THE EXHIBITION O F PICTURES, B Y Nathaniel Hone, R. A. MOSTLY The WORKS of his LEISURE, And many of them In his own Possession. Niji utile eft quod facimus, frujlra eft gloria. M.DCC,LXXV, 1^ yl' A TN Y falfe reports having been rpr.Md relarln:: t-) a p^^uirc cilled the Co^jur.^r, piintrd '^v Mr. J V f Hone, and offered to the Royal Academy for exhib'ii'in this kd'tyn ; lie is a.-iviled by {o;Tie very refpecSlitble frier ds to give a fhort ftate of f.iAs to the public, v/hich he h(ipe:> will ckar hij ch.arntler from the malicious afperfions attempted to be fixed on liim, as well as excufe him Ironi the prefamptioji of making an exhibition fiiigly of his own wo'iks. After the phSlure In o,ue{^Ion had remained fcvcral d^ys. and actually huno: up is the Royal Acad;::Tiy exhibition-. Sir William Chambers, with anotlier gentleman o^ the council of the Acadetiiy, came to Mi\ Hone at his houfe, and informed him, that it had been rumoured that be had made an indecent fig;ure or caricatirre of an eminent female artiri:, and that they faoald be forry fuch an indelicacy fiiould be off-red to the public, or word^ to this purpofe, Mr. Hone was greatly furprifed at the accuf^tion, and sflured the gentlemen, that he had always had the highefl: efteem for the lady alluded to, both on account of her reputatif)n as an artifl-, as well as for her other accomplifhments ; and that to remove the pofTibility of fuch a fufpicion, he would ^Itci any figure ihe or they chofe, the very next day or before the exhibition ; and that he had not intended to rcprefcnt any female figure in that pifture, excepr the child 'caning on the conjurer's knee, and hoped they would do him the jufiice to remove any prejudice the lady migb;t have received by the mialicious or ignorant; and that he would himfelf wait upon the lady to that purpole. The next morni.'g t Ao more gentlemen of the council, j with that o.hcr gentleman who had been the night before with Sir VVilliam) called upon Mr. Hone, who were all of them fo obliging to do him the juftice to fay, they had carefully locked at the figures, and would clear him of the fuppofition of there being any woman figure; that they were well alTured they were intended to mean the contrary fex. Mr- Hone a fTu red them as before of his refpe61: for the lady; nor did he truft to this alone, but went himfelf twice that day to wait on the fair artift, to convince her of the error ; but was refiifed admittance: he thereupon fenta Ictiei by his fon, who delivered it into her own hands, and whereof the follovvuig is an exa61 copy. AT.icianjy The cvcniv.g before la/i^ I was not a little fur pri fid at a deputation (as I fake it) from the council cf our Academy^ acquainting me^ that y:u zvas moji prodigioufjy dijpleafed at my making a nclked academy figure In my ^iBure of a conjurer now at the Ro^d Academy^ reprefenting yoin pcrfon \ I invnedialtl)! perceived that fiom: hufi medlar^ to fioy no w or fit a nunie^ had impofed (hh rxt^ avagant ly^ (of whfie making (hd knivs) upm y:ur Ur fim i- ing ; to co)2viy:C' you^ A'u.djin^ yoii'- figure in that compofiuion was the f\v thtfl from ".y thought;^ as I n'j'M declure. 1 uiver at any time jaw y-'ur ivorki^ but ivith the. grentefi jdeajwe^ and that rcfipedl duf to a lady who-n I rfiecfn ai the fitrji of her ficx i i luiinU>ig, and amongfl the lovtlie/i of women in per fi.n. Envy and deifacJi^n mufi have 'iLorkid Itrcmgdy ; jot yi fie' cw) mj-ning fime mere gentimer, Jr om the /kjde:ny ajjit- ed me., that your uneafiiefis-ivai vet y great ; 1 afjw ed them^ I iv .iJ I Jj far alter the figure^ that it ivould be im^ojfitble to fiippofe it to be a woman : thi thty cleared me of fiuJ-j a fuppojuijn then f elves ^ as they unde^flojd it to be but a jncde figure ; and that I would put a b 'a' d to ii^ or even dreji it to juiifie you and thvin 1 did n.) fie If the honour of calling at your hmf twice yederday ., {when 1 had the ir.njoriune not to meet you at hjm() pwp'jciy to convince you^ how much you have been imp ftd upon^ as you will perceive when yai fee the p:^ure yju filj\ and dkcivije to convince you with how much rejpe^l I am^ Aladam^ yciir moJi obeditnt and m Jl huN\hic SiTvant^ Nathaniel Hem, Fall Mally igih //f.^il, 1775. To Mi s. Angelica Kauffman, To which the d;.y following the anfwer was returned. iS/V, I fnould have anfwered your'* s immediately^ but I ivas engaged In hufi.nefis. I cannot conceive zvhy fever al gentlemen who mver before dectivtd me^ fijould confpire to do it at this time, and ifi they themfelves ivere deceived ^ you cannot wonder that others fioould be deceived alfo^ and take for fiatyr which you fiay was not intended — / was oc- iuated^ not only by my particular feelings^ but a refpe£i for the arts and artifis, afid perfuade myjelf you cannot think it a great fiicrifice 10 remove a pi^ure^ that had even raifed a fufipiaon of dfrcfpidl to any perfion who never wifi^ed to offend you, 1 am^ Sir ^ your humble jei vant^ Angtlica Kauffman, To Nathaniel Hone, Ejq-y Pall Mali, nurc;.,.;t: that, a whole ci.v vvas .; hu.,-; ^^^0 S, ^^"^^'t'T,^'^ •--J ■.'•^tracllon ..vrought the r.« flr^ /for^Ar. d.JlreJ to fend for thepiP.ure as for, as it ma, he cmvement. and iudfroient he r„h,nit« Mm.llf . u ^ " J ''>' ='PPM''n;i the public, f) whofe candor Uuth will be mevalen? L^^^ h i '"^^ '^e mid will be difpeiled, employers, wU not now oe d.lapproved of on a more general infpedtion by the indulgent public. frifoU?!nd'tVl''''''''fr°"r'''' '^e following affidavit will prove, firft that the accufation was [TrnTAnL^c^K if n r " T '"'^ guilty of having civen any real cauie of ofFence Middlesex to wit. T Nathaniel Hone of the Royal AcaJemy do make oath, that in the pic- nrpfi.nf r^or^„ T • 1 ^ '^°"j"''^t» offered for exhibition to the faid academy for the man or ^n, ;, "T\ '""■'"'^'^d introduce any figure refleaipa on Mrs. ..ngehca Kauff- bers' and tL. whatever; and 1 gave the moft explicit declaration of this to Sir William Cham- ftould be u"en ^ ' " '^'"^ ^""^ "^^ "^ure '^ey Pitcheti upL'^as giving ofilnc? Sworn befo.e me this 2d day of May, ,775, ff. Jddington. • ^ -t- ^" \JnllI'ta!^'^ ^° hnve been intended for M,s. A. K is not only now taken out, but all the other ^aked m!an. ,1 rhi , f ^ "-V" ''f '"1^'="-^" ""y Particular gentlemen or ladies, which Mr, Hone never Sh' o,n, docs not depend upon a fe>v fm ked ac.demy figures, or even thofe wel hrd aeir.t '^'-/l^" ^^""'^ ^° ^« i"