 3 but at laft acquired reputation and money by etchings in the manner of Rembrandt, proved to be a very eafy talk by the numbers of men who
have 3
Painters in the Reign of George II. 14 j
have counterfeited that matter fo as to de- ceive all thofe who did not know his works by heart. Worlidge's imitations and his heads in black-lead have grown aftonifh- ingly into fafhion. His beft piece is the whole length of fir John Aftley, copied from Rembrandt : his print of the theatre at Ox- ford and the act there, and his ftatue of lady Pomfret's Cicero, are very poor per- formances. His laft work was a book of gems from the antique. He died Sept. 23, 1766, at Hammerfmith, though latterly he refided chiefly at Bath. The following com- pliment to his wife, on feeing her copy a landfcape in needle-work, was printed in the Public Advertifer j
At Worlidge's as late I faw A female artifl: fketch and draw, Now take a crayon, now a pencil, Now thread a needle, ftrange utenfil ! J hardly could believe my eyes, To fee hills, houfes, fteeples rife ;
While
144 Painters in the Reign of George II.
While crewel o'er the canvafs drawn
Became a river or a lawn.
Thought I — it was not faid thro' malice,
That Worlidge was oblig'd to Pallas J
For fure fuch art can be difplay'd
By none except the blue-ey'd maid !
To him the prude is tender hearted—
The paintrefs from her eafel ftarted —
fl Oh 1 fir, your fervant — pray fit down :
My hufband's charm'd you're come to town."— »
For wou'd you think it ? — on my life,
*Twas all the while the artift's wife.
I chofe to infert thefe lines, not only in juf- tice to the lady celebrated, but to take no- tice that the female art it records, has of late placed itfelf with dignity by the fide of painting, and actually maintains a rank among the works of genius. Mifs Gray was the firft who diftinguifhed herfelf by fo bold an emulation of painting. She was taught by a Mr. Taylor, but greatly excel- led him, as appears by their works at lord Spencer's at Wimbledon. His reprefents. an old woman felling fruit to a Flemifli wo-
" man,
Painters in the Reign of George II. 14$
man, after Snyder : hers a very large pic- ture of three recruiting-officers and a pea- fant, whole lengths— in each, the figures are as large as life. This gentlewoman has been followed by a very great miftrefs of the art, Caroline cOuntefs of Ailefbury, who has not only furpaiTed feveral good pictures that fhe has copied, but works with fuch rapidity and intelligence, that it is almoft more curious to fee her pictures in their progrefs, than after they are finilhed. Befides feveral other works, Hie has done a picture of fowls, a water-dog and a heron, from Oudry, and an old woman fpinning, whole length, from Velafco, that have greater force than the originals. As fome of thefe mafterly per- formances have appeared in our public ex- hibitions, I venture to appeal to that pub- lic, whether juftice or partiality dictated this encomium.
Vol, IV. K ANEC
ANECDOTES
O F
PAINTING, H£
C H A P. IV.
Painters in the Reign of King George II,
WILLIAM HOGARTH.*
HAVING difpatched the herd of our painters in oil, I referved to a clafs by himfelf that great and original genius, Hogarth i confidering him rather as a wri- ter
* Since the firft edition of this work, a much ampler account of Hogarth and his works has been given by
, Mr.
■
Painters in the Reign cf George II. 147
ter of comedy with a pencil, than as a pain- ter. If catching the manners and follies of an age living as they rife, if general fatire on vices and ridicules, familiarized by ftrokes of nature, and heightened by wit, and the whole animated by proper and juft expref- fions of the paffions, be comedy, Hogarth compofed comedies as much as Moliere : in his marriage alamode there is even an in- trigue carried on throughout the piece. He is more true to character than Congrevej each perfonage is diftihcl from the reft, a£h in his fphere, and cannot be confounded with any other of the dramatis perfon^e. The alderman's footboy, in the laft print of the fet I have mentioned, is an ignorant
Mr. Nichols, which is not only more accurate, but much more fatisfattory than mine ; omitting nothing that a collector would vvifh to know, either with re- gard to the hiftoryof the painter himfelf, or to the cir- cumftances, different edit/ions and variations of his prints. I have compleated my lift of Hogarth's works .from that fource of information.
K 1 ruftic ;
148 Painters in the Reign of George II.
ruftic ; and if wit is {truck out from the chara&ers in which it is not expected, it is from their acting conformably to their fitu- ation and from the mode of their paffions, not from their having the wit of fine gen- tlemen. Thus there is wit in the figure of the alderman, who when his daughter is ex- piring in the agonies of poifon, wears a face of follicitude, but it is to fave her gold ring, which he is drawing gently from her finger. The thought is parallel to Mo- liere's, where the mifer puts out one of the candles as he is talking. Moliere, inimit- able as he has proved, brought a rude thea- tre to perfection. Hogarth had no model to follow and improve upon. He created his arts and ufed colours inftead of lan- guage. His place is between the Italians, whom we may confider as epic poets and tragedian*, and the Flemifh painters, who are as writers of farce and editors of bur-
lefque
Painters in the Reign of George II. 149
lefque nature. * They are the Tom Browns of the mob. Hogarth refembles Buttler, but his fubjetts are more univerfal, and amidft all his pleafantry, he obferves the
* When they attempt humour, it is by making" a drunkard vomit ; they take evacuations for jokes, and when they make us fick, think they make us laugh. A boor hugging a frightful frow is a frequent incident even in the works of Teniers, If there were painters in the Alps, I fuppofe they would exhibit Mars and Venus with a conjunction of fwelled throats. I cannot deny myfelf the pleafure of obferving that we adlualfy pofTefs a painter, who finilhing as exquifitely as the Flemilh, is a true mafter of comic nature. Need I fay his name is ZofFanii ?
I have been blamed for cenfuring the indelicacies of Flemilh and Dutch painters, by comparing them with the furity of Hogarth, againft whom are produced many inftances of indelicacy, andfome repetitions of the fame indelicacy. I will not defend myfelf by pleading that thefe inftances are thinly fcattered through a great number of works, and that there is at leaft humour in raoft of the incidents quoted, and that they infinuate fome reflection, which is never the cafe of the foreign- ers— but can I chufe but fmile when one of the naftieft, examples fpecified is from the burlefque of Paul before Felix, profefledly in ridicule of the grofs images of the Dutch ?
K 3 true
150 Painters in the Reign of George II.
true end of comedy, reformatibn ; there is always a moral to his pictures. Sometimes he rofe to tragedy, not in the cataftrophe of kings and heroes, but in marking how vice conducts infenfibly and incidentally to mi- fery and fhame. He warns againft encou- raging cruelty and idlenefs. in young minds, and difcerns how die. different vices of- the great and the vulgar lead by various paths to the fame unhappinefs. The fine lady in Marriage Alamode, and Tom Nero in the Four Stages of Cruelty, terminate their frory in blood — fhe occafions, the murder of her hufband, he affaflinates his miftrefs. How delicate and fuperior too is his fatire, when he intimates in the College of Phyfi- cians and Surgeons that prefide at a diffec- tion, how the legal habitude of viewing fhocking fcenes hardens the human mind, and renders it unfeeling. The prefident maintains the dignity of infenfibility over an executed corpfe, and confiders it but as
the
V timers . In the Reign of George 1 1. E£fl
tVe object of a lecture. In the print of the Sleeping Judges, this habitual indifference only excites our laughter.
It is to Hogarth's honour that in fo many fcenes of fatire or ridicule, it is obvious that ill-nature did not guide his pencil. His end is always reformation, and his- re- . proofs general. Except in the print of the Times, and the two portraits of Mr. Wilkes and Mr. Churchill that followed, no ^an amidft fuch a profufion of charade riflic faces, ever pretended to difcover or charge him with the caricatura of a * real perfon 3
• "If he indulged his fpirit of ridicule in perfonali- ties, it f never proceeded beyond /ketches and draw- ings ; his prints touched the folly, but fparcd the per- fon. Early he drew a noted mifer, one of the fheriffs, trying a mafiiffthat had robbed his kitchen, but the magiftrate's fon went to his houfe and cut the picture to pieces.
■J- I have been reproved for this afiertion, and inftances have been Jointed out that contradict me. I am far from perfevering in -an eiror, and do allow that my pofition was too pofitive. Still iome of the inftances adduced were by no means caricaturas. SirJohnGonfon and Dr. Mifaubinin theHarlofsProgrefswereratherexamplesideri- tified than fatires. Others, as Mr. Pine's, were meer portraits, in- troduced by their own defire; or with their confent.
K 4 except
i$2 Painters in the Reign of George II.
except of fuch notorious characters as Chan- tres and mother Needham, and a very few more, who are acting officially and fuitably to their profefiions. As he muft have ob- ferved fo carefully the operation of the paf- fions on the countenance, it is even wonder- ful that he never, though without intention, delivered the very features of any indentical perfon. It is at the fame time a proof of his intimate intuition into nature: but had he been too fevere, the humanity of endea- vouring to root out cruelty to animals would atone for many fatires. It is another proof that he drew all his ftores from na- ture and the force of his own genius, and was indebted neither to models nor books for his ftyle, thoughts or hints, that he ne- ver fucceeded when he defigned for the works of other men. I do not fpeak of his early performances at the time that he was engaged by bookfellers, and rofe not above thofe they generally employ ; but in his ma-
turer
Painters in the Reign of George II. 153
turer age, when he had invented his art, and gave a few defigns for fome great au- thors, as Cervantes, Gulliver, and even Hu- dibras, his compofitions were tame, fpirit- lefs, void of humour, and never reach the merits of the books they were defigned to illuftrate. He could not bend his talents to think after any body elfe. He could think like a great genius rather than after one. I have a fketch in oil that he gave me, which he intended to engrave. It was done at the time * that the Houfe of Com- mons appointed a committee to enquire into the cruelties exercifed on prifoners in the Fleet to extort money from them. The fcene is the committee j on the table are the inftruments of torture. A prifoner in rags half ftarved appears before them j the poor man has a good countenance that adds to the intereft. On the other hand is the inhuman gaoler. It is the very figure that
* In 1729. v. Brit. Topogr. vol. i, 636.
Salvator
154 Painters in the Reign of George II.
Salvator Rofa would have drawn for Iago in the moment of detection. Villany, fear, and confcience are mixed in yellow and livid on his countenance, his lips are con- tracted by tremor, his face advances as eager to lie, his legs ftep back as thinking to make his efcape ; one hand is thruft precipitately into his bofom, the fingers of the other are catching uncertainly at his button-holes. If this was a portrait,* it is> the molt fpeaking that ever was drawn ; if it was not, it is ftill finer.
It is feldom that his figures do not ex- prefs: the character he intended to give them. When they wanted an illuftration that colours could not beftow, collateral circumflances, full of wit, fupply notes. The nobleman in Marriage Alamode has a great air — the coronet on his crutches, and his pedigree ifTuing out of the bowels
* It was the portrait of Bambridge the Warden of the Fleet -pcifon. Nichols.
Of
Painters hi the RJgn of George II. 1 55
of William the Conqueror, a,dd his charac- ter. In the breakfaft the old ileward re- flects for the fpectator. Sometimes a fhort label is an epigram, and is never intro- duced without improving the fti eject. Un- fortunately fome cir.cumftarices, that were temporary, will be loft to ppfterity,. the fate of all comic authors;, and.if ever an author wanted' a commentary that none of his beauties might be loft, it is Ho- garth—not from being obfcure, [for he never was that but in two or three, of his firft prints where- tranfient national follies, as lotteries, free-mafonry, and the. South- fea were his topics] but for the ufe of fo- reigners, and from a multiplicity of little, incidents, not efiential to, but always heightening the principal action. Such is the fpider's-web extended over the poor's box in a parhn- church ; the blunders in architecture in the nobleman's feat {em through the window, in the firft print of
Marriage
x $6 Painters in the Reign of George II.
Marriage Alamode ; and a thoufand in the Strollers drefling in a Barn, which for wit and imagination, without any other end, I think the beft of all his works : as for ufeful and deep fatire, that on the Metho- difts is the moft fublime. The fcenes of Bedlam and the gaming-houfe, are inimit- able reprefentations of our ferious follies or unvoidable woesj and the concern ihown by the lord-mayor when the companion of his childhood is brought before him as a criminal, is a touching picture, and big with humane admonition and reflection.
Another inftance of this author's genius is his not condefcending to explain his moral leflbns by the trite poverty of allegory. If he had an emblematic thought, he expreffed it with wit, rather than by a fymbol. Such is that of the whore fetting fire to the world in the Rake's Progrefs. Once in- deed he defcended to ufe an allegoric per- fonage, and was not happy in it : in one of
his
Painters in the Reign of George II. 1 57
his election prints Britannia's chariot breaks down, while the coachman and footman arc playing at cards on the box. Sometimes too, to pleafe his vulgar cuftomers, he Hooped to low images and national fatire, as in the two prints of France and Eng- land, and that of the Gates of Calais. The laft indeed has great merit, though the ca- ricatura is carried to excefs. In all thefe the painter's purpofe was to make his countrymen obferve the eafe and affluence of a free government, oppofed to the wants and woes of flaves. In Beer-ftreet the F.ng- liih butcher tolling a Frenchman in the air with one hand, is abfolute hyperbole; and what is worfe, was an afterthought, not be- ing in the firft edition. The Gin-alley is much fuperior, horridly fine, but difguft- irig.
His Bartholomew-fair is full of humour 5 the March to Finchley, of nature : the En- raged Mufician tends to farce. The Four
Parts
i$% Painfers in the Reign of 'George \L
■ ■ -
£arts of the Day, except the laft, are in- ferior to few of his "works, llie Sleeping Congregation, the Lecture on the Vacuum, the Laughing Audience, the Confutation of Phyficians as a coat of arms, and the Cockpit, are perfefr in their feveral kinds, "The prints of Induftry and Idlenefs have more merit in the intention than execu- tion.
Towards his latter end he now and then repeated himfelf, but feldomer than moft great authors who executed fo much.
It may appear fingular that of an author whom 1 call comic, and who is fo cele- brated for his humour, I mould fp'eak in general in fo ferious a ftyle ; but it would be fuppreffing the merits of his heart to confider him only as a promoter of laugh- ter. I think I have mown that his views were more generous and extenfive. Mirth coloured his pictures, but benevolence de- signed them. He fmiled like Socrates,
that
Painters in the Reign of George II. 159
that men might not be offended at his lec- tures, and might learn to laugh at their own follies. When his topics were harm- lefs, all his touches were marked with pleafantry, and fun. He never laughed like Rabelais at nonfenle that he impofed for witj but like Swift combined inci- dents that divert one from their unexpected encounter, and illuftrate the tale he means to tell. Such are the hens roofting on the upright waves in the fcene of the Strollers, and the devils drinking porter on the altar. The manners or cdftume are more than ob - ferved in every one of his works. The very furniture of his rooms defcribe the charac- ters of the perfons to whom they belong ; a leflbn that might be of ufe to comic au- thors. It was referved to Hogarth to write a fcene of furniture. The rake's levee-room, the nobleman's dining-room, the apartments of the hufband and wife in Marriage Alamode, the alderman's parlour,
the 9
1 60 Painters in the Reign of George II .
the poet's bedchamber, and many others, are the hiftory of the manners of the age.
But perhaps too much has been faid o£ this great genius as an author, it is time to ipeak of him as a painter, and to mention the circumftances of his life, in both which I fhall be more brief. His works are his hiftory; as a painter, he had but flender merit.
. He was born in the parifh of St. Bartho- lomew, London, the fon of a low tradef- mon, who bound him to a * mean engra- ver of arms on plate j but before his time was expired he felt the impulfe of genius, and felt it directed him to painting, though little apprized at that time of the mode na- ture had intended he mould purfue. His apprenticefhip was no fooner expired, than he entered into the academy in St. Mar- tin's-lane, and ftudied drawing from the
* This is wrong ; it was to Mr. Gamble, an emi- nent ulverimith. Nichols's Biogr. Remarks.
life,
4
Painters in the Reign of George II. 1 6 1
life, in which he never attained to great excellence. It was character, the paflions, the foul, that his genius was given him to copy. In colouring he proved no greater a matter: his force lay in expreflion, not in tints and chiaro fcuro. At firft he worked for bookfellers, and defigned and engraved plates for feveral books j and, which is ex- traordinary, no fymptom of genius dawned in thofe plates. His Hudibras was the firft of his works that marked him as a man above the common ; yet what made him then noticed, now furprizes us to find fo little humour in an undertaking fo congenial to his talents. On the fuccefs however of thofe plates he commenced painter, a painter of portraits 3 the moft ill-fuited employment imaginable to a man whofe turn certainly was not flattery, nor his talent adapted to look on vanity witjiout a fneer. Yet his fa- cility in catching a likenefs, and the method he chofe of painting families and conven- tions in fmall, then a novelty, drew him pro- Vol. IV. L digious
1 62 Painters in the Reign of George II.
digious bufinefs for fome time. It did not laft, either from his applying to the real bent of his difpofition, or from his cuf- tomers apprehending that a fatirift was too formidable a confeffor for the devotees of felf-love. He had already dropped a few of his fmaller prints on fome reigning fol- lies, but as the dates are wanting on moft of them, I cannot afcertain which, though thofe on the South- fea and Rabbit- woman prove that he had early difcovered his talent for ridicule, though he did not then think of building his reputation or fortune on its powers.
His Midnight Modern Converfation was the firft work that mowed his command of character : but it was the Harlot's Pro- grefs, publifhed in 1729 or 1730 that efta- blilhed his fame. The pictures were fcarce finifhed and no fooner exhibited to the pub-* lie, and the fubfeription opened, than above twelve hundred names were entered on his book. The familiarity of the fubjecl, and the
propriety
Painters in the Reign of George II. 163
propriety of the execution, made it tafted by all ranks of people. Every engraver fet himfelf to copy it, and thoufands of imita- tions were difperfed all over the kingdom. It was made into a pantomime, and perform- ed on the ftage. The Rake's Progrefs, perhaps fuperior, had not fo much fuccefs, from want of novelty ; nor indeed is the print of the Arreft equal in merit to the others.
The curtain was now drawn afide, and his genius flood difplayed in its full luftre. From time to time he continued to give thofe works that mould be immortal, if die nature of his art will allow it. Even the re- ceipts for his fubfcriptions had wit in them. Many of his plates he engraved himfelf, and often expunged faces etched by his affifl- ants when they had not done juftice to his ideas.
Not content with mining in a path un- trodden before, he was ambitious of diftin- guifhing himfelf as a painter of hiftory. L a But
164 Painters in the Reign of George II.
But not only his colouring and drawing rendered him unequal to the tafk ; the ge- nius that had entered fo feelingly into the calamities and crimes of familiar life, de- ferred him in a walk that called for dignity and grace. The burlefque turn of his mind mixed itfelf with the moft ferious fub- jefls. In his Danae the old nurfe tries a coin of the golden fhower with her teeth, to fee if it is true gold : in the Pool of Bethefda a fervant of a rich ulcerated lady beats back a poor man that fought the fame celeflial re- medy. Both circumftances are juftly thought, but rather too ludicrous. It is a much more capital fault that Danae herfelf is a meer nymph of Drury. He feems to have con- ceived no higher idea of beauty.
So little had he eyes to his own deficien- cies, that he believed he had difcovered the principle of grace. With the enthufiafm of a difcoverer he cried, Eureka ! This was his famous line of beauty, the ground-work of his Analyfis, a book that has many fen-
fible
Painters in the Reign of George II. 165
fible hints and obfervations, but that did not carry the conviction nor meet the uni- verfal acquiefcence he expected. As he treated his cotemporaries with fcorn, they triumphed over this publication, and imi- tated him to expofe him. Many wretched burlefque prints came out to ridicule his fyftem. There was a better anfwer to it in one of the two prints that he gave to illuf- trate his hypothecs. In the Ball had he con- fined himfelf to fuch outlines as compofe awkwardnefs and deformity, he would have proved half his affertion — but he has added two famples of grace in a young lord and lady, that are ftrikingly ftiff and affected. They are a * Bath beau and a county- beauty.
But this was the failing of a vifionary. He fell afterwards into a grofler miftake.
* In the original plate that figure reprefented the prefent king, then prince ; but he was deured to alter it. The prefent figure was taken from the laft duke of Kingfton ; yet, though like, is ftifF and far from graceful.
L 3 From
1 66 Painters in the Reign of George II.
From a contempt of the ignorant virtuofi of the age, and from indignation at the im- pudent tricks of pictu re-dealers, whom he faw continually recommending and vending vile copies to bubble-collectors, and from having never ftudied, indeed having feen, few good pictures of the great Italian matters, he perfuaded himfelf that the praifes beftow- ed on thofe glorious works were nothing but the effects of prejudice. He talked this language till he believed it ; and having heard it often averted, as is true, that time gives a mellownefs to colours and improves them, he not only denied the proportion, but maintained that pictures only grew black and worfe by age, not diftinguiihing between the degrees in which the proportion might be true or falfe. He went farther: he determined to rival the ancients — and un- fortunately chofe one of the fineft pictures in England as the object of his competition. This was the celebrated Sigifmonda of fir Luke Schaybj now in the pofleffion of the
duke
Faint ers in the Reign of Getrge II. 167
duke of Newcaftle, faid to be painted by Correggio, probably by Furino, but no mat- ter by whom. It is impoilible to fee the picture or read Dryden's inimitable tale, and not feel that the fame foul animated both. After many efiays Hogarth at laft produced his Sigifmonda — but no more like Sigif- monda, than I to Hercules. Not to men- tion the wretchednefs of the colouring, it was the reprefentation of a maudlin ftrumpet juft turned out of keeping, and with eyes red with rage and ufquebaugh, tearing off the ornaments her keeper had given her. To add to the difguft raifed by iuch vulgar exprefiion, her fingers were * bloodied by her loyer's heart that lay be-
* In the biographic Anecdotes of Hogarth it is faid, that my memory muft have failed me, for that on re- peated infpe&ion it is evident that the fingers are un- stained with blood. Were they always fo ? I faw it when firft painted, and bloody they were. In p. 46 it is confeffed that upon the criticifm of one connoiffeur •or another the picture was fo altered, that an old friend of Mr. Hogarth fcarce knew it again.
L 4 fore
1 68 Painters in the Reign of George II.
fore her like that of a fheep's for her dinner. None of the fober grief, no dignity of fup- preffed anguifh, no involuntary tear, no fet- tled meditation on the fate fhe meant to meet, no amorous warmth turned holy by defpair -, in jfhort all was wanting that mould have been there, all was there that fuch a ftory would have banifhed from a mind capable of conceiving fueh complicated woe ; woe fo fternly felt and yet fo tender- ly. Hogarth's performance was more ridi- culous than any thing he had ever ridiculed. He fet the price of 400 /. on it, and had it returned on his hands by the perfon for whom it was painted. He took fubfcrip- tions for a plate of it, but had the fenfe at laft to fupprefs it. I make no more apology for this account than for the encomiums I have beftowed on him. Both are dictated by truth, and are the hiftory of a great man's excellencies and errors. Milton, it is faid, preferred his Paradife Regained to his im- mortal poem.
The
Painters in the Reign of George II. 169
The laft memorable event of our artift's life was his quarrel with Mr. Wilkes, in which if Mr. Hogarth did not commence direct hostilities on the latter, he at leaft obliquely gave the firft offence by an attack on the friends and party of that gentle- man. This conduct was the more furpriz- ing, as he had all his life avoided dipping his pencil in political contefts, and had early refufed a very lucrative offer that was made to engage him in a fet of prints againfl the head of a court -party. Without entering into the merits of the caufe, I mail only ftate the fact. In September 1762, Mr. Hogarth publifhed his print of the Times. It was anfwered by Mr. Wilkes in a fevere North-Briton. On this the painter exhi- bited the caricatura of the writer. Mr. Churchill, the poet, then engaged in the war, and wrote his epiftle to Hogarth, not the brighter!: of his works, and in which the fevereft ftrokes fell on a defect that the painter had neither caufed nor could amend
—his
170 Painters in the Reign of George II.
—his age j and which however was neither remarkable nor decrepit ; much lefs had it impaired his talents, as appeared by his hav- ing compofed but fix months before one of his molt capital works, the fatire on the Me- thodifls. In revenge for this epiftle, Hogarth caricatured Churchill under the form of a canonical bear, with a club and a pot of por- ter— et vitula tu dignus & hie — never did two angry men of their abilities throw mud with lefs dexterity.
Mr. Hogarth, in the year 1730, married the only daughter of fir James Thornhill, by whom he had no children. He died of a dropfy in his bread at his houfe in Leicef- ter-fields, October 26, 1764.
He fold about twenty-four of his principal pictures by auction in 1745. Mr. Vincent Bourne addreffed a copy of Latin hendeca- fyllables to him on his chief pictures ; and Roquetti, the enameller, publifhed a French explanation, though a fuperficial one, of many of his prints, which, it was faid, he 10 had
Painters in the Reign of George II. 171 '
had drawn up for the ufe of marfhal Bclleifle3 then a prifoner in England.
As I am pofferTed of the mod compleat collection of his prints that I believe exifls, I fhall for the ufe of collectors give a cata- logue of them. Moflof them were affembled by Mr. Arthur Pond, and fome of them pro- bably are now no where elfe to be found. I have added every other print that I could difco- ver to have been defigned or engraved by him. He had kept no fuite himfelf, and had for- gotten feveral in which he had been concern- ed. He gave me what few fketches had not been forced from him by his friends, particu- larly the Committee above-mentioned, and the firft thoughts for Induftry and Idlenefs,
&
Catalogue
172 Painters in the Reign of George II.
Catalogue of Mr. Hogarth's Prints.
Class i. Miscellaneous.
i.IIT HOGARTH, engraver, with T * * two figures and two cupids, April 28, 1720.
2. His own cypher, with his name under it at length ; a plate he ufed for his books.
3. His own head in a cap, oval frame* a pug dog, and a pallet with the line of beauty, &c. infcribed Gulielmus Hogarth. Se ipfe pinxit & fculpfit. 1749. A fquare print.
4. His own portrait, fitting and painting the mufe of comedy. Head profile, in a cap. The Analyfis of Beauty on the floor. W. Hogarth ferjeant-painter to his majefty. The face engraved by W. Hogarth, 1758.
5. The fame j the face retouched, but not lb like as in the preceding. Comedy alfo
3 has
Painters in the Reign of George II. 173
has the face and mafk marked with black, and infcribed, Comedy, 1764. No other in- fcription but his name, William Hogarth.
* 5. His own head with a hat on j mezzo- tinto. Weltdon and Hogarth, pinx. Charles Townley fecit. 178 1.
6. People in a ihop, under the king's arms : Mary and Ann Hogarth. A Ihop- bill.
7. Small oval print for the Rape of the Lock ; for the top of a fnurT-box.
8. An emblematic print reprefenting agri- culture and arts. Seems to be a ticket for fome fociety.
9. A coat of arms, with two flaves and trophies. Plate for books.
10. A foreign coat of arms, fupporters a favage and angel. Ditto.
1 1 . A grifon with a flag. A creft.
12. Another coat of arms, and two boys as terms.
13. A Turk's head. Alhop-bill.
14. An
174 Painters in the Reign of George II.
14. An angel holding a palm in the left hand. A fhop-bill.
15. A fmall angel, almoft the fame as the preceding.
16. Lord Aylmer's coat of arms.
17. Two ditto of the duchefs of Kendal.
18. A fhop-bill, reprefenting trade and arms of Florence.
19. A ticket for the benefit of Milward, the tragedian.
20. A ticket for a burial.
21. A large oval coat of arms, with terms of the four feafons.
22. Capt. Coram and the children of the Foundling hofpital. A ticket.
23. Five Mufcovites. Small plate for a book of travels.
24. Mufic introduced to Apollo by Mi- nerva, 1727. Frontifpiece to fome book, mufic, or ticket for a concert.
25. Minerva fitting and holding the arms of Holland, four Cupids round her. Done for the books of John Holland, herald-painter.
26. Chrift
Painters in the Reign of George II. 175
0.6. Chrift and his difciples ; perfons at a diftance carried to an hofpital. In as much as ye have done it unto one of the leaft of thefe my brethren, ye have done it unto me. St. Matt. xxv. ver. 40. W. Ho- garth inv. C. Grignion fculp* Ticket for a charity.
27. Another, almoft the fame as the pre- ceding, but with a view of the London hof- pital.
28. Another with the arms of the duke of Richmond.
29. Seven fmall prints for Apuleius's Gol- den Afs. W. Hogarth inv. & fculp. On fome, W. Hogarth, fee.
36. Gulliver prcfented to the queen of Babilary. W. Hogarth inv. Ger. Vander- gucht fculp. It is the frontifpiece to the Travels of Capt. John Gulliver.
37. Five fmall prints for the tranflation of CafTandra. W. Hogarth inv. & fculp.
42. Six larger for Don Quixote. W. Ho- garth inv. & fculp,
48. Tvvo
176 Painters in the Reign of George If.
48. Two fmall for Milton. W. Hogarth inv. & fc.
50. Frontifpiece to Terrae-filius. W. Hogarth fee.
51. Frontifpiece to Tom Thumb. W. Hogarth inv. Ger. V.andergucht fc. There is fome humour in this print.
52. Frontifpiece to the Humours of Ox- ford. W. Hogarth inv. Ger. Vandergucht
53. Judith and Holofernes. Per vulnera fervor, morte tua vivens. W. Hogarth inv. Ger. Vandergucht fc. A fron apiece.
54. Perfeus, and Medufa dead, and Pega- fus. Frontifpiece to the books of the en- tertainment of Perfeus and Andromeda. W. H. fee.
$$. A monk leading an afs with a Scotch man and woman on it. Head-piece to the Jacobite's Journal. Though this was done in 1748, I place it here among his indiffe- rent prints.
56. Twelve prints to Aubrey de la Mot- ray's
Painters in the Reign of George II. 177
ray's Travels. His name to each. The 13th has Parker fcuL
68. Fifteen head-pieces for Beavers's Mi- litary Punifliments of the Ancients 3 but fcarce any copies have thefe plates.
69. Impreflion from a bit of plate.
70. Frontifpiece to the Scots opera.
7 1 . Houfe at Chifwick ; etched by him- fdf.
72. Buft of Hefiodj prefixed to Cook's tranflation.
73. Another frontifpiece to Perfeus and Andromeda, different from 54.
75. Two plates to Moliere.
Class 2. Portraits.
1. The right hon. Frances lady Byron. Whole length, mezzotinto. W. Hogarth pinx. J. Faber f&c. 1736.
2. The right hon. Guftavus lord vifcount Boyne, &c. &c. Whole length, mezzo-
Vol. IV. M tinto.
178 Painters in the Reign of George IX,
tinto. W. Hogarth pinx. Andrew Miller fecit. A very bad print,, done in Ireland.
3. Martin Folkes : half length : engraved. Mine is a proof and has no infcription.
4. Sarah Malcolm, executed in 1732 for murdering her miftrefs- and two other wo- men f drawn in Newgate.. W. Hogarth (ad vivum) pinxit & fculpfit. This woman put on red to fit to him for her picture two days before her Execution. I have the ori- ginal.
5. Simon lord Lovat, drawn from the life and etched in aquafortis by William Hogarth, 1746.
6. Mr. Pine, in the manner of Rembrandt. Mezzotinto, by Mc. Ardell.
7 . Another leaning on a cane, an unfmifh-; td mezzotinto.
8. Captain Thomas Coram, who obtain- ed the charter for the Foundling-hofpitaL Mezzotinto, by Mc. Ardell.
9. Jacobus Gibbs, architectus. W. Ho-
1 garth.
Painters in the Reign of George II. 179
garth delin. J. Mc. Ardell fee. partly mez- zotinto, partly graved.
10. Daniel Lock, efq; mezzotinto ; Wm. Hogarth pinx. J. Mc. Ardell fecit.
11. Benjamin Hoadley, bifhop of Win- chefter. W. Hogarth pinx. B. Baron fculp.
12. A fmall oval of ditto.
13. Thomas Herring, archbifhop of Can- terbury. W. Hogarth p. B. Baron fc,
14. Mr. Garrick, * in the character of Richard III. Painted by Wm. Hogarth ; engraved by Wm. Hogarth and C. Grignion.
15. T. Morell, S. T. P. S. S. A. W. Hogarth delin. James Bafire fculp.
16. Mr. Huggins, with a buft of Arioflo. Small round.
17. Henry Fielding, setatis 48. W.Ho- garth del. James Bafire fculp.
* Mr. Garrick had feveral of Hogarth's paintings, and the latter defigned for him, as preiident of the Shakefpeare club, a mahogany chair richly carved, on the back of which hangs a medal of the poet carved by Hogarth out of a piece of the mulberry-tree planted at Stratford by Shakefpeare.
M 2 18. John
1 80 Painters in the Reign of George II.
18. John Wilkes, efq. Drawn from thd life and etched in aquafortis by Wm. Ho^ garth.
1 9. The Bruifer, C. Churchill in the cha- racter of a Ruffian Hercules, &c. A Dutch dog piffing on the Epiftle to Hogarth : a pallet, the North-Britons and a begging-box to collect fubfcriptions for them. Defigned and engraved by W. Hogarth.
20. The fame ; but over the pallet lies a political print,, in which the painter is cor- recting Churchill and Wilkes in the charac- ters of a bear and a monkey. Other fatirical emblems behind.
Class 3. Comic and Serious Prints.
1. A burlefque on Kent's altar-piece at St. Clement's, with notes. It reprefents an- gels very ill drawn, playing on various in- ftruments.
2. A midnight modern conversion.
3. Twelve
Painters in the Reign of George II. 1 8 1
3. Twelve prints for Hudibras, the large fet.
4. The finall fet, containing feventeen prints with Butler's head.
5. A woman fwearing a child to a grave citizen, with twelve Englifh verfes. W. Hogarth pinx. J. Sympfon, jun. fculp. A very bad print.
6. Mary Tofts, the rabbit- woman of Godalmin, in labour. No name to it.
7. The Lilliputians giving a clyfter to Gulliver. A fuppofed Lilliputian painter's * name to it. Hogarth fculp.
8. An emblematic print on the South- fea. Perfons riding on wooden horfes. The devil cutting Fortune into collops. A man broken on the wheel, &c. W. Hogarth inv. & fc. There are four different impreflions of this.
9. A mafquerade. There is much wit in this print. Invented for the ufe of ladies
* Which contains the letters that form the name of Jonathan Swift.
M 3 and
1 8 2 Painters in the Reign of George II.
and gentlemen by the ingenious Mr. H— — r. (Heidegger.) Three different.^
io. Another, {mailer, on mafquerades and operas. Burlington-gate, as in the follow- ing. W, Hogarth inv. & fculp.
1 1 . The gate of Burlington-houfe, Pope white-wafhing it, and befpattering the duke of Chandos's coach. A fatire on Pope's epiftle on tafte. No name.
12. The Lottery. Emblematic, and not good. W. Hogarth inv. & fculp.
13. Tafte in high life. A beau and a faihionable old lady. Painted by Mr. Ho^ garth. This was probably not publifhed by himfelf.
14. Booth, Wilks and Cibber contriving a pantomime. A fatire on farces. No name.
15. Charmers of the Age. A fatire on ftage-dancers. A {ketch. No name. The two laft very fcarce.
16. Henry VIII. and Anne Boleyn. Ho- garth defign. & fculp. Very indifferent.
17. The Myftery of Mafonry brought to
Light
Painters in the Reign of George II. i8j
Light by the Gormogons. Stolen from Coy- pel's Don Quixote. W. Hogarth inv. & fc.
1 8. Sancho ftarved at Dinner by his Phy- fician. W. Hogarth inv. & fculp.
19. A very rare hieroglyphic print ia Mr. Walpole's collection, reprefenting Roy- alty, Epifcopacy, and Law, compofed of em- blematic attributes, and no human features or limbs ; with attendants of fimilar ingre- dients. Beneath is this infcription ; Some of the principal inhabitants of the moon, as they were perfectly difcovered by a telefcope, brought to the greatelt. perfection fince the laft eclipfe j exactly engraved from the ob- jects, whereby the curious may guefs at their religion, manners, &c. Price Sixpence.
20. Boys peeping at Nature. The fub- fciption-ticket to the Harlot's Progrefs.
21. The Harlot's Progrefs, in fix plates.
22. The Rake's Progrefs, in eight plates,. *
M 4 23. The
* The Rake's Progrefs was pirated by Boitard on one very large iheet of paper, containing the feveraj
fcenep
1 84 Painters in the Reign of George II,
23. The fourth plate of the fame, with variations.
24. Two prints Before and After.
25. The Sleeping Congregation, j-
fcenes reprefented by Mr. Hogarth. It came out about a fortnight before the genuine fet, but was foon forgot- ten. However this gave occafion to Hogarth to apply for an aft of parliament to fecure the property of prints. He applied to Mr. Huggins, who took for his model the ftatute of queen Anne in favour of literary property. The acl: parted ; but fome years after appeared to be too locfely drawn, for on a caufe founded on it, which came before lord Hardwick in chancery, he determined that no aflignee, claiming under an aflignment from the original inventor, could take any benefit by it. Ho- garth immediately after the parting the acl, publifhed a fmall print with emblematic devices, and an infcrip- tion exprefiing his gratitude to the three branches of. the legislature, This plate he afterwards made to ferve for a receipt for fubfcriptions to the election prints. VideNJ 58 of this clafs. J
f Sir Edward Walpole had the original picture. The Clerk's head is admirably well painted and with great force ; but he is dozing, and not leering at the young woman near him, as in the print.
% Chancellor Hoadley wrote verfes to be placed under each plate of the Rake's Progrefs : they are printed in the 5th volume of Dod- iley's Collection of poems, p. 269.
26, Bar-,
Painters in the Reign of George II. 185
26. Bartholomew-fair.
27. A feftoon with a mafic, a roll of paper, a pallet, and a laurel. Subfcription-ticket for Garrick in Richard the Third.
28. The poor Poet.
29. The Lecture. Datur vacuum.
30. The laughing Audience.
31. Confultation of Phyficians. Arms of the undertakers.
32. Rehearfal of an Oratorio. Singing men and boys.
33. The four Parts of the Day.
34. Strolling ActrefTes dreffing in a Barn.
35. The Search-Night. W. Hogarth inv. A very bad print, and I believe an impofi- tion.
36. The enraged Mufician.
37. Characters and caricaturas, to fhow that Leonardo da Vinci exaggerated the lat- ter. The fubfcription-ticket to Marriage a la Mode.
38. Marriage a la Mode, in fix prints.
39. The Pool of Bethefda, from the pic-
ture
1 86 Painters in the Reign of George II.
ture he painted for St. Bartholomew's hofpi- tal, in which parifh he was born. Engraved by Ravenet.
40. Ditto; large, by Ravenet and Picot.
41. The good Samaritan; ditto, by Ra- venet and Delatre.
42. Orator Henley chriftening a child. Mezzotinto.
43. A flage-coach. An elect ion-procef- fion in the yard.
44. Induftry and Idlenefs, in twelve plates.
45. An auction of pictures, duplicates of the fame pictures. This was a ticket to admit perfons to bid for his works at his auction.
46. The Gates of Calais. His own head fketching the view. He was arretted as he was making the drawing, but fet at liberty when his purpofe was known.
47. A ftand of various arms, bagpipes, &c. The fubfcription -ticket for the March to Finchley.
4^. The March to Finchley ; dedicated to
the
Painters in the Reign of George II. 187
the king of Prufiia, in refentment for the late king's fending for the picture to St. James's and returning it without any other notice.
49. Beer-ftreet j two of them with varia- tions j and Gin-lane.
50. The Stages of Cruelty, in four prints.
51. Paul before Felix, defigned and fcratched in the true Dutch tafte by W. Ho- garth. This is a fatire on Dutch pictures.
52. Paul before Felix, from the original painting in Lincoln's-inn hall painted by W. Hogarth. There is much lefs dignity in this than wit in the preceding.
$3. The fame, as firft defigned, but the wife of Felix was afterwards omitted, becaufe St. Paul's hand was very improperly placed before her.
54. Columbus breaking the egg. The fubfcription-ticket to his Analyfis.
55. The two prints to the Analyfis. Two other editions with variations.
56. France and England, two plates.
57. Two plates to Triftram Shandy.
58. Crowns,
1 88 Painters in the Reign of George II.
58. Crowns, mitres, maces, &x. The Sub- fcription-ticket to the Election.
59. Four prints of an election.
60. The deeping Judges.
61. Ditto ; but with heads after L. da Vinci.
62. The Cockpit.
6 3. Frontifpiece to the Farmer's Return from London.
64. The Wigs and Head-drefTes at the Coronation of George III.
6$. Credulity, Superftition and Fanati- cifm. Satire on the Methodifls.
66. Frontifpiece to Kirby's Perfpective. Satire on falfe perfpective.
67. Frontifpiece to Brook Taylor's Per- spective. With an attempt at a new order.
68. Two fmall heads of men in profile in one plate, etched by Mr. Ireland, from a {ketch in his own collection.
69. Frontifpiece and tailpiece to the cata- logue of pictures exhibited in 1 7 6 1 .
70.' Time blackening a picture. Sub-
fcription-
Painters in the Reign of George II. 189
fcription-ticket for his Sigifmunda. This and the preceding tailpiece are iatires on connoiffeurs.
71. Frontifpiece to a pamphlet againft the Hutchinfonians, never publillied. It repre- fents a witch fitting on the moon, and water- ing on a mountain, whence ifTue mice who are devouring fir Ifaac Newton's Optics : one moufe lies dead on Hutchinfon's works,, probably to imply being choaked. The conundrum fignifies, Front-is-pifs.
72. Print of the weighing-houfe to Club's Phyfiognomy; a humourous pamphlet in quarto, publiihed in 1763, and dedicated to Hogarth.
73. The Times.
74. Tailpiece to his works. Another fatire on dealers in dark pictures. *
75. Rich \
* On this print which he calls Finis, and reprefents the deftru&ion of all things, the following epigram, afcribed to Charles Churchill the poet, was printed in the General Advertifer in 1778, from the Mule's Mir- rour j
1 90 Painters in the Reign of George II.
75. Rich's Glory. ^1
76. Beggar's Opera : doubtful.
77. Scene in an opera.
78. Orator Henley's Chapel : doubtful.
79. iEneas in a ftorm : ditto.
80. Wolfe's Monument : very doubtful. 8 1 . Heads from the cartoons : ditto.
82. The Frolick; a fmall copy of the Search-Night, N° 35.
83. Mofes brought to Pharaoh's Daugh- ter ; by Hogarth and Luke Sullivan.
84. Boys drawing from Nature, fubfeription ticket to the above and Paul before Felix ; a variation of N° 20.
On Hogarth's print of Bathos, or th« Art of Sinking in Fainting. All muft old Hogarth's gratitude declare, Since he has nam'd old Chaos for his heir ; And while his works hang round that Anarch' s throne, The connoifieurs will take them for his own.
Prints
Painters in the Reign of George II. 191
Prints from Hogarth
Publifhed fince Mr. Nichols's Lift was printed.
The Stay maker : and
Debates on Palmifby. Etched by Haynes from defigns in the porTefllon of Mr. S. Ire- land.
Henry Fox Lord Holland : and
James Caul field Earl of Charlemont. B\r ditto from ditto.
The Shrimp-girl, a head, by Bartolozzi.
Two plates of Taylor, the boxer, wreftling with Death ; by Livefay.
Mr. Benjamin Read j and
Mr. Gabriel Hunt. Members of a club with Hogarth ; by ditto.
Nine prints to Hogarth's Tour, from draw- ings by Hogarth and Scott ; by ditto.
Thefe laft fourteen prints were publifhed by fubfcription by Mrs. Hogarth, in April 1782. Some few copies of the Tour were printed by Mr. Nichols in the preceding year.
IG
192 Painters in the Reign of George IL
It was a party of pleafure down the river into Kent undertaken by Mr. Hogarth, Mr. Scott, and three of their friends, in which they intend- ed to have more humour than they accom- plifhed, as is commonly the cafe in fuch me- ditated attempts. The Tour was defcribed in verfe by one of the company, and the draw- ings executed by the two painters, but with little merit, except in the views taken by Mr. Scott.
Additions flnce the former Edition.
Small Arms of Gamble : etched by Mr. Ireland.
Title to Biographical Anecdotes : ditto.
Hogarth's Cot : ditto.
Hogarth's Creft : by Livefay.
Copy of the Rape of the Lock : by Mr. Ireland.
Arms for the Foundling Hofpital : Livefay.
Coat of Arms, with four terms ; an impref- fion from plate ; different from N° 21. Clafs 1.
Subfcription Ticket, intended for Sigif- munda; doubtful.
Hogarth's
Painters in the Reign of George II. 193
Hogarth's Portrait.
Thomas Pellet, M. D. by Hall.
Bullock, the comedian : ditto.
Sir James Thornhill : by Mr. Ireland.
Hogarth: ditto.
Black Girl in bed : copied by ditto.
Variation of Orator Henley chriftening a child : ditto.
Shepherd Boy : ditto.
The Politician : by Sherwin.
A Landfcape : by Mr. Ireland.
Jack in an Office : ditto.
Characters who frequented Button's Cof- fee-houfe , four plates : ditto.
Woman's head, as Diana : ditto*
Head of a black Girl : ditto.
Hogarth, in his portrait-converfations, was imitated by Phillips, a young man, who acquired great bufinefs. He was fon of a painter in oil, who died in 1741, aged about fixty. The fon died much younger.
Yol. IV. N ANEC^
ANECDOTES
O F
PAINTING, €&
G H A P. V.
Painters in Enamel and Miniature, Statuaries 3. and Medallifts, in the Reign of George II.
JOHN STEPHEN LIOTARD,
OF Geneva, * came over in the laft reign, and flayed two years. He painted ad- mirably well in miniature,, and -finely in ena- mel,
* He was born in 1702, and was deiigned-for a mer- chant. He went to ftudy at. Paris in 1725, and in 1738 accompanied the marquis de Puifieux to Rome, who was going amhaffador to Naples. At Rome he was taken notice of by the earls of Sandwich and Bef- borough, then lord Duncannon, who engaged, Liotard
to
Painters in the Reign of George II. 195
mel, though he feldom practifed it. But he is bed known by his works in crayons. His likeneflfes were as exact as poffible, and too like to pleafe thofe who fat to him j thus he had great bufinefs the firft year, and very little the fecond. Devoid of imagination, and one would think of memory, he could render nothing but what he faw before his eyes. Freckles, marks of the fmall-pox, every thing found its place -, not fo much from fidelity, as becaufe he could not conceive the abfence of any thing that appeared to him. Truth prevailed in all his works, grace in very few or none. Nor was there any eafe in his outline j but the ftiffnefs of a burl in all his portraits. Thence, though more faith- ful to a likenefs, his heads want air and the foftnefs of flefh, fo confpicuous in Rofalba's pictures. Her bodies have a different fault ; fhe gave to men an effeminate protuberance about the breads j yet her pictures have
to go with them on a voyage to Conftantinople. See Mitfeum Florent. vol. X. where lordDuncannon's name is fpelt milord D'un Canon.
N 1 much
196 Painter sin the Reign of George 1%
much more genius. The earls of* Harringa ton and Befborough have fome of his moft capital works. At Conftantinople he be- came acquainted with the late lord Edg- cumbe, and fir Everard Fawkener, our am- baffador, who perfuaded him to come to England. On his way he paffed fome time at Paris. In his journey to the Levant he adopted the eaftern habit, and wore it here with a very long beard. It contributed much to the portraits of himfelf, and fome thought to draw cuftomers- but he was really a painter of uncommon merit. After his return, he married a young f wife, and facrificed his beard to Hymen. He came again to Eng- land in 1772, and brought a collection of pictures of different matters, which he fold
* The earl of Sefton has purchafed.thofe that vvere In the collection of the late lord Harrington ; one re- prefents Mademoifdle Gaucher, miftrefs of W. Anne earl of Albemarle,- in a Turkifh drefs, fitting: the* other, a lady at breakfaft and her maid.
f Maria Fargues, daughter of a merchant at Am- iterdam,.
by*
Painters in the Reign of George II. 197
by auction.; and fome pieces of glafs painted by himfelf with furprifing effect of light and fhade, but a mere curiofity, as it was ne- cefTary to darken the room before they could be {een to advantage j he affixed too, as ufual, extravagant prices to them. He ftaid here about two years, as in his former journey. He has engraved fome Turkifh portraits., one of the emprefs queen and the eldeft arch-duchefs, in Turkifh habits, and the heads of the emperor and emprefs.
CHRISTIAN FREDERIC ZINCKE,
Was born at Drefden about 1684, and came to England in 1706, where he ftudied un- der Boit, whom at length he not only fur- pafTed, but rivalled Petitot. I have a head of Cowley by him after fir Peter Lely, which is allowed to excel any fingle work of that charming enameller. The impaffioned glow of fentiment, the eyes fwimming with youth and tendernefs, and the natural fall of the N 3 long
198 Painters in the Reign of George II.
long ringlets tnat flow round the unbuttoned collar, are rendered with the moft exquifite nature, and finifhed with elaborate care. For a great number of years Mr. Zincke had as much bufmefs as he could execute ; and when at laft he raifed his price from twenty to thirty guineas, it was occafioned by his defire of leffening his fatigue, for no man, fo fuperior in his profeffion, was lefs intoxicat- ed with vanity. He was particularly patro- nized by the late king and queen, and was appointed cabinet-painter to the late prince of Wales. Her royal highnefs princefs Amelie has * many portraits of the royal fa- mily by him of a larger than his ufual fize. The late duke of Cumberland bought feveral of his beft works, particularly his beautiful copy of Dr. Meade's queen of Scots by Ifaac
* There are ten ; two of the late king, as many of his queen, the duke of Cumberland when a boy, and the five princeffes his fitters. Princefs Amelie had them newly fet in two fine gilt frames and glaffes, and gave them in 1783 to the prince of Wales.
8 Oliver.
Painters in the Reign of George II. 199
Oliver. He made a fhort vifit to his own country m 1737, and about .1746, his eyes failing, he retired from bufinefs to South- Lambeth, with a fecond wife, by whom he had three or four children. His firft wife was a handfome woman, of whom he had •been very fond -, there is a print of him and her •, he had a fon by her, for whom he bought a place in the fix clerks office, and a daughter, who died a little before he re- tired to Lambeth. After his quitting bufi- nefs, madame Pompadour prevailed upon him to copy in enamel a picture of the king of France, which fhe fent over on pur- pofe. Mr. Zincke died in March, 1767. *
* Zincke is recorded in the following lines of Dr. Young's Love of Fame, Sat. 6.
You here in miniature your pictures fee, Nor hope from Zincke more juftice than from me. My portraits grace your mind as his your fide ; His portraits will inflame, mine quench your pride. His dear, you frugal ; chufe my cheaper lay, And be your Reformation all my pay.
N 4 ROUQUET,
200 Painters in the Reign of George II .
R O U CL U E T,
A Swifs of French extraction, was many years in England, and imitated Mr. Zincke in enamel with fome fuccefs, He after-* wards fettled at Paris and improved confi- derably. He published a fmall tract on the prefent flate of the arts in England j and another, entitled, L'Art de la peinture en fromage ou en ramequin, 120, 1755.* I have mentioned his explanation of Hogarth's prints.
GROT H,
A German, painted in water-colours and enamel, but made no great proficience.
• V. La France litteraire, ou Di&ionaire des Au* teurs Francois vivans. par M. Formey, 1757.
BERNARD
fainter s in the Reign of George II. 20 1
BERNARD LENS,
OF a family of artifts, whom I have men- tioned in the Catalogue of Engravers, was an admirable painter in miniature. He painted fome portraits in that way, but his excellence was copying the works of great mafters, particularly Rubens and Van- dyck, whofe colouring he imitated exactly. He was painter to the crown by the title of enameller, which was changed from lim- ner, when Boit held the office. Lens pub- lifhed fome views and drawing-books, as he had many fcholars. He made two fales of his pictures, and died at Knightfb ridge, whither he had retired from bufinefs about 1741. He had three fons, two that follow- ed his profeffion, of whom one is yet living.
JOSEPH
*LV2 Painters in the Reign of George II,
JOSEPH GOUPY
Was another fine painter in water-colon rs, but in a different ftyle from Lens. The latter ftippled the faces, and finifhed high- ly i Goupy imitated the boldnefs of ftrokes in oil. The latter too copied many pictures of Italian * mailers, and excelled in imitating Salvator Rofa, from whofe works he en- graved fome prints. He had the honour of teaching her royal highnefs the princefs of Wales ; and was cabinet-painter to the prince. His copies of the cartoons were fold to the duke of Chandos for 300/. but at the duke's fale produced not 17 guineas. If the painter had exacted, the public had ftill lefs juftice. Jofeph died the latter end of 1747. His collection was fold by auc- tion in' March 1765. There was a carica- tura in crayons (from which there is a print) of Handel with a fnout of a hog playing on
an
Painters in the Reign of George II. 203
an organ, and many fymbols of gluttony- round him ; he and Goupy had quarrelled. —There was alfo a piece in oil by Hamilton with portraits of feveral artifts. Jofeph had an uncle, born in France from whence the family fprung, who came to England, and had already a brother here a fan-painter. Louis, of whom I fpeak, painted portraits in oil, and afterwards worked in frefco and crayons, and taught miniature. He had at- tended lord Burlington into Italy. There is a print of him by George White. His nephew Jofeph, and Bernard Lens were two of our beft miniature-painters, and their works worthy of any cabinet.
JAMES DEACON,
A gentleman of great talents for mufic and drawing, towards the end of his life en- gaged profeiTedly in the bufinefs, took Mr. Zincke's houfe in Covent-garden, and paint- ed
S04 Painters in the Reign of George II.
ed portraits in miniature in a very mafterly manner i but had fcarce embarked in the profefiion, when he loft his life attending a caufe at the Old Bailey, the day that the goal- diftemper deftroyed the judge, the lord- mayor, and fo many of the audience, in JMay IT So.
SPENCER
Painted portraits in miniature, and laftly in enamel, with fome merit. He died October 3°> 1763.
S TJt T CA
Statuaries in the Reign of George If. co£
STATUARIES.
). MICHAELRYSBRA CHr
The beft fculptor that has appeared in thefer iflands fince Le Sceur, was born at Ant- werp. His father was a landfcape-painter3 and had been in England, but quitted it with Largilliere and went to Paris, where he married, and returning to BrufTels and Antwerp, died at the latter in 1726, at the age of fourfcore. Michael his fon arrived here in 1720, then about' the age of twenty- fix, and began by modelling fmall figure? in clay, to mow his fkill. The earl of Not- tingham fat to him for his buft, in which; the artift fucceeded fo well, that he began: t) be employed on large works, particularly: monuments. For fome time he was engaged by Gibbs, who was fenfible of the young
man's
2o6 Statuaries in the Reign of George II.
man's merit, but turned it to his own ac- count, contracting for the figures with the perfons who bcfpoke the tombs, and gain- ing the chief benefit from the execution. Thus Gibbs received ioo/. apiece from lord Oxford for the ftatues on Prior's monu- ment, yet paid Ryfbrach but 35 /. each. The ftatuary, though no vain man, felt his own merit, and Ihook off his dependence on the architect, as he became more known and more admired. Bufinefs crouded upon him, and for many years all great works were committed to him ; and his deep knowledge of his art and lingular induftry gave general fatisfaction. His models were thoroughly ftudied, and ably exe- cuted ; and as a fculptor capable of fur- mfhing flames was now found, our tafte in monuments improved, which till Ryfbrach's time had depended more on mafonry and marbles than ftatuary. Gothic tombs owed their chief grandeur to rich canopies, fret- work,
Statuaries in the Reign of George II. 207
work, and abundance of fmall niches and trifling figures. Biihops in cumbent atti- tudes and crofs-legged templars admitted no grace, nor required any. In the reigns of queen Elizabeth and king James I. a fingle figure reclining at length on the el- bow in robes or ferjeant's gown, was com- monly overwhelmed and furrounded by diminutive pillars and obelifks of various marbles ; and if particularly fumptuous, of alabafter gilt. Gibbs, in the duke of New- caftle's monument in the abbey, feems to have had an eye to that kind of taftelefs ex- pence. From the reign of Charles I. altar- tombs or mural tablets with cherubims and flaming urns, generally fatisfied the piety of families. Bird indeed bellowed bufls and bas-reliefs on thofe he decorated, but fir