AN 
 
 ESSAY 
 
 ON 
 
 PRINTS.
 
 AN 
 
 ESSAY 
 
 ON 
 
 PRINTS. 
 
 By WILLIAM GILPIN, M. A. 
 
 PREBENDARY OF SALISBURY J 
 AND VICAR OF BOLDRE IN NEW-FOREST, 
 NEAR LYMINGTON. ' 
 
 THE FIFTH EDITION, 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 TRINTED BY A. STKAHAN, PRINTERS-STRBZT ; 
 
 1?0R T, CADELL, JUN. AND W. DAVIESj IN THE STRAND, 
 1802.
 
 
 TO THE HONORABLE 
 
 HORACE WALPOLE, 
 
 IN DEFERENCE TO HIS TASTE 
 
 IN THE POLITE ARTS; 
 
 AND THE 
 
 VALUABLE RESEARCHES HE HAS MADE 
 
 TO IMPROVE THEM ; 
 
 THE FOLLOWING WORK 
 IS INSCRIBED 
 
 EY HIS MOST OBEDIENT 
 
 AND VERY HUMBLE SERVANT, 
 
 WILLIAM GILPIN, 
 
 A3 
 
 ;l8ii2H^;'
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 '^ I ^ H E chief intention of the 
 A following work, was to put 
 the elegant amufement of collect- 
 ing prints on a more rational foot- 
 ing ; by giving the unexperienced col- 
 ledor a few principles, and cautions to 
 affift him. 
 
 With this view the author thought 
 it necefTary to apply the principles of 
 painting to prints : and as his obfer- 
 vations are not always new, he hath at 
 leafl: made them concife. 
 
 A 4 His
 
 { viii ) 
 
 His account of artifls minht eafi- 
 ly have been enlarged, by having 
 recourfe to books : particularly he 
 could have availed himfelf much of 
 the ingenious refearches of Mr. Wal- 
 pole. He did not however choofe 
 to fvvell his volume with what others 
 had faid ; but wiflied rather to reft 
 on fuch obfervationsj as he had 
 himfelf made. He had many op- 
 portunities of feeing fome of the 
 beft colledions of prints in Eng- 
 land ; and occalionally availed him- 
 felf of them by minuting down re- 
 marks. 
 
 Of the works of living artifts the 
 author hath purpofely faid little. 
 
 He
 
 ( ix ) 
 
 He thought himfelf not at liberty 
 to find fault ; and when he men- 
 tions a modern print, he means not, 
 by praifing one, to imply inferiority 
 in another ; but merely to illuftrate 
 his fubjed, when he had occafion, 
 with fuch prints, as occurred to his 
 memory. 
 
 The author wiflies to add, that 
 w^hen he fpeaks pojitively in any part 
 of the following work, he means not 
 to fpeak arbitrarily : but only to 
 avoid the tedious repetition of quali- 
 fying phrafes. 
 
 N. B. When the figures on the rlgbt hand are 
 fpoken of, thofe are meant, which are 
 oppofite to the fpedator's right hand: 
 and fo of the left.
 
 aiofiJ >
 
 EXPLANATION 
 
 OF 
 
 TERMS, 
 
 (composition, in its large fenfe means, a picture in 
 general : in its limited one, the art of group- 
 ing figures, and combining the parts of a 
 pi6lure. In this latter fenfe it is fynonymous 
 with difpofition. 
 
 Defign, in its flrid fenfe, applied chiefly to drait-- 
 ing : in its more inlarged one, defined page 2. 
 In its mod inlarged one, fometimes taken for 
 a pidure in general. 
 
 A whole : The idea of one obje£t, which a pidure 
 fhould give in its comprehenfive view. 
 
 Exprejfton : its ftri£l meaning defined page 1 6 : but 
 it often means the force, by \yhicK objeds of 
 ««j kind are reprefented. ' - ^ " '' 
 
 8* Effea
 
 ( xii ) 
 
 Effe6l arlfes chiefly from the management of light ; 
 but the word is fometimes applied to the ge- 
 neral view of a pidure. 
 
 Spirit^ in its flridl fenfe, defined page 21 : but it is 
 fometimes taken in a more inlarged one, and 
 means the general effed of a mafterly per- 
 formance. 
 
 Manner^ fynonymous with execution, 
 
 Pidurefque : a term exprelTive of that peculiar kind 
 of beauty, which is agreeable in a pitlure. 
 
 FiElurefque grace : an agreeable form which may be 
 given even to a clownifn figure. 
 
 Repofe, or quietnefs applied to a pifture, when the 
 whole is harmonious ; when nothing glares 
 either in the light, ihade, or colouring. 
 
 To keep down, take down, or bring down, fignify 
 throwing a degree of fhade upon a glaring 
 light. 
 
 A middle tint, is a medium between a ftrong light, 
 and ftrong fhade : the phrafe is not at all ex- 
 prelTive of colour. 
 
 Catching
 
 ( xiil ) 
 
 Catching lights are ftrong lights, which ftrike on 
 fome particular parts of an objed, the reft of 
 which is in fhadow. 
 
 Studies are the (ketched ideas of a painter, not 
 wrought into a whole. 
 
 Freedom is the refult of quick execution. 
 
 Extremities are the hands and feet. 
 
 Air, exprefles chiefly the graceful aftion of the 
 head ; but often means a graceful attitude. 
 
 Contraji, is the oppofition of one part to another. 
 
 Needle is the inftrument ufed in etching.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 1 HE principles of painting confidered, as far as 
 they relate to prints - Page i 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 Obfervations on the different kinds of prints 2 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 Characters of the mod noted mafters - 43 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Remarks on particular prints » - 127 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 Cautions in colleding prints - • 165
 
 . CHAP. I. 
 
 The principles of Painting cotifidered, fo far as 
 they relate to Prints* 
 
 A Painting, or pl^ure, is dijftmgulfhed 
 from a print only by colouring, and the 
 manner of execution. In other refpedls, the 
 foundation of beauty is the fame in both ; and 
 we confider a print, as we do a picture, in a 
 double light, with regard to the iphole^ and 
 with regard to its parts. It rnay have an agree- 
 able efFedt as a whole^ and yet be very culpable 
 in its parts. It may be likewife the reverfe. 
 A man may make a good appearance on the 
 whole ; though his limbs^ examined feparately, 
 may be wanting in exadt proportion. His limbs 
 on the other hand, may be exadly formed, and 
 yet his perfon, on the ivhole^ may be awkward, 
 and difpleafing. 
 
 To make a print agreeable as a whole, a 
 jufl: obfervance of thofe rules is neceflary, 
 
 B which
 
 { 2 ) 
 
 which relate to defign^ d'lfpofition^ keepings and 
 the d'ljiribution of light : to make it agreeable 
 in its parts — of thofe which relate to drawings 
 exprejfion^ grace^ and perfpeflive. 
 
 We confider the whole before its parts^ as 
 it naturally precedes in practice. The painter 
 firft forms his general ideas ; and difpofes them, 
 yet crude, in fuch a manner, as to receive 
 the mod beautiful form, and the moft beautiful 
 effecft of light. His laft work is to finifh the 
 feveral parts : as the ftatuary fhapes his block, 
 before he attempts to give delicacy to the 
 limbs. 
 
 By deftgn^ (a term which painters fome- 
 times ufe in a more limited fenfe) we mean 
 the general conduct of the piece, as a rcpre- 
 fentation of fuch a particular ftory. It an- 
 fwers, in the hiftorical relation of a fa£t, to 
 a judicious choice of circumftances ; and in- 
 cludes a proper thne^ proper chara&ers^ the 
 moj} affeSling manner of introducing thofe cha^ 
 raders^ and proper appendages. 
 
 With regard to a proper time^ the painter 
 IS aflifted by good old dramatic rules ; which 
 inform him, that one point of time only fhould 
 be taken — the moft affedting in the action ; 
 and that no other part of the ftory fhould 
 
 interfere
 
 ( 3 ) 
 
 interfere with it. Thus hi the death tf 
 Ananias, if the inftant of his falling down 
 be chofen, no anachronifm fbould be intro- 
 duced ; every part of the piece (hould cor- 
 refpond ; €ach charader fhould be under the 
 ftrongeft impreffiou of aftonifhment, and hor^ 
 ror : thofe paffions being yet unallayed by any 
 cooler paffions fucceeding. 
 
 With regard to chara£lers^ the painter muft 
 fuit them to his piece, by attending to hif- 
 torical truth, if his fubjed: be hiftory ; or to 
 heathen mythology, if it be fabulous. 
 
 He muft alfo introduce them properly. They 
 fhould be ordered in fo advantageous a manner, 
 that the principal figures, thofe which are 
 moft concerned in the a<3:ion, fhould catch 
 the eye Jirjl^ and engage it moji. This is 
 very effential in a well-told ftory. In the 
 iirft place, they fhould be the leafl embar- 
 raffed of the group. This alone gives them 
 diftindtion. But they may be farther diilin- 
 guifhed, fometimes by a broad light ; fome- 
 times by a Jlrong Jhadow^ in the midfl of a 
 light ; fometimes by a remarkable a&ion, or 
 exprejfion ; and fometimes by a combination of 
 two or three of thefe modes of diflindion. 
 
 B 2 The
 
 ( 4 ) 
 
 The laft thing included in defign is the ufe 
 <A proper appendages. By appendages are meant 
 animals, landfcapc, buildings, and in general, 
 whatever is introduced into the piece by way 
 of ornament. Every thing of this kind (hould 
 correfpond with the fubjed, and rank in a 
 proper fubordination to it. Bass an would 
 fometimes paint a fcripture-ftory : and his 
 method was, to croud his foreground with 
 cattle ; while you feek for his ftory, and at 
 leneth with difficulty find it in fome remote 
 corner of his pi(flure. Indeed neither the 
 landjcape^ nor the Jiory is principal ; but his 
 cattle- A Jiory therefore is an abfurd ap- 
 pendage. 
 
 When all thefe rules are obferved, when 
 a proper point of time is chofen ; when cha- 
 racters correfponding with the fubjedl are 
 introduced, and thefe ordered fo judicioufly 
 as to point out the flory in the ftrongell 
 manner ; and laflly when all the appen- 
 dages, and under-parts of the piece are fuit- 
 able, and fubfervient to the fubjed: ; then 
 the ftory is well told, and of courfe the defign 
 is perfed:. 
 
 The
 
 ( 5 ) 
 
 The fecond thing to be confidered with 
 regard to a whole^ is difpofition. By this word 
 is meant the art of grouping figures, and 
 of combining the feveral parts of a pid:ure. 
 Deftgn confiders the feveral parts as producing 
 2i whole ; — but a whole, arifmg from the u?iity 
 of the fubjeSl, not the effeSt of the objeSl. For 
 the figures in a piece may be fo ordered, as 
 to tell a ftory in an afFeding manner, which 
 is as far as defign goes ; and yet may want 
 that agreeable combination, which is neceffary 
 to pleafe the eye. To produce fuch a com- 
 bination is the bufmefs of difpofition. In the 
 cartoon of St. Paul preaching at Athens, the 
 defign is perfed: ; and the charaders in par- 
 ticular, are fo ordered, as to tell the ftory 
 in a very afFeding manner : yet the feveral 
 parts of the pidure are far from being agree- 
 ably combined. If Rubens had had the df- 
 pofition of the materials of this pidure, its effed 
 as a whole had been very different. 
 
 Having thus diftinguifhed between defign 
 and dfpoftion, I fhall explain the latter a 
 little farther. 
 
 B3 It
 
 ( 6 ) 
 
 It IS an obvious principle, that one object 
 at a time is enough to engage either the 
 fenfes, or the intellect. Hence the neceffity 
 of unit)\ or a whole^ in painting. The eye, 
 on a complex view, muft be able to com- 
 prehend the picture as one objedfy or it cannot 
 be fiitisfied. It may be pleafed indeed by 
 feeding on the parts feparately : but a picture, 
 which can pleafe no othervvife, is as poor a 
 production as a machine, whofe fprings and 
 wheels are finifhed with nicety, but are un- 
 able to adt in concert, and efFed: the intended 
 movement. 
 
 Now difpojitlouy or the art of grouping and 
 combining the figures, and feveral parts of 
 a pidure, contributes greatly to make the- 
 pid^ure appear as one ohjcB. When the parts 
 are fcattered, they have no dependence on 
 each other ; they are ftill only parts : but 
 when, by an agreeable grouping, they are 
 mafied together, they become a ivhole. 
 
 In difpofmg figures, great artifice is neceflary 
 to make each group open itfelf in fuch a man- 
 ner, as to fet off advantageoufly the feveral 
 
 figures,
 
 ( 7 ) 
 
 figures, of which it is compofed. The a&ion 
 at leaft of each figure ihould appear. 
 
 No group can be agreeable without co?ttrafl. 
 By contrajl is meant the oppofition of one 
 part to another. A famenefs in attitude, 
 adion, or expreffion, among figures in the 
 fame group, will always difguft the eye. In 
 the cartoon of St. Paul preaching at Athens^ 
 the contrafl: among the figures is pleafing ; 
 and the want of it, hi the death o/" Ananias, 
 makes the group of the apoflles rather dil- 
 agreeable. 
 
 Nor indeed is contrajl required only among 
 the figures of the fame group, but alfo among 
 the groups them/elves^ and among all the parts ^ 
 of which the piece is compofed. In the beau^ 
 t'lfiil gate of the teinple^ the figures of the 
 principal group are well contrafted ; but the 
 adjoining group is difpofed almoft in the fame 
 manner ; which, together with the formal pil- 
 lars, introduce a difagreeable regularity into 
 the pidture. 
 
 The judicious painter, however, whether 
 he group, combine, or contraft, will always 
 avoid the appearance of artifice* The" feveral 
 
 B 4 parts
 
 { 8 ) 
 
 parts of his pidure will be fo fuited to each 
 other, that his art will feem the refult of 
 chance* In the facj-ifice at Lji/lra^ the head 
 of the ox is bowed down, with a defign, no 
 doubt, to group the figures around it more 
 harmonioufly : but their adion is fo well fuited 
 to the pofture of the ox, and the whole is 
 ilianaged with fo much judgment, that, although 
 the figures are difpofed with the utmoft art, 
 they appear with all the eafe of nature. The 
 remaining part of the group is an inftance 
 of the reverfe ; in which a number of 
 heads appear manifeftly ftuck in to fill up 
 Vacuities. 
 
 But farther, as a whole ^ oi* unky^ is ail 
 efTential of beauty, that difpofitio7i is certainly 
 the raoft perfed) which admits but of one 
 group. All fubjeds, however, will not allow 
 this clofe obfervance of unity. When this 
 is the cafe, the feveral groups muft again be 
 combined ; chiefly by a proper diftribution of 
 lightj fo as to conftitute a whole* 
 
 But as the whole will foon be loft, if the 
 conftituent parts become numerous^ it follows, 
 that matiy groups mull not be admitted. 
 
 Judicious
 
 ( 9 ) 
 
 Judicious painters have thought three the 
 utmoft number, that can be allowed. Some 
 fubjeds indeed, as battles and triumphs, ne- 
 ceflarily require a great number of figures^ 
 and of courfe various combinations of groups* 
 In the management of fuch fubjeds, the 
 greateft art is neceflary to preferve a whole, 
 Confufion in the figures muft be exprefled 
 without confufion in the picture. A writer 
 fhould treat his fubjed: clearly^ though he write 
 upon obfcurity. 
 
 With regard to d'lfpofition^ I fhall only add, 
 that the finpe or form of the group fhould 
 alfo be confidered. The triangular form 
 Michael Angelo thought the moft beau- 
 tiful. And indeed there is a lightnefs in it, 
 which no other form can receive. The group 
 of the apoftles, in the cartoon of giving the 
 keysy and the fame group, in the death of 
 Ananias, are both heavy ; and this heavinefs 
 arifes from nothing more than from the form of 
 a parallelogram, within the lines of which thefe 
 groups are contained. The triangular form too 
 is capable of the moft variety : for the vertical 
 angle of a group fo difpofed may either be acute, 
 or obtufc, in any degree. Or d^fegment only of 
 
 a tri-
 
 ( 10 ) 
 
 a triangle may be taken, which ftill increafes 
 the variety. 
 
 I know well, that many of thefe remarks 
 (on the cartoons efpecially) oppofe the opi- 
 nions of very great mailers. The fublimity 
 of the Roman fchool, they fay, totally dif- 
 regarded the mechanical conflru6lion of a 
 group. And without doubt, fimplicity, and 
 a famenefs of figure, are ingredients of the 
 fublime. But perhaps this theory, like other 
 theories, may be carried too far. I cannot 
 conceive, that the group of the apoftles in the 
 cartoon of Ananias, for inflance, would be lefs 
 fublime in the form of a triangle, than in that 
 of a parallelogram. The triangle is certainly 
 the more fimplc figure, as it confifts of three 
 fides only, while the parallelogram occupies four. 
 Befides, Raphael himfelf by no means adopted 
 the fquare form as a ruling principle, — — But I 
 fpeak with diffidence on this fubjedt ; nor in- 
 deed is this a place to difcufs it. 
 
 A third thing to be confidered in a pidurc, 
 with regard to a whole,, is keeping. This word 
 implies the different degrees of ftrength and 
 
 faintnefs,
 
 ( J« ) 
 
 faintnefs, which objeds receive from nearnefs, 
 and diftance. A nice obfervance of the gra- 
 dual fading of light and fhade contributes 
 greatly towards the produdion of a whole* 
 Without it, the diftant parts, inftead of being 
 connected with the objeds at hand, appear 
 like foreign objects, without meaning. Di- 
 minifhed m Jize only, they unite Lilliput and 
 Brobdignag in one fcene. Keeping is generally 
 found in great perfedion in Della Bella's 
 prints : and the want of it, as confpicuoufly in 
 Tempesta's. 
 
 Nearly allied to keeping is the doctrine of 
 harmony^ which equally contributes towards 
 the production of a whole. In painting, it 
 ,has great force. A judicious arrangement of 
 according tints will ftrike even the unprac- 
 tifed eye. The effeSi of every pidure, in a 
 great meafure, depends on one principal and 
 mafter-tint ; which, like the key-tone in 
 mufic, prevails over the whole piece. Of 
 this ruling tint, whatever it is, every objed 
 in the pidlure fhould in a degree participate. 
 This theory is founded on principles of truth ; 
 and produces a fine effed from the harmony^ 
 
 in
 
 ( 12 ) 
 
 In which it unites every objed. Harmony 
 is oppofed to glaring and gaudy colouring. 
 Yet the fkilful painter fears not, when his 
 fubje(3: allows it, to employ the greateft va- 
 riety of rich tints ; and though he may depre- 
 ciate their value in fhadow, he will not fcruple 
 in his lights, to give each its utmoft glow. 
 His art lies deeper. He takes the glare from 
 one vivid tint by introducing another ; and 
 from a nice afTemblage of the brighteft colours, 
 each of which alone would ftare, he creates a 
 glow in the higheft degree harmonious. But 
 thefe great effedls are only to be produced by 
 the magic of colours. The harmony of a print 
 is a more fimple produdion : and yet unlefs 
 a print poiTefs the fame tone of Jloadow^ if I 
 may fo exprefs myfelf, there will always ap- 
 pear great harfhnefs in it. We often meet 
 with hard touches in a print ; which, {land- 
 ing alone, are unharmonious : but if every 
 contiguous part fhould be touched-up to that 
 tone^ the effed would be harmony. — Keeping 
 then proportions a proper degree of ftrength 
 to the near and diftant parts, in refpedl to 
 each other. Harmony goes a flep farther, and 
 keeps each part quiet, with refpe6t to the 
 whole, I fhall only add, that in fketches, 
 
 and
 
 ( '3 ) 
 
 and rough etchings, no harmony is exDe^led : it 
 is enough, if keeping be obferved. Harmony is 
 looked for only in finifhed prints. If you 
 would fee the want of it in the flrongeft light, 
 examine a worn-print, harfhly touched by 
 fome bungler. 
 
 The lafl: thing, which contributes to pro- 
 duce a ijohole^ is a proper dijlribiition of light. 
 This, in a print efpecially, is mod effential. 
 Harmony in colouring may, in fome meafure, 
 fupply its place in painting : but a print has 
 no fuccedaneum. Were the dcfign^ difpofition^ 
 and keephig ever fo perfed:, beautiful, and 
 juft ; without this eifential, inftead of a whole, 
 we fhould have only a piece of patch- work. 
 Nay, fuch is the power of lights that by an 
 artificial management of it we may even har- 
 monize a bad difpofition. 
 
 The general rule which regards the dlf- 
 tribution of lights is, that it fhould be fpread 
 in large majfes. This gives the idea of a 
 whole. Every grand objecSt catches the light 
 only on one large furface. Where the light 
 is fpotted, we have the idea of feveral ob- 
 jects ; or at leaft of an incoherent one, if 
 
 the
 
 ( »4 ) 
 
 the obi'edl be (ingle ; which the eye furveys 
 with difficulty. It is thus in painting. When 
 we fee, on a comprehenfive view, large majfes 
 of light and Ihade, we have, of courfe, the 
 idea of a whole — of u?iity in that pidure. But 
 where the light is fcattered, we have the idea 
 of feveral objedls ; or at leaft of one broken 
 and confufed. Titian's known illuftration 
 of this point by a bunch of grapes is beautiful, 
 and explanatory. When the light falls upon 
 the ivhok bunch together (one fide being il- 
 lumined, and the other dark) we have the 
 reprefentation of thofe large mafles, which 
 confiitute a 'whole. But when the grapes are 
 dripped from the bunch, and fcattered upon 
 a table (the light fhining upon each feparately) 
 a whole is no longer preferved. 
 
 Having thus confidered thofe elTentials of 
 a print, which produce a whole^ it remains 
 to confider thofe, which relate to the parts 
 ' — drawings exprejfion^ grace^ and perfpeBive, 
 With regard to thefe, let it be firft obferved, 
 that in order, they are inferior to the other. 
 The produdlion of a whole is the great efFe6:, 
 that fhould be aimed at in a pid^re. A 
 
 pi<Sure
 
 ( '5 ) 
 
 pidure without a ivhole is properly only a 
 ftudy : and thofe things, which produce a 
 whole^ are of courfe the principal foundation 
 of beauty. So thought a great mafter of 
 compofition. With hitn no man was entitled 
 to the name of artift, who could not produce 
 a whole. However exquifitely he might finifh, 
 he would ftill be defedive. 
 
 Infelix operis fumma, quia ponere totum 
 Nefciet. — — 
 
 By draining we mean the exa^tnefs of the 
 out-llne. Without a competent knowledge 
 of this there can be no juft reprefentatioa 
 of nature. Every thing will be diftorted and 
 offenfive to the eye. Bad drawing therefore 
 is that difguftlng objedt which no pradifed 
 eye can bear. 
 
 Drawing, however, may be very tolerable, 
 though it fall fliort, in a certain degree^ of abfo- 
 lute perfedion. The defed will only be obferved 
 by the moft critical, and anatomical eye : and 
 we may venture to fay, that drawing is ranked 
 too high, when the niceties of it are confidered 
 4 in
 
 ( i6 ) 
 
 m preference to thofe effentials, which con- 
 ftitute a 'whole. 
 
 Exprejfion is the life and foul of painting. 
 It implies a juil reprefentation of pajfion^ and 
 of chara&er : of pajfion^ by exhibiting every 
 emotion of the mind, as outwardljj difco- 
 vered by any peculiarity of gefture ; or the 
 extenfion, and contraction of the features ; 
 of chara6ier^ by reprefenting the different 
 manners of men, as arifmg from their par- 
 ticular tempers, or profefTions. The cartoons 
 are full of examples of the firft kind of ex- 
 prejfion ; and with regard to the fecond, com- 
 monly called manners-paintings it would be 
 invidious not to mention our countryman 
 Hogarth ; whofe works contain a variety 
 of charaders, repreftnted with more force, than 
 mofl men can conceive them. 
 
 Grace confifls in fuch a difpofition of the 
 parts of a figure, as forms it into an agreeable 
 attitude. It depends on contrajl and eafe. Con^ 
 trajl, when applied to a fmgle figure, means 
 the fame, as when applied to a group ; the 
 
 oppofition
 
 ( 17 ) 
 
 oppofition of one part to another. It may be 
 confidered with reference to the body^ the 
 Vimhs^ and the head\ the graceful attitude 
 arifing fometimes from a contrafl: in one, 
 fometimes in another, and fometimes in all. 
 With reference to the body^ contrafl: confifts 
 in giving it an eafy turn, oppofmg concave 
 parts to convex. Of this St. Paul in the 
 facrifice at Lyjlra is an inftance. With re- 
 ference to the limbs^ it confifl:s in the oppo- 
 fition between extention and contradion, 
 Michael Angelo's illufl;ration by a tri- 
 angle, or pyramid, may here likewife again 
 be introduced ; this form giving grace and 
 beauty to 2i finglc figure^ as well as to a group. 
 Only here a greater liberty may be allowed. 
 In groiiphig^ the triangle fhould, I think, 
 always reft upon its bafe ; but in a fingle 
 figure, it may be inverted, and fl:and upon 
 its apex. Thus if the lower parts of the 
 figure be extended, the upper parts (hould be 
 contraded ; but the fame beautiful form is 
 given by extending the arms, and drawing 
 the feet to a point. --Laftly, contraft often 
 arifes from the air of the he .d ; which is 
 given by a turn of tlie neck from the line 
 of the body. The cartoons abound with ex- 
 
 G amples
 
 ( iS ) 
 
 amples of this fpecies of grace. It 13 very 
 remarkable in the figure of St John healing 
 the cripple: and the fame cartoon affords 
 eight or nine more inftances. I fay the lefs 
 on this fubjedl, as it hath been fo well ex- 
 p ined by the ingenious author of the Analyfis 
 (f Jjc^ uty. 
 
 Thus contrqft is the foundation of grace; 
 hut it muft ever be remembered, that contrqft 
 fhould be accompanied with eafe» The body 
 fhould be turned not tw'ijled ; every conjlrahied 
 jollure avoided ; and every motion luch, as 
 nature which loves eafe, would didate. 
 
 What hath been faid on this head relates 
 eq ally to oil figures ; thofe drawn from low^ 
 as well as thole from h'lgh life. And here 
 we m^y diftiuLuifh between pi&urcfque grace, 
 a' d that grace which arifes from dignity of 
 cbaraSfer. Ot the former kind, which is the 
 kind here treated of, all figures fhould par- 
 take : you find it in Berghem's clowns, and 
 in Callot's beggars: but it belongs to ex^ 
 preffi'jH to mark thofe charadcriftics, which 
 diltniguifh the Icitter. 
 
 Iftiall
 
 ( '9 ) 
 
 1 {hall only obferve farther, that when the 
 jpiece confifts of many figures, the contraft of 
 each Jingle figure Ihould be iubordinate to the 
 contraft of the whole. It will be improper 
 therefore, in many cafes, to pradlfe the rules, 
 which have been juft laid down. They ought, 
 however, to be a general diredion to the 
 painter ; and at lead to be obferved in the 
 principal figures. 
 
 PerfpeEfivk is that proportion, with regard 
 to fi%e^ which near and diftant objects, with 
 their parts, bear to each other. It Is an at- 
 tendant on keeping : one gives the out-line ; 
 and the other fills it up. Without a compe- 
 tent knowledge oi perfpetTive very abfurd things 
 would be introduced : and yet to make a vain 
 
 jQiew of it, is pedantic. Under this head 
 
 may be mentioned fore-jljortening. But unlefs 
 this be done with the utmoft art, it were 
 better omitted: it will otherwiie occafion great 
 awkv/ardnefs. Rubens is famous iox forC" 
 ftdortening ; but the effedl is chiefly feen in his 
 paintings ; feldom in his prints. 
 
 G 2 To
 
 { 20 ) 
 
 To this fummary of the rules, which relate 
 to the whole of the pldure, and to its parts^ I 
 fhalljuftadd a few obfervations on execution; 
 which relates equally to both. 
 
 By exectitmt is meant that manner of work- 
 ing, by which each artift produces his effcifl:. 
 Artifts may differ in their execution or manner^ 
 and yet all excel. Callot, for inftance, 
 ufes a (liong, firm flroke ; Salvator, a 
 flight, and loofe one ; while Rembrandt 
 executes in a manner different from both, by 
 fcratches feemingly at random. 
 
 Every artift is in fome degree a mannerijl : 
 that is, he executes in a rnatmer peculiar to 
 himfelf. But the word mannerifl has generally 
 a clofer fenfe. Nature fliould be the ftan- 
 dard of imitation : and every object fliould 
 be executed, as nearly as poflible, in her man- 
 ner. Thus Warterlo's trees are all ftrongly 
 iraprefled with the character of nature. Other 
 matters again, deviating from this ftandard, 
 execute in fome manner of their own. They 
 have a particular touch for a figure, or a 
 
 tree :
 
 ( 21 ) 
 
 tree: and this they apply on all occafions. 
 Inftead therefore of reprefenting that endlefs 
 variety which nature exhibits on every fub- 
 jedt, a famenefs runs through all their per- 
 formances. Every figure, and every tree bears 
 the fame (lamp. Such artifts are properly called 
 matijierijls. Tempest, Callot, and Testa 
 are all manner'ifts of this kind. 
 
 By the fpirit and freedom of execution^ we 
 mean fomething, which is difficult to ex- 
 plain. A certain heavinefs always follows, 
 when the artift is not fure of his ftroke, and 
 cannot execute his idea with precifion. The 
 reverfe is the cafe, when he is certain of it, 
 and gives it boldly. I know not how to ex- 
 plain better what is meant by fpirit. Mere 
 freedom a quick execution will give ; but unlefs 
 that freedom be attended with precifion, the 
 ftroke, however free, will be fo unmeaning as 
 to lofe its t^tOi. 
 
 To thefe obfervations, it may not be im- 
 proper to add a rhort comparative view of the 
 peculiar excellences of pidures, and prints ; 
 which will fhew us, in what points the pidure 
 has the advantage. 
 
 C3 Ir
 
 ( a: ) 
 
 In dejtgn snJ cowpcfition the efTcifl of each 
 is ec ual. The print exhibits them with as 
 much fcrce and meaning, as the pidure. 
 
 In heep'mg the pi€lure has the advantage. The 
 ha%inefs of didance cannot \A'ell be expreffed 
 by any thing but the hue cf nature^ which 
 the pencil is very able to give. The print 
 endeavours to preferve this hazinefs ; and to 
 give the idea : but does it imperfectly. It 
 does little more than aid the memory. Wc 
 know the appearance exifts in nature : 
 and the pi lit furnifhes a hint to recollect 
 it. 
 
 In the iiljlrihuiion of light the comparifon 
 runs very \Nide. Here the painter avails 
 hlmfelf of a thouland varied tin's, which 
 affift him in this bufinefs ; and by which he 
 can harmonize his gradations from light to 
 fhade with an alinoft infinite variety. Har- 
 nioniovis colcuring has in itfelf the efFedt of 
 a proper diflribuiion of light. The engraver, 
 in the mean time, is left to wo rk out his 
 cfieft with two materials only, plain whitQ 
 
 andl 
 
 UL
 
 ( i,3 ) 
 
 '.a-nd :'black — In the print, however, you can 
 more eafily trace the principles of Hght and 
 fliade. The penil is the implement of de- 
 ception ; and it requires the eye of a mafter 
 to dirtinguiQi between the efFedt of light, and 
 •the effed: of colour : but in the print, even 
 the unpraifjifed eye can readily catch the 
 mafs ; and follow the dilkibution of it through 
 all its variety of middle tints. — One thing 
 rnore may be r.dded : If the piclure has no 
 harmony in its colouring, the tints being all 
 at difcord among themj'elves, which Is often 
 ^he cafe in the works even of reputable 
 painters, a good print, from fuch a pidlure, 
 is more beautiful than the pltlure irlclt. It 
 preferves what is valuable (upon a iuppofit^on 
 ther& is- any thing vaTuabie in it), and removes 
 what is offenfive. 
 
 Thus the comparifon runs with regard to 
 thofe eflentials, which relate to a ivhole: with 
 regard to drawings exprejfwn^ grace^ and per- 
 fpe^ivc\ we can purfue it only in the two 
 former: in the latter, the pidure and print 
 have equal advantages. — With regard to per- 
 JpeSl'ivc indeed, the lines of the print verging 
 
 C 4 more
 
 ( 24 ) 
 
 more confpicuoufly to one point, mark the 
 principles of it more ftrongly. 
 
 Drawings in a pi&iire^ is efTeded by the 
 contiguity of two different colours : in a print 
 by a pofitive line. In the pidlure^ therefore, 
 draissing^ has more of nature in it, and more 
 of effedl : hut the ftudent in anatomy finds 
 more precifi'on in the print ; and can more 
 eafilv trace the line, and follow it in all its wind- 
 ings through light and (hade. — In mezzotint© 
 the comparifon fails ; in which, drawing is 
 effedted nearly as it is in painting. 
 
 Wi h recrard to exprejfwn^ the painter glories 
 in his many advantages. The paffions receive 
 their force almofi: as much from colour^ as from 
 the emotion of feature. Nay lines, without 
 colour, have frequently an effed: very oppofite 
 to what is intended. Violent expreffions, 
 when lineal only, are often grotefque. The 
 complexion fhould fupport the diftortioil. 
 The blo.ited eyes of immoderate grief dege- 
 nerate into courfe features, unlefs the pencil 
 add thofe high-blown touches, which mark 
 
 the
 
 ( 25 ) 
 
 the paffion. Afk the engraver, why he could 
 not give the dying faint of Dominic hi no 
 his true expreflion * ? Why he gave him that 
 ghaftly horror, inftead of the ferene languor 
 of the original? The engraver may with juf* 
 tice fay, he went as far as lines could go; 
 but he wanted Dominichino's pencil to give 
 thofe pallid touches, which alone could make 
 his lines expreffive. — Age alfo, and fex, the 
 bloom of youth, and the wan cheek of fick- 
 nefs, are equally indebted for their moft cha- 
 raderiftlc marks, to the pencil.' — In portrait^ 
 the different hues of hair, and complexion ; — 
 in animal-life the various dies of furs, and plu- 
 mage ; — in land/cape^ the peculiar tints of fea- 
 fons ; of morning, and evening ; the light 
 azure of a fummer-fky ; the fultry glow of 
 noon; the bluifh, or purple tinge, which the 
 mountain affiimes, as it recedes, or ap- 
 proaches ; the grey mofs upon the ruin ; the 
 variegated greens, and mellow browns of 
 foliage, and broken ground : in fhort, the 
 colours of every part of nature, have a won- 
 derful force in ftrengthening the expreffion 
 
 • Jac Freu's copy of Dc^mimichino's St. Jerome. 
 
 of
 
 ( i6 ) 
 
 of objeOs.T-^In the room of all this, the defi* 
 cient print has only to offer mere form, and 
 the gradations of fimple lij^ht. Hence the 
 fweet touches of the pencil of • CJ/AUDE, mark 
 Jiis pidlures with the ftrongeft expreflions of 
 nature, and render them invaluable ; while his 
 prints are generally the dirty fhapes of fome-p 
 thing, which he could not exprefs. 
 
 The idea alfo of d'ljlant magnitude^ the print 
 gives very imperfedlly. It is exprefled chiefly 
 by colour. Air, which is naturally blue, is 
 the medium through which we fee ; and every 
 object participates of this bluenefs. When 
 the dlftance is faiall, the tinge is impercep-« 
 tible '. as it increafes, the tinge grows ftronger ; 
 and when the object is very remote, it intirely 
 lofes its natural colour, and becomes blue. 
 And indeed this is fo familiar a criterion of 
 diftance, at leaft with thofe who live ir^ moun- 
 tai:ious countries, that if the obje<fl be vifible 
 at ali, after it has received the full cther-tingey 
 if I may fo fpeak, the fight immediately 
 judges it to be very large. The eye ranging 
 over the plains of Egypt, and catching the 
 blue point of a pyramid, from the colour 
 
 concludes
 
 { 27 ) 
 
 concludes the diftance ; and is flruck with 
 the magnitude of an objed, which, through fuch 
 a fpace, can exhibit form.-r-Herc the print fails : 
 this criterion of diftant magnitude, it is un- 
 able to give. 
 
 I cannot forbear inferting here a ftiort crlti- 
 clfm on a paiTage in Virgij.. The poet de-r 
 fcribing a tpwer retiring from a vellel in full 
 fail, fays, 
 
 Protiuus aerias Ph^.icum abfconJImus arces. 
 
 RuJEUS, and other commentators, explain 
 eereas by altas^ or fome equivalent word ; 
 which is magnifying an idea which in nature 
 fliould be diminifhed. The idea of magnitude 
 is certainly not the ftrlking idea that arifes 
 from a retiring objed : I {hould rather ima- 
 gine that Virgil, who was of all poets 
 perhaps the moft pidurefque, meant to give 
 us an idea of colour, rather than of fhape ; the 
 tower, from its diftance, having novy afllungd 
 the aerial tinge. 
 
 The print equally fails, when the medium 
 itfelf receives a foreign tinge from a ftrength 
 
 of
 
 ( 28 ) 
 
 of colour behind it. The idea of horror, 
 impreiTed by an expanfe of air glowing, in 
 the night, with diftant fire, cannot be raifed 
 by black and white. Vandervelde has often 
 given us a good idea of the dreadful glare of 
 a fleet in flames : but it were ridiculous for an 
 engraver to attempt fuch a fubjedt ; becaufe 
 he cannot exprefs that idea, which principally 
 illuflrates his ftory. 
 
 Tranfparency^ again, the print is unable to 
 exprefs. Tranfparency is the united tinge of 
 two colours, one behind the other; each of 
 which, in part, difcovers itfelf fingly. If you 
 employ one colour only, you have the idea 
 of opaquenefs. A fine carnation is a white 
 tranfparent fkin, fpread over a mulitude of 
 fmall blood vefTels, which blufh through it. 
 When the breath departs, thefe little fountains 
 of life ceafe to flow : the bloom fades ; and 
 livid palenefs, the colour of death, fucceeds. 
 —The happy pencil marks both thefe efl^eds. 
 It fpreads the glow of health over the cheek 
 of beauty ; and with equal facility it exprefl^es 
 the cold, wan, tint of human clay. The 
 print can exprefs neither j reprefenting, ia 
 12 the
 
 ( 29 ) 
 
 the feme dry manner, the bright tranfparency 
 of the one, and the inert opaquenefs of the 
 other. 
 
 Laftly, the print fails in the exprefTion of 
 poliJlDed bodies; which are indebted for their 
 chief luftre to rtfleEled colours. The print in- 
 deed goes farther here, than in the cafe of 
 tranfparency. In this it can do very little ; 
 m pol'i/hed bodies y it can at leaft give rejiedled 
 Jhapes. It can fhev;r the forms of hanging 
 woods upon the edges of the lake ; though un- 
 able to give the kindred tinge. But in many 
 cafes the poli/bed body receives the tinge, without 
 the Jhape. Here the engraver is wholly de- 
 ficient : he knows not how to ftain the gleam- 
 ing filver with the purple liquor it contains ; 
 nor is he able to give the hero's armour its 
 higheft poliih from the tinge of the crimfon veil, 
 which covers it. 
 
 A fingle word upon the fubject of execution^ 
 fhall conclude thefe remarks. Here the ad- 
 vantage lies wholly on the fide of paintuig. 
 T^hat manner which can bcfl give the idea of 
 
 ;he
 
 ' ( 30 ) 
 
 the furface of an objed:, Is the beft ; and the 
 lines of the fineft engraving are harjfh in coin- 
 parifon of the fmooth flow of the pencil* 
 Me'z%otinto^ though deficient in fome refpe^ts, 
 is certainly in tliis the happieft mode of exe- 
 cution ; and the ancient 'wooden prints in which 
 the middle tint is ufed, has a foftnefs, when 
 well executed, which neither etching, noi 
 engraving can give.
 
 ( 3^ ) 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 Ohfervations on the different Kinds of Prints* 
 
 'T^HHRE are three kinds of Prints, engra- 
 v'lngs^ etchings^ and me%%otintos. The 
 charadteriftic of the firit is Jircngth ; of the 
 fecond, freedom; and of the third, faftnefs. 
 All thefe, however, mav in fome degree be found 
 in £ach. 
 
 From the fiiape of the engraver's tool, each 
 ftroke is an angular incifion ; which muft of 
 courfe give the line ftrength, and firmnefs ; if 
 it be not very tender. From fuch a line alfo, as 
 it is a deliberate one, corredtnefs may be expecSted ; 
 but no great freedom : for it is a laboured line, 
 ploughed through the metal ; and muft neceila- 
 rily, in a degree, want eafe. 
 
 XJnWmiit^ freedom, on the other hand, 's r^e 
 charadteriftic of etching. The needle, gliding 
 ■ ' along
 
 ( 32 ) 
 
 along the furface of the copper, meets no re-» 
 fiftance ; and cafily takes any turn the hand 
 pleafes to give it. Etching indeed is mere 
 drawing: and may be pradtifed with the fame 
 facility. — But as aqua-fort'ts bites in an equable 
 manner, it cannot give the lines that ftrength, 
 which they receive from a pointed graver 
 cutting into the copper. Befides, it is difficult 
 to prevent its biting the plate all over alike. 
 The d'ljlant parts indeed may eafily be covered 
 with wax, or varnifh, and the general effeEl 
 of the keeping preferved ; but to give each 
 fmaller part its proper relief, and to harmonize 
 the whole^ requires fo many different degrees 
 of ftrength, fuch ealy tranfitions from one 
 into another, that aqua-fortis alone is not equal 
 to it. Here, therefore, engraving hath the ad- 
 vantage; which by a ftroke, deep or tender, 
 at the artift*5 pleafure, can vary ftrength and 
 faintnefs in any degree. 
 
 As engraving, therefore, and etching have 
 their refpedlive advantages, and deficiencies, 
 artifts have endeavoured to unite their powers ; 
 and to corred: the faults of each, bv joining 
 the freedom of the one, with the Jlrength of 
 
 the
 
 ( 33 ) 
 
 the other. In moft of our modern prints, the 
 plate is firft etched, and afterwards llrength- 
 ened, and finifhed by the graver. And when 
 this is ivell done, it has a happy effe6l. The 
 flatnefs, which is the confequence of an equable 
 ftrength of fhade, is taken off; and the print 
 gains a new effect, by the relief given to 
 thofe parts which hafig (in the painter's lan- 
 guage) on the parts behind them. — But great 
 art is neceflary in this bufinefs. We fee many 
 a print, which wanted only a few touches, 
 receive afterwards fo many^ as to become la- 
 boured, heavy, and difgufting. 
 
 In etchings we have the greateil variety of 
 excellent prints. The cafe is, it is fo much 
 the fame as drawings that we have the very 
 works themfelves of the moft celebrated 
 mafters : many of whom have left behind 
 them prints in this way; which, however 
 flight and incorredl, will always have fomethin 
 maflcrly^ and of courfe beautiful in them. 
 
 t> 
 
 In the mufcling of human figures, of any 
 confiderable fize, engraving hath undoubtedly 
 
 D the
 
 { 34 ) 
 
 the advantage o^ etching. The foft and delicate 
 tranfitions, from light to fhade, which are there 
 required, cannot be fo well exprefled by the 
 needle : and, in general, large prints require a 
 ftrength which etching cannot give ; and are 
 therefore fit fubjeds for engravings 
 
 Etchings on the other hand, is more par- 
 ticularly adapted to (ketches, and flight defigns : 
 which, if executed by an engraver, would 
 entirely lofe their freedom ; and with it their 
 beauty. Landfcape too, in general, is the ob"- 
 je(3: of etching. The foliage of trees, ruins, 
 Iky, and indeed every part of landfcape, re- 
 quires the utmoft freedom. In finifhing an 
 etched landfcape with the tool (as it is called), 
 too much care cannot be taken to prevent 
 heavinefs. We remarked before the nicety of 
 touching upon an etched plate ; but in land- 
 fcape the bufmefs is peculiarly delicate. The 
 foregrounds, and the boles of fuch trees as are 
 placed upon them, may require a few llrong 
 touches ; and here and there a few harmo- 
 nizing ftrokes will add to the effeift : but if 
 the engraver venture much farther, he has good 
 luck if he do no mifchief. 
 
 Aa
 
 ( iS ) 
 
 An engraved plate, unlefs it be cut very 
 flightly, will call ofF feven or eight hundred 
 good imprefTions : and yet this depends, in 
 fome degree, on the hardnefs of the copper. 
 An etched plate will not give above two hun- 
 dred ; -unlefs it be eaten very deep, and then 
 it may perhaps give three hundred. After 
 that, the plate muft be retouched, or the in\- 
 prcflions will be faint. 
 
 Before I conclude the fubjedl of etching, I 
 fhould mention an excellent mode of practifmg 
 it on a foft ground ; which has been lately 
 brought into ufe, and approaches ftill nearer to 
 drawing, than the common mode. On a thin 
 paper, fomewhat larger than the plate, you 
 trace a corred: outline of the drawing you intend 
 to etch. You then fold the paper, thus traced, 
 over the plate ; and laying the original drawing 
 before you, finiih the outline on the traced 
 one with a black lead pencil. Every ftroke 
 of the pencil, which you make on one fide, 
 licks up the foft ground on the other. So that 
 when you have finifhed your drawing with 
 
 D 2 black-
 
 ( 36 ) 
 
 black-lead, and take the paper ofF the plate, 
 you will find a complete, and very beautiful 
 drawing on the reverfe of the paper ; and the 
 etching likewife as complete on the copper. 
 You then proceed to bite it with aqua-fortis, 
 in the common mode of etching : only as your 
 ground is fofter, the aqua-fortis muft be 
 weaker. 
 
 Befides thefe feveral methods of engraving 
 on copper^ we have prints engraven on pewter, 
 and on wood. The pewter plate gives a 
 coarfenefs and dirtinefs to the print, which 
 is often difagreeable. But engraving upon 
 wood is capable of great beauty. Of this 
 fpccies of engraving more fhall elfewhere be 
 faid, 
 
 Mezzotinto is very different from either 
 engraving or etching. In thefe you cut out the 
 Jhades on a fmooth plate. In 77iez%otmto^ the 
 plate is covered with a rough ground ; and you 
 fcrape the lights. The plate would otherwife 
 give an impreffion entirely black. 
 
 Since the time of its invention by Prince 
 Rupert, as is commonly fuppofed, the art 
 
 of
 
 ( 37 ) 
 
 of fcraping me%%otintos Is greatly more improved 
 than either of its fifter arts. Some of the 
 earHeft etchings are perhaps the beft ; and 
 engravings fmce the times of Goltzius and 
 MuLLER, hath not perhaps made any great 
 advances. But me'z%otintOs compared with 
 its original ftate, is, at this day, almofl: a new 
 art. If v/e examine fome of the modern pieces 
 of workman(hip in this way by our beft 
 mezzotinto-fcrapers, they as much exceed the 
 works of White and Smith, as thofe mafters 
 did Becket and Simons. It muft be owned, 
 at the fame time, they have better originals 
 to copy. Kneller's portraits are very paltry, 
 compared with thofe of our modern artifts ; 
 and are fcarce fufceptible of any efFedls of 
 iight and fhade. As to Prince Rupert's 
 works, I never faw any, which were certainly 
 known to be his : but thofe I have feen for his, 
 were executed in the fame black, harih, dif- 
 agreeable manner, which appears fo ftrong in 
 the mafters who fucceeded him. The invention 
 however was noble ; and the early mafters 
 ^ have the credit of it : but the truth is, the 
 ingenious mechanic hath been called in to the 
 painter's aid ; and hath invented a manner of 
 
 D 3 l^yij^^ 
 
 I 80287
 
 ( 38 ) 
 
 laying groimd^ wholly unknown to the earlier 
 mafters : and they who are acquainted with 
 me'z%oti}ito^ know the ground to be a very capi- 
 tal confideration. 
 
 The charaderiftic of me%%otintQ is foftnefs ; 
 which adapts it chiefly to portrait, or hiftory, 
 with a few figures, and thefe not too fi-nall. 
 Nothing, except paint, can exprefs flefh more 
 naturally, or the flowing of hair, or the folds 
 of drapery, or the catching lights of armour. 
 In engraving and etching we niuft get over the 
 prejudices of crofs lines, which exifl on no 
 natural bodies : but me^'zotinto gives us the 
 flrongefh reprefentation of the real furface. If 
 however, the figures are too crowded, it wants 
 ftrength to detach the feveral parts with a pro- 
 per relief: and if they are very fmall, it wants 
 precifion, which can only be given by an out- 
 line ; or, as in painting, by a different tint. In 
 miniature-works alfo, the unevenneis of the 
 ground will occafion bad drawing, and awk- 
 wardnefs — in the extremities efpecially. Some 
 inferior artifls have endeavoured to remedy this, 
 by terminating their figures with an engraved, 
 or etched line : but they have tried the ex- 
 periment with bad fuccefs. The ftrength 
 of the line, and the foftnefs of the ground, 
 
 accord
 
 ( 39 ) 
 
 accord 111 together. I fpeak not here of that 
 judicious mixture of etching and me%,^othito<^ 
 which was formerly ufed by White; and 
 which our befl mezzotinto-fcrapers at prefent 
 ufe, to give a ftrength to particular parts ; I 
 fpeak only of a harfh, and injudicious lineal 
 termination. 
 
 Me'Z'zotlnto excels each of the other fpecies of 
 prints, in its capacity of receiving the moft 
 beautiful cfifeifts of light and fhade : as it can 
 the moft happily unite them, by blending them 
 infenfibly together. — Of this Rembrandt 
 feems to have been aware. He had probably 
 feen fome of the firft mezzotintos ; and ad- 
 miring the effedl, endeavoured to produce it in 
 etching, by a variety of interfering fcratches. 
 
 You cannot well caft off more than an 
 hundred good imprefTions from a mezzotinto 
 plate. The rubbing of the hand foon wears 
 it fmooth : And yet by conftantly repairing it, 
 it may be made to give four or five hundred, 
 with tolerable ftrength. The firft impreflions 
 are not always the heft. They are too black 
 and harih. You will commonly have the beft 
 impreffions from the fortieth to the fixtieth : 
 the harfh edges will be foftened down ; and yet 
 there will be fpirk and ftrength enough left. 
 
 D 4 I Ihould
 
 ( 4= ) 
 
 I fhould not conclude thefe obfervatlons 
 ■without mentioning the manner of working 
 with the dry needle^ as it is called ; a manner 
 between etching and engraving. It is per- 
 formed by cutting tiie copper with a fteel. 
 point, held like a pencil ; and differs from 
 etching only in the force wath which you 
 work. This method is ufed by all engravers 
 in their fisiies, and other tender parts ; and 
 fome of them carry it into ftill more general 
 ufe. 
 
 Since the laft edition of this w^ork was 
 publifhed, a new mode of etching hath come 
 much into ufe, called aquatinta. It is fo far 
 fimilar to the common mode of etching, that 
 the fhadows are bitten into copper by aqua- 
 fortis, from which the lights are defended by 
 a prepared, gramdated ground. Through the 
 minute interlaces of this ground the aqua- 
 fortis is admitted, and forms a kind of wafh. 
 In the compofition of this granulatiou^ the 
 great fecret of the art, I underftand, con- 
 f]fls ; and different artifts have their different 
 modes of preparing their ground. Some alfo 
 ffrengthen the aquatiota wafh by the ufe of 
 
 the
 
 ( 41 ) 
 
 the needle, as in common etching ; whkh, 
 in landfcape erpeciaily, has a good effect. 
 The fecret of the art however, does not en- 
 th'ely confift in preparing, and laying on the 
 ground. Much experience is ncceflary in the 
 management of it. 
 
 The great advantage of this mode of etching 
 is, that it comes nearer the idea of drawing, 
 than any other fpecies of w^orking on copper: 
 the fhades are thrown in by a wafh, as if with 
 a hrulh. It is alfo, when perfed:ly underftood, 
 well calculated for difpatch. In general in- 
 deed, it feems better adapted to a rough 
 fl^etch, than a finiil:ied work; yet in fkilful 
 hands, when affifted by the needle, or the en- 
 graver's tool, it may be carried to a great height 
 of elegant finilhing. 
 
 On the other hand, the great dlfadvantage 
 of this mode of etching arifes from the dif- 
 ficulty of making the fliades graduate foftly 
 into the lights. When the artitl has made 
 too harlh an edge, and wiflies to burnifh it 
 off, there is often a middle tint below it: in 
 burniihing off the one, he dillurbs the other ; 
 and inftead of leaving a foft graduating edge, 
 he introduces, in its room, an edging of light. 
 
 The
 
 ( 42 ) 
 
 The aquatinta mode of etching was firft in- 
 troduced into England, though but little known, 
 about thirty, or forty years ago, by a French- 
 man of the name of La Prince: but whether 
 lie was the inventor of It, I never heard. It 
 lias fmce been improved by feveral artifts. Mr. 
 Sandby has ufed it very happily in feveral of 
 his prints. Mr. Jukes alfo, and Mr. Malton 
 have done fome good things in this way : but, 
 as far as I can judge, Mr. Alken has carried it 
 to the higheft degree of perfection ; and has 
 Ibme fecret in preparing, and managing hi:^ 
 ground, which gives his prints a fuperior efie6to 
 
 C H A P.
 
 ( 43 ) 
 
 CHAP. in. 
 
 Characiers of the moft noted Makers, 
 
 Masters in History. 
 
 ALBERT DuRER, tbough not the Inventor, 
 was one of the fiift improvers of the 
 art of engraving. He v/as a German painter, 
 and at the fame time a man of letters, and 
 a philofopher. It may be added in his praife, 
 that he was the intimate friend of Erafmus ; 
 who revifed, it is fuppofed, fome of the pieces 
 which he pubHflied. He was a man of bu- 
 fuiefs alfo J and was, during many years, 
 the leading- macriibate of NnremburQ-. — His 
 prints, confidered as the hrfi efforts of a new 
 art, have great merit. Nay, we may add, 
 that it is aftonilhing to fee a new art, in its 
 earlieft effays, carried to fuch a length. In 
 fome of thofe prints, which he executed on 
 copper, the engraving Is elegant to a great 
 degree. His Hdl-fccnc particularly, which 
 was engraved in the year 15 13, is as highly 
 
 finilhed
 
 ( 44 ) 
 
 flniflicd a print as ever was engraved, and as 
 happily finillied. The labour he has beftowed 
 upon it, has its full efFed:. In his wooden 
 prints too we are lurprifed to fee fo much 
 meaning, in fo early a mafter j the heads fo 
 well marked ; and every part fo well executed. 
 — This artift feems to have underftood the 
 principles of defign. His compofition too is 
 often pleafing ; and his drawing generally 
 good : but l\e knovs^s very little of the manage- 
 ment of light ; and ftill lefs of grace : and 
 yet his ideas are purer, and more elegant, 
 than we could have fuppofed from the awkward 
 archetypes, v^^hich his country and education 
 afibrded. He vv^as certainly a man of a very 
 extenfive genius ; and, as Vafari remarks, 
 would have been an extraordinary artift, if 
 he had had an Italian, inftead of a German 
 education. His prints are numerous. They 
 Vv-ere much admired in his own life-time, and 
 eagerly bought up : which put his wife, v/ho 
 was a teafing woman, on urging him to fpend , 
 more time upon engraving, than he vv'as in- 
 clined to do. He was rich, and chofe rather 
 to pradlife his art as an amufement, tha.n as a 
 bufinefs. He died in the year 1527. 
 
 The
 
 ( 45 ) 
 
 The immediate fucceflbrs, and imitators 
 of Albert Durer were Lucas van 
 Leiden, Aldgrave, Pens, Hisben, and 
 feme others of lefs note. Their works are 
 very much in their maftcr's ftyle ; and were 
 the admiration of an age which had feen 
 nothing better. The beft of Aldgrave's 
 works are two or three fmall pieces of the 
 ftory of Lot. 
 
 ' GoLTZius flouriflied a little after the death 
 of thefe mafters ; and carried engraving to a 
 great height. He was a native of Germany^ 
 where he learned his art : but travelling after- 
 wards into Italy, he improved his ideas. We 
 plainly difcover in him a mixture of the 
 Flemifli and Italian fchools. His forms have 
 fometimes a degree of elegance in them ; but, 
 in general, the Dutch mafter prevails. GoLT- 
 Zius is often happy in dejtgn and difpofition -^ 
 and fails moft in the dijlribiition of light. But 
 his chief excellence lies in execution. He 
 engraves in a noble, firm, expreffive manner ; 
 which hath fcarce been excelled by any fuc- 
 15 ceeding
 
 ceeding .maflers. There is a variety too m 
 his mode of execution, which is very pleafing. 
 His print of the circumcifton is one of the bed 
 of his works. The flory is well told ; the 
 groups agreeably difpofed ; and the execution 
 admirable : hut the figures are Dutch ; and 
 the whole, through the want of a proper 
 diftributioa of fliade, is only a glaring mafs. 
 
 MuLLER engraved very much in the ftyle 
 of GoLTZius — I think in a flill bolder and 
 firmer manner. We have no v/here greater 
 mafter-pieces in execution, than the works 
 of this artift exhibit. The bapufm of John 
 is perhaps the mod beautiful fpecimen of 
 bold engraving, that is extant. 
 
 Abraham Bloemart was a Dutch 
 mafter alfo, and contemporary with Golt- 
 zius. We are not informed what particular 
 means of improvement he had ; but it is 
 certain he defigned in a more elegant tafte, 
 than any of his countrymen. His figures 
 are often graceful ; excepting only, that he 
 gives them fometimes an affeded twift ; which 
 
 is
 
 { 47 ) 
 
 Is ftlll more confpicuous in the fingers ; aa 
 affe<3:at'ion which we fometimes alfo find ia 
 the prints of Goltzius. — ^The rcfurretlion of 
 Lazarus is one of Bloemart's mafter- 
 pieces ; in which are many faults, and many- 
 beauties ; both very charadleriftlc. 
 
 While the Dutch mafters were thus carry- 
 ing the art of engraving to fo great a height, 
 it was introduced into Italy by Andrea 
 Mantegna ; to whom the Italians afcribe 
 the invention of it. The paintings of this 
 mafter abound in noble paflages, but are for- 
 mal and difagreeable. We have a fpecimen 
 of them at Hampton- Court, in the triumph 
 of Julius C-SESAR. — His prints, which are 
 faid to have been engraved on tin plates, are 
 tranfcripts from the fame ideas. We fee in 
 them the chafte, correct out-line, and noble 
 fimplicity of the Roman fchool ; but we are 
 to exped nothing more ; not the leaft at- 
 tempt towards an agreeable whole, And 
 
 indeed, wc fhall .perhaps find, in general, 
 that the maflers of the Roman fchool were 
 more ftudious of thofe efTentlals of painting, 
 which regard the parts ; and the Flemlih. 
 
 mafters,
 
 ( 4S ) 
 
 mafters, of thofe, which regard the whole. 
 The former therefore drew better figures ; the 
 latter made better plEfurcs. 
 
 Mantegna ivas fuccceded by Parmi- 
 GIANO and Palm A, both mailers of great 
 reputation. Parmigiano having formed 
 the moft accurate tafte on a thorough ftudy 
 of the works of Raphael, and Michael 
 Angelo, pubUihed many fmgle figures, and 
 fome defigns engraven on wood, which 
 abounded with every kind of beauty ; if we 
 may form a judgment of them from the 
 few which we fometiines meet with. Whe- 
 ther Parmigiano invented the art of en- 
 graving on wood, does not certainly appear. 
 His pretenfions to the invention of etching 
 are lefs difputable. In this way he pubUflied 
 many flight pieces, which do him great cre- 
 dit. In the midft of his labours, he was 
 interrupted by a knaviili engraver, who pil- 
 laged him of all his plates. Unable to bear 
 the lofs, he forfwore hi^ art, and abandoned 
 himfelf to chemiftry. 
 
 Palma
 
 ( 49 ) 
 
 Palm A was too much employed as a pain- 
 ter to have much leifure for etching. He 
 hath left feveral prints, however, behind him ; 
 which are remarkable for the delicacy of the 
 drawing, and the freedom of the execution. 
 He etches in a loofe, but mafterly manner. 
 His prints are fcarce ; and indeed we feldom 
 meet with any that deferve more than the name 
 of fketches. 
 
 Francis Paria feems to have copied the 
 manner of Pal ma with great fuccefs. But 
 his prints are ftill fcarcer than his matter's ; 
 nor have we a fufficient number of them, to 
 enable us to form much judgment of his 
 merit. 
 
 But the great improver of the art of engrav- 
 ing on wood, and who at once carried it to 
 a degree of perfection, which hath not fmce 
 been exceeded, was Andrea Andreani, of 
 Mantua. The works of this matter are re« 
 markable for the freedom, ftrength, and fpirit 
 
 E of
 
 ( so ) 
 
 of the execution ; the elegant corredl^nefs of the 
 drawing ; and in general for their effect. Few 
 prints come fo near the idea of painting. They 
 have a force, which a pointed tool on copper 
 cannot reach : and the wafli, of which the 
 middle tint is compofed, adds often the foft- 
 nefs of drawing. But the works of this m after 
 are feidom feen in perfed:ion. They are fearce ; 
 and when we do meet with them, it is a chance 
 if the impreffions be good : and very much of 
 the beauty of thefe prints depends on the gQod- 
 nefs of the impreffion. For often the out- 
 line is left hard, the middle tint being loft ; 
 and fometimes the middle tint is left without 
 its proper termination. So that on the whole, 
 I (hould not judge this to be the happieft mode 
 of engraving. 
 
 Among the ancient Italian mafters, we can- 
 not omit Mark Antonio; and Augustin 
 of Venice. They are both celebrated ; and 
 have handed down to us many engravings 
 from the works of Raphael : but their an- 
 tiquity, not their merits feems to have recom- 
 mended them. Their execution is harfti, arid 
 formal to the laft degree : and if their prints 
 •J II give
 
 ( 5t ) 
 
 give us any idea of the works of Raphael, 
 we may well wonder, as Pi CART obferves, 
 how that mailer got his reputation, — But we 
 cannot, perhaps, in England, form an ade- 
 quate idea of thefe mafters. I have been told, 
 their bed works are fo much valued in Italy, 
 that they are engroflcd there by the curious : 
 that very few of them find their way into 
 other countries ; and that what we have, are, 
 in general, but the refufe. 
 
 Frederic Barocchi was born at Urbin ; 
 where the genius of Raphael infpired him. 
 In his early youth he travelled to Rome : and 
 giving himfelf up to intenfe ftudy, he acquired 
 a great name in painting. At his leifure hours 
 he etched a few prints from his own defigns ; 
 which are highly finifhed, and executed with 
 great foftnefs and delicacy. The Salutation is 
 his capital performance : of which we feldom 
 meet with any impreffions, but thofe taken 
 from the retouched plate, which are very 
 harfli. 
 
 E 2 An-
 
 ( 5^ ) 
 
 '^v'Anthony Tempesta was a native of Flo- 
 rence, but refided chiefly at Rome ; where he 
 was employed in painting by Gregory XIIL 
 
 His prints are very numerous : all from 
 
 his own defigns. Battles and huntings are the 
 fubjedls in which he mod delighted. His 
 merit lies in expreffion, both in feature and 
 in adtion ; in the grandeur of his ideas ; and 
 in the fertility of his invention. His figures 
 are often elegant, and graceful ; and his heads 
 marked with great fpirit, and corre^tnefs. His 
 horfes, though flefliy and ill drawn, and evidently 
 never copied from nature, are, however, no- 
 ble animals, and difplay an endlefs variety of 
 beautiful actions. — His imperfedions at the 
 fame time, are glaring. His compofition is 
 generally bad. Here and there you have a 
 good group ; feldom an agreeable whole. He 
 had not the art of preferving his back-grounds 
 tender ; fo that we are not to exped any efFedt 
 of. keeping. His execution is harfh ; and he 
 is totally ignorant of the diftribution of light. — 
 But notwithftanding all his faults, fuch is his 
 merit, that, as ftudies at leaft, his prints de- 
 ferve a much higher rank in the cabinets of 
 
 con-
 
 ( S3 ) 
 
 connolfTeurs, than they generally find ; you 
 can fcarce pick out one of them, which does 
 not furnifli materials for an excellent compo- 
 fition. 
 
 AuGUSTiN Car AC CI has left a few etchhigs ; 
 which are admired for the delicacy of the 
 drawing, and the freedom of the execution. 
 But there is great flatnefs in them, and want 
 of ftrength. Etchings, indeed, in this ftyle 
 are rather meant as fketches, than as finifhed 
 prints. — I have heard his print of St, Jerome 
 much commended ; but I find no remarks 
 upon it in my own notes. 
 
 GuiDo's etchings, mod of which are fmall, 
 are efteemed for the fimplicity of the defign ; 
 the elegance and corredtnefs of the outline ; 
 and that grace, for which this mafter is gene- 
 rally — perhaps too generally efteemed. The 
 extremities of his figures are particularly 
 touched with great accuracy. But we have 
 the fame flatnefs in the works of GuiDO, which 
 we find in thofe of his mafter Caracci ; ac- 
 companied, at the fame time, wath lefs free- 
 
 E 3 dom.
 
 ( 5-4 ) 
 
 dom. The parts are finifhed ; but the whole 
 negleded. 
 
 Cantarini copied the manner of GuiDO, 
 as Pari A did that of Pa.lma ; and fo hap- 
 pily, that it is often difficult to diftinguifh the 
 works of thefe two mafters. 
 
 Callot was little acquainted with any of 
 the grand principles of painting : of compofi- 
 tion, and the management of light he was to- 
 tally ignorant. But though he could not make 
 a picture, he was admirably fkilled in drawing 
 a figure. His attitudes are generally graceful, 
 when they are not affected ; his expreffion 
 ftrong ; his drawing correct ; and his execution 
 mafterly, though rather laboured. \Y\%Fair is a 
 good epitome of his works. Confidered as a 
 whole^ it is a confufed jumble of ideas; but 
 the parts^ feparately examined, appear the work 
 of a mafter. The fame character may be given 
 of his moft famous work, the Miferies of War : 
 in which there is more expreffion, both in ac- 
 tion and feature, than was ever perhaps fhewn 
 in fo fmall a compafs. And yet 1 know not 
 
 whether
 
 ( 55 ) 
 
 whether his Beggars be not the more capital 
 performance. In the Miferies of War^ he aims 
 at compofition, in which he rarely fucceeds ; 
 his Beggars are detached figures, in which lay his 
 ftrength. Though the works of this mafter are 
 generally fmall, I have feen one of a large fize. 
 It confifts of two prints ; each of them near four 
 feet fquare, reprefenting the fiege of Toulon. 
 They are rather indeed perfpe£tive plans, than 
 pidlures. The pains employed on them, is 
 aftonifliing. They contain multitudes of figures; 
 and, in miniature, reprefent all the humour, and 
 
 all the employment of a camp. 1 fhall only 
 
 add, that a vein of drollery runs through all the 
 defigns of this mafter : which fometimes, when 
 he chufes to indulge it freely, as in the Tempta' 
 tion of St. Anthony, difplays itfelf in a very 
 facetious manner. 
 
 Count Gaude contraded a friendfhip at 
 Rome with Adam Elshamar ; from whofe 
 defigns he engraved a few prints. Gaude 
 was a young nobleman on his travels ; and 
 never prad:ifed engraving as a profeffion. This 
 would call for indulgence, if his prints wanted 
 it : but in their way, they are beautiful j though 
 
 E 4 on
 
 ( 56 ) 
 
 on the whole, formal, and unpleafant. They 
 are highly finifhed ; and this corrednefs has 
 deprived them of freedom. Moon-lights, and 
 torch-lights are the fubjeds he generally chufes; 
 and he often preferves the effeds of thefe 
 different lights. His prints are generally fmall. 
 I know only one, the Flight into Egypt^ of a 
 larger fize. 
 
 -v^< Salvator Rosa painted landfcape more 
 than hiftory ; but his prints are chiefly hifto- 
 rical. He was bred a painter; and under- 
 flood his art ; if we except the management 
 of lights of which he feems to hav€ been 
 ignorant. , The capital landfcape of this 
 mafter at Chifwick, is a noble picture. 
 The contrivance, the compofition, the dif- 
 tances, the figures, and all the parts and ap- 
 pendages of it are fine : but in point of light 
 it might perhaps have been improved, if the 
 middle ground, where the figures of the fecond 
 diftance ftand, had been thrown into fun-fhine. 
 — In defign^ and generally in compofition^ Sal- 
 vator is often happy. His figures, which he 
 drew in good taftc, are graceful, and expref- 
 five, well grouped, and varied in agreeable at- 
 titudes. In the legs, it muft be owned, he 
 
 is
 
 ( S7 ) 
 
 is a mannerljl : they are well drawn ; but all 
 caft in one mould. There is a ftifFnefs too in 
 the backs of his extended hands : the palms 
 are beautiful. But thefe are trivial criticifms. 
 — His mafiner is flight ; fo as not to admit either 
 foftnefs or effedt : yet the fimplicity and ele- 
 gance of it are pleafmg ; and bear that llrong 
 charadteriftic of a mafter's hand, Jibt quivis 
 
 fperet idem. One thing in his manner of 
 
 fhading, is difagreeable. He will often fhade 
 a face half over with long lines ; which, in fo 
 fmall and delicate an objed:, gives an unplea- 
 fant abruptnefs. It is treating a face like an 
 
 egg : no diftindion of feature is obferved. 
 
 Salvator was a man of genius, and of learn- 
 ing : both which he has found frequent oppor- 
 tunities of difplaying in his works. His flyle 
 is grand ; every objed that he introduces is of 
 the heroic kind ; and his fubjeds in general 
 fhew an intimacy with ancient hiftory, and 
 
 mythology. A roving dilpofitlon, to which 
 
 he is faid to have given a full fcope, feems to 
 have added a wlldnefs to all his thoughts. We 
 are told, he fpent the early part of his life in a 
 troop of banditti : and that the rocky and de- 
 folate fcenes, in which he was accuilomed to 
 take refuge, furniilied him with thofe romantic 
 
 ideas
 
 ( i3 ) 
 
 ideas in landfcape, of which he is fo exceedingl/ 
 fond ; and in the defcription of which he fo 
 much excels. His Robbers^ as his detached 
 figures are commonly called, are fuppofed to 
 have been taken from the life. 
 
 "^ Rembrandt's excellency, as a painter, 
 lay in colouring ; which he poflefled in fuch 
 perfedlion, that it almoft fcreens every fault ia 
 his pidlures. His prints, deprived of this pal- 
 liative, have only his inferior qualifications to 
 recommend them. Thefe are expreflion, and 
 fkill in the management of light, execution, 
 and fometimes compolition. I mention them 
 in the order in which he feems to have pof- 
 fefled them. His expreffion has the moil 
 force in the charader of age. He marks as 
 ftrongly as the hand of time. He poflefies 
 too, in a great degree, that inferior kind of 
 expreffion, which gives its proper, and cha- 
 radteriftic touch to drapery, fur, metal, and 
 every objed: he reprefents. — His management 
 of light confifts chiefly in making a very flrong 
 contrafl: ; which has often a good eifedt : and 
 yet in many of his prints, there is no efFe6l 
 at all ; which gives us reafon to think, he ei- 
 ther
 
 ( 59 ) 
 
 ther had no principles, or publifhed fuch prints 
 before his principles were afcertained. — His 
 execution is peculiar to himfelf. It is rough, 
 or neat, as he meant a fketch, or a finifhed 
 piece ; but always free and mafterly. It pra- 
 duces its effed by ftrokes interfered in every 
 direction ; and comes nearer the idea of paint- 
 ing than the execution of any other mailer in 
 etching — Never painter was more at a lofs 
 than Rembrandt, for that fpecies of grace, 
 which is neceflary to fupport an elevated cha- 
 rader. While he keeps within the fphere of 
 his genius, and contents himfelf with low fub- 
 jeds, he deferves any praifc. But when he 
 attempts beauty, or dignity, it were good- 
 natured to fuppofe, he means only burlefque 
 and caricature. He is a ftrong contrail to 
 Salvator. The one drew all his ideas from 
 nature, as ilie appears with grace and ele- 
 gance : The other caught her in her meaneil 
 images ; and transferred tliofe images into the 
 higheil charaders. Hence Salvator exalts 
 banditti into heroes: Remijrandt degrades 
 patriarchs into beggars. Rembrandt, in- 
 deed, feems to have ail'ed'ed awkwardnefs. He 
 was a man of humour ; and would laugh at 
 thofe artiils who iludied the antique. " TU 
 
 fhew
 
 ( 6o ) 
 
 fhew you my antiques," he would cry ; and 
 then he would carry his friends into a room 
 furnifhed with head-drefles, draperies, houfe- 
 hold-ftufF, and inftruments of all kinds : 
 *' Thefe," he would add, " are worth all your 
 antiques." — His beft etching is that, which 
 goes by the name of the hundred-guilders-prhit ; 
 which is in fuch efteem, that I have known 
 thirty guineas given for a good impreffion of it» 
 In this all his excellencies are united : and I 
 might add, his imperfedions alfo. Age and 
 wretchednefs are admirably defcribed ; but the 
 principal figure is ridiculouily mean. — Rem- 
 brandt is faid to have left behind him near 
 three hundred prints ; none of which are dated 
 before 1628 ; none after 1659. They were in 
 fuch efteem, even in his own life time, that 
 he is faid to have retouched fome of them four 
 or five times. 
 
 Peter Testa ftudied upon a plan very 
 different from that, either of Salvator, or 
 Rembrandt. Thofe mafters drew their 
 ideas from nature : Testa, from what he 
 efteemed a fuperior model — the antique. Smit- 
 ten with the love of painting, this artifl tra- 
 velled
 
 ( 6i ) 
 
 veiled to Rome in the habit of a pilgrim ; def- 
 titute of every mean of improvement, but what 
 mere genius furnifhed. He had not even inte- 
 reft to procure a recommendation ; nor had he 
 any addrefs to fubftitute in its room. The 
 works of fculpture fell mod obvioufly in his 
 way ; and to thefe he applied himfelf with fo 
 much induftry, copying them over, and over, 
 that he is faid to have gotten them all by 
 heart. Thus qualified, he took up the pencil. 
 But he foon found the fchool, in which he had 
 ftudied, an infufficient one to form a painter. 
 He had neglected colouring ; and his pidures 
 were in no efteem. I have heard it faid, that 
 fome of his pictures were excellent : and that 
 if the houfe of Medici had continued to direct 
 the tafte of Italy, his works would have taken 
 the lead among the firft produ(ftions of the age. 
 But it was Testa's misfortune to live when 
 the arts were under a lefs difcerning patronage : 
 and P. DA Gorton A, who was Testa's rival, 
 though far inferior to him in genius, carried the 
 palm. Difappointed and mortified, he threw 
 afide his pallet, and applied himfelf to etching ; 
 in which he became a thorough proficient. — 
 His prints have great merit ; though they are 
 little efleetned. We are feldom, indeed to ex- 
 pert
 
 ( 62 ) 
 
 pe£l: a coherency of defign in any of them. Alt 
 enthufiaftic vein runs through moft of his com- 
 pofitlons; and it is not an improhable conjec- 
 ture, that his head was a Httle diflurbed. He 
 generally crouds into his pieces fuch a jumble 
 of inconfiftent ideas ; that it is difficult fome- 
 times only to guefs at what he aims. He was 
 as little acquainted with the diftribution of light, 
 as with the rules of defign : and yet, notwith- 
 {landing all this, his works contain an infinite 
 fund of entertainment. There is an exuberance 
 of fancy in him, which, with all its wlldnefs, is 
 agreeable : his ideas are fublime and noble ; his 
 drawing is elegantly correct ; his heads exhibit a 
 wonderful variety of charadiers ; and are touch- 
 ed with uncommon fpirlt, and exprefiion ; hi& 
 figures are graceful, rather too nearly allied to 
 the antique ; his groups often beautiful ; and 
 his execution, in his befl: etchings, (for he is 
 fometimes unequal to himfeif,) very mafterly.* 
 Perhaps, no prints afford more ufeful ftudies for 
 
 a painter. The Procejfion c/'Silenus, if we 
 
 may guefs at fo confufed a defign, may illuftratc 
 all that hath been faid. The "whole is as inco- 
 
 Some of his woiks are etched by Cjes. Tlsta. 
 
 herent,
 
 ( 63 ) 
 
 herent, as the parts are beautiful. This un- 
 fortunate artift was drowned in the Tyber ; and 
 it is left uncertain, whether by accident or defign. 
 
 Spaniolet etched a few prints in a very 
 fpirited manner. No mafter underftood better 
 the force of every touch. Silenus mid Bac- 
 chus, and the Martyrdom of St. Bartho- 
 lomew, are the beft of his hiftorical prints: 
 and yet thefe are inferior to fome of his carica- 
 tures, which are admirably executed. 
 
 Michael Dorigny, or Old Dorigny, 
 as he is often called, to diftinguifh him from 
 Nicholas, had the misfortune to be the fon- 
 in-law of Simon Vouet ; whofe works he 
 engraved, and whofe imperfedions he copied. 
 His execution is free, and he pr^ferves the 
 lights extremely well on fmgle figures : his 
 drapery too is natural, and eafy : but his drawing 
 is below criticifm ; in the extremities efpecially. 
 In this his mafter mifled him. Vouet exr 
 celled in compofition ; of which we have many 
 beautiful inftances in Dorigny's prints. 
 
 « 
 
 ViL-
 
 { 64 ) 
 
 ViLLAMENA vvas inferior to few engravers* 
 If he be deficient in ftrength and efFedt, there is 
 a delicacy in his manner, which is inimitable. 
 One of his beft prints is, the Defce tit from the 
 
 Crofs. But his works are fo rare, that we 
 
 can fcarce form an adequate idea of his merit. 
 
 Stephen de la Bella was a minute ge- 
 nius. His manner wants ftrength for any 
 larger work ; but in fmall objedts it appears to 
 advantage : there is great freedom in it, and 
 uncommon neatnefs. His figures are touched 
 with fpirit ; and fometimes his compofition is 
 good : but he feldom difcovers any fkill in the 
 management of light ; though the defe£t is lefj^ 
 ftriking, becaufe of the fmallnefs of his pieces,. 
 His Po7tt NetifwiW give us an idea of his works. 
 Through the bad management of the light, it 
 makes no appearance as a whole j though the 
 compofition, if we except the modern architec- 
 ture, is tolerable. But the figures are marked with 
 great beauty; and the diftances extremely fine« 
 — Some of his fingle heads are very elegant. 
 
 La
 
 ( 6j ) 
 
 • La Face's works confift chiefly of {ketches. 
 The great excellency of this mafter lay in draw- 
 ing ; in which he was perfectly fkilled. How- 
 ever unfinifhed his pieces are, they dlfcover 
 him to have been well acquainted with ana- 
 tomy and proportion. There is very litile in 
 him befides, that is valuable ; grace, and ex- 
 preflion fometimcs ; feldom compofition : his 
 figures are generally too much crouded, or 
 too diffiife. As for light and fhade, he feems 
 to have been totally ignorant of their eifccl ; 
 or he could never have fhcwn fo bad a tafte, 
 as to publifh his defigns without, at lead, a 
 bare exprefhon of the maffes of eacli. Indeed, 
 we have pofitive proof, as well as negative. 
 Where he has attempted an effed: of light, he 
 
 has only fhewn how little he knew of it. — 
 
 His genius chiefly difplays itfelf in the gambols 
 of nymphs and fatyrs ; in routs and revels : but 
 there is fo much obfcenity in his works of this 
 kind, that, although otherwife fine, they fcarce 
 
 afford an innocent amufement. In fome of 
 
 his prints, in which he has attempted the 
 fublimeft charaders, he has given them a won- 
 derful dignity. Some of his figures of Chrift 
 
 F are
 
 ( 66 ) 
 
 are not inferior to the ideas of Raphael : and 
 in a flight fkctch, in titled, Vocation de Moyfe^ 
 the Deity is introduced with furprifing majefty. 
 ■^HIs beft works are flightly etched from his 
 drawings by Ertinger j who has done juftice 
 to them. 
 
 BoLSWERT engraved the works of Rubens, 
 and in a ftyle worthy of his mafter. You fee 
 the fame free, and animated manner in both. 
 It is faid that Rubens touched his proofs : and 
 it is probable ; the ideas of the painter are fo 
 exactly transfufed into the works of the en- 
 graver. 
 
 Pontius too engraved the works of Ru- 
 bens ; and would have appeared a greater ma- 
 fter, if he had not had fuch a rival as BoLS- 
 
 WERT. 
 
 Sci AMINOS SI etched a few fmall plates, of 
 
 the M]Jieries of the Rofary^ in a mafterly ftyle. 
 
 There is no great beauty in the compofition ; 
 
 but the drawing is good ; the figures are gene- 
 
 lo rally
 
 ( 67 ) 
 
 rally graceful ; and the heads touched with 
 ipirlt. 
 
 Y Roman le Hooghe is inimitable in exe- 
 cution. Perhaps, no mafter etches in a freer 
 and more fpirited manner : there is a richnefs 
 in it likewife, which we feldom meet with. 
 His figures too are often good ; but his com- 
 pofition is generally faulty : it is crouded, and 
 confufed. He knows little of the effedl of 
 light. There is a flutter in him too, which 
 hurts an eye pleafed with fimplicity. His 
 prints are generally hiftorical. The deluge at 
 Coevcrden is finely defcribed. — Le Hooghe 
 was much employed, by the authors of his 
 time, in compofing frontifpieces ; fome of which 
 are very beautiful. 
 
 '^ LuiKEN etches in the manner of Le 
 Hooghe, but it is a lefs mafterly manner. 
 His Hijiory of the Bible is a great work ; in 
 which there are many good figures, and great 
 freedom of execution : but poor compofition, 
 much confufion, and little fl^ill in the diftribu- 
 tion of light. This mafter hath alfo etched a 
 
 F 2 book
 
 [ 68 ) 
 
 book of various kinds of capital punifliment ; 
 amongft which, though the fabje(ft is difgufting, 
 there are many good prints. 
 
 Gerrard Lairesse etches in a loofe, and 
 unfinifhed ; but free, and mafterly manner. 
 His light is often \\xi\\ difiributed ; but his 
 fhades have not fufficient ftrength to give his 
 pieces effed. Though he was a Dutch painter, 
 you fee nothing of the Dutchman in his works. 
 His compofition is generally elegant and beau- 
 tiful ; efpecially where he has only a few fi- 
 gures to manage. His figures themfelves are 
 graceful, and his exprefiion ftrong. — It may 
 be added, that his draperies are particularly 
 excellent. The fimple and fublime ideas, 
 which appear every where in his works, ac- 
 quired him the title of iht DuU/j Raphall; 
 a title which he well dcferves. Lairesse 
 miay be called an ethic painter. He com- 
 monly inculcates fome truth either in morals, 
 or religion ; which he illuftrates by a Latin 
 fenteace at the bottom of his print. 
 
 Castig*
 
 ( 69 ) 
 
 V Castigltone was an Italian t)alnter of 
 
 i. 
 
 eminence. He drew human figures with grace 
 and correftnefs : yet he generally chofe fuch fub- 
 je<fl:s as would admit the introdu(!lion of animal 
 life, which often makes the more dift:ingui(hed 
 
 part. There is a fimp)licity in the defigns 
 
 of this mafter, which is beautiful. In compo- 
 fition he excels. Of his elegant groups we 
 have many inftances, in a fet of prin:s, etched 
 from his paintings, in a flight, free manner, by 
 C. Macee ; particularly in thofe of the patri- 
 archal journey'ings. He hath left us feveral of 
 \\\% own etchings, which are very valuable. 
 The fubjeds, indeed, of fome of them, are 
 odd and fantaftic ; and the compofition not 
 equal to fome prints we have from his 
 paintings, by other hands ; but the execution 
 is greatly fuperior. Freedom, ftrcngth, and 
 fpirit, are eminent in them ; and delicacy like- 
 wife, where he chufes to finifh highly ; of 
 which we have fome inftances. — One of his 
 beft prints is, the entering of No a u into the 
 ark. The compofition ; the diftrihution of 
 light ; the fpirit and expreflion, v/ith which 
 
 F 3 the-
 
 ( 7° ) 
 
 the animals are touched ; and the freedom of 
 the execution, are all admirable. 
 
 TiEPOLO was a diftinguifhed mafter : but 
 by his merit ; rather than the number of his 
 etchings. He was chiefly employed, I have 
 heard, as a painter, in the Efcurial, and other 
 palaces in Spain. The work, on which his re- 
 putation as an etcher is founded, is a feries of 
 twenty plates, about nine inches long, and feven 
 broad. The fubjed of them is emblematical ; 
 but of difiicult interpretation. They contain, 
 however, a great variety of rich, and elegant 
 compofition ; of excellent figures ; and of fine 
 old heads and charad:ers. They are fcarce ; at 
 
 leaft, they have rarely fallen in my way. 
 
 I have feen a few other prints by this mafler : 
 but none, except thefe, which I have thought 
 excellent. He was a ftrange, whimfical man ; 
 and, perhaps, his beft pieces were thofe, in 
 which he gave a loofe to the wildnefs of his 
 imagination. 
 
 Vander Muilen has given us hiHorical 
 reprefentations of feveral modern battles. 
 
 Lewis
 
 ( 7' ) 
 
 Lewis XIV. is his great hero. His prints are 
 generally large, and contain many good figures, 
 and agreeable groups : but they have no effect, 
 and feldoin produce a nvhoh. A difagreeable 
 monotony (as the mufical people fpeak) rans 
 through them all. 
 
 Otho Venius has entirely the air of an 
 Italian, though of Dutch parentage. He had 
 the honour of being mafter to Rubens ; who 
 chiefly learned from him his knowledge of 
 light and ihade. This artift publifhed a book 
 of love-emblems ; in which the Cupids are 
 engraved with great elegance. His pieces of 
 fabulous hiilory have lefs merit. 
 
 Galestruzzi was an excellent artift. 
 There is great firmnefs in his ftroke ; great 
 precifion ; and, at the fame time, great free- 
 dom. His drawing is good ; his heads are 
 well touched, and his draperies beautiful. He 
 has etched feveral things from the antique ; 
 fome of them, indeed, but indifferently. The 
 beft of his works, which I have feen, is the 
 
 F 4 Sior;ji
 
 ( 7^ ) 
 
 Sfory o/'NiOBE, (a long, narrow print) from 
 
 POLIDORE. 
 
 Mell.^n was a whimfical engraver. He 
 fhadowed entirely with parallel lines ; which he 
 winds round the mufcles of his figures, and 
 the folds of his draperies, with great variety 
 and beauty. His manner is foft and delicate ; 
 but void of flrength and efFe6t. His compo- 
 fitions of courfe make no ivhole^ though his 
 fmgle figures are often elegant. His faints and 
 ftatues are, in general, his beft pieces. There 
 is great expreffion in many of the former ; and 
 his drapery is often incomparable. One of his 
 beft prints is infcribed. Per fe furgcjis : and 
 another very good one, with this ftrange paf- 
 fage from St. Austin ; Ego evangelio tion cre-^ 
 derem^ nlfi me catholics ccckjice commoveret auc^ 
 toritas. — His head of Chrift, effected by a 
 fingle fpiral line, is a mailerly, but whimfical 
 performance. 
 
 'Cstade's etchings, like his pictures, are 
 admirable rcprefentations of low life. They 
 abound in humour and expreflion \ in which 
 
 lies
 
 ( 73 ) 
 
 lies their merit. They have little befides to 
 recommend them. His compofition is geae- 
 rally very indifferent ; and his execution no 
 way remarkable. Sometimes, but feldom, you 
 fee an effed: of light. 
 
 Cornelius Beg a etches very much In the 
 manner of Ostade ; but with more freedom. 
 
 / 
 
 V Van Tulden has nothing of the Dutch 
 mafter in his defign ; which feems formed on 
 the fludy of the antique. It is chafte, elegant, 
 and correal. His manner is rather firm, and 
 diilindl ; than free, and fpirlted. His princi- 
 pal work is, tbe voyage ^Ulysses, in fifty^ 
 eight plates ; in which we have a great variety 
 of elegant attitudes, excellent characters of 
 heads, good drawing ; and though not much ef- 
 fe.d, yet often good grouping. His drapery is 
 heavy. 
 
 Joseph Parrocelle painted battles for 
 Lewis XIV. He etched aUb feverai of his 
 own defign s. The belt of his works are eight 
 
 fmall
 
 { 74 ) 
 
 final] battles, wnlch are very fcarce. Four of 
 thefe are of a fize larger tiian the reft; of 
 \Thich, the Battle^ and Stripping tht Slain ^ are 
 very fine. Of the four fmaller, that entitled 
 Yefper is the beft — His manner is rough, free, 
 and mafterly ; and his knowledge of the efFedfe 
 of light confiderable. — His greatell u dertaking 
 was, tlie Life of Chrifly in a feries of plates : 
 but it is a hafty, and incorre<Sfe work. Moft of 
 the prints are mere fketches : and many of 
 them, even in that light, are bad ; though the 
 fteedom of the manner is plealmg in the v^orft 
 of them. The beft plates are the 14th, lyth^ 
 19th, 22d, 28th, 39th, 41ft, 42d, and 43d. 
 
 V. LE Febre etched many defigns from 
 Titian and Julio Romano, in a very mi- 
 serable manner. His drawling is bad ; his 
 drapery frittered; his lights ill-preferved; and 
 Ws execution difgufting : and yet we find hi$ 
 works in capital coliedions. 
 
 Bellange's prints are highly finlfhed, and 
 his execution is not amifs. His figures alfo 
 have fomething in them, which looks like 
 
 grace ;
 
 ( 75 ) 
 
 grace ; and his light is tolerably well mafled. 
 But his heads are ill fet on ; his extremities 
 incorredtly touched ; his figures badly propor- 
 tioned ; and, in fliort, his drawing in general 
 very bad. 
 
 V Claude Gillot was a French painter: 
 but finding himfelf rivalled, he laid afide 
 his pencil, and employed himfelf entirely in 
 etching. His common fubjedts are dances and 
 revels ; adorned with fatyrs, nymphs, and fauns. 
 By giving his fylvans a peculiar caft of eye, he 
 has introduced a new kind of charader. The 
 invention, and fancy of this mafter are plea- 
 fing ; and his compofition is often good. His 
 manner Is flight ; which is the beft apology^ 
 for his bad drawing. 
 
 Watteau has great defects; and, It mufl 
 be owned, great merit. He abounds in all 
 that flutter, and affectation, which Is fo difl- 
 greeable in the generality of French painters. 
 But, at the fame time, we acknowledge, he 
 draws well ; gives grace and delicacy to his 
 figures; and produces often a beautiful effed 
 
 of
 
 ( 76 ) 
 
 of light. I fpeak, chiefly of fuch of his works, 
 as have been engraved by others. — He etched 
 a few flight plates hiinfelf, v/ith great freedom 
 and elegance. The beft of them are contained 
 in a fmall book of figures, in various drefTes 
 and attitudes. 
 
 J- 
 
 Cornelius Schut excels chiefly in exe- 
 cution ; fometimes in compofition : but he 
 knows nothing of grace ; and has, upon thq 
 whole, but little merit. 
 
 William Baur etches with great fpirit. 
 His largeft works are hiftorical. He has given, 
 us many of the fieges and battles, which wafl:ed 
 Flanders in the fixteenth century. They 
 may be exadt, and probably they a?'e ; but 
 they are rather plans than pidures ; and have 
 little to recommend them but hiftoric truths 
 and the freedom of the execution. Baur's 
 beft prints are, characfters of different nations j^ 
 in which the peculiarities of each are well ob-* 
 ferved. His Ovid is a poor performance. 
 
 COYPEL
 
 ( 77 ) 
 
 CoYPEL hath left a few prints of his own 
 etching ; the principal of which is, an Kcce 
 Homo^ touched with great fpirit. Several of his 
 own defigns he etched, and afterwards put 
 into the hands of engravers to finifli. It is 
 probable he overlooked the work ; but we 
 fhould certainly have had better prints, if we 
 had received- them pure from his own needle. 
 What they had loft in force, would have been 
 amply made up in fpirit. 
 
 V Pic ART was one of the mofl: ingenious of 
 the French engravers. His imitations are among 
 the moft entertaining of his works. The tade 
 of his day^ ran wholly in favour of antiquity : 
 " No modern mafters were worth lookinir at." 
 PicART, piqued at fuch prejudice, etched 
 feveral pieces in imitation of ancient mafters; 
 and fo happily, that he almoft- out-did, in 
 their own excellences, the artifts whom he 
 copied. Thefe prints were much adniired, as 
 the works of GuiDO, Rembrandt, and 
 others. Having had his joke, he publifhed 
 them under the title of hnpojlims inno- 
 
 ccntcs.
 
 f 73 ) 
 
 ccntes. — Picart's owa manner is highly fi- 
 niflied ; yet, at the fame time, rich, bold, and 
 fpirited : his prints are generally fmall ; and 
 moft of them from the defigns of others. One 
 of the beft Is from that beautiful compofition of 
 PoussiN, in which Truth is delivered by Time, 
 from Envy. 
 
 Arthur Pond, our countryman, fuceeeded 
 admirably in this method of imitation ; in which 
 he hath etched feveral valuable prints ; particu- 
 larly two oval landfcapes after Salvator — a 
 monkey in red chalk after Carrache — two 
 or three ruins after Panini, and fome others 
 equally excellent* 
 
 But this method of imitation hath beeii 
 moft fuccefsfuUy pradifed by Count Caylus, 
 an ingenious French nobleman ; whofe works, 
 in this way, are very voluminous. He hath 
 ranfacked the French king's cabinet ; and hath 
 fcarce left a mafter of any note, from whofe 
 drawings he hath not given us an excellent fpe- 
 cimen. Infomuch, that if we had nothing re- 
 maining of thofe mafters, but Count Caylus's 
 
 works,
 
 ( 79 ") 
 
 works, we {hould not want a very fufficient idea 
 of them. So verfatile is his genius, that with 
 the fame eafe he preients us with an elegant 
 outUne from Raphael, a rough fketch Irom 
 Rembrandt, and a deUcate portrait from. 
 Vandyke. 
 
 '■^ Le Clerc was an excellent engraver ; but 
 chiefly in miniature. He immortalized Alex- 
 ander, and Lewis XIV. in plates of four or 
 five inches long. His genius feldom exceeds 
 thefe dimenfions ; within which he can draw 
 up twenty thoufand men with great dexterity. 
 No artift, except Callot and Della Bella, 
 could touch a fmall figure with fo inuch Ipirit. 
 He feems to have imitated Callot's manner ; 
 but his flroke is neither io firm, nor fo maf- 
 terly. 
 
 Peter Bartoli etched with freedom ; 
 though his manner is not agreeable. His capital 
 work is L an Frank's gallery. 
 
 Jac
 
 ( 8= ) 
 
 ^y Jac. Freii is an admirable engraver. He 
 unites, in a great degree, ftrength, and foft" 
 nefs J and comes as near the force of painting, 
 as an engraver can well do. He has given us 
 the ftrongeft ideas of the works of feveral of 
 the moft eminent mafters. He preferves the 
 drawing, and expreffion of his original ; and 
 often, perhaps, improves the eifed:. There is 
 a richnefs too in his manner, which is very 
 pleafing. You fee him in perfedion, in a 
 noble print from 'C. Maratti, intitled, In 
 confpeSiu angelorurn pfallani t'lh'u 
 
 V R. V. AuDEN AePvD copied many things 
 from C. Maratti, and other mafters, in a 
 llyle indeed very inferior to Jac. Freii, (whofe 
 rich execution he could not reach,) but yet 
 with fome elegance. His manner is fmooth, 
 and finifhed ; but without effed. His draw- 
 ing is good, but his lights are frittered. 
 
 S. Gribelin is a careful, and laborious 
 engraver; of no extenfive genius j but pain- 
 fully
 
 ( 81 ) 
 
 fuliy exa<3:. His works are chiefly fmall ; 
 the principal of which are his copies from, 
 the Banqueting-Houfe at Whitehall ; and from 
 the Cartoons. His manner is formal ; yet he 
 has contrived to preferve the fpirit of his ori- 
 ginal. I know no copies of the Cartoons fo 
 valuable as his. It is a pity he had not en- 
 graved them on a larger fcale. 
 
 V Le Bas etches in a clear, diftincfl, free 
 manner ; and has done great honour to the 
 works of Teniers, Woverman, and Berg- 
 hem; from whom he chiefly copied. The beft 
 of his works are after Berghem. 
 
 Bis chop's etching has fomethlng very plca- 
 fing in it. It is loofe, and free ; and yet has 
 ftrength, and richnefs. Many of his ftatues 
 are good figures : the drawing is fometimes 
 incorred ; but the execution is always beau- 
 tiful. Many of the plates of his drawing- 
 book are good. His greateft fmgle work, is 
 the reprefentation of Joseph i/i Egypt; in 
 which there are many faults, both in the 
 drawing and effedt j fome of which are charge- 
 able OQ himfeif, and others on the artifl; from 
 
 G whom
 
 ( 82 ) 
 
 whom he copied ; but on the whole, it h a 
 pleafing print. 
 
 Francis Perrier was the debauched foil 
 of a goldfralth in Franchecomte. His indif* 
 cretion forcing hira from home, his inclina- 
 tion led him to Italy. His manner of travelling 
 thither was whimfical. He joined himfelf to 
 a blind beggar, whom he agreed to lead for 
 half his alms. At Rome, he applied to paint- 
 ing ; and made a much greater proficiency 
 than could have been expe(fied from hh dif- 
 fipated life. He publifhed a large eolle^tion 
 of ftatues and other antiquities ; which are 
 etched in a mafterly manner. The drav/ing is 
 often incorrect ; but the attitudes are well cho- 
 fen, and the execution fpirited. Many of them 
 feem to have been done haftily ; but there are 
 marks of genius in them all. 
 
 Marot, architea; to K. William, hath 
 etched feme ftatues likewife, in a mafterly 
 manner. Indeed all his works are well exe- 
 cuted ; but they confift chiefly of ornaments 
 in the way of his profeffion, 
 
 Fran.
 
 i 83 ) 
 
 I^'ran. Roettiers etches in a very bold 
 manner, and with fpirit ; but there is a harfh- 
 ncfs in his outline, which is difagreeable ; though 
 the lefs fo, as his drawing is generally good. 
 Few artifts manage a crowd better ; or give it 
 more efFeft by a proper diftribution of light. 
 Of this management we have fome judicious 
 inftances in his tv/o capital prints, the AJfumption 
 vf the crofs^ and the Crucifixion * 
 
 Nicholas Dorigny was bred a lawyer: 
 but not fucceeding at the bar, he ftudied 
 painting ; and afterwards applied to engraving. 
 His capital work is, the Tratisfiguration ; which 
 Mr. Addison calls the nobleft print in the 
 world. It is unqueftionably a noble work ; 
 but Dorigny feems to have exhaufted his ge- 
 nius upon it : for he did nothing afterwards 
 worth preferving. His Cartoons are very poor. 
 He engraved them in his old age ; and was ob- 
 liged to employ afliftants, who did not anfwer 
 his expedlation. 
 
 G 2 Masters
 
 ( 84 ,) 
 
 Masters in Portrait. 
 
 Among the maflers in portrait, Rembrandt 
 takes the lead. His heads are admirable copies 
 from nature ; and perhaps the beft of his 
 works. There is great expreflion in them, and 
 charader. 
 
 Van Uliet followed Rembrandt's man- 
 ner • which he hath in many things excelled. 
 Some of his heads are exceedingly beautiful. 
 The force which he gives to every feature, the 
 foundnefs of the mufcle, the fpirit of the exe- 
 cution, the ftrength of the character, and the 
 effed of the whole, are admirable. 
 
 ^ J. LiEVENS etches in the fame ftyle. His 
 heads are executed with great fpirit j and de- 
 
 ferve
 
 ( 85 ) 
 
 ferve a place in any colledlon of prints ; though 
 they are certainly inferior to Uliet's. — Uliet, 
 and LiEVENS etched fome hiftorical prints ; 
 particularly the 'latter, (whofe Lazarus^ after 
 Rembrandt, is a noble work), but their 
 portraits are their bell prints. 
 
 Among the imitators of Rembrandt, we 
 ihould not forget our countryman Worlidge ; 
 who has very ingenioufly followed the manner 
 of that mailer ; and fometimes improved upon 
 him. No man underftood the. drawing of a 
 head better. — His fmall prints alfo, frorn an- 
 tique gems, are neat, and maflerly. 
 
 Many of Van Dyke's etchings do him 
 great credit. They are chiefly to be found in 
 a collection of the portraits of eminent artiils, 
 which Van Dyke was at the expence of get- 
 ting engraved. They are done flightly j but 
 bear the charader of a mailer. Luke Vos- 
 TERMAN is one of the bell. It is probable 
 Van Dyke made the drawings for moll, of 
 them : his manner is confpicuous in them all. 
 
 G 3 —A very
 
 ( 86 ) 
 
 ——A very finlllied etching of an Ecce hatngr^ 
 pafles under the name of this mafter. It is a 
 good print, but not equal to what we might; 
 have expeded from Van Dyke. 
 
 "We have a few prints of Sir Peter Lely's 
 etching likewife ; but there is nothing in them 
 that is very interefting. 
 
 R. White was the principal engraver of 
 portraits,, in Charles the Second's reign; bu^ 
 his works are miferable performances. They 
 are faid to be good likeneiles; and they m^y be 
 fo J but they are wretched prints. 
 
 Becket and Simons are names which fcarce 
 deferve to be mentioned. They were in theii;" 
 time, mezzotinto-fcrapers pf note, only hecauf^ 
 there were no others. 
 
 White, the mezzotinto-fcraper, fon of th^ 
 engraver, was an artift of great merit. He
 
 ( 87 ) 
 
 copied after Sir Godfrey Kneller ; whom 
 he teafed fo much with his proofs, that it is 
 faid Sir Godfrey- forbad him his houfe. His 
 mezzotintos are very beautiful. BaptiSTE, 
 Wing, Sturges, and Hooper are all ad- 
 mirable prints. He himfelf ufed to fay, that 
 old and young Parr were the be ft portraits he 
 ever fcraped. His manner was peculiar, at the 
 time he ufed it ; though it hath iince been adopt- 
 ed by other mafters. He firft etched his plate, 
 and then fcraped it. Hence his prints preferve 
 their fplrit longer than the generality of mez- 
 2;otintos. 
 
 I Smith was the pupil of Becket ; but he 
 foon excelled his mafter. He was efteemed 
 the beft mezzotinto-fcraper of his time; though, 
 perhaps, inferior to White. He hath left a 
 very numerous collection of portraits : fo nume- 
 rous, that they are often bound in two large 
 folios. He copied chiefly from Sir Godpkey ; 
 and is faid to have had an apartment in his 
 houfe.-— 'Lord Somers was fo fond of the 
 works of this mafter; that he feldom travelled, 
 without carrying them with him in the feat 
 
 G4 of
 
 ( 88 ) 
 
 of his coach. — Some of his beft prints are two 
 holy families, Anthony Leigh, Mary 
 Magdalene, Scalken, a half-length of 
 Lady Elizabeth Cromwell, the duke of 
 3cHOMBERG on horfc-back, the countefs of 
 Salisbury, Gibbon the. ftatuary, and a 
 
 very fine hawking piece from Wyke. . 
 
 After all, it muft be owned, that the beft of 
 thefe mezzotintos are inferior to what we have 
 feen executed by the mafters of the prefent 
 age. 
 
 Mellan's portraits are the mofl indifferent 
 of his works. They want flrength, fpirit, and 
 effed. 
 
 PiTTERi hath lately publifhed a fet of 
 heads, from Piazzeta, in the jflyle of Mej.- 
 LAN ; but in a much finer tafle, with regard 
 both to compofition, and manner. Though, 
 like Mellan, he never croffes his flroke ; yet 
 he has contrived to give his heads more force 
 and fpirit. 
 
 J. Morin's
 
 ( ?9 ) 
 
 J. Morin's heads are engraved in a very- 
 peculiar manner. They are ftippled with a 
 graver, after the manner of mezzotinto ; and 
 have a good effedt. They have force ; and, 
 at the fame time, foftnefs. Few portraits,, on 
 the whole, . are better. GuiDO Bentivqlius 
 from Van Dyke is one of the beft. 
 
 J.-Lutma's heads are executed in the fame 
 way : we are told, with a chifel and mallet. 
 They are inferior to Morin's 5 but are not with^ 
 out merit. 
 
 Edm, Majimion etched a few portraits in 
 the manner of Van Dyke, and probably from 
 him; in which there is eafe and freedom. He 
 has put his name only to one of them. 
 
 "WoLFANG, a German engraver, managed 
 hi§ tools with foftnefs, and delicacy ; at. the 
 fame time preferving a confiderable degree of 
 
 fpirit.
 
 ( 9« ) 
 
 fpirit. But his works are fcarce. I make 
 thefe remarks indeed, from a fingle hea.d, jhat 
 of HuET, bifhop of Auranches ; which is the 
 only work of his, that I have feen. 
 
 Drevet's portraits are neat, and elegant; 
 but laboured to the laft degree. They are co« 
 pied from Rigaud, and other French maf- 
 ters ; and abound in all that flutter, and licen* 
 tious drapery, fo oppofite to the fimpl^ ^nd 
 chafte ideas of true tafte. Drevet excels 
 chiefly in copying Rigaud's frippery; lace, 
 filk, fur, velvet, and other ornan^ental parts of 
 ^refs. 
 
 Richardson hath left us feveral heads, 
 which he etched for Mr. Pope, and others of 
 his friends. They are flight, but .fhew th^ 
 fpirit of a mafler. Mr. Pope's profile is the 
 beft. 
 
 Vertue was a good antiquarian, and ^ 
 worthy man, but no artift. He copied with 
 
 painful
 
 ( 91 ) 
 
 painful exaGnefs ; in a dry, difagreeable man- 
 ner, without force, or freedom. In his whole 
 coUcdion of heads, wq can fcarce pick 'out 
 half ^ d0i^e», whi.eh are good. 
 
 V 
 
 Such an artift In mezzotinto, ^vas Faber. 
 He has publifhed nothing extienaely bad ; and 
 yet nothing worth colleding. Mrs. Collier 
 is one of his beft prints ; and has fome merit. 
 She is leaning again ft a pillar ; on the bafe of 
 which }s pngraved the Ilpry of the golden 
 apple, 
 
 HoUBRAKEN is a genius ; and has given U6, 
 in his colledion of Englilh portraits, fome 
 pieces of engraving at leaft equal to any thing 
 of the kind. Such are his heads of Hamb- 
 pEN, ScHOMBERG, the earl of Bedford, 
 the duke of Richmond particularly, and fome 
 others. At the fame time we muft own, 
 that he has intermixed among his works, a 
 great number of bad prints. In his beft, there 
 is a wonderful union of foftnefs, and freedom. 
 A more elegant and flowing line no artift ever 
 employed. 
 
 Our
 
 ( 9» ) 
 
 Our countryman Fry has left behind him 
 a few very beautiful heads in mezzotinto. 
 They are all copied from nature; have great 
 foftnefs, and fpirit ; but want ftrength. Mez* 
 zotinto is not adapted to works fo large, as 
 the heads he has publifhed.
 
 ( 93 ) 
 
 Masters in Animal Life. 
 
 Berghem has a genius truly paftoral ; and 
 brings before us the moft agreeable fcenes of 
 rural life. The limplicity of Arcadian man- 
 ners is no where better defcribed than in his 
 works. We have a large colle<Stion of prints 
 from his defigns ; many etched by himfelf, 
 and many by other mailers. Thofe by himfelf 
 are flight, but mafterly. His execution is in- 
 imitable. His cattle, which are always the 
 diftinguilhed part of his pieces, are well 
 drawn, admirably characterized, and generally 
 well grouped. Few painters excelled more in 
 compofition than Berghem ; and yet we have 
 more beautiful inftances of it in the prints 
 etched from him by others, than in thofe by 
 himfelf. Among his own etchings a few 
 fmall plates of ftieep and goats are exceedingly 
 valued. 
 
 J. ViSSCHER
 
 ( 94 ) 
 
 J. Vis s CHER never appears to more advan- 
 tage than when be copies Behghem. His 
 excellent drawing, and the freedom of his 
 execution, give a great value to his prints ; 
 which have more the air of originals, than 
 of copies. He is a mafter both in etching, 
 and engraving. His flightefl etchings, thougfe 
 copies only, are the works of a mafter; and 
 when he touches with a graver, he knowB 
 how to add ftrength and hrmnefs, without 
 deftroying freedom and fpirit. He might be 
 laid to have done all things well, if he had 
 not failed in the diftribution of light : it is 
 itiore than probable, he has not attended to 
 thfe effect of it, in many of the paintings 
 vbich he has copied* 
 
 Danker Damkehts is amother excellent 
 copyift from Bergh-em. Every thing, that 
 has been faid of Visscher, may be faid of 
 him ; and perhaps iiill in a ftronger manner, 
 — Like Visscher too he fails in the manage- 
 ment of his lights. 
 
 HONDIUS,
 
 ( 95 ) 
 
 if h HoNDius, a native of Rotterdam, pafled 
 the greatfer part of his life in England. He 
 painted animals chiefly ; was free in his man- 
 ner ; extravagant in his colouring ; incorredl in 
 his drawing ; ignorant of the effed; of light j 
 but great in expreffion. His prints therefore 
 are better than his pidures. They poflefs 
 his chief excellency, with fewer of his de- 
 fed:s. They are executed in a neat flroke ; 
 but with great fpirit ; and afford ftrong in- 
 fiances of animal fury. His hiwtcd wolf is an 
 admirable print. 
 
 Du Ja^rdin underftood the anatomy of do- 
 meftic animals perhaps better than any other 
 mafter. His drawing is corred; and yet the 
 freedotti of the mafter is preferved. He co- 
 pied nature ftridly, though not ferviiely ; and has 
 given us not only the form, but the charac- 
 teriftic peculiari4.ies, of each animal. He ne- 
 ver, indeed, like HoNdius, animates his cre- 
 ation with the violence of favage fury. His 
 genius takes a milder turn. All is quietnefs, 
 ztid repofe. His dogs, after their exercife, 
 12 are
 
 ( 96 ) 
 
 are flretched at their eafe ; and the languor of 
 a meridian fun prevails commonly through all 
 his pieces. His compofition is beautiful ; and 
 
 his execution, though neat, is fpirited. Hi^ 
 
 works, when bound together, make a volume 
 of about fifty leaves ; among which there is 
 fcarce one bad print. - 
 
 RuBENs's huntings are undoubtedly fuperior 
 on the whole, to any thing of the kind we 
 have. There is more invention in them, and 
 a grander ftyle of compofition, than we find 
 any where elfe. I clafs them under his namej 
 becaufe they are engraved by feveral mafters. 
 But all their engravings are poor. They re- 
 prefent the paintings they are copied from, as 
 a fhadow does the objed: which projedls it! 
 There is fomething of the Jhape ; but all the 
 f?njhifig is loft. And there is no doubt, but 
 the awkwardnefies, the patch-work, and the 
 grotefque characters, which every where ap- 
 pear in thefe prints, are in the -originals bold 
 fore-fliortnings, grand effeds of light, and no- 
 ble inftances of exprefilon. — But it is as di£B-» 
 cult to copy the flights of Rubens, as to 
 
 tranflate
 
 ( ^1 ) 
 
 tranflate thofe of Pindar. The fpirit of each 
 mailer evaporates in the procefs. 
 
 Woverman's compofition is generally 
 crouded with little ornaments. There is no 
 fimpllcity in his works. He wanted a chafte 
 judgment to corredl: his exuberance. — Vis- 
 SCHER was the firft who engraved prints from, 
 this artift. He chofe only a few good defigns ; 
 and executed them mallerly. — Moyreau un- 
 dertook him next, and hath publiihed a large 
 colledion. He hath finifhed them highly ; 
 but with more foftnefs than fpirit. His prints 
 however have a neat appearance, and exhibit 
 a variety of pleafmg reprefentations ; cavalcades, 
 marches, huntings, and encampments. 
 
 Rosa of Tivoli etched in a very finifhed 
 manner. No one out-did him in compofition 
 and execution ; he is very fkilful too in the 
 management of light. His defigus are all paf- 
 toral ; and yet there is often a mixture of the 
 heroic ftyle in his compofition, which is very 
 pleafmg. His prints are fcarfee ; and, were 
 they not fo, would be valuable. 
 
 H Stephen
 
 { 98 ) 
 
 N^ Stephen de la Bella may be men- 
 tioned among the maflers in animal life j though 
 few of his works in this way deferve any other 
 praife, than what arifes from the elegance of 
 the execution. In general, his animals are 
 neither well drawn, nor juflly characterized. 
 The beft of his works in animal life are feme 
 heads of camels and dromedaries. 
 
 Anthony Tempest a hath etched feveral 
 plates of fmgle horfes, and of huntings. He 
 hath given great expreflion to his animals ; 
 but his compofition is more than ordinarily 
 bad in thefe prints : nor is there in any of 
 them the leaft efFed of light. 
 
 J. Fyt hath etched a few animals ; In 
 which we difcover the drawing, and fome- 
 thing of that ftrength and fpirit, with which 
 he painted. But I never faw more than two 
 or three of his prints. 
 
 la 
 
 I
 
 ( 99 ) 
 
 In curious collections we meet with a few 
 of CuYp's etchings. The piSiures of this 
 mafter excel in colouring, compofition, draw- 
 ing, and the expreffion of character. His 
 prints have all thefe excellences, except the 
 iirft. 
 
 / Peter DE Laer hath left us feveral fmall 
 etchings of horfes, and other animals, well 
 characterized, and executed in a bold and 
 mafterly manner. Some of them are fmgle 
 figures ; but when he compofes, his compo- 
 fition is generally good, and his diftribution of 
 light feldom much amifs ; often pleafing ; his 
 drawing too is commonly good. 
 
 / Peter Stoop came from Llfbon with queen 
 Catharine ; and was admired in England, 
 till Wyck's fuperior excellence in painting 
 €clipfed him. He hath etched a book of 
 horfes, which are much valued ; as there is in 
 general, accuracy in the drawing, nature in 
 the characters, and fpirit in the execution. 
 
 H 2 Rem-
 
 ( 100 ) 
 
 Rembrandt's lions, which are etched in 
 his ufual ftyle, are worthy the notice of a 
 connoifTeur. 
 
 Bloteling's lions are highly finiihed j but 
 with more neatnefs than fpirii;. 
 
 ■J Paul Potter etched feveral plates of 
 cows and horfes in a mafterly manner- His 
 manner, indeed, is better than his drawing ; 
 which, in his fheep efpecially, is but very 
 indifferent : neither does he characterize them 
 with any accuracy. 
 
 Barlow's etchings are numerous. His 
 illuftration of JFAop is his greateft work. 
 There is fomething pleafing in the compofition 
 and manner of this mailer, though neither is ex- 
 cellent. His drawing too is very indifferent ; 
 nor does he charadterize any animal juflly. 
 His biids in general are better than his 
 beafts. 
 
 Flamen
 
 ( I°I ) 
 
 / 
 
 FlamEn has etched feveral plates of birds 
 and fiflies : the former are bad ; the latter 
 better than any thing of the kind we have. 
 
 < 
 
 I fhall clofe this account with Ridinger, 
 who is one of the greatefl mafters in animal 
 life. This artifl has marked the characters 
 of animals, efpecialiy of the more favage 
 kind, with great expreflion. His works may 
 be confidered as natural hidory. I^e carries 
 us into, the forefl aLuong bears, and tygers ; 
 ami, with the' exadlncfs of a naturalift, de- 
 fcribes their forms, haunts, and mauncr of 
 living His ccmpofition is generally beau- 
 tiful ; fo that he: coni;nonly produces an agree- 
 able whole. His landfcape too is piO:urefque 
 ^nd romantic ; and well adapted lu ttie fub- 
 je6t he treats. — On the other hand, his man- 
 ner is laboured, and wants freedom. His 
 human figures are feldom dra;;n with tafte. 
 His horfes are ill-charaderized, and worfe 
 drawn ; and, indeed, his drawing, in general, 
 is but flovenly. — The prints of this mafter 
 are often real hiftory ; and reprefent the por- 
 
 H 3 traits
 
 ( I02 ) 
 
 traits of particular animals, which had been 
 taken in hunting. We have fometimes, too, 
 the ftory of the chace in High-Dutch, at the 
 bottom of the print. The idea of hiftorical 
 truth adds a relifh to the entertainment ; and 
 we furvey the animal with new pleafure, which 
 has given diverfion to a German prince for 
 
 nine hours together. The productions of 
 
 Ri DINGER are very numerous ; and the 
 greater part of them good. His huntings 
 in general, and different methods of catching 
 animals, are the leaft pi£lurefque of his works. 
 But he meant them rather as didad:ic prints, 
 than as pidlures. Many of his fables are 
 beautiful ; particularly the 3d, the yth, the 
 8th, and the loth. I cannot forbear adding 
 a particular encomium, on a book of the heads 
 of wolves and foxes. — His moft capital prints 
 are two large uprights ; one reprefenting bears 
 devouring a deer ; the other, wild-boars re- 
 pofmg in a foreft. 
 
 Masters
 
 ( I03 ) 
 
 Masters in Landscape. 
 
 Sadler's landfcapes have fome merit in 
 compofition : they are pidlurefque and ro- 
 mantic ; but the manner is dry and difa- 
 greeable ; the light ill-diftributed ; the dif- 
 tances ill-kept ; and the figures bad. — There 
 were three engravers of this name ; but none 
 of them eminent. John engraved a fet of 
 plates for the Bible ; and many other fmall 
 prints in the hiftorical way : in which we 
 fometimes find a graceful figure, and tolerable 
 drawing ; but, on the v/hole, no great me- 
 rit. Egidius was the engraver of land- 
 fcape ; and is the perfon here criticifed. 
 Ralph chiefly copied the defigns of Bassan ; 
 and engraved in the dry difiigreeable manner 
 of his brother. 
 
 II 4 Rem-
 
 ( 104 ) 
 
 REMBRANt^x's landfcapes have very little 
 to recommend them, befides their effeO: ; 
 which is often lurprifing. One of the moll 
 admired of them goes under the name of 
 The Three Tr&es. 
 
 Gasper Pous.sin etched a few landfcapes 
 in a very loofe, but marterly manner. It is 
 a pity we have not more of his works. 
 
 Abraham Bloemart underftood the 
 beauty of compofition, as well in landfcape, 
 as in hiftory. But his prints have little force, 
 through the want of a proper diftribution of 
 light. Neither is there much freedom in the 
 execution. 
 
 Hollar was born at Prague; and brought 
 into England by that great patron of arts, the 
 earl of Arundel, in Charles I's time. He 
 was an artifl: of great merit, and in various 
 ways : but I place him here, as his principal 
 
 works
 
 ( 105 ) 
 
 works are views of particular places ; which 
 he copied with great truth, as he found them. 
 If we are fatisfied with exaB reprefeiitation^ we 
 have it no where better, than in Hollar's 
 works. But we are not to exped pictures. 
 His large views are generally bad : I might 
 indeed lay, all his large 'works. His fhipping, 
 his Fphefian matron, his Virgil, and his 
 Juvenal, are among the worft. Many of thefe 
 prints he wrought, and probably wrought 
 haftlly, for bookfellers. His fmaller works 
 are often good. Among thefe are many views 
 of cafties, v^hich he took on the Rhine, and 
 the Danube ; and many views alfo in Eng- 
 land. His diftances are generally pleafing. 
 In his foregrounds, which he probably took 
 exa(3:ly as he found them, he fails moft. 
 Among his other views is a very beautiful 
 one of London bridge, and the parts adja- 
 cent, taken fomewhere near Somerfet-houfe. 
 Hollar has given us alfo feveral plates in 
 animal life, which are good ; particularly two 
 or three fmall plates of domeilic fowls, wild 
 ducks, woodcocks, and other game. Among 
 his prints of game, there is particularly one 
 yery highly finifhed, in which a hare is re- 
 prefented hanging with a baiket of birds. 
 
 His
 
 ( io6 ) 
 
 His fliells, muffs, and butterflies, are admi- 
 rable. His loofe etchings too are far from 
 wanting fpirit ; and his imitations are excel- 
 lent, particularly thofe after count Gaude, 
 Callot, and Barlow. He has admirably 
 expreffed the manner of thafe mafters — of 
 Callot efpecially, whofe Beggars have all 
 the fpirit of the originals, in a reduced fize. — 
 la general, however, Hollar is moft ad- 
 mired as an antiquarian. We confider his 
 works as a repofitory of curiofitles ; and re- 
 cords of antiquated dreffes, abolifhed ceremo- 
 nies, and edifices now in ruins. And yet 
 many of his antiquities are elegantly touched. 
 The Gofnic ornaments of his cathedrals are 
 often mafterly. The fword of Edward VI. 
 the cup of Andrea Montegna, and the 
 vafes from Holbein, are all beautiful. — I 
 have dwelt the longer on thi« artift, as he is 
 in general much efteemed ; and as I had an 
 opportunity of examining two of the noblefl 
 colledions of his works, I believe, in Eng- 
 land — one in the King's library, collected, as 
 I have heard, by king William ; the other 
 in the library of the late duchefs dowager 
 of Portland. And yet though thefe collec- 
 tions are fo very numerous (each, as I remember, 
 
 con-
 
 ( 10? ) 
 
 contained In two large volumes in folio) nei-^ 
 ther of them is complete. There were fome 
 prints in each, which were not in the other. — 
 Notwithftanding Hollar was fo very inde- 
 fatigable, and was patronized by many people 
 of rank, he was fo very poor, that he died 
 with an execution in his houfe. 
 
 V Stephen de la Bella's landfcapes have 
 little to recommend them, befides their neat- 
 nefs, and keeping. His compofition is fel- 
 dom good ; and the foliage of his trees re- 
 sembles bits of fpunge. I fpeak chiefly of his 
 Jarger works ; for which his manner is not cal- 
 culated. His neatnefs qualities him better for 
 miniature. 
 
 \/ Bolswert's landfcapes after Reubens 
 are executed in a grand ftyle. Such a pain- 
 ter, and fuch an engraver, could not fail of 
 producing fomething great. There is little 
 variety in them : nor any of the more minute 
 beauties arifmg from contraft, catching lights^ 
 and fuch little elegances ; but every thing 
 is fimple, and great. The print, which goes 
 
 by
 
 ( io8 ) 
 
 by the name of ne waggon^ is particularly, 
 and defervedly admired. Of thefe prints we 
 generally meet with good impreffions ; as th^ 
 plates are engraved with great ftrength. 
 
 ^ Neulant hath etched a fmall book of the 
 ruins of Rome ; in which there is great fim- 
 plicity, and fome fkill in compofition, and the 
 diftribution of light ; but the execution is harfli 
 and difagreeahle. 
 
 We have a few landfcapes by an earl of 
 Sunderland^ in an elegant, loofe manner. One 
 of them, in which a Spaniard is (landing on 
 the foreground, is marked G. l^ J, fculpferunt: 
 another J. G, 
 
 Waterlo is a name beyond any other in 
 landfcape. His fubjeds are perfectly rural. 
 Simplicity is their charadleriftic. We find no 
 great variety in them, nor ftretch of fancy. 
 He feledts a few humble objedts. A coppice, 
 a corner of a foreft, a winding road, or a 
 ftraggling village is generally the extent of his 
 
 view ;
 
 ( io9 ) 
 
 View : nor does he always introduce an ofF- 
 fklp. His compofitiou is generally good, fo 
 far as it goes, and his light often well diftri- 
 buted ; but his chief merit lies in execution ; 
 in which he is a confummate mafter. Every 
 objedt that he touches, has the character of 
 nature : but he particularly excels in the foliage 
 of trees. — It is a difficult matter to meet with 
 the larger works at leaft, of this mafter in per- 
 fe<ftion ; the original plates are all retouched, 
 and greatly injured. 
 
 SwANEVELT painted landfcape at Rome ; 
 where he obtained the name of the hermit^ 
 from his folitary walks among the ruins of 
 TivOLi, and FRESCAti ; among the rocky 
 vallies of the Sabine mountains; and the beauti- 
 ful wooded lakes of the Latin hills. He etched 
 in the manner of Waterlo ; but with lefs 
 freedom. His trees, in particular, will bear no 
 comparifon with thofe of that mafter. But if 
 he fell fliort of Waterlo in the freedom of 
 execution, he went greatly beyond him in 
 the dignity of defign. Waterlo faw na- 
 ture with a Dutchman's eye. If we except 
 two or three of his pieces, hs never went 
 
 bevond
 
 ( no ) 
 
 beyond the plain fimplicity of a Flemifh 
 landfcape. Swanevelt's . ideas were of a 
 nobler caft. Swanevelt had trodden claf- 
 fic ground ; and had warmed his imagination 
 with the grandeur and variety of Italian views, 
 every where ornamented with the fplendid 
 ruins of Roman architecture : but his favourite; 
 fubjedis feem to have been the mountain- 
 forefts, where a magnificent difpofition of 
 ground, and rock is embelliflied with the no- 
 bleft growth of foreft-trces. His compofition 
 is often good ; and his lights judiciouHy fpread. 
 In his execution, we plainly difcover two man- 
 ners : whether a number of his plates have 
 been retouched by fome judicious hand ; or 
 whether he himfelf altered his manner in the 
 different periods of his life. 
 
 v^ 
 
 James Rousseau, the difciple of Swane- 
 velt, was a French proteftant ; and fled into 
 England from the perfecution of Lewis XIV. 
 Here he was patronized by the duke of Mon- 
 tague ; whofe palace, now the Briti/Jj Mu- 
 feum^ he contributed to adorn with his paint- 
 ings ; fome of which are good. The few 
 etchings he hath left are beautiful. He un- 
 
 derftood
 
 { in ) 
 
 derftood compofition, and the diftrlbution of 
 light ; and there is a fine tafte in his land- 
 fcapes ; if we except perhaps only that his 
 horizon is often taken too high. Neither 
 can his perfped^ive, at all times, bear a cri- 
 tical examination ; and what is worfe, it is 
 often pedantically introduced. His figures are 
 good in themfelves, and generally well placed. 
 — His manner is rather dry and formal. — 
 Rousseau, it may be added, was an excellent 
 man. Having efcaped the rage of perfecution 
 himfelf, he made it his ftudy to leflen the 
 fufferings of his diftrefifed brethren ; by diftri- 
 buting among them great part of the produce 
 of his genius. Such an anecdote, in the life 
 of a painter, fhould not be omitted, even in fo 
 fhort a review as this. 
 
 V We now and then meet v/ith an etching 
 by RuYSDALE; but I never faw any, that 
 was not exceedingly flight. 
 
 J. LuTMA hath etched a few fmall land- 
 fcapes in a mafterly manner; which difcover 
 
 fome
 
 ( i.O 
 
 fdme ikill in coilipofition, and the manage- 
 ment of light. 
 
 Y Israel SylV£stre has given lis a great 
 tariety of fmall views (fdme indeed of a larger 
 fize) of ruins, churches, bridges and caftles, 
 in France and Italy. They are exceedingly 
 neat, and touched with great fpirif. This 
 mailer can give beauty even to the outlines 
 of a modern building j and virhat is more, he 
 gives it without injuring the truth: infomuch 
 that I have feen a gentleman juft come from 
 his travels, pick out many of Sylvestre's 
 ■views, one by one, (though he had never feen 
 them before,) merely from his acquaintance 
 with the buildings. To the praife of this 
 mafter it may be farther added, that in general 
 he forms his view into an agreeable whole ; 
 and if his light is not always well diftributed, 
 there are fo many beauties in his execution, 
 that the eye cannot find fault. His works are 
 very numerous, and few of them are bad. In 
 trees he excels lead. 
 
 The
 
 { >i3 ) 
 
 The etchings of Claude Lorrain are 
 below his character. His execution is bad ; 
 and there is a dirtinefs in it, which dif- 
 pleafes : his trees are heavy ; his Hghts feldom 
 well-mafled ; and his diftances only fometimes 
 
 obferved. The truth is, Claude's talents 
 
 lay upon his pallet ; and he could do little 
 
 without it. His Via facra is one of his beft 
 
 prints. The trees and ruins on the left, are 
 beautifully touched ; and the whole (though ra- 
 ther formal) would have been pleafing, if the 
 
 foreground had been in (hadow. After all, 
 
 it is probable, I may not have feen fome of his 
 beft prints. I have heard a fea-port much 
 praifed for the effect of a fetting fun ; and 
 another print, in which a large group of trees 
 fill the centre, with water, and cattle on the 
 foreground ; and a diftance, on each fide of 
 the trees. But I do not recollect feeing either 
 of thefe prints. 
 
 / Perelle has great merit. His fancy Is 
 fruitful ; and fupplies him with a richnefs, and 
 variety in his views, which nature feldom ex- 
 
 I hibits.
 
 ( "4 ) 
 
 hib'its. It Is indeed too exuberant ; for he 
 often confounds the eye with too great a luxu- 
 riancy. His manner is his own ; and it is dif- 
 ficult to fay, whether it excels moft in rich- 
 nefs, ftrength, elegance, or freedom. His 
 trees are particularly beautiful ; the foliage is 
 loofe, and the ramification eafy. And yet it 
 muft be confeflcd, that Perelle is rather 
 a mannerift, than a copier of nature. His 
 views are all ideal ; his trees are of one fa- 
 mily ; and his light, though generally well diftri- 
 buted, is fometimes affected : it is introduced 
 as a fpot ; and is not properly melted into 
 the neighbouring jfhade by a middle tint. 
 Catching lights, ufed fparingly, are beautiful: 
 Perelle affeds them. — Thefe remarks are 
 made principally on the works of 0/<3' Perelle ; 
 For there were three engravers of this name ; 
 the grandfather, the father, and the fon. 
 They all engraved in the fame ftyle ; but the 
 juniors, inftead of improving the family tafte, 
 degenerated. The grandf\ther is the beft, 
 and the grandfon the word. 
 
 Vander Cabel feems to have been a 
 carelefs artift; and difcovers great flovenlinefs 
 
 in
 
 ( "5 ) 
 
 in many of his works : but in thofe which he 
 has ftudied, and carefully executed, there is 
 great beauty. His manner is loofe and maf- 
 terly. It wants effect ; but abounds in free- 
 dom. His trees are often particularly well 
 managed ; and his fmall pieces, in general, are 
 the bed of his works. 
 
 In Weirotter we fee great neatnefs, and 
 high finifhing ; but often at the expence of 
 fpirit and effed:. He feems to have underftood 
 beft the management of trees ; to which he 
 
 always gives a beautiful loofenefs. There is 
 
 great effetft in a fmall moon-light by this 
 mafter : the whole is in dark fhade, except 
 three figures on the foreground. 
 
 OvERBECK etched a book of Roman ruins : 
 which are in general good. They are pretty 
 large, and highly finifhed. His manner is free, 
 his light often well diftributed, and his compo- 
 fition agreeable. 
 
 I 2 Genoel's
 
 ( "6 ) 
 
 Genoel's landfcapes are rather free fketches, 
 than finifhed prints. In that light they are 
 beautiful. No effed is aimed at : but the free 
 manner in which they arc touched, is pleafmg ; 
 and the compofition is in general good, though 
 often crowded. 
 
 / Both's tafte in landfcape is elegant. His 
 ideas are grand ; his compofition beautiful ; 
 and his execution rich and mafterly in a high 
 degree. His light is not always well diftri- 
 buted. His figures are excellent. We re- 
 gret that we have not more of his works ; 
 for they are certainly, on the whole, among 
 the bell landfcapes we have. 
 
 Marco Ricci's works, which are nume- 
 rous, have little merit. His human figures 
 indeed are good, and his trees tolerable ; but 
 he produces no effed, his manner is difgufting, 
 his cattle ill-drawn, and his diftances ill-pre- 
 ferved. 
 
 Le
 
 ( ««7 ) 
 
 Le VeAu's landfcapes are highly finifhed : 
 they are engraved with great foftnefs, elegance, 
 and fpirit. The keeping of this mafter is par- 
 ticularly well ohferved. His fubjeds too are 
 well chofen ; and his prints indeed, in general, 
 make beautiful furniture. 
 
 ZuiNGG engraves in a manner very like Le 
 Veau ; but not quite fo elegantly. 
 
 Zeeman was a Dutch painter; and ex- 
 celled in fea-coafts, beaches, and diftant land ; 
 which he commonly adorned with fkiffs, and 
 fifhing-boats. His prints are copies from 
 his pictures. His execution is neat, and his 
 diftances well kept : but he knows nothing of 
 the diftribution of light. His figures too are 
 good, and his fkiffs admirable. In hisy^^- 
 p'leces he introduces larger veflels ; but his 
 prints in this fliyle are commonly awkward, 
 and difagreeable. 
 
 I 3 Vandiest
 
 ( "8 ) 
 
 Vandiest left behind him a few rough 
 fketches, which are executed with great free- 
 dom. 
 
 n/ Goupy very happily caught the manner of 
 Salvator ; and in feme things excelled him. 
 There is a richnefs in his execution, and a 
 fpirit in his trees, which Salvator wants. 
 But his figures are bad. Very grofs inrtances, 
 not only of indelicacy of outline, but even of bad 
 drawing, may be found in his print of PoR- 
 SENNA, and in that of Diana. Landfcape 
 is his fort ; and his beft prints are thofe which 
 go under the titles of the Latrones^ the Augurs^ 
 T'obit^ Hagary and its companion. 
 
 V PiRANESi has given us a larger collejflion 
 of Roman antiquities, than any other mafter ; 
 and has added to his ruins a great variety of 
 modern buildings. The critics fay, he has 
 trufted too much to his eye; and that his 
 proportions and perfpedive are often faulty. 
 He feems to be a rapid genius ; and wc are 
 
 told,
 
 ( "9 ) 
 
 told, the drawings, which he takes on the fpot, 
 ^re as flight and rough as poflible : the reft: he 
 makes out by memory and invention. His in- 
 vention indeed is wonderful ; and I know not 
 whether fuch of his works as are entirely of his 
 own invention are not the beft. From fo rapid, 
 and voluminous an artift, indeed we cannot ex- 
 ped: much correctnefs : his works complete, fell 
 at leaft for fifty pounds. But the great ex- 
 cellence of this artift lies in execution; of which 
 he is a confummate mafter. His ftroke is firm, 
 free, and bold, in the greateft degree ; and his 
 manner admirably calculated to produce a grand, 
 and rich efFed:. But the effeds he produces are 
 rarely feen, except in fingle objeQs. A defaced 
 capital, a ruined wall, or broken fluting, he 
 touches with great fpirit. He exprefl^es even the 
 ftains of weather-beaten marble : and thofe of 
 his prints, in which he has an opportunity of 
 difplaying exprefiion in this way, are generally 
 the beft. His ftroke has much the appearance 
 of etching ; but I have been informed that it is 
 chiefly engraved, and that he makes great ufe of 
 the dry needle. — His faults are many. His ho- 
 rizon is often taken too high ; his views are fre- 
 quently ill-choien ; his objeds crowded ; his 
 forms ill-fhaped. Of the diftribution of light he 
 
 I 4 has
 
 ( I20 ) 
 
 has little knowledge. Now and then we meet 
 with an effdd: of it ; which makes us only lament, 
 that in fuch mafterly performances it is found fo 
 feldom. His figures are bad : they are ill-drawn, 
 and the drapery hangs in tatters. It is the more 
 unhappy, as his prints are populous. His trees 
 are in a paltry ftyle ; and his fkies hard, and 
 frittered. 
 
 \/ Our celebrated countryman Hogarth cannot 
 properly be omitted in a catalogue of engravers ; 
 and yet he ranks in none of the foregoing clafles. 
 "With this apology I ihall introduce him here. 
 
 The works of this mafler abound in true 
 humour ; and fatire, which is generally well 
 directed. TLey are admirable moral leflbns, 
 and afford a fund of entertainment fuited to 
 every ^afte : a circumllance, which lliews them 
 to be juft copies of nature. We may confider 
 them too as valuable repofitories of the man- 
 ners, cuftoms, and drcfles of the prefent age. 
 What amufement would a collec^tion of this 
 kind afford, drawn from every period of the 
 hiftory of ^ irain ? — How far the works of 
 Hogarth will bear a critical examination^ may 
 be the fubjedt of a little more inquiry. 
 
 In
 
 ( 121 ) 
 
 In dcfgn Hogarth was feldom at a lofs. 
 His invention was fertile ; and his judgment 
 accurate. An improper incident is rarely in- 
 troduced ; a proper one rarely omitted. No 
 one could tell a ftory better ; or make it, in 
 all its circumftances, more intelligible. His 
 genius, however, it muft be owned, was fuited 
 only to low^ or familial' fubjeds. It never 
 foared above common life : to fubjects naturally 
 fublime ; or which from antiquity, or other 
 accidents borrowed dignity, he could not rife. 
 
 In compofition we fee little in him to admire. 
 In many of his prints, the deficiency is fo 
 great, as plainly to imply a want of all prin- 
 ciple j which makes us ready to believe, that 
 when we do meet with a beautiful group, it is 
 the effect of chance. In one of his minor 
 works, the idle ^prenUce^ we feldom fee a crowd 
 more beautifully managed, than in tlie lad 
 print. If the fhi:riff's officers had not been 
 placed in a line, and had been brought a little 
 lower in the picture, fo as to have formed a 
 pyramid with the cart, the compofition had 
 been unexceptionable; and yet the firft print 
 of this work is fo ftriking an inflance of difa- 
 greeable compofition, that it is amazing, how 
 an artift, who had any idea of beautiful 
 
 forms,
 
 ( 122 ) 
 
 forms, could fuffer fo unmafterly a perform- 
 ance ro leave his hands. 
 
 Of the dijir'ibution of light Hogarth had 
 as little knowledge as of compofition. In fome 
 of his pieces we fee a good effed: ; as in the 
 execution juft mentioned : in which, if the 
 figures at the right and left corners, had been 
 kept down a little, the light would have been 
 beautifully diftributed on the foreground, and 
 a tine fecondary light fpread over part of the 
 crowd : but at the fame time there is fo ob- 
 vious a deficiency in point of effed, in moft 
 of his prints, that it is very evident he had no 
 principles. 
 
 Neither was Hogarth a mafter oi drawing. 
 Of the mufcles and anatomy of the head and 
 hands he had perfedt knowledge ; but his 
 trunks are often badly moulded, and his limbs 
 ill fet on. I tax him with plain bad drawing ; 
 I fpeak not of t'ne niceties of anatomy, and ele- 
 gance of out-line : of thefe indeed he knew 
 nothing ; nor were they of ufe in that mode of 
 defign which he cultivated : and yet his fi- 
 gures, on the whole, are infpired with fo much 
 life, and meaning ; that the eye is kept in good 
 humour, in fpite of its inclination to find fault. 
 
 The
 
 (•23) 
 
 The author of the Analyfis of Beauty^ it might 
 be fuppoied, would have given us more in- 
 ftances of grace^ than we find in the works of 
 Hogarth ; which fhews ftrongly that theory 
 and practice are not always united. Many 
 opportunities his fubjedis naturally afford of in- 
 troducing graceful attitudes ; and yet we have 
 very few examples of them. With inftances of 
 piSluref que grace his works abound. 
 
 Of his exprejfion^ in which the force of his 
 genius lay, we cannot fpeak in terms too high. 
 In every mode of it he was truly excellent. 
 The paffions he thoroughly underfiood ; and 
 all the efleds which they produce in every 
 part of the human frame : he had the happy 
 art alfo of conveying his ideas with the fame 
 precifion, with which he conceived them. — 
 He was excellent too in exprefhng any hu- 
 morous oddity, which we often fee flamped 
 upon the human face. All his heads are caft 
 in the very mould of nature. Hence that end- 
 lefs variety, which is difplayed through his 
 works : and hence it is, that the difference 
 arifes between his heads, and the affeQed ca- 
 ricatures of thofe mafters, who have fometimes 
 amuied themielves with patching together an 
 affemblage of features from their own ideas. 
 
 Such
 
 ( 124 ) 
 
 Such are Spaniolet's ; which, though ad- 
 mirably executed, appear plainly to have no 
 archetypes in nature. Hogarth's, on the 
 other hand, are colledlions of natural curiofities. 
 The Oxford-heads^ the phyfician s-arms^ and 
 fome of his other pieces, are exprefsly of 
 this humorous kind. They are truly comic ; 
 though ill-natured effufions of mirth : more en- 
 tertaining than Spaniolet'vS, as they are pure 
 nature ; but lefs innocent, as they contain 
 ill-dire£ted ridicule. — But the fpecies of ex- 
 preiTion, in vv'hich this mafter perhaps moft 
 excels, is that happy art of catching thofe pe- 
 culiarities of air, and gefture, which the ridi- 
 culous part of every profeffion contract ; and 
 which, for that reafon, become charaderiftic 
 of the whole. His counfellors, his under- 
 takers, his lawyers, his ufurers, are all con- 
 fpicuous at fight. In a word, almoft every 
 profefTion may fee in his works, that particular 
 fpecies of affectation, which they fhould moft 
 endeavour to avoid. 
 
 The execution of this mafter is well fuited 
 to his fubjeds, and manner of treating them. 
 He etches with great fpirit ; and never gives 
 one unncLefiary ftroke. For myfelf, I greatly 
 more value the works of his own needle, than 
 
 thofe
 
 ( 1^5 ) 
 
 thofe high-finlQied prints, on which he em- 
 ployed other engravers. For as the produdion 
 of an efFed is not his talent ; and as this is the 
 chief excellence of high-finifliing ; his own 
 rough manner is certainly preferable ; in which 
 we have moft of the force, and fpirlt of his 
 expreffion. The manner in none of his works 
 pleafes me fo well, as in a fmall print of a 
 corner of a play-houfe. There is more fpirit 
 in a work of this kind, ftruck off at once, 
 warm from the imagination, than in all the cold 
 correftnefs of an elaborate engraving. If all 
 his works had been executed in this ftyle, with 
 a few improvements in the compofition, and 
 the management of light, they would certainly 
 have been a more valuable collection of prints 
 than they are. The Rakes Progrcfs^ and fome 
 of his other works, are both etched and engra- 
 ved by himfelf : they are well done ; but it is 
 plain he meant them as furniture. As works 
 defigned for a critic's eye, they would have 
 been better without the engraving ; except a 
 few touches in a very few places. The want 
 of effed too would have been lefs confpicuous, 
 which in his high eft fmilhed prints is difagree- 
 ably ftriking.
 
 ( 1^7 ) 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Remarks on particular Prints* 
 
 AVING thus examined the charaders of 
 feveral mafters, I (hall now make a few- 
 remarks on fome particular prints, by way of 
 illuftrating the obfervations that have been made. 
 The firll print I fhall criticize, is 
 
 The Resurrection of Lazarus, by 
 Bloemart. 
 
 Wih regard to defign, this print has great 
 merit. The point of time is very judicioully 
 chofen. It is a point between the firft com- 
 mand, La%arus^ come forth ; and the fecond, 
 Loofe him, and let him go. The aftonifhment 
 of the two fillers is now over. The predomi- 
 nant paffion is gratitude ; which is difcovering 
 itfelf in praife. One of the attendants is telling 
 
 5 ^^^
 
 ( J28 ) 
 
 the flupified man, " That is your fifter*" Hlm- 
 felf, colleding his fcattered ideas, directs his 
 gratitude to Chrift. Jefus direds it to heaven. 
 So far the defign is good. But what are thofe 
 idle figures on the right hand, and on the left ? 
 Some of them feem no way concerned in the 
 adlion. Two of the principal are introduced 
 as grave-diggers ; but even in that capacity 
 they were unwanted ; for the place ^ we are told, 
 was a cavCy and a Jione lay tipoii It, When a 
 painter is employed on a barren fubjed, he 
 mufl: make up his groups as he is able ; but 
 there was no barrennefs here : the artifl might, 
 with propriety, have introduced, in the room 
 of the grave-diggers, fome of the Phariiaical 
 party maligning the adion.- Such, we are told, 
 were on the fpot ; and, as they are figures of 
 confequence in the ftory, they ought not to 
 have been fhoved back, as they are, among the 
 appendages of the piece. 
 
 The compofition is almoft faultlefs. The prin- 
 cipal group is finely difpofed. It opens in a 
 beautiful manner, and difcovers every part. It 
 is equally beautiful, w^ien confidered in com- 
 bination with the figures on the left hand. 
 
 The light is but ill-diftributed, though the fi- 
 gures are difpofed to receive the mod beauitful 
 
 effed
 
 •( 1^9 ) 
 
 effect of It. Tfie whole is one glare. It Hafl 
 been better, if all the figures on the elevated 
 ground, 6n the right, had been in ftrong fha- 
 •dow. The' extended arm, the head" ^nd fhoul- 
 der of the grave-digger, might have received 
 catching lights. A little more light might 
 have been thrown on the principal figure; and 
 a little lefs on the figure kneeling. The re- 
 maining figures, on the left, fliould have been 
 kept down. Thus the light would have cen- 
 tered flrongly on the capital group, and would 
 have faded gradually away. 
 
 The fingle figures are in general good. 
 The principal one indeed is not fo capital as 
 might be wifhed. The charader is not quite 
 pleafing ; the right arm is awkwardly intro- 
 duced, if not ill-drawn ; and the whole dif- 
 agreeably incumbered with drapery. — Lazarus 
 is very fine : the drawing, the expreflion, and 
 grace of the figure are all good. — The figure 
 kneeling contrails with the group. — The grave- 
 diggers are both admirable. It is a pity, they 
 fhould be incumbrances only. 
 
 The drawing is in general good : yet there 
 feems to be fomething amifs in the pedoral 
 mufcles of the grave-digger on the right. The 
 hands too of almoft all the figures are con- 
 
 K llrained
 
 ( IJO ) 
 
 Arained and awkward. Few of them are In 
 natural action. 
 
 The manner^ which is mere engraving, 
 without any etching, }s itrong, diftin^, ^nd 
 C^pprefTive.
 
 ( M' ) 
 
 The death of Polycrates ; bv 
 Salvator Rosa. 
 
 'T\\t Jiory Is well told: every part is fully 
 engaged in the fubjc6t, and properly fubordi- 
 nate to it. 
 
 The difpojition Is agreeable. The contrivance 
 of the groups, falling one into another, is plea-? 
 fing : and yet the form would have been more 
 beautiful, if a ladder with a figure upon it, 4 
 piece of loole drapery, a ftandard, or fome other 
 objedt, had been placed on the left fide of the 
 crofs, to have filled up that formal vacancy, in 
 the fhape of a right-angle, and to have made 
 the pyramid more complete. The groups them* 
 felves are fimple and elegant. The three figures 
 on horfe-back indeed are bad. A line of heads 
 is always unpleafing. 
 
 There is little idea of keeping. The whole is 
 too much one furface ; which might have been 
 prevented by more force on the fore-ground, 
 and a flighter iky. 
 
 K 2 The
 
 ( «32 ) 
 
 The light is diftrlbuted without any judg* 
 ment. It might perhaps have been improved, 
 if the group of the foldier refting on his fhield, 
 had been in fhadow ; vvdth a few catching 
 lights. This fliadow, pafTing through the la- 
 bel, might have extended over great part of 
 the foreground above it ; by which we fhould 
 have had a body of fhadow to balance the light 
 6f the centre-group, The low^er figures of 
 the equeftrian-group might have received a 
 middle tint, with a few ftrong touches ; the 
 upper figures might have caught the light, to 
 detach them from the ground. — There are fome 
 lights too in the iky, which would be better 
 removed. 
 
 With regard to the figures taken feparately, 
 they are almofl unexceptionably good. We 
 feldom indeed fee fo many good figures in any 
 coUedion of fueh a number. The young fol- 
 dier leaning over his fhield ; the other figures 
 of that group ; the foJdier pointing, in the 
 middle of the picilure ; and the figure behind 
 him fpreading his hands, are all in the highefl 
 degree elegant, ^nd graceful. The diftant fi- 
 gures too are beautiful. The expreffion, in 
 the whole body of the fpedlators, is ftriking. 
 Some are more, and fome Iqfs.affeded; but 
 
 1 >I every
 
 ( ^33 ) 
 
 every one in a degree. All the figures, how- 
 ever, are not faultlefs. Polycrates hangs 
 ungracefully on his crofs : his body is compofed 
 of parallel lines, and right angles. His face 
 is ftrongly marked with agony : but his legs 
 are difproportioned to his body. — The three 
 lower figures of the equeftrian-group have little 
 
 beauty. One of the equeftrian figures alfo, 
 
 that neareft the crofs, is formal and difpleafing: 
 and as to a horfe, Salvator feems to have 
 had very little idea of the proportion and ana- 
 tomy of that animal — Indeed the whole of this 
 corner of the print is bad ; and I know not 
 whether the compofition would not be improved 
 by the removal of it. 
 
 The fcenery is beautiful. The rock broken, 
 and covered with fhrubs at the top ; and after- 
 wards fpreading into one grand, and fimple 
 ihade, is in itfelf a pleafing object ; and affords 
 an excellent back-ground to the figures. 
 
 The execution of this print is equal to that of 
 any of Salvator's works. 
 
 k
 
 ( 134 ) 
 
 ^ The triumph of Silenus ; by Peter 
 Testa. 
 
 P. Testa feems, la this elegant and mafterly 
 performance, as far as his fubllmfi ideas can be 
 comprehended, to have intended a fatire on the 
 indulgence of inordinate defires. 
 
 The dcftgn is perfeft. Silenus reprefetiting 
 drunkennefi?, is introduced in the middle of 
 the piece, holding an ivy-crown, and fup- 
 ported by his train, in all the pomp of un- 
 wieldy majefty. Before him dance a band of 
 bacchanalian rioters ; feme of them, as de- 
 fcribed by the poets, 
 
 inter pocuia \x.\.i. 
 
 ^'Tollibus in pratis, unJios Jaliere per litres. 
 
 Intemperance, Debauchery, and unnatural Luf!s 
 complete the immoral feftival. In the offskip 
 fifes the temple of Priapus ; and hard-by a 
 mountain, dedicated to lewdnefs, nym.phs, and 
 fatyrs. — In the heavens are reprcfented the 
 
 - ' M-oon
 
 ( i3i ) 
 
 Moofi arid ^tars piifliing back the Stin, This 
 group is introduced in various attitudes of fur- 
 prize, and fear. The Moon is hidirig her face ; 
 and one of her companions, extinguifhing a 
 torch — all implying, that fuch revels, as are here 
 defcribed, dreaded the approach of day. 
 
 The difpofition has lefs merit ; yet is not 
 unpleafing. The group, on the left, and the 
 feveral parts of it, are happily difpofed. Th^ 
 group of dancers, on the other fide, is crowd- 
 ed, and ill-fhaped. The difpofition might, 
 perhaps, have had a better effed, if an elegant 
 canopy had been held over Silenus ; which 
 would have been no improper appendage ; and, 
 by forming the apex of a pyramid over the 
 principal figure, would have given more variety 
 and beauty to the whole. 
 
 The lights with regard to particular Jigures^ 
 is juft, and beautiful. But fuch a light, at 
 bed, gives us only the idea of a pidure exa- 
 mined by a candle. Every figure, as you hold 
 the candle to it, appears well lighted ; but 
 indead of an effedf of light, you have only a 
 fucceffion oi fpots. Indeed the Hglit is not 
 only ill, but abfurdly diftributed. The upper 
 part is enlightened by one fun, and the lower 
 part by another ; the direction of the light 
 
 K 4 being
 
 ( ii6 ) 
 
 being different In each. — ^Should we endeavour 
 tQ amend it, it might be better perhaps to 
 leave out the Sun ; and to reprefent him, by 
 {lis fymbols, as approaching only. The fky- 
 figures would of courfe receive catching lights, 
 and might be left nearly as ■■ they are. The 
 figure of i?fl/;/ under the Moon fhould be in 
 fhadow. The bear too, and the lion's head 
 fhould be kept down. Thus there would be 
 nothing glaring in the celeftial figures. Si- 
 LENUS, an<i his train, might be enlightened 
 by a ftrong torch-light, carried by the dancing 
 figures. The light would then fall nearly as 
 it does, on the principal group. The other 
 figures fhould be brought down to a middle 
 tint. This kind of light would naturally pro- 
 duce a gloom in the background, which would 
 have a good effed. 
 
 With regard to the figures taken feparately, 
 they are conceived with fuch claffical purity, 
 and fimplicity of tafte ; fo elegant in the draw- 
 ing, and fo graceful in every attitude ; that if 
 T were obliged to fix upon any print, as an 
 -example of all the beauties which Tingle figures 
 are capable of receiving, I fhould almoft be 
 tempted to give the preference te this. 
 
 The 
 
 i^.-r\
 
 ( 137 ) 
 
 . ,The moll ftriking inftances of fine drawing 
 are feen in the principal figure ; in the legs of 
 the figure that fupports him ; and in thofe of 
 the figure dancing with the pipes ; in the mari 
 and woman behind the centaur ; in the figure 
 in the clouds, with his right hand over his 
 knee ; and particularly in that bold fore-lliort- 
 ened figure on the right of the Sun. 
 
 Inftances of exprejjlon we have in the un- 
 wieldinefs of Silenus. He appears fo dead 
 a weight, fo totally unelaftic, that every part 
 of him, which is not fupported, finks with its 
 own gravity. The fenfibility too with which 
 his bloated body, like a quagmire, feels every 
 touch, is ftrongly exprefled in his countenance. 
 The figure, which fupports him, expreflies 
 ftrongly the labour of the action. The dancing 
 figures are all well charaderized. The pufiiing 
 figures alfo in the fky are marked with great 
 expreffion ; and above all the threatening figure, 
 reprefented in the adt of drawing a bow. 
 
 With regard to grace ^ every figure, at leaft 
 every capital one, is agreeable ; if we except 
 only that figure, which lies kicking its legs 
 upon the ground. But we have the ftrongeft 
 inftances of grace in the figure dancing with 
 2 the
 
 ( n^ ) 
 
 the pipes ; in the man and woman behind the 
 centaur, (who, it is not improbable, might be 
 defigned for Bacchus and AriadNe ;) and 
 in the boy lying on the ground. 
 
 With regard to execnt'wft^ we rarely fee an 
 inftance of it in greater perfeftion. Every head, 
 every miifcle, and every extremity is touched 
 with infmite fpirit. The very appendages are 
 fine ; and the ftone-pines, which adorn the 
 background, are marked with fuch tafte and 
 precifion, as if landfcape had been this artift's 
 only ftudy.
 
 ( i"39 ) 
 
 Smith's portrait or the duke of 
 
 SCHOMBERG ; FROM KnELLER. 
 
 Kneller, even when he laid hlmfelf out to 
 excel, was often but a tawdry painter. His 
 equeftrian portrait of king William, at Hamp- 
 ton-court, is a very unmafterly performance : 
 the compofition is bad ; the colouring gaudy ; 
 the whole is void of effect, and there is fcarce 
 a good figure in the piece. — The compofition 
 before us is more pleafing, though the effe£t is 
 little better. An equeftrian figure, at beft, is 
 an awkward fubjeifl. The legs of a horfe are 
 great incumbrances in grouping. Vandyke, 
 indeed, has managed king Charles the Firft, 
 on horfeback, with great judgment : and Ru- 
 }iENS too, at Hampton-court, has made a no- 
 ble pi(flure of the duke of Alva ; though his 
 
 horfe is ill drawn. In the print before us 
 
 the figure fitr, with grace and dignity; but the 
 horfe is no Bucephalus : his charader is only 
 
 that
 
 ( HO ) 
 
 that of a managed pad. The bufti, growing by 
 the duke's truncheon, is a trifling circumftance ; 
 and helps to break, into more parts, a compofi- 
 
 tion already too much broken. The execution 
 
 is throughout excellent ; and though the parts 
 are rather too fmall for mezzotint©, yet Smith 
 has given them all their force.
 
 { '4» ) 
 
 Pether's mezzotinto of Rembrandt's 
 Jewish rabbi. 
 
 The character Is that of a ftern, haughty 
 man, big with the idea of his own importance. 
 The rabbi is probably fictitious ; but the cha^ 
 radler was certainly taken from nature. There 
 Is great dignity in it ; which in a work of 
 
 Rembrandt's is the more extraordinary. 
 
 The full expreflion of it is given us in the 
 print. The unelaftic heavinefs of age, which 
 Is fo well defcribed in the original, Is as well 
 preferved in the copy. The three equidiftant 
 lights on the head, on the ornament, and on 
 the hands, are difagreeable : in the print they 
 could not be removed ; but it might have been 
 judicious to have kept down the two latter a 
 
 little more. "With regard to the execution, 
 
 every part is fcraped with the utmofi: foftnefs, 
 and delicacy. The mufcles are round and 
 plump ; and the infertions of them, which in 
 ^n old face are very apparent, are well ex- 
 
 preffed.
 
 ( 142 ) 
 
 prefTed. Such a variety of middle tints, and 
 melting lights, were difficult to manage ; and 
 yet they are managed with great tendernefs. 
 The loofeners of the beard is mafterly. The 
 hands are exa<Stly thofe of a fat old man. The. 
 ftern eyes are full of life ; and the nofe and 
 mouth are admirably touched. The feparation 
 of the lips in forae parts, and the adhefion of 
 them in others, are charaderiftic flrokes; and 
 happily preferved. The folds and lightnefs of 
 the turban are very elegant. The robe, about 
 the fhoulder, is unintelligible, and ill managed ; 
 but this was the painter's fault. - In a word, 
 when we examine this very beautiful mezzo- 
 tinto, we muft acknowledge, that no engraving 
 can equal it in foftnefs, and delicacy.
 
 ( H3 ) 
 
 3 siiT 
 
 HONDIUS S HUNTED WOLF- . 
 
 The compofition, in this little print, is good; 
 and yet there is tpo much fimilitude, in the 
 direction of the bodies of the feveral animals. 
 The group alfo is too mucla broken, and wants 
 folidity. The horizon is taken too high j^ un- 
 lefs the dimenfions of the print had been higher. 
 The rifmg ground, above the wolf's head, had 
 been offskip enough : and yet the rock, which 
 rifes higher, is fo beautifully touched ; that it 
 
 would be a pity to remove it. The /ig^t 
 
 is diftributed without any judgment. It might 
 have been improved, if all the interftices among 
 the legs, and heads of the animals, had been 
 kept down ; and the fhadow made very ftrong 
 under the fawn, and the wounded dog. This 
 would have given a bold relief to the figures ; 
 and might, without any other alteration, have 
 produced a good effed. — The drawing is not 
 faultlefs. The legs and body of the wounded 
 ^0^ are inaccurate : nor does the attacking dog 
 
 itand
 
 ( 144 ) 
 
 ftand firm upon his right leg. — With regard to 
 exprelJlon^ HoNDius has exerted his full force. 
 The expreflion, both of the wounded dog, and 
 of the wolf, is admirable: but the expreflion of 
 the attacking dog is a'moft bold and mafterly 
 copy from nature. His attitude Ihews every 
 nerve convulfed ; and his head is a maft^rpiecc 
 of animal fury. — We fhould add, that the 
 flaughtered animal is fo ill characlierized, that 
 we fcarce know what it is. — Th^ execution v^ 
 equal to the expreflion. It is neati and highly 
 finifhed ; but difcovers in every touch the, fpirit 
 of amafter. , ' ' '*' ':' _; 
 
 rl:^i ilv/ '.:>\ Lr ; >d 
 
 ji Jiirfj J bsdotro; yllu^mjBad oi \\ 
 
 ^r^VA Of IT -Si 
 
 gnom/: ?.'3Di/li33fii bifj Ha if ^bavoTqmf nuow c>7£/i 
 XTD^d bi^fl fSlcminc arfj lo ebfijd brifi ,250! oHl 
 ^fioiit \\yr fsbxim v^objuft adj bnfi -^ v^sjo^ii \^^^ 
 «idT .gob b^' r.r.v/ adi bns ,nw£l ^' ': • ' ul' 
 i g^iugri srfi i blod r> navip^ 5v 
 
 3V£fi ,noi3m3Jlfi i^ifio ynr njoiiliw ^irlgi 
 :?on 81 •^vu':)rii\\i 3fi i ) boo^^ 
 
 b3bniJOw -jjl) "io ^(bod h'w. Egal adT .aiabiofi'^ 
 ^ob -^nvh^.l^^ 3ili esob -j n : oj£-mo3£nI 31/; gol^ 
 bnsii
 
 '. 145 ) 
 
 «^l\Wi^ 
 
 The fifth plate of Du Jardin's 
 
 ANIMALS* 
 
 The defigtty though humble, is beautiful. The 
 two dogs repofing at noon, after the labour of 
 the morning, the implements of fowling, the 
 fidtitious hedge, and the loop-holes through 
 it, all correfpond ; and agreeably tell the little 
 
 hiftory of the day. The compofition alfo i$ 
 
 good : though it might have been better, if an- 
 other dog, or fomething equivalent, had been 
 introduced in the vacancy at the left corner. 
 This would have given the group of dogs a 
 better form. The nets, and fowling-pieces 
 are judicioufly added ; and make an agreeable 
 Ihape with the dogs. The hedge alfo adds 
 another pyramidal form ; which would have 
 been more pleafing if the left corner of the 
 reeds had been a little higher. — The light is 
 well diftributed ; only there is too much of it. 
 The farther dog might have been taken down 
 
 L a little ;
 
 ( h6 C 
 
 a little ; and the hinder parts of the nearer. 
 
 The drawing and exprejjlon are pure 
 
 nature ; and the execution elegant and maf- 
 terly.
 
 ( M7 ) 
 
 Waterlo's Tobias. 
 
 The landfcape I mean, is an upright n^ar 
 twelve inches, by ten. On the near ground 
 ftmds an oak, which forms a diagonal through 
 the print. The fecond diftance is compofed 
 of a rifmg ground, conneded with a rock, 
 which is covered with (liruhs. The oak, and 
 the (hrubs make a vifta, through which ap- 
 pears an extenfive view into the country. The 
 figures, which confift of an angel, Tobias, and 
 a dog, are dcfcending a hill, which forms the 
 fecond diftance. The print, whh this defcrip* 
 tion, cannot be milUkcn. — The compofition is 
 very piealing. The t»ees, on the foreground, 
 fpreading over the top of the print, and Hoping 
 to a point at the bottom, give the beautiful 
 form of an inverted pyramid \ which, in trees 
 efpecially, has olten a fi e efFe«ft. To this 
 form the inclined plane, on which the figures 
 ftand, and which is beautifully broken, is a 
 good coniraft. The rock approaches to a 
 
 L 2 per-
 
 ( M8 ) 
 
 perpendicular, and the diftance to an horizon-" 
 tal line. AH together make fuch a combina- 
 tion of beautiful and contrafting lines, that the 
 whole is pleafing. If I fhould find fault with 
 any thing, it is the regularity of the rocks. 
 There is no variety in parallels ; and it had 
 been very eafy to have broken them. — The 
 keeping is well preferved. The fecond and third 
 diftances are both judicioufly managed. The 
 light is well difpofed. To prevent heavinefs, 
 it is introduced upon the tree, both at the top: 
 and at the bottom ; but it is properly kept down, 
 A mafs of fhade fucceeds over th^ fecond dif» 
 tance ; and the water. The- light breaks, in a 
 blaze, on the bottom of the rock, and mafles 
 the ijahohn The trees, flirubs, and upper part 
 of the rock are happily thrown into a middle 
 tint. Perhaps the effedt of the diftant country 
 might have been better, if the light had been;- 
 kept down ; leaving only one cafy catching light 
 upon the town, and the rifing ground on which;, 
 it (lands, — The execution is exceedingly beauti- 
 ful. No artifl had a happier manner of ex-* I 
 prefTmg trees than Waterlo.; and the trea 
 before" us is one of his capital works. Thef 
 fhape of it we have already criticized. The 
 
 bole
 
 ( H9 ) 
 
 bole and ramification are as beautiful as the 
 fliape. The foliage is a maftL'rpiece. Such a 
 union of ftrength, and lightnefs is rarely found. 
 The extremities are touched with great tender- 
 nefs ; the ftrong maffes "of light. are relieved 
 with (hadows equally ftrong";. and yet eafe, and 
 foftnefs are preferved. The foreground is high- 
 ly enriched ; and indeed the whole print, and 
 ^V€ry part ©f it, is full of art, and full of nature. 
 
 L $ The
 
 ( X5« ) 
 
 ThB DE^UGI at CofiTERDEN, BY RoMAN 
 LE HoOGliE. 
 
 This is an hiflorical landfclpe, a ftyle v<»ry 
 dlfTercnt from that of the laft. Waterlo 
 had nothing in view, but to form an agreeable 
 piiflure. The figures, which he introduced, 
 unconnected with his fubjedt, ferve only to 
 cmbellifh it. But Le Hog he was confined 
 within narrower lines. He had a country to 
 delcribe, and a Jlory to tell. The country is 
 the environs of Coeverden, a Dutch town, 
 with a view of an immenfe bank, thrown up 
 againfl the fea. T\\q Jlory^ is the ruin of that 
 bank ; which w^as broken through in three 
 p'aces, by the violence of a ftorm. The fub- 
 je6t was great and difficult ; and yet the artift 
 has acquitted himfelf in a mafterly manner. 
 The town of Coeverden fills the diftant view. 
 The country is fpread with a deluge ; the 
 Iky with a tempeit ; and the breaches in the 
 bauk appeal in all their horror. — The comptfi^ 
 
 tion^
 
 ( 15' ) 
 
 tiotty in the dlftant and middle parts, is as 
 pleafing as fuch an extenfive fubjedl can be. 
 An elevated horizon, which is always difplea- 
 fing, was neceflary here to give a diftin^S view 
 of the whole. — The light too is thrown over 
 the diftant parts in good mafTes. — The expref- 
 fion of the figures, of the horfes efpecially, is 
 very ftrong : thofe, which the driver is turn- 
 ing, to avoid the horrid chafm before him, 
 are impreffed with the wildeft character of 
 terror: and, indeed, the whole fcene of dif- 
 trefs, and the horrible confufion in every part 
 of it, are admirably defcribed. — The execution 
 is good, though not equal to that of many of Le 
 Hooghe's works. It may be added, that the 
 fhape of the print is bad. A little more length 
 would have enlarged the idea ; and the town 
 would have flood better, not quite in the 
 
 middle. But what is mofl faulty, is the 
 
 difproportion, and littlenefs of the foreground 
 on the right. The fpirit, which the artift had 
 maintained through the whole defcription, 
 feems liere to flag. Whereas here he fhould 
 have clofed the whole with fome noble con- 
 fufion ; which would have fet off the diftant 
 parts, and ftriick the fpedator with the 
 flrongeft images of horror. Inftead of this, 
 
 L 4 we
 
 ( 152 ) 
 
 we are prefented with a few pigs, and calves 
 floundering in the water. The thought feems, 
 borrowed from Ovid. In the midft of a world 
 in ruins, Nat lupus inter oves.
 
 ( 153 J 
 
 Hogarth's rake's progress. 
 
 The firft print of this capital work is an 
 excellent reprefentation of a young heir, taking 
 pofleflion of a mifer's effeds. The paflion of 
 avarice, which hoards every thing, without 
 diftindtion, what is and what is not valuable, 
 is admirably defcribed. — The compofition ^ though 
 not excellent, is not unpleafing. The prin- 
 cipal group, confifting of the young gentleman, 
 the taylor, the appralfer, the papers, and cheft, 
 is well (haped : but the eye is hurt with the 
 difagreeable regularity of three heads nearly 
 
 in a line, and at equal diftances. The 
 
 light is not ill difpofed. It falls on the 
 principal figures : but the effect might have 
 been improved. If the extreme parts of the 
 mafs (the white apron on one fide, and the 
 memorandum-book on the other) had been 
 in fhade, the repofe had been lefs injured. 
 The detached parts of a group (hould rarely 
 patch a ftrong body of light. — We have no 
 
 ftriking
 
 ( '54 ) 
 
 ftrlking Inftances of exprejfton in this print. 
 The principal figure is unmeaning. There are 
 feveral modes of expreffion, very fuitable to the 
 charader, under which he is reprefented. He 
 might have entertained himfeif with an old 
 wig, or fome other object of his father's atten- 
 tion — or he might have been grinning over 
 a bag of money — or, as he is inrr6duced dif- 
 miflTing a girl he had debauched, he might have 
 returned the old woman's threatening with a 
 fneer. The only figure, which difplays the true 
 vh comica of Hoga.rtu, is the appraifer finger- 
 ing the gold. We enter at once into his cha* 
 raO:er.— The young woman might have fur- 
 niflied the artift with an opportunity of prefent- 
 ing a graceful figure ; whi^ch would have been 
 more pleafing. The figure he has introduced, 
 
 is by no means an objedt of allurement. 
 
 The pcrfpeSlive is accurate ; but affected. So 
 many windows, and open doors, may fhew 
 the author's learning ; but they break the back-^ 
 ground, and injure the fimplicity of it. 
 
 The fecond print introduces our hero into 
 all the diflipation of modiih life. We became 
 firft acquainted with him, when a boy of 
 
 eighteen.
 
 ( tss ) 
 
 eighteen. He Is now of age ; has entirely 
 thrown off the clownifh fchool-boy ; and af- 
 fumes the man of faihion. Inftead of the 
 country taylor, who took meafure of him for 
 Iiis father's mourning, he is now attended by 
 French-barbers, French-taylors, poets, milli* 
 ners, jockies, bullies, and the whole retinue 
 of a fine gentleman.— The expreffloUy in this 
 print, is wonderfully great. The dauntlefs 
 front of the bully ; the keen eye, and elafticity 
 of the fencing-mafter ; and the fimpering im» 
 portance of the dancing-mafter are admirably 
 exprefled The lad is perhaps rather a little 
 Qutre, The architect is a flrong copy from 
 nature. The comp^Jitlon feems to be en- 
 tirely fubfervient to the expreflion. It appears, 
 as if Hogarth had fketched, in his memo- 
 randum-book, all the charaders which he hal 
 here introduced, but was at a lofs how tO 
 group them : and chofe rather to introduce 
 them in detached figures, as he had fketched 
 them, than to lofe any part of the expreffion by 
 combining them. — The light is ill diilributed. 
 It is fpread indifcriminately over the print, and 
 deftroys the whek. — T\\q execution is good. It i& 
 elaborate, but irte. — The latire on operas, though 
 it may be well dLre>^ed, is forced aad unnatural. 
 
 1 1 Tae
 
 ( 'S6 ) 
 
 The third plate carries us ftill deeper inta 
 the hiftory. We meet our hero cn-^aged ia 
 one of his evening amufements. Ttiis printj 
 ori the whole, is no very extraordinary efFore 
 of "^genius. — The dcfign is good ; and may be 
 a very exaift defcriprion of the humours of a 
 brothel. — The compofuion too is not amifs. 
 But we have few of thofe mufterly ftrokes 
 which diftinguifh the works of Hogarth. 
 The whole is plain hiftory. The lady fetting 
 the world on tire, is the beft thought : and 
 there is fome humour in furnilhing the room 
 with a; fet of Csefars ; and not placing them 
 
 in order. r-The light is ill managed. By 
 
 a few alterations, which are obvious, particu- 
 larly by throwing the lady drcfling, into the 
 fhade, the difpofitidn of it might have been 
 tolerable. But flill we fhould have had ari 
 abfurdity to anfwer, whence comes it? Here 
 is' light in abundance ; but no viPible fource. 
 
 Exprejjion we have very little, through 
 
 the whole print. That of the principal figure 
 is the beft. The ladies have all' the air of 
 their profeflion ; but no variety of charaderi 
 HoGARTH*s women are, in getteral, very 
 
 inferior
 
 { i57 ) 
 
 irlferibrto" his men. For which reafon I pre- 
 fer the rake% progrefs to the harlot s* The 
 female face indeed has feldom ftrength of 
 feature enough to admit the flrong markings 
 of expreffion. ; . -, • 
 
 Very, difagreeable accidents often befal gen-i. 
 tlemen of pleafure. An event' of this kind is 
 recorded in the fourth print j which is now 
 before us. Oar hero going, in full drefs, to 
 .pay his compliments at court, on St.. David's 
 xlay, was accofted in the rude manner which is 
 here reprefented. — < — The compofitmi is good. 
 The form of the group, made up of the figures 
 in action, the chair, and the lamp-lighter, is 
 pleafing. Only, here we have an opportunity 
 of remarking, that a group is difgufting when 
 the extremities of it are heavy.; A group ia 
 fome refpedl fhould refemble a tree. The 
 heavier part of the foliage (the cup^ as the 
 laadfcape-paifiter callsi it) is always near the 
 middle:, the outfide branches, which are re* 
 iieved. by the 'fl^yj are light and airy* . Aii 
 inattention to.-'.thi^ rule, has given a heavinefi 
 to the groxip hefqrev.iiSi. ^ Th^. -two bailiffs, 
 the woman, and the chairman, are all huddled 
 
 together
 
 ( «i8 ) 
 
 together in that part of the group which fhould 
 have been the lighted ; while the middle part, 
 where the hand holds the door, vv'ants flrength 
 and confiftence. It may be added too, that 
 the four heads, in the form of a diamond, 
 make an unpleafmg (hape. All regular figures 
 
 ihould be ftudioufly avoided. The light had 
 
 been well diflributed, if the bailiff holding the 
 arreft, and the chairman, had been a little 
 lighter, and the woman darker. The glare 
 
 of the white apron is difagreeable. We 
 
 have, in this print, fome beautiful inftance$ 
 of exprejjton. The furprlze and terror of the 
 poor gentleman is apparent in every limb, as 
 far as is confiftent with the fear of difcom- 
 pofing his drefs. The infolence of power in 
 one of the bailifFs, and the imfeeiing heart, 
 which can jeft with mifery, in the other, are 
 ftrongly marked. The felf importance too 
 of the Welfhman is not ill portrayed ; who 
 is chiefly introduced to fettle the chrono* 
 logy of the ftory. — In point of grace^ we 
 have nothing ftriking. Hogarth might 
 have introduced a degree of it in the female 
 figure ; at leaft he might have contrived to 
 vary the heavy and unpleafmg form of her 
 drapery.-^TJae pcrfp£diV£ is good, and makes 
 
 an
 
 ( 159 ) 
 
 an agreeable fhape. — I cannot leave this print 
 without remarking the falling hand-box. Such 
 reprefentations of quick motion are abfurd ; 
 and every moment, the abfurdity grows ftrong- 
 cr. Obje<^s of this kind are beyond the power 
 of reprefenlation. 
 
 Difficulties crowd fo fall upon our hero, 
 that at the age of twenty-five, which he feems 
 to hav^ attained in the fifth plate, we find him 
 driven to the neceflity of marrying a woman, 
 whom he detefts, for her fortune. The €om» 
 pofitzon here is good ; and yet we have a 
 difagreeable regularity in the climax of the 
 three figures, the m.aid, the bride, and the 
 bridegroom.— The light is not ill diftributed. 
 The principal figure too is graceful ; and there 
 is ftrong expreffton in the feeming tranquillity 
 of his features. He bides hi^. contempt of the 
 obje<ft before him as well as he can ; and yet 
 )ie cannot ^o it. She too has as much mean- 
 ing as can appear through the deformity of her 
 features. The clergyman's face we are well 
 acquainted with, and alfo his wig; though we 
 cannot pretend to fay, where we have (c&n. 
 either. The clerk too is an admirable fellow. 
 
 The
 
 ( i6° ) 
 
 — ■ — The perfpc^ltve is well underftood ; but 
 the church is too fmall ; and the wooden p^^ft, 
 which feems to have no ufe, divides the pidure 
 
 diiagreeably. The creed loft, the command- 
 
 iDcnis broken, and the poor's-box obftrudled 
 by a cobweb, are all excellent ftrokes- of hu- 
 mour. 
 
 The fortune, which our adventurer has juft 
 received, enables him to make one pufh more 
 at the gaming table. He is. exhibited, in the 
 fixth print, venting curfes on his folly for, ha-^ 
 ving loft his laft ftake. — - — This is on the whole, 
 perhaps, the beft print of the fet. : The hor- 
 rid fcene it defcribes,. was never more inimi-. 
 tably drawni '. The compofition \% artful, -•and 
 natural. If the fhape of . the w^hole be ^ot 
 quite pleafing, the figures are fo well grouped j 
 and with fo much eafe and variety, that yoU 
 cannot take offence.— In point of " light, it i« 
 more culpable. There is not fhade enough 
 among the figures to balance the glare. If the 
 neck-cloth, and weepers of the gentleman in 
 mourning had been removed, and his hands 
 thrown into Ihade, even that alone would have 
 
 improved the cffed.- The txpraffton^. in 
 
 alraoft
 
 ( i6i ) 
 
 almofl: every figure, is admirable ; and the 
 whole is a ftrong reprefentation of the humaa 
 mind in a ftorm. Three ftages of that fpecits 
 of madnefs, which attends gaming, are hers 
 defcribed. On the firft fhock, all is inward 
 difmay. The ruined gamefter is reprefented 
 leaning againft a wall, with his arms acrofs, 
 loft in an agony of horror. Perhaps never 
 pafTion was defcribed with fo much force. In 
 a fliort time this horrible gloom burfts into a 
 florm of fury : he tears in pieces what comes 
 next him ; and kneeling down, imprecates curfes 
 on himfelf. He next attacks others; every 
 one in his turn whom he imagines to have 
 been inftrumental in his ruin. — The eager joy 
 of the winning gamefters, the attention of the 
 ufurer, the vehemence of the watchman, and 
 the profound revery of the highwayman, are 
 all admirably marked. There is great coolnefs 
 too exprcfled in the little we fee of the fat 
 gentleman at the end of the table. The figure 
 oppofmg the mad- man is bad : it has a drunken 
 appearance ; and drunkennefs is not the vice 
 
 x>f a gaming table. The principal figure is 
 
 /*// drawn. The perfpe^ive is formal ; and 
 the execution but indifferent : in heightening 
 lii? exprefhbn Hogarth has loft his fpirit. 
 ..!. M The
 
 ( >62 ) 
 
 The feventh plate, which gives us the view 
 of a jail, has very little in it. Many of the 
 circumftances, which may well be fuppofed to 
 increafe the mifery of a confined debtor, are 
 well contrived ; but the fruitful genius of Ho- 
 garth, I ihould think, might have treated 
 the fubjed; in a more copious manner. The 
 epifode of the fainting woman might have 
 given way to many circumftances more proper 
 to the occafion. This is the fame woman, 
 whom the rake dlfcards in the firft print ; by 
 whom he is refcued in the fourth ; who is 
 prefent at his marriage ; who follows him into 
 jail ; and, laftly, to Bedlam. The thought is 
 rather unnatural, and the moral certainly cul- 
 pable.' — The covipcfition is bad* The group of 
 the woman fainting, is a round heavy mafs : 
 and the othe?* group is ill fhaped. The light 
 could not be worfe managed ; and, as the 
 groups are contrived, could hardly be im- 
 proved. — In the principal figure there is great 
 eicprejfion ; and the fainting fcene is well de- 
 
 fcribed. ^A fcheme to pay off the national 
 
 debt, by a man who cannot pay his own ; an4 
 the attempt of a filly rake, to retrieve his af- 
 
 fair§
 
 ( >63 ) 
 
 fairs by a work of genius, are admirable ftrokes 
 of humour. 
 
 The eighth plate brings the fortunes of the 
 rake to a conclufion. It is a very expreflive 
 reprefentation of the moft horrid fcene which 
 
 human nature can exhibit, The compofiticn 
 
 is not bad. The group, in which the lunatic 
 is chained, is well managed ; and if it had 
 been carried a little farther towards the middle 
 of the picture, and the two women (who feem 
 very oddly introduced) had been removed, 
 both the compofition, and the diftribution of 
 
 light had been good. The drawing of the 
 
 principal figure is a more accurate piece of 
 anatomy than we commonly find in the works 
 of this mafter. The cxprejjioii of the figure is 
 rather unmeaning ; and very inferior to the 
 flrong characters of all the other lunatics. The 
 fertile genius of the artift has introduced as 
 many of the caufes of madnefs, as he could 
 well have collecfted ; but there is fome tauto- 
 logy. There are two religionifls, and two 
 aftronomers. Yet there is variety in each ; 
 and ftrong exprcjjion in all the characters. The 
 fglf-fatisfadion, and convidtion, of him who 
 
 M ^ has
 
 ( i64 ) 
 
 has difcovered the longitude ; the mock ma- 
 jefty of the monarch ; the moody melancholy 
 of the lover; and the fuperftitious horror of 
 the popifh devotee, are all admirable. — The 
 perfpeElive is fimple and proper. 
 
 I fhould add, that thefe remarks are made 
 upon the firft edition of this work. When 
 the plates were much worn, they were altered 
 in many parts. They have gained by the al- 
 terations, in point of defign ; but have loft in 
 point of eicprcjjion*
 
 ( 1^5 ) 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 Cautions in collecting Prints. 
 
 THE colledor of prints may be firfl, call* 
 tioned againft indulging a defire of be- 
 coming poflefled of all the works of any mafter. 
 There are no mafters whofe works in the grofs 
 deferve notice. No man is equal to himfelf 
 in all his compofitions. I have known a col- 
 ledor of Rembrandt ready to give any price 
 for two or three prints which he wanted to 
 complete his colledion ; though it had been to 
 Rembrandt's credit, if thofe prints had 
 been fupprefTed. There is no doubt, but if 
 one third of the works of this mafter fhould be 
 tried by the rules of juft criticifm, they would 
 
 M 3 appear
 
 ( '65 ) 
 
 appear of little value. The great prince Eugene^ 
 it is faid, was a colledor of this kind ; and 
 piqued himfelf upon having in his pofleffion, 
 all the works of all the majiers. His collection 
 was bulky, and cofl: fourfcore thoufand pounds ; 
 but when fifted, could not, at that time of 
 day, be worth fo many hundreds. 
 
 The coUedor of prints may fecondly be cau- 
 tioned againft a fuperftitious veneration for 
 names. A true judge leaves the majlcr out 
 of the queflion, and examines only the work. 
 But, with a Uttle genius, nothing fways like 
 a name. It carries a wonderful force ; covera 
 glaring faults, and creates imaginary beauties* 
 That fpecies of criticifm is certainly juft, which 
 examines the different manners of different 
 mafters, with a view to difcover in how many 
 ways a good effect may be produced, and 
 which produces the beft. But to be curious 
 in finding out a mafter, in order there to reft 
 the judgment, is a kind of criticifm very paltry, 
 and illiberal. It is judging of the work by the 
 mafter, iaftead of judging of the mailer by the 
 work. Hence it is, that fuch vile prints aa 
 15 the
 
 ( i67 ) 
 
 the Woman in the cauldron, and Mount ParnaJJus^ 
 obtain credit among connoifleurs. If you aik 
 wherein their beauty confifts ? you are inform-* 
 ed, they are engraved by Mark Antonio : 
 and if that do not fatisfy you, you are farther 
 affured, they are after Raphael. This ab- 
 furd tafte raifed an honeft indignation in that 
 ingenious artift Pi cart : who having fhewa 
 the world, by his excellent imitations, how 
 ridiculous it is to pay a blind veneration to 
 names; tells us, that he had compared fomej 
 of the engravings of the ancient mafters with 
 the original pictures ; and found them very bad 
 copies. He fpeaks of the ftiffnefs, which in 
 
 general runs through them of the hair of 
 
 children, which refembles pot-hooks — and of 
 the ignorance of thofe engravers in anatomy, 
 drawing, and the diflribution of light. 
 
 Nearly allied to this folly, is that of making 
 the public tafte our ftandard. It is a moft un- 
 certain criterion. Fafliion prevails in every 
 thing. While it is confined to drefs, or the 
 idle ceremonies of a vifit, the affair is trivial : 
 but when fafhion becomes a didator in arts, 
 
 M 4 the
 
 tli^ matter is more ferious. Yet fo it is ; we 
 feldom permit ourfelves to judge of beauty by 
 the rules of art : but follow the catch-word of 
 falhlon ; and applaud, and cenfure from the 
 voice of others. Hence it happens, that fome-. 
 times the works of one mailer, and fometimes 
 of another, have the prevailing run. Rem- 
 BHANDT has long been the fafhionable mafter. 
 Little diflindiion is made : if the prints are 
 Rembrandt's, they muft be good. In two 
 or three years, perhaps, the date of Rem- 
 brandt may be over : you may buy his 
 works at eafy rates ; and the public will have 
 acquired fome other favourite. For the truth 
 of thefe obfervations, I might appeal to the 
 dealers in old prints ; all of whom know the 
 uncertain value of the commodity they vend. 
 Hence it is, that fuch noble produdions, as 
 the works of P. Testa, are in fuch little 
 efteem, that the whole coUedion of this mafter, 
 though it confifts of near twenty capital prints, 
 befide many fmall ones, may be bought for 
 lefs than is fometimes given for a fmgle print 
 of Rembrandt. The true connoiffeur leaves, 
 the voice of falhion entirely out of the queftion : 
 he has a better ftandard of beauty — the merit 
 
 of
 
 ( i69 ) 
 
 of each mafter, which he will find frequently 
 at variance with common opinion. 
 
 A fourth caution, which may be of ufe la 
 
 collecting prints, is, not to rate their value by 
 their fcarcenefs, Scarcenefs will make a valud" 
 bk print 7nore valuable : but to make fcarce- 
 nefs the ftandard of a print's value, is to miftake 
 an accident for merit. This folly is founded ia 
 vanity; and arifes from a defire of pofleffing 
 what nobody elfe can poflefs. The want of 
 real merit is made up by imaginary; and the 
 objed: is intended to be kept^ not looked at* 
 Yet, abfurd as this falfe tafte is, nothing is 
 more common ; and a trifling genius may be 
 found, who will give ten guineas for Hollar's 
 fliells, which, valued according to their merit 
 (and much merit they certainly have), are not 
 worth more than twice as many {hillings. — 
 Inftances in abundance might be colleded of 
 the prevalence of this folly. Le Clerc, in 
 his print of Alexafider s triumph^ had given a 
 profile of that prince. The print was fhewn 
 to the duke of Orleans ; who was pleafed with 
 it on the whole, but jiiftly enough objected to 
 
 the
 
 ( «7o ) 
 
 the fide-face. The obfequious artift erafed it^ 
 and engraved a full one. A few impreflions 
 had been taken from the plate in its firft ftate ; 
 which fell among the curious for ten times the 
 price of the imprefTions taken after the face 
 
 was altered. Callot, once pleafed with 
 
 a little plate of his own etching, made a hole 
 in it ; through which he drew a ribbon, and 
 wore it at his button. The impreflions after 
 the hole was made, are very fcarce, and ama- 
 zingly valuable. — In a print of the holy family, 
 from Vandyke, St. John was reprefented 
 laying his hand upon the virgin's fhoulder. 
 Before the print was publifhed, the artift 
 fhewed it among his critical friends, fome of 
 whom thought the action of St. John too fa- 
 miliar. The painter was convinced, and re-« 
 moved the hand. But he was miftaken, when 
 he thought he added value to his print by the 
 alteration. The few impreflions, which got 
 abroad, with the hand upon the fhoulder, 
 would buy up all the reft, three times over, 
 in any audion in London. — Many of Rem- 
 brandt's prints receive infinite value from 
 little accidental alterations of this kind. A few 
 impreffions were taken from one plate, before 
 
 a dog
 
 ( 171 ) 
 
 a dog was introduced ; from another, before a 
 white-horfe tail was turned into a black one ; 
 from a third, before a fign-poft was inferted 
 at an ale-houfe door : and all the fcarce prints 
 from thefe plates, though altered for the better, 
 are the prints of value : the reft are common 
 and cheap. — I (hall conclude thefe Inftances 
 with a ftory of a late celebrated coUedor of 
 pictures. He was (hewing his colledion with 
 great fatisfadion ; and after expatiating on many 
 noble works by GuiDO, Marratti, and 
 other matters, he turned fuddenly to the gen- 
 tleman, whom he attended, and, " Now, Sir, 
 faid he, I'll fhew you a real curiofity : there is 
 a WovERMAN, without a horfe in it." — The 
 circumftance, it is true, was uncommon ; but 
 was unluckily that very circumftance, which 
 made the pidure of little value. 
 
 Let the colledor of prints be cautioned, 
 fifthly, to beware of buying copies for originals. 
 Moft of the works of the capital mafters have 
 been copied ; and many of them fo well, that 
 if a perfon be not verfed in prints, he may eafi- 
 ly be deceived. Were the copies really as 
 
 good
 
 good as the originals, the name would fignify 
 nothing ; but, like tranflations, they neceffarily 
 fall fhort of the fpirit of the original : and con- 
 trad: a ftifFnefs from the fear of erring. When 
 feen apart, they look well ; but when com- 
 pared with the originals, the difference eafily 
 appears. Thus Callot's beggars have been 
 fo well copied, that the difference between the 
 originals and the copies would not immediately 
 flrike you ; but when you compare them, it 
 is obvious. There is a plain want of freedom 5 
 the charaders are lefs llrongly marked ; and 
 the extremities are lefs accurately touched. 
 
 It is a difrxult matter to give rules to 
 
 affift in diftinguilhiug the copy from the ori- 
 ginal. In moft cafes the engraver's name, or 
 his mark (vv^hicli fliould be well known), will 
 be a fufficient diredion. Thefe the copyift is 
 feldom hardy enough to forge. But in anony- 
 mous prints it is matter of more difficulty. All 
 that can be done, is to attend carefully to the 
 freedom of the maf2?ier^ in the extremities efpe- 
 cially, In which the copyift is more liable to 
 fail. When you are pretty well acquainted 
 with the ma?mer of a mafler, you cannot well 
 be deceived. When you are not, your befl 
 way is to be direded by thofe who are. 
 
 The
 
 ( ^n ) 
 
 The laft caution I fhall give the colleflor of 
 prints, is, to take care he purchafe not bad 
 inipreffions. — There are three things which 
 make an impreffion bad. — The firft is, its 
 being /// taken off. Some prints Teem to have 
 received the force of the roller at intervals. 
 The impreflion is double ; and gives that 
 glimmering appearance, which illudes the eye. 
 — A fecond thing, which makes an impreflion 
 bad, is a ivorn plate. There is great difference 
 between the firil and the laft impreflion of the 
 fame plate. The eJFeSi is wholly loft in a faint 
 impreflion ; and you have nothing left but a 
 vapid defign without fpirit, and without force. 
 In mezzotinto efpecially a ftrong impreflion 
 is defirable. For the fpirit of a mezzotinto 
 quickly evaporates ; without which it is the 
 moft infipid of all prints. In engraving and 
 etching there will be always here and there a 
 dark touch, which long preferves an appear- 
 ance of fpirit : but mezzotinto is a flat furface ; 
 ^nd when it begins to wear, it wears all over. 
 Very many of the works of all the great maf- 
 ters, which are commonly hawked about at 
 ^UiStions, or fold in ihops, are in this wretched 
 
 ftate.
 
 I 
 
 ftate. It IS difficult to meet with a good im-p 
 preffion. The Salvators, Rembrandts, 
 and Waterlos, which we meet with now, 
 except here and there, in fome choice collec- 
 tion, are feldom better than mere reverfes. 
 You fee the form of the print ; but the elegant, 
 and mafterly touches are gone ; backgrounds 
 and foregrounds are jumbled together by the 
 confufion of all diftance ; and you have rather 
 the fhadow of a print left, than the print itfelf. 
 — The laft thing which makes a bad impreffion, 
 is retouching a 'worn plate. Sometimes this is 
 performed by the mailer himfelf ; and then the 
 fpirit of the impreffion may be ftill preferved. 
 But moft commonly the retouching part is done 
 by fome bungler, into w^hofe hands the plate 
 has fallen ; and then it is very bad. In a ivorn 
 plate, at leaft v/hat you have is good : you have 
 the remains of fomething excellent ; and if you, 
 are verfcd in the works of the mafter, your ima- 
 gination may be agreeably exercifed in making 
 out what is loft. But when the plate has gone 
 through the hands of a bungler, w^ho has worked 
 it over with his harfh fcratches, the idea of 
 the mafter is loft; and you have nothing left, 
 but ftrong, unmeaning lines on a faint ground ; 
 which is a moft difagreeable contraft. Such 
 
 prints,
 
 ( 175 ) 
 
 prints, and many fuch there are, though offered 
 us under the name of Rembrandt, or Wa- 
 TERLO, are of little value. Thofe mafters 
 
 would not have owned fuch works. Yet, as 
 
 we are often obliged to take up with fuch im- 
 prellions, as we can get ; it is better to chufe a 
 fault impreffion, than a retouched one. 
 
 THE END,
 
 INDEX. 
 
 jnlpPENDJGESy what — 
 
 Page S, 
 
 j^nanias ; cartoon of, criticized — 
 
 9, 10 
 
 Aqua-fortis^ its manner of biting the copper 32 
 
 Aldgrave — ■ — — 
 
 45 
 
 Andreani^ Andrea — — • 
 
 49 
 
 Antonioy Mark — — • 
 
 50 
 
 AuguJi'iJi of Venice — — 
 
 50 
 
 Anthony^ St, temptation of ■ — 
 
 SS 
 
 Auji'in^ St. a motto from him — 
 
 72 
 
 Alexander^ triumph of: by Le Clerc 
 
 79 
 
 Auden Aerd — • — 
 
 — 80 
 
 Augurs^ by Goupy — — 
 
 118 
 
 Alva^ duke of: by Rubens • — 
 
 139 
 
 Ba/fan criticized — — 4, 103 
 
 Beautiful gate ; cartoon of, criticized !•> "^7 
 
 Baptifm of yohn : by Muller — 46 
 
 moemart^ Abraham — ■ 46, 104, 127 
 
 Barrochi^ Frederic — — ^ I 
 
 Beggars^ Callot's — — - ^^ 
 
 Bartholomew^ St. by Spaniolet — 6;^ 
 
 Bella, Stephen de la — - 64, 98 
 
 Bolfwert — ^ -^^ 66, 10 j 
 
 N Bible^
 
 ( >78 ) 
 
 Bible, htftory of: byLulken,67. By Sadler, Pj^<? 105 
 
 Bega^ Cornelius — — 73 
 
 Bellaiige — — — 74 
 
 Baury William — — 76 
 
 BartoUy Peter — — 79 
 
 Bas, Le -— — — 81 
 
 Bifchop — — — 81 
 
 Becket — — — 86 
 
 ^^//£/?^'s head, by White — 87 
 
 Bentivoliusy Guido : his head by Morln 89 
 
 Bedfo7'dy earl of: his head by Houbraken 91 
 
 Berg hem — — — 93 
 
 Bloteling — ■ — — 100 
 
 Barlozv — — — ico 
 
 Bears devouring a deer : by RIdinger 102 
 
 Boars, a print of: by Ridinger — 102- 
 
 Botb — — — 116 
 
 Contrajl : its effecl — """ 7 
 
 Claude — — — - 26 
 
 Circmncifion, by Gohzius — 46 
 
 Co'far, triumph of, at Hampton Coirrc 47 
 
 Carracci, Augujlln — — ^2> 
 
 Cantarifii — — - — 54 
 
 C allot — — — 54 
 
 Ci^z/w/V/'.* api<Slure thereof Salvator's,criticized556 
 Crofs, defcetit fro7n : by Villamena — 64 
 Cajiiglione — *^ — — 69 
 
 Chrijl,
 
 ( 179 ) 
 
 Chrijl^ life of: by Parrocelle — ' 
 
 Page 74 
 
 Coyptl — — — 
 
 
 11 
 
 Caylus, Count — — 
 
 
 78 
 
 Clerc^ Le — — 
 
 
 79 
 
 Cromwell^ Elizabeth: her head by Smith 
 
 88 
 
 Collier^ Mrs. : her portrait by Faber 
 
 
 91 
 
 Cuyfi — -^• 
 
 
 99 
 
 Charles I. by Vandyke — ■ 
 
 
 139 
 
 Coeverden^ deluge of: by R. le Hooghe 
 
 
 150 
 
 Cot'ies^ cautioned againfl — • 
 
 
 171 
 
 Defign defined, and illuftrated — 
 
 
 2 
 
 D'lfpofition defined, and illuftrated 
 
 — 
 
 5 
 
 Drawing defined, and illuftrated — 
 
 - 
 
 15 
 
 D'ijla?it magriitude exprefled better in a paint- 
 
 
 ing than in a print — 
 
 
 26 
 
 Diirer, Albert •— — 
 
 
 43 
 
 Dorigny, Michael — — 
 
 
 ^S 
 
 Dorigvy^ Nicholas — — 
 
 
 83 
 
 Dyke^ Van — — 
 
 
 85 
 
 Drevet — — — , 
 
 
 90 
 
 Dankerts — — 
 
 
 94 
 
 Diana hunting : by Goupy — 
 
 
 118 
 
 ExpreJJion explained, and illuftrated 
 
 
 i5 
 
 Execution explained, and illuftrated 
 
 
 21 
 
 Engraving confidered — 
 
 32, 
 
 &c. 
 
 N2 
 
 Etching
 
 ( i8o ) 
 
 Etching confidered — P^g^ 32, &c. 
 
 El/ham er^ Adam — — 55 
 
 Egypt ^flight into : by Count Gaude ^6 
 
 Ertinger — — 66 
 
 Ecce Homo : by Coypel, 77. By Van Dyke, 86 
 E/op : by Barlow — -^99 
 
 Eugene, prince : his colledion of prints 1 6s 
 
 ElemiJId fchool : 
 
 its charader 
 
 — , 
 
 48 
 
 Fair: Callot's 
 
 
 
 
 54 
 
 Fage^ La 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 65 
 
 Febre, V. k 
 
 f— 
 
 
 
 74 
 
 Freii, Jac. 
 
 -^ 
 
 ^- 
 
 80 
 
 Faker 
 
 .^ 
 
 
 91 
 
 Fry 
 
 — . 
 
 
 
 92 
 
 Fyt, y. 
 
 — 
 
 - — 
 
 98 
 
 Flamen 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 101 
 
 Fables : by Ridinger 
 
 
 102 
 
 Grace defined, 
 
 and illuftrated 
 
 , 
 
 16 
 
 Ground in mezzotint© 
 
 
 38 
 
 Go/tzius 
 
 — 
 
 — 
 
 45 
 
 Guido 
 
 
 --. 
 
 53 
 
 Gaude, coutit 
 
 — • 
 
 
 
 55 
 
 Galejlruzzi 
 
 — - 
 
 — 
 
 71 
 
 Gillot, Claude 
 
 — . 
 
 — 
 
 75 
 
 Gribelin, Sim, 
 
 -r- 
 
 -r— 
 
 80 
 
 Gibbon :
 
 ( i8i ) 
 
 Gibbon : his head by Smith — 
 
 Page 88 
 
 Getioel — — 
 
 116 
 
 Goupy — — 
 
 118 
 
 Group : the form of one criticized 
 
 6 
 
 Harmony in painting llluftrated — 
 
 II 
 
 Hell-fcene : by A. Durer — 
 
 43 
 
 Hi/hen — —. 
 
 45 
 
 Hundred-guildres'prhit — 
 
 60 
 
 Hooghe^ Roman le — 
 
 67 
 
 Hooper : his head by White — 
 
 ^7 
 
 Houbraketi — — 
 
 91 
 
 Hamden : his head by Houbraken 
 
 91 
 
 Hondius, 95. His hunted wolf — 
 
 95 
 
 Hollar y 104. His works 105, 106, 107 
 
 Huntings : by Rubens, 96. By Ridinger 102 
 Hagar : by Goupy — 118 
 
 Hogarth, 116. His rake's progrefs criticized, 1 25 
 
 yourneyitigSy patriarchal : by C. Macee 69 
 
 Jmpojlures innocent es : by Pi cart — 77 
 
 Jofeph in Egypt : by Bifchop — 81 
 
 Jardin^Du^f)^. One of his etchings criticized, 145 
 jfohn^ St. a print of, by Van Dyke 1 70 
 
 Imprcffions — • -— 1 72 
 
 Keeping defined, and illuflrated — 10 
 
 3 Lyflra^
 
 { i82 ) 
 
 Lyjlrayfactificc at^ cartoon of, criticized, Page 8, 1 7 
 
 Lights diftribution of, criticized — 22 
 
 Lucas Van Leiden — 45 
 
 Lot : by Aldgrave — 45 
 
 La%arus : by Bloemart — 47 
 
 Luiken -— — Gj 
 
 Lairejfe^ Gerard •— 68 
 
 Lanfrank : his gallery — 79 
 
 Lievens^ y. — — - 84 
 
 Leiy, Peter — — 86 
 
 Leigh ^ Anthony : his head by Smith 88 
 Lutma^ y. — — 89, 1 1 1 
 
 Laer^ Peter de — — 99 
 
 Lorraine^ Claude -— 113 
 
 Latroncs : by Goupy — 118 
 
 Michael Angela : his idea of form in grouping 9 
 Manneriji : what is meant by the word 2 1 
 
 Me%%otinto confidercd — 2)^ 
 
 Mullcr — — 46 
 
 Mantegna^ Andrea — 48 
 
 M.iferiesofWar: Callot's — 54 
 
 M&yfcy Vocation de : by La Fage — 66 
 
 Macce — — 69 
 
 Muilen^ Vandcr — - 70 
 
 Mel Ian — — 72 
 
 Marot
 
 ( '83 ) 
 
 Marot ' — — 
 
 Page 82 
 
 Magdalene^ Mary : her head by Smith 
 
 88 
 
 Meiian — — 
 
 88 
 
 Mor'm, y. — — 
 
 89 
 
 Marrnio?!^ Edm. 
 
 89 
 
 Moyrcau — 
 
 97 
 
 Montague^ duke of — 
 
 1x0 
 
 Neulant — — - 
 
 log 
 
 Names : their influence — 
 
 168 
 
 OJade — — 
 
 72 
 
 Ovid: ilhiftrated by W. Baur — 
 
 76 
 
 Overbeck — —— 
 
 "5 
 
 Oxford-heads : by Hogarth — 
 
 124 
 
 Paul preachi fig at Athens^ the cartoon of, cri- 
 ticized — — 5> 7 
 PerfpeElive defined, and illuftrated 23 
 PollJIdcd bodies expreflTed better in a picture 
 
 than in a print — 29 
 
 Pewter : engraving on — 36 
 
 Pens — """ 45 
 
 Pannigiafio — — • 48 
 
 Palma — — 49 
 
 Paria^ Francis *— — - 49 
 
 Pkart : his charader of M. Antonio 5 1 
 
 Pont
 
 ( J84 ) 
 
 Pont Netif: by de la Bella — 
 
 Page 64 
 
 Pontius — — - 
 
 66 
 
 Parrocelky yofeph — 
 
 73 
 
 Picart —— — 
 
 11 
 
 Pond^ Arthur — ~» 
 
 78 
 
 Perr'ier^ Francis — — • 
 
 82 
 
 Parr\ head by White — 
 
 87 
 
 Piazetta — — 
 
 88 
 
 Popey Mr. his head by Richardfon 
 
 90 
 
 Potter, Paul — — 
 
 100 
 
 PouJ/in, Gafper — 
 
 104 
 
 Perelle — - — 
 
 "3 
 
 Porfenna : by Goupy — 
 
 118 
 
 Plraneji — * — 
 
 118 
 
 Prentice, idle : by Hogarth — 
 
 121 
 
 Phyficians^arms : by Hogarth — 
 
 124 
 
 Playhoiife, corner of — 
 
 125 
 
 Polycratcs, death of: by Salvator Rofa 
 
 131 
 
 P ether : his print of a Jewifh rabbi 
 
 141 
 
 Parnajfus, Mount : by M. Antonio 
 
 166 
 
 Rupert, prince: character of his mezzotintos 2)7 
 
 Roman-fchocl : its character -— /j.7 
 
 Rofa, Salvator — 56, 131 
 
 Robbers, Salvator Rofa's ■— 58 
 
 Rembrandt — 58, 79, loo, 104, 165 
 
 Rofary, viyjkries of: by Sciaminofli dG 
 
 Roettiers, Fr^ — ««. gj 
 
 Rigaud,
 
 ( i85 ) 
 
 Rigaud — — Page go 
 
 Richardfon — — 90 
 Richmond^ duke of: his head by Houbraken 91 
 
 iRcubens -— — 96 
 
 Rofa of Tivoli - — * — 97 
 
 Rid'mger — . -— loi 
 
 Roujfeau^ yames — 1 1 
 
 Ricci^ Marco — ^ , — 1 1 6 
 
 Rake s progrefs — — 125 
 
 Salutation : by Barrochi — 51 
 Spaniolct — — 63, 124 
 
 Silenus and Bacchus : by Spaniolet Gt, 
 
 SciaminoJJi — — --- 55 
 
 Scbut^ Cornelius — — 76 
 
 Simons — — 85 
 
 Sturges : his head by White — 87 
 
 Smith — — 87 
 
 Scalken : his head by Smith — 88 
 
 Salijhu7^y\ countefs of: her head by Smith 91 
 
 Schombe?g : his head by Houbraken 9 r 
 
 by Smith — 139 
 
 Stoops Peter — — 99 
 
 Sadler — — 103 
 
 Sunderland^ earl of — 108 
 
 Swanevelt — — 109 
 
 Sylvefre\ Ifrael — — 1 1 2 
 
 Silenus^ triumph of: by Peter Tefta 134 
 
 Scarcenefs^ no teft of merit — 169 
 
 O Titian :
 
 C iS6 ) 
 
 Titian : his illuftration of mafling light, Page 1 4 
 Tranfparency expreffed better in a painting, 
 
 than in a print — - 28 
 
 Tempejia^ Anthony — 52, 98 
 
 Tejia^ Peter — — 60, 134 
 
 Tiepolo *— — 70 
 
 Tnlden, Van — — 73 
 
 Truth delivered by Time from E?tvy: byPouflin, 78 
 Tobit : by Goupy — 1 18 
 
 Virgil : a paflage of his criticized 
 
 — 27 
 
 Vafari : his opinion of A. Durer 
 
 — 44 
 
 Vouet^ Simon — — 
 
 ^l 
 
 Villamena — — 
 
 64 
 
 Venius^ Otho — — • 
 
 71 
 
 Ulyjfes^ voyage of: by Tulden 
 
 73 
 
 Vefper^ by Parrocelle — * 
 
 74 
 
 Uliet, Van — — 
 
 84 
 
 Vertue -— — 
 
 90 
 
 YiJJ-cher, J. _ _ 
 
 94»97 
 
 VeaUy Le — — ■ 
 
 "7 
 
 Vandieji — — 
 
 ii8 
 
 Whole in painting : how conftituted 
 
 X 
 
 Watteau — — • 
 
 IS 
 
 Worlidge ^— -— 
 
 85 
 
 M 
 
 White^
 
 ( i87 ) 
 
 Pfh'ite^ the engraver -— Page S6 
 
 White:, the mezzotinto-fcraper — 86 
 
 Wing: his head by White — 87 
 
 Wyke : a mezzotinto from him by Smith 88 
 
 Wolfaiig — — 89 
 
 Woverman^ 142. Story of — 171 
 
 Wolves-heads: by Ridinger — loa 
 
 Waggon: a print from Rubens — • 1 08 
 
 Waterlo^ 108. His Tobias — 147 
 
 Woman in the cauldron : by M. Antonio 166 
 
 Zuingg — — 117 
 
 Zeeman •— — 117 
 
 •^c^
 
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