46 
 
 No. 55. 
 
 JEcce Homo — Guido.^-B- West, Esq. 
 
 WHY is this most perfect specimen of the master in a corner; and made to give 
 place to such trash as No. 114? Has Guido then sunk below Carlo Dolce! 
 
 No. 56. 
 
 A small whole length Portrait in Armour.^ Giorgione.~~B. West y Esq, 
 GOOD in itself; but why is it here? 
 
 END OF THE FIRST PART. 
 
CATALOGUE RAISONNE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Pictures now Exhibiting 
 
 IN 
 
 PALL MALL. 
 
 iJart #ttonii. 
 
 " These Pictures and many the like, which are by no means the measures of Truths 
 " and Falsehoods, these men make the standards by which they accustom their 
 " understandings to judge. And thus they, falling into a habit of determining 
 " of Truth and Falsehood by such wrong measures, it is no wonder they should 
 " embrace error for certainty and be very positive in things they have no 
 " ground for. ' 
 
 Locke's Conduct of the Under Handing. 
 
 1816. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2014 
 
 https://archive.org/details/catalogueraisoneOOrein_0 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 INFORMATION 
 
 RELATIVE TO THE 
 
 FINE ARTS IN AFRICA. 
 
 ** Books are necessary to correct the vices of the polite ; but those vices are ever changing, and the 
 « antidote should be changed accordingly— should still be new." 
 
 GOLDSMITH. 
 
 AFRICA becoming daily a subject of the deepest interest, the Editor feels the 
 public will receive, with delight, the annexed account of the present state of the 
 Arts in the city of Tombuctoo. Since the publication of Adams's Narrative, a 
 young Hottentot Artist, of considerable talent, has arrived in this country from 
 that capital, where he resided several years,, employed solely in the study of his 
 profession. His name is Bumjut, and he is of a family of distinction. He disco- 
 vered early the strongest indication of genius, in the taste with which he was accus- 
 tomed to ornament his own and his sister's face with the simple materials of his 
 country, where, with the assistance of a brush, made of the tail of a lion, and a 
 little yellow and red ochre, he produced an effect that perfectly electrified all the 
 Connoisseurs for miles around, who would assemble in crowds, and gaze with asto- 
 nishment, on the beautiful performances of Bumjut. 
 
IV 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 His family finding his mind entirely devoted to this pursuit, acquiesced in his 
 entreaties, and sent by a caravan, fortified with letters of introduction, to the most 
 distinguished Patrons, Amateurs, and Professors, in that .flourishing metropolis. 
 After obtaining medals and premiums from the several Societies established for the 
 promotion of the Fine Arts, and being considered fully bottomed and competent to 
 defy the envenomed shafts of envy and malice, he determined on returning, loaded 
 with honours, to the bosom of his family, and reaping the harvest of his labours 
 in his own country, where the Arts are yet in their iufarfcy. At this period he 
 heard, with horror, that his sister was in London, exhibiting, like Venus, her un- 
 rivalled charms. He flew on the wings of lightening to rescue his beloved Sahtjee 
 from such indignity. She had already disappeared ; and, with a breaking heart, 
 he ascertained, that, on her arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, she had fallen in 
 love with, and married, a Dutch Drummer. Unhappy and dejected, he is now 
 waiting for an opportunity to join her. 
 
 There is something so exquisitely affecting in this simple tale, that the Editor is 
 satisfied this introduction of the interesting Eumjut to the reader's acquaintance, 
 needs no apology. His sensibility must be so strongly excited, and his curiosity 
 awakened, that the information imparted shall be submittsd to him without farther 
 delay. 
 
 The late Mansa Daisy, founded a College for Painting, Sculpture, and Archi- 
 tecture. The direction and management of it was cor fided to forty of the best 
 Artists in the kingdom. They had an Annual Exhibition of their Works in the 
 Hall of their College, to which all, of any ability, were invited to contribnte. 
 The price of admission to the public was 250 Kowries (equal to our shilling) each 
 person , and the sums thus collected were employed solely in support of the Esta- 
 blishment. This Institution succeeded in a manner, and to a degree, that 
 justified the most sanguine wishes of the Royal Founder, and the hopes of the 
 country. In proportion to its success were the Candidates for public encourage- 
 ment ; and the Students in the various Professions grew to be as numerous as the 
 Dates on the Palm-tree. 
 
 Many were, consequently, exposed to distress, and regretted the hour they em- 
 braced an occupation which promised endless labour and a fruitless harvest. To 
 assist them in this conjuncture, a number of wealthy men formed themselves into 
 a Society, for the laudable purpose of furthering the intentions of the College, and 
 opened a Loe, or Mart, for Paintings, which the Artists were unable to dispose of 
 at their own Institution. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 v 
 
 The first year, the Managers of this College of Ease adhered to their declared 
 intentions ; but it became soon visible to many of them, that the constitution of 
 their infant Society was capable of great improvement. They found the necessitous 
 and mean pay them the most grovelling adulation. Instead of friendly assistants, 
 a few vain and self-sufficient Members changed their whole character, and assumed 
 the situations of Directors and Comptrollers. They began by laying a tax of two 
 or two and a half per cent, on the sale of Works, for the benefit of their Jong, of 
 servant, though their good offices were originally declared to be gratuitous. 
 
 Theit next step was to open their Loe at the same time with their College. The 
 eyes of the artists were then opened. The most important withdrew themselves 
 from affording any support to a set of men, who they felt had dishonestly deceived 
 them. There are amongst the Society, many, veiy many, well-wishers to the Fine 
 Arts, but their delicacy renders them passive, and, as is always the case, leaves 
 the field open to the intrigues and bad passions of the conceited, the ignorant, and 
 the interested. The leading persons in this body are as follow :-— 
 
 MUMBO — A man of great wealth, has three rings to his nose, is a great patron 
 of those of former days, and is very proud and very stupid./^,* t . 
 
 SOOTON — A prodigious Scholar — he understands thoroughly the languages of 
 Tallika, Funing, Kedy, and Sibidolos — is master of the tongues which were 
 spoken at Babel, and has written a learned Diisertation on the Indian Worship of 
 the Lingam. He is besides a great collector of Copper Josses and Swammies. His 
 appearances does not indicate such extraordinary acquirements. He has a large 
 head, with very little wool, and a mouth wide enough to conceal a^ocoa-nut^v* 
 He is beeides very peremptory, presumptuous, and pedantic, */t<c<r/^ , "s*-^?**- *- 
 
 FIGGITY — A man of some taste, and a tolerable Painter ; but uncertain, capri- 
 cious, cowardly, and treacherous as a Hyaena, who entices the little children into 
 his den, and then devours them. This year he will admire a yellow Picture, next 
 year a brown one ; however, it is but just to acknowledge, that for 24 successive 
 moons, he has been constant in his dislike to green leaves and blue skies j and he 
 thinks that the leayes and* the sky might change colours with considerable mutual 
 advantage. ( c s^jc f/\7f ^ «- /~~ZZ " 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 SOOSEE MOOSA — Figgity's wife, is a little troublesome woman, very fond of 
 Babies' Verses. She collects the^eggs which Figgity uses in painting, and makes 
 the vinegar herself, -c.t^,/ $ ±^^<^^^^ 
 
 BOMBO — Is a great officer of state. He has the charge of Daisy's blunderbusses 
 and pocket pistols ; he keeps polished the brass-hilted sword, and cleans the young 
 Princesses' rifle-barrelled muskets. He is a very peevish well-meaning man, but 
 knows nothing at all about painting. J^t,^^/' s^Z * 
 
 DIGGERY — A great founder of Institutions, and a ring-leader in the formation of 
 the present one. He attempted to procure an order from the Mansa, to prohibit 
 the public from voiding their urine in the corners of the streets, as contrary to 
 decency and morality. The good Daisy, however, thought it better that Diggery 
 should continue to be shocked^ thaujhat his faithfid^,subjects should experience all 
 the horrors of a strangury. ^ ^ (. //✓^^t/ /?&T~*^fL*^L. — , 
 
 MARABOO — Priest patcher and Picture dealer; more ignorant and impudent than 
 all the rest tied in a bunch. He with these qualifications has wriggled himself into 
 a dependant acquaintanceship with the other members of the Society, who despise 
 him while they use him. If any dirty work is to be committed, Maraboo is selected 
 and is amply recompensed by Mumbo's patting him on the back and spitting in 
 his mouth. JlZr f /&W4>*^<- ^~^r- 
 
 SEGO. — A picture cleaner — the oracle of the whole fraternity. None dare 
 deliver an opinion, without first consulting Sego. If a painting be as black as the 
 cheek of a Koorabarii, it will appear as white as the down of the Cotton Tree at 
 the command of Sego. None dare make a purchase without first consulting Sego. 
 Sego is in their halls, their closets, and at their tables, and though lie speaks his 
 native language very imperfectly, he is courted and caressed by jdl who^ value the 
 purity of a painting beyond the purity of their mother tongue. ^^u^f^^c^^-- 
 
 To these may be added a few others. 
 
 SILLEE FOOLAH A silly old man. He exhibited last year a Picture at the 
 
 Loe, which he imagined to be the Master-piece of a celebrated Painter from the 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 vii 
 
 Land of Dykes. He paid for it as many Kowries as covered him while he stood on 
 his head with his heels in the air. The ceremony attending the sale of this Painting 
 drew strangers from far and near. The inhabitants of the Shores of the Ocean, 
 said he looked like a huge cluster of Barnacles, while a Moor who had been in 
 Egypt, declared that the pile reminded him of the Pyramids of the Desart. But 
 this enormous expense, though sanctioned by the authority of Sego, did not save 
 the Picture from suspicion of its being a copy or at best an imitation by another 
 painter from the Land of Ditches. 'jfe* ^ rfj^'jdt* J^r^ ^ ix. ^ 
 
 JANG. — His Son-in-law, has acquired the reputation of a profound Critic, and a 
 man of exquisite taste ; nobody knows how ; but he is^one of the Officers of 
 Daisy's Treasury, /t^ Sfa^ <&C*iL&** ^2'j^~^ 
 
 These presumptuous Fidgets of the Loe, finding themsebfvs scouted by the living 
 Painters ransacked the different collections in the kingdom, for Pictures, by the 
 deceased Artists — they selected last year, an assemblage of grossness and slime, the 
 produce of the dead Painters from the Lund of the Marshes and the Land of Frogs. 
 Some Wag, however, published a Critical Review of the Exhibition, which com- 
 pletely opened the eyes of the Public — they felt the thing as they ought — the veil 
 was withdrawn, and Mumbo, Sooton, Figgity, Soosee, Moosa, Diggery, Bombo, 
 Maraboo, Sego, Foolah, Jang, and their Companions were < n the brink of sinking 
 into tlu-ir original insignificance. They began to shake in their sandals. Figgity's 
 importance was so much undermined that the apprehension of an explosion, which 
 might blow him and his eggs to atoms, operated so forcibly on his feelings, as to 
 bring on an illness which nearly dispatched him to the laud of his fathers. He 
 lias, however, recovered to a certain degree, but fears at every step, some impend- 
 ing mischief, and always sleeps with one eye open. Since the above learned Sooton 
 has been hung up to lidicule, a Public Spirited Man, in order to benefit the Arts 
 of his native country, brought away from a Temple, in the Land of the Morning, 
 several of the sculptured ornaments, which were exposed to hourly destruction, 
 from the barbarism of the Inhabitants ; Sooton began to tremble for the impor- 
 tance of his Copj c-r Joshes and Swammics. He immediately set about undervalu- 
 ing and decrying the sculpture from the Land of the Morning — he quoted, misquoted, 
 misplaced, and mistated, passages from writers, co-temporary with the Temple; 
 the Artists opposed him, and were examined by Officers duly appointed by Daisy's 
 Government — the result of the examination was perfectly natural. Science and 
 
viii 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Taste triumphed over Ignorance and Quackery— the Sculptures from the Temple 
 were purchased by the Nation, to the confusion of Sooton, and the annihilation of 
 his importance. 
 
 The foregoing are the principal performers in the direction of the Loe. They 
 ' expressly excluded all Artists from their body, but after some time, finding they 
 could not go forward without assistance, they gained over to their views Teelee 
 Gee, the old head of the College ; — this man, possessing great skill, had been 
 totally neglected for a period of fifty years by all, except the good King Daisy. At 
 this Sovereign's political demise, (his indisposition rendering him incapable of 
 conducting the affairs of the state,) the Ministers of his successor deprived Teelee 
 Gee of his chief support, namely — the pension granted him by Daisy, and in Lis 
 seventieth year he saw himself pursued and almost overtaken by poverty and dis- 
 tress. At this juncture the Manager of the Loe purchased of him a Picture at the 
 price of 30,000 Bars — an enormous sum for a Painting, in Toinbuctoo, but not 
 uncommon in Bambarra. This served the double purpose of enabling them to 
 present themselves everlastingly before the Public, as the munificent patrons of 
 Art, in the person of him they had hitherto neglected, and of devoting to their 
 ends one, whose interest they had so considerably promoted, and whose natural 
 vanity they had so highly flattered. From this moment Teelee Gee seems to have 
 forgotten the dignified station he filled in the College, and to have sunk into a 
 grovelling dependant on those, whom, in their usurped characters of leaders in 
 taste, he ought to have despised. In him, his profession is debased and all Artists 
 who possess the feelings and the spirit of gentleman, view his conduct with regret 
 and indignation. Nor do those who make use of him respect him more than he is 
 respected by his profession. Figgity, who has the knack of mimicry, is so proud 
 of his talent as to give imitations of his language and manner, to all who will 
 listen to him. Teelee Gee is nevertheless invited every where ; but only like the 
 Egg of the wild Pigeon, to be sucked by the Pole-cat. This is the more lament- 
 able, as he had some eminently good and amiable qualities, which are now totally 
 eclipsed by vanity, selfishness, and insincerity. May the College, exclaimed 
 Bumjut, find in his successor, one who will feel his own d'gnity and importance, 
 depend on the dignity and importance of the body who selects him as their head : 
 one who will consider their dishonour as his own ; one who will watch over the 
 welfare of the Society with an eye, jealous as that of an affectionate father for the 
 honour and credit and interest of his children ! 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The chief employment for Artists in Tombuctoo, is confined to Portrait paint- 
 ing, as every man is desirous of having the resemblance of his wife and children, 
 and of himself. Some are distinguished by the richness of their colouring and the 
 deptli of their tones. The gallery of the principal painter in this line, is filled with 
 beauties of the first reputation, and he has lately added to these, one of universal 
 attraction. The breadth and flatuess of her nose, width of her mouth, thickness 
 of her lips, and the brilliant blackness of her cheeks and neck, are the cause of 
 envy in one sex, and of admiration in the other. Figgity has endeavoured to 
 persuade the Artist to ornament her head with sky-blue drapery, striped with 
 pea-green, but hitherto without effect. 
 
 There are several eminent painters of Landscape. The view of part of the sea- 
 coast of Africa, with the remains of a city, famous in antiquity, painted a year or 
 two ago, by one in this department, drew down from all Artists and people of real 
 taste, expressions of the highest approbation and delight; but Figgity disapproved 
 of it — so Mumbo, Sooton, Diggery, Bombo, Foulah, Jang, and Maraboo, dis* 
 approved of it likewise. 
 
 In Historical painting, little or nothing is doing. It is expected that Sooton 
 intends to order a picture, representing the first man and woman — old Ad Hami and 
 Heeva. Heeva is to be employed in assisting Ad Hami to put on his first suit of 
 green, made of the leaves of the fig-tree. Sooton insists that they must be the 
 leaves of the Indian fig — cactus opuntia. He has chosen this as a lively subject. 
 He has likewise in contemplation another of an opposite character, as a companion 
 to the former. This piece is to represent himself making an experiment with hot 
 tea, on the tail of a raw hog ; a subject capable of great pathos and expression, 
 and being a prominent incident in his philosophic discoveries, he feels towards 
 it a more than common regard and attention. 
 
 These are a few of the leading remarks we have collected from Bumjut. He is 
 in raptures with his country, and from the observations he has made, he has little 
 hesitation in giving it as his decided opinion, that if the Arts in England continue 
 to advance with the rapid strides, so naturally to be expected from the extraordinary 
 encouragement afforded them, they will in a very, very few years, bid fair to rival 
 those in Tombuctoo. 
 
 Note. — Since writing the above, the Editor is concerned to state, that all hope 
 of further information on this interesting subject, will, he fears, be vain. 
 
 D 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The amiable Bumjut has been seized with a depression of spirits, bordering 
 on insanity, on ascertaining within these few days, that his beloved sister 
 6artjee, whom he was hastening to snatch from the embraees of the Dutch 
 Drummer, is no more. Her mortal remains now form a principal object of 
 study in the Surgeon's Hall at Paris. Should Bumjut follow his sister, 
 he will be preserved with care, and hung up in the Gallery of the British 
 Institution. 
 
CATALOGUE RAISONNJE. 
 
 FOR 1816. 
 
 No. 57. 
 
 Head of a Boy. — Adel Sarto. — Earl of Aberdeen. 
 
 THERE were numerous conjectures abroad last year, with regard to the real cha- 
 racters of the Authors of the Catalogue Raisonnc. We ourselves were frequently 
 appealed to, to decide on this point, between several notions equally unfounded. 
 All we could do, in this case, was to follow the example of the cloud-compelling 
 Bayle, and draw such an accumulation of reasonings on each side, as to leave our 
 friends in that state, which conjecturers, on such occasions, for the most part, 
 merit to be left in. 
 
 Next, however, to the pleasure derived from the success of our endeavours to 
 enlighten the public mind, on the subject of the Fine Arts, omitting to mention 
 the gratification arising out of the consciousness of performing an imperious duty, 
 is the no small entertaiument we have received from the imaginary pictures, drawn 
 of ourselves to ourselves, by our various friends and acquaintances. 
 
 The majority, who do us the honor to think our work is neither deficient in 
 sense or feeling, are able to see our natural character through the disguise we have 
 assumed. To these it is quite unnecessary to make any apology for the style we 
 have thought proper to adopt. They will know well enough on which side of the 
 
12 
 
 account to enter our bludgeon-like blows, and the rough quality of our tone. But 
 there are some of our readers, who, on the contrary have doubts : men who wish 
 the cause well, but whose intellects are of that obtuse nature, as not to admit of 
 their penetrating an inch beneath the surface. To assure th ese that our coarseness 
 is no matter of choice, may perhaps be as useless as the other is unnecessary ; yet 
 it will not be amiss, perhaps, to remind these and the public, that they either know 
 not, or forget, that the beings we have to castigate on this occasion, have, in 
 themselves, nine out of ten, only the husk of fashionable refinement — the very 
 scrapings of elegance. The souls and minds of these men are as empty, as grovel- 
 ling, and as callous, in reality, as are those of men of the most inferior birth and 
 station. They have no other polish but that which is external, and which they 
 obtain by rubbing against each other, nightly, in a strongly- illuminated drawing- 
 room ; and what they deem gentlemanly converse, is, at bottom, nothing but a 
 trade article — a kind of Birmingham counterfeit, with a gilded showy outside. 
 Upon such the refinements of wit would be worse than thrown away — upon such it 
 would be a hopeless task to make any impression whatever, but with the saw, the 
 hatchet, or the chopper. 
 
 Now we are of that order, which endeavours, upon every occasion, to turn its 
 experience to aecount ; and there is nothing, therefore, which we have been more 
 assiduously anxious to guard against, throughout our present labour, than the silly 
 failing, of which Goldsmith accused Burke, namely, that of " cutting blocks with 
 a razor" 
 
 And now then, most courteous reader, (if it will please thee to be called so,) if 
 thou wilt refer to the first page of the Directors' Catalogue, thou wilt there see the 
 following caution in the Preface, by a hand drawn and engraved by Sir Thomas 
 Bernard — the ruffle by Sir Abraham Hume : — 
 
 Ks" It is particularly requested, that no one will touch the Pictures. 
 
 Now, common civility would induce you to comply, as far as lies in your power, 
 with the request of any Gentleman, or Society of Gentlemen ; but especially when 
 that request, so far from causing you any disappointment or regret, meets, in every 
 jtespect, your own wishes and approbation. 
 
13 
 
 For example — the present object of our notice is a Picture, that we would not 
 touch with a pair of tongs (except, indeed, it were for the purpose of insinuating it 
 between the bars of a well-heated kitchen range) even though we were solicited to 
 that effect by its noble possessor. 
 
 We have taken an invincible antipathy to this juvenile depredator, the pet pupil 
 of the ingenious pickpocket, Mr. Wm. Soames, who has lately left this country, to 
 pass the remainder of his life in the enchanting scenes, and more enchanting so- 
 ciety, of the increasing colony at Botany- Bay ; gentlemen and ladies, whose virtues 
 have rendered them unfit to mix with the depravity and covetousness they have 
 quitted for ever. 
 
 The present object of our attention has the organ of thieving very strongly pro- 
 nounced, as well as distinct and decided indications of that of murder. Dr. Spurz- 
 heim is of opinion, that he will speedily follow his master, if in due time his emi- 
 nent qualities be not recompensed by a proper elevation in this country. 
 
 No. 58. 
 
 The Magdalen.— A. Carracci. — Sir Mark Syhes. 
 
 THE worthy Baronet may foolishly flatter himself, that the exhibition of this Lady 
 is likely to benefit the Fine Arts, and add to his own reputation as a man of taste ; 
 he may rely upon it, the deceitful jilt can advance neither. She would do as well 
 for the Lock as the Magdalen ; and we therefore recommend Sir Mark to shut 
 her up quickly. If she be incurable, it may not be the case with him. 
 
 No. 59. 
 
 Theseus lifting the Stone.— N. Poussin.—J. Knight, Esq. 
 
 A VERY fair specimen of this master ; and being an historical subject, is, accord- 
 ing to invariable custom, placed out of reach, at the top of the room. 
 
 B 
 
14 
 
 No. 60. 
 
 Landscape.-— N. Poussin.-—Sir W. W. Wynne, Bart. 
 
 AND this you call a Poussin, Sir Watkin ? Believe us (Sir Watkin) from our 
 own direct knowledge, and without any malice, but merely to speak of this thing 
 as of our own making, it is a most notable liar — " the owner of no one good quality 
 " worthy your Worship's entertainment." 
 
 All Well that ends Well. 
 
 No. 61. 
 
 Head of Tasso. — Bassan. — Sir A. Hume. 
 
 THIS Portrait is certainly by Bassan. It is said to represent Tasso. We sincerely 
 hope this is really the fact, since, if we only imagine, for one instant, that it does 
 not depict the Poet, all that is deserving of notice in this performance vanishes. — 
 " As this is literally the case," (cried the Incendiary,) you must acknowledge, 
 " that it was extremely judicious, on the part of Sir Abraham, to select it for an 
 " example of Art. Before I quit the Baronet, now that a fair opportunity presents 
 ** itself, pray," (continued he,) " permit me to ask, what possible pretensions this 
 fC Director has to hold himself up to the public as a Patron ? I believe, upon 
 " inquiry, it will be found, that he has not a single Specimen of any living Artist 
 " in his Collection. He has indeed two Models, by poor Proctor, the Sculptor." 
 — (Will Sir Abraham permit us to inform the public how he became possessed of 
 the second ? We cannot, as gentlemen, do so without his permission.) — " The 
 " first he purchased, at the earnest solicitation of Sir Joshua Reynolds, of the Artist, 
 " for the sum of Fifty Guineas. The exquisite beauties of this work (which repre- 
 " sents Ixion on the wheel) still elicits the warmest eulogiums from those who 
 " saw that Exhibition of the Royal Academy which it graced j^and its merits, as 
 (t long as their remembrance exists, will excite the liveliest feeling of admiration 
 ** at the talents of this extraordinary young man, and the deepest regret for his me- 
 " lancholy fate. A twelvemonth after the production of this his first work, he 
 
15 
 
 exhibited a second. Shortly after the execution of this, the Artist died, in an 
 " obscure lodging in Maiden-lanc, the victim of anxiety and exertion ; and this 
 " self-same Sir Abraham is the man, who now sets up for a Patron. Surely he 
 " must think others as forgetful of his demerits, as he was insensible to the suffer- 
 u ings of Proctor. Depend on it, my friend, this Sir Abraham is, in point of Pa- 
 " tronage, a Sham-Abraham, and has no love whatever for the Arts, farther than 
 " inasmuch as his own vanity is concerned." 
 
 You forget (said we) that the actions of men are to be appreciated by their inten- 
 tions. If you consider this matter coolly, you will perceive Sir Abraham never had 
 any thought of patronizing Proctor. It is true, he purchased the first Model of the 
 Artist, and lent him a few Guineas on the second ; but this only constitutes him, 
 in the one case, a Purchaser, and, in the other, a Pawnbroker! He appears 
 never to have felt the least interest in the fate of the Artist. Now, to a Patron, 
 the person patronized is an object of the first moment ; but, to a mere Purchaser, 
 or a Pawnbroker, the indigent state of the Pledger, is a matter of the most perfect 
 indifference. — Note, Except in as far as it enables him to get the article cheaper. 
 
 A Patron is one who gives liberally, and does not consider so much the worth of 
 the individual thing he purchases. His object is to enable the Artist to pursue his 
 studies, and to arrive at future excellence. A mere Purchaser, and a Pawnbroker, 
 weighs the value of the production to be sold, or to be pledged, with scrupulous 
 exactness, and never gives or advances more than the thing is worth, or than he is 
 certain will yield him a fair return of interest. A Patron is always desirous of 
 taking, for the sake of his Proteg6, what it is necessary for the existence of his Pro- 
 tege to part with. A Pawnbroker never wants to purchase but for his own sake j 
 and it is no weight in the scale with him, whether the pledger be starving or not. 
 
 It is plain, therefore, that you are guilty of great injustice to Sir A. H . He 
 
 has never shown the least intention to be called a Patron. In the only case from 
 whence any mistake may arise on this point, you must now clearly see the truth of 
 this assertion. We repeat, that inasmuch as regards the Ixion, he was a mere Pur- 
 chaser of the Production, but no Patron of the Artist ; and as far as regards the 
 loan granted upon its companion, he was nothing more nor less than the Pawn- 
 broker, whom Proctor chose to prefer, under ti e impression, that, as a Baronet, 
 and an affected lover of the Fine Arts, he might possibly be induced to give a 
 little more than an ordinary Pawnbroker with the sign of Three Balls. His having 
 been mistaken in this calculation, makes not the least difference. 
 
16 
 
 No. 62. 
 
 Landscape — G. Poussin B. West, Esq. 
 
 WE are quite sure Mr. West himself can have little esteem for his own Picture. 
 
 No. 63. 
 
 Holy Family. — Parmigiano. — Sir T. Baring. 
 
 A MOST finished pattern of anatomical ignorance and affectation, exhibiting, at 
 one view, abortion, contortion, and distortion, according to the most approved 
 common-place rules, laid down for the use and abuse of those who are anxious to 
 assume an appearance of that feeling which nature has totally denied them. 
 
 No. 64. 
 
 David encamped.— -Claude. -—Rev. W. H. Carr. 
 
 WE are sorry to be under the necessity of observing, that of all the Pictures con- 
 stituting the stock in trade of the above named Gentleman — Apothecary — Parson 
 — Picture-dealer, this is one of the best ; we hardly know how to account for it, 
 but of two Pictures, by this master, in the prosession of Mr. H. C — r, he has 
 chosen to send the least objectionable to the Gallery. 
 
 If it were not for the horrible composition of this Landscape — the tasteless hole 
 in the wall — the tents and the daddy-long-legs, whom Mr. C — r has christened 
 King David, we should be gre atly offended by its present obtrusion on the Public ; 
 as it is, we are bound to suppose the possessor sees deeper into the mill-stone than 
 ourselves, and if it were politic, could thoroughly explain the matter to our satis- 
 faction. Be this as it may, we cannot resist expressing our regret at the absence of 
 Claude Gillee's Muses. 
 
 The Public in general merely know, by tradition, that this Painter was a pastry- 
 cook i had this delectable composition to which we now allude, been brought for- 
 
17 
 
 ward, they would have had the evidence of his practice to confirm it. It is said to 
 represent Mount Parnassus ; and no one who for a moment has seen the Picture can 
 entertain the smallest doubt of its having been taken from one of his own Plateaux. 
 The Figures have all the character and drawing which they might be expected to 
 derive from a species of twelfth-cake casts. The swans are of the truest wax shapes, 
 white the water bears every mark of being done from something as right-earnest as 
 •that at Sadlers-Wells, and the Prince's Fete of 1814. 
 
 " I am told," (said the Incendiary,) u that your friend, the parson, cannot 
 K exactly say, as Mr Knight does, that he never sold any thing but at an auction, 
 " or for any thing more than he gave. Between you and me, he is really and 
 " truly nothing more nor less than a picture-dealer. Whether he is as perfect in 
 " his profession as Mr. Basely is, or Mr. Bonelli was* in his, I know not. It has 
 " come to my knowledge, however, that he has in his possession at this time (if 
 " he has not yet sold it) a Painting whicli he denominates a Titian. This Titian, 
 
 " previous to Mr. H. C r's purchase of it, was in the hands of an English Artist, 
 
 " who painted upon it fur five iveeks. Now, if he is not a dealer, how comes this 
 
 " thing to grace Mr. H. C r's Collection ? Are we to suppose, that he knows 
 
 K nothing about Titian, and that an English Pistrucci has been able to pass off his 
 " own fresh paint for the paint of the great Venetian ? Nobody shall ever persuade 
 " me, that our Parson, like Mr. Knight, is the dupe of ignorance on this occa- 
 <c sion. No, no ; he knows better than to be bit in this way." Granted, (said we,) 
 and a little time will perhaps show, that my Lord Aberdeen, or my Lord Some- 
 body-else, whom the Directors are anxious to cure, will be induced to swallow this 
 dose, for the benefit of the modern Fine Arts. 
 
 " This Gentleman," (resumed the Incendiary,) tc is so great a favorite, and so 
 " extremely busy on all occasions, that I cannot content myself without giving as 
 " much publicity to his merits as they deserve. Be it known, then, that he is a 
 " tolerable botcher-up of old Pictures himself ; and, if report speaks correctly, is 
 " by no means to be sneered at for his critical skill in House-painting, as far as 
 
 * The Incendiary tells us he uses the past time, since he hears this Gem-Merchant has left, or is 
 about to leave, the country in despair, at the ungenerous treatment he has experienced from the un- 
 merciful English It is strongly reported, that he anxiously subscribes to the old adage, " Save me 
 " from my friends," &c. and declares, that Mr. Knight has played the deuce with him. In his rage, 
 he has been heard to vociferate, ** I only valued the Flora at 5/. when I sold it amongst the rest to 
 " Mr. K. and Pistrucci was a d d fool for owning it — he can do much better than that," 
 
 F 
 
18 
 
 " regards in-door work. Whether he be yet scientifically grounded in the art of 
 " sitting the board to clean windows, is not ascertained ; but time, which is said 
 " to show all things, possibly may show this." — Perhaps, (said we,) it is owing to 
 the diversity of his application that he succeeds so little in fancy pieces. 
 
 In the Royal Academy Exhibition of last year, we had occasion to notice a Pic- 
 ture of his, you know. " I recollect," (cried the Incendiary ;) " you mean the 
 " production he was facetiously pleased to call a View of Oxford ; the beautiful 
 " thing in which he had introduced a waggon and horses ; stolen, point by point, 
 (e from Lord Camden's Rubens ;* but which group, from a very provoking igno- 
 
 " ranee of the very first principles of Perspective, refused to act upon Mr. C r's 
 
 " canvass. They drew exceedingly well upon the inclined plane, on which their 
 
 " real owner had set them to work ; but as Mr. C r chose them to figure on a 
 
 " very different angle, they assumed, in appearance, the character of some of the 
 <( celebrated Dr. Graham's patients, about to take an earth-bath. "->— In respect to 
 the present Picture", with which he has favoured the Royal Academy, for the im- 
 provement of the public taste, and the promotion of his own fame, we will can- 
 didly tell him, that he has nothing in this work to pride himself on. It is not steal- 
 ing a bit of sea from one old master, a bit of this from a second, and a bit of that 
 from a third, that will make a picture, any more than stealing half-a-dozen lines 
 from one poet, and another half-dozen from another, that will make a poem. He 
 had better stick, we think, to the theoretical part of art ; and if he could prevail on 
 himself to confine his attention solely to the scientific part of House-painting, who 
 knows, if the national monument to be erected should prove to be a church, whether 
 he might not, with the interest he possesses, obtain the place of modern Phidias, 
 and have the superintendence of the flatting and plain work, and perhaps even obtain 
 the graining of the pews. 
 
 No. 65. 
 
 Portrait of a Cardinal. — Velasquez. — H. Banks, Esq. 
 
 HOWEVER Piccanini-like and quizzical in form, this face of a Cardinal is very 
 fine in expression and drawing, and very fresh and good in point of colour. 
 
 * No. 18, of the last year's Exhibition. 
 
19 
 
 No. 66. 
 
 Landscape. — Claude. — Sir G. Beaumont. 
 
 HERE 9§gm we are disposed to ask, why, as in the case of Mr. H. C r,* the 
 
 owner of this picture lias withheld his leathern sun-set, wherein Narcissus has all 
 the graces of a clodhopper, and Echo is so characteristically made to look the very 
 image of a Q-in-a-corner ? f When we recollect the just ridicule this Director 
 brought down on the would-be Connoisseur, by the exhibition last year of his little, 
 ridiculous, contemptible patch, with which he chose to disgrace the name of Ru- 
 bens ; when we recollect thai he has withdrawn his usual contributions from the 
 
 Exhibition of the R. A. and when we find Sir G — B is silent, and scarcely 
 
 opens his mouth against the individual he affects to consider as his rival, we cannot 
 but think he lacks a little of that spirit which formerly animated him, and that he 
 is perhaps awed into silence and precaution by an apprehension and fear of the In- 
 cendiary's threats. The fellow has told us, that he has had two or three opportu- 
 nities of whispering some truths in his ear, such truths as he perhaps would not 
 care to see in print. 
 
 * Since the publication of (he First Part of our Catalogue, we have been informed, that the inva- 
 luable Recipe, for the vehicle to be used in painting such Pictures as the " Plague at Athens," and 
 which, we observed, had been fouhd by a Lady, at an illuminated Exhibition of the British Gallery, 
 is only one, out of au extensive Collection, bequeathed to the Director by his late relative, a gallant 
 Mou>quetaire en genoux, in the service of /Esculapius, at Exeter. The whole is now in the press, 
 and will be speedily published, "for the gratification of the public, and the lent pit of the Fine Arts 
 " in general." 
 
 f We learn, however, that this little duck-legged Echo is a great lover of Lady B.'s. She doats on 
 
 holding with her " conversation sweet." She dwells on her voice ; for, in those sounds, she hears 
 
 repeated the gentle murmurs of her own." 
 
 Oh '. were she dumb, till Echo silence breaks, 
 
 Then would Sir George, and all his friends, be blest.— -= 
 
20 
 
 No. 67. 
 
 Cephalus and Aurora. — A". Poussin. — J. Knight, Esq. 
 
 « AS this Is another of the Pictures which it was proper to thrust out of the way, 
 " and is the property of a gentleman of the same name, I think," (cried the In- 
 cendiary,) " I may take the liberty of resuming my history of our friend the An- 
 « tique Gem-Collector's Defence of Mr. Bonelli. I was just on the point of put- 
 " ting the following questions to our friend Sir S. T. when we last left off. 1 put 
 " them thus : — 
 
 " Pray, (said I,) Sir T. what does Mr. Knight answer to that charge of the 
 Reviewer, wherein he is affirmed to acknowledge, that the Venus and the Apollo 
 are without those remains of the chissel, which he had previously asserted were 
 to be found in all the first-rate works ?— What does he say ?— Nothing (said he.) 
 Nothing! ! ! (said I.)— Nothing, (said he.)— Humph, (said I.) 
 
 « Well, well, although he makes no reply to this, (continued I,) he'll surely 
 say something in answer to the following :— You know Mr. Knight affirms, that 
 Plutarch expressly excludes Phidias from any share in the execution of the Par- 
 thenon ; and the Reviewer, you also know, tells him, in return, that the words of 
 Plutarch will bear no such construction. What says he to this ?— Nothing, (said he.) 
 Nothing!!! (said I.)— Nothing, (said he.)— Humph, (said I.) 
 
 [' I shall have better luck with the next question, thinks I to myself. The Re- 
 viewer (1 began) affirms, that Phidias, according to Mr. Knight's assertion on a 
 former occasion, built that very temple, in the execution of which, he now denies 
 him to have bad any share. What does he say to this ?— Nothing, (said he.)— No- 
 thing ! ! ! (said I.)— Nothing, (said he.)— Humph, (said I.) 
 
 " At any rate (resumed 1) he very easily and satisfactorily accounts for his having 
 referred the execution of the greater part of the Marbles of the Parthenon to the 
 time of Hadrian ; and shows, that Spon and Wheeler's thinking one of the heads to 
 be so, is a just ground for his supposition. What says he on this head ? — Nothing, 
 (said he.)— Nothing ! ! ! (said I.)— Nothing, (said he.)— Humph, (said I.) 
 
 " I began to despair, but did not let Sir T. perceive my apprehensions for his 
 friend. How does he explain that point? (cried I.) wherein the Reviewer accuses 
 him of giving the Committee to understand, he spoke on the authority of Spon and 
 
21 
 
 Wheeler, while he spoke on a misapprehension of information obtained from Lord 
 Aberdeen. What says he to clear this up ? — Nothing, (said he.) — Nothing ! ! ! 
 (said I.) — Nothing, (said he.)— Humph, (said 1.) 
 
 " Notwithstanding my ill-luck, I will try once more (said I to myself.) Plutarch, 
 says Mr. Knight, affirms, that Phidias only executed the Statue of the Goddess. — 
 The Reviewer affirms that it is false, and that Plutarch asserts no such thing. — 
 What, (cried I,) does Mr. Knight say in answer to this ? — Nothing, (said he.) — 
 What ! nothing ! ! ! (said I.) What ! nothing to this ? — Nothing, (said he.) — 
 Humph, (said I.) — The Gods then have at last, for a certainty, forsaken him. I 
 scarcely made this ejaculation low enough to prevent Sir T. from hearing me. — 
 What is that you say about the Gods ? (exclaimed lie.) — That they are very like 
 those Gods, (said I,) that feed a man with false hopes, and who, when they wish 
 to destroy their victim, first deprive him of understanding. 
 
 "I am afraid, (said Sir T.) you are at heart no real friend to the learned Director. 
 You seem to consider his silence on the above points as fatal ; but mark — Have 
 you not noticed the stress I have laid, from the very first, on the real object of this 
 Defence ? and have I not repeatedly asserted, throughout my explanation, that 
 Mr. Knight's sole object in obtruding himself on the public, was to rescue that 
 much-injured foreigner — the banished Bonelli — from the aspersions of the Quar- 
 terly Reviewer. And pray now, let me quietly ask, whether it is not totally im- 
 possible for anv one to believe, that Mr. Knight could have left such points of ac- 
 cuastion as the foregoing unanswered, if his own exculpation had at all entered into 
 his consideration ; or if, in appealing to the public, his object had been any thing 
 more than solely to shelter his now departed, disconsolate, and irrecoverable friend 
 and accomplished Gem-Broker, from an abominable combination to expose him ? 
 
 " I am so exceedingly delighted with your view of the subject, (cried I,) and the 
 Public must be so satisfied with your explanation, that 1 am quite anxious to know 
 what the observations were which I prevented you from making by the above en- 
 quiries. I believe, (said he,) I was about to remark on the rhetorical and declama- 
 tory passages, which occupy so considerable a portion of the two pages and a half, 
 which this defence of Mr. Bonelli takes up. 1 was about to observe that all which 
 Mr. Knight vociferates about angry passions, applying them of course to the 
 Reviewer ; all that he says about public profusion — the ramification of public 
 profusion — the always-wished- for, by-the- wicked- widely -extended-as-possible- 
 rnmifications of jniblic profusion ; all that he says about this species of 
 
 G 
 
22 
 
 public profusion, taking up its object in the mass, and its effect on private depra- 
 vity, through public prodigality. All that he says about mean corruption- 
 growing-gradual-callous-profiigacy ; of cowardice ; of wickedness ; of momen- 
 tarily-accomniodating-unxform-fraudulent-malevolent-principles ; of confident- 
 palpable-injurious falsehoods ; of in-the-same-breath, affected-witness-discredit- 
 ing delicacy; of ditty /fallacious, muddy, shallow arguments ; vulgar abortions 
 of wit; ruining-disgracing, cold, treacherous, malignant, anonymous ca- 
 lumniators ; of treacherously -mine-char ging-moral-character-overthrowing 
 wretches; of cotvardly, murder-him-in-his-bed-at-midnight, gratuitous-assas- 
 sinating robbers ; all that he says of this nature, and of driving this Reviewer out of 
 Society, now he has discovered him lurking under the disguise of a morbid-conta- 
 gious-atmospherical death.* All that he observes of this kind, I say, (cried Sir T.) 
 you must be perfectly sensible, will have a wonderful weight with every reader of 
 sound discrimination ; but as I am not, (continued he,) in a passion myself, nor able, 
 all I can do, to work myself into one, I am unwilling to add any of my own decla- 
 mation on this head ; since I should need the aid of the most rampant resentment 
 to insure any kind of impression after such a volley of invective. 
 
 t( Perhaps, (said I,) it is as well to leave the thing as it stands; for my own part, I 
 have a cross of that English breed in me, which rather prefers to see one good 
 blow given, than hear a person called ten-hundred-thousand cart-loads of nick- 
 names. — By the word blow, I metaphorically mean to express nothing more than 
 facts ; these, as you have shown Sir T. he has already produced in such quantities, 
 and of such force, that he need not, I think, (now that he has your comment) be 
 under any doubt, either as to the result in regard to Mr.Bonelli, or even in regard to 
 himself, though I cannot but commend, in the strongest terms, the very genuine 
 indifference which you affirm he has expressed all through this printed letter, as to 
 his own exculpation. 
 
 fe There is one point more, (said Sir T.) which I now remember has escaped 
 my notice. The philosophical contempt in which Mr. Knight at this moment 
 holds the Fine Arts, is most admirably brought to bear on the present occasion. 
 Such pursuits, he exclaims, are mere matters of frivolous, or at least elegant, amuse- 
 ment, in which no one, of enlarged intellect, sets any high value upon reputation 
 for skill or discernment. Good, (said I,) — for as this declaration comes from one 
 
 * All these expressions, the reader will find in Mr. Knight's Letter. 
 
23 
 
 whose whole life has been spent in such pursuits, from one who has composed and 
 compiled a very ponderous book of common places in aid of such studies, it must 
 carry with it the fullest conviction to the breast of every one. Unless, (cried I, 
 with a wink) we suspect that, conscious at length of his deficiency like the Ape 
 that lost his tail, he is endeavouring to make the best of his unfortunate situation. 
 
 " Fortunately at this instant the Mail was ready to start, so throwing myself into 
 the corner, I escaped from the angry storm which I saw gathering on the brow of 
 Sir T. at my insinuation. 
 
 " And is it possible, (thought I to myself, as I folded my arms and composed 
 myself to sleep,) that a. man should be so wrapt up in selfish feelings, as to lose so 
 far the sight of common sense and common prudence as to expose himself thus? 
 Can Mr. Knight flatter and impose on himself so far as to imagine, that the world 
 does not see the real state of the case, and that his struggles to support himself, ex- 
 hibit nothing but the agonized convulsions of expiring self-importance ? Doubt- 
 less, (said I.) In his closet, and in his bed, it is all bewailing with this vain 
 dogmatist. It is nothing now, but — Oh ! that I had never known Bonelli. — Oh ! 
 that Pistrucci had never been born. — Oh ! that Pericles had never lived. — Oh ! that 
 Adrian and his head had been at the devil before I dreamed of them. 
 
 "Oh! that I had never seen the marks of a chisel! — Oh! that all the Artists 
 were at the bottom of the sea! — Oh! that Mr. Flaxman — Oh! that Mr. Nollekins 
 —Oh! that Mr. West— Oh ! that Mr. Chantrey— Oh ! that Mr. Westmacott— Oh! 
 that Canova— Oh ! that Mr. Rossi— Oh ! that Sir Thomas Lawrence— Oh ! that Vis- 
 conti — Oh ! that they, and all the world, were at the bottom of the sea of Marmora. 
 
 " Oh ! that I had never met with the name of that spider-cutting Callicrates — 
 Oh ! that I had never stumbled on that of Ictinus. 
 
 " Oh 1 that I had never changed the words of Plutarch— Oh ! that I had never al- 
 tered his testimony — Oh ! that I had never said that he expressly excluded Phidias 
 from any share in the works of the Parthenon— and Oh ! that I had never said he 
 only made the Statue of Minerva. 
 
 " Oh ! that I had known the difference between a horse's head and a black-beetle. 
 — Oh ! that I had never given reason to suppose that I could not tell Great-A from 
 a Bull's-foot. 
 
 " Oh 1 that I had never misunderstood Lord Aberdeen. — Oh ! that I had never 
 thought of Spon and Wheeler. 
 "Oh ! that noboby understood<3freek but myself—Oh ! that I had had but one grain 
 
24 
 
 of common sense, to have found out I had no more ! — Oh ! that that horrible Reviewer 
 had not cut me in two ! —Oh ! that I had never thought, because there was only one 
 man in the moon, that there was only one man of taste in the world, and that 1 was 
 that only man. 
 
 " Oh ! that I had never talked of the Lizard of Lysippus ! Oh ! that I had — 
 Come, come, (said we,) surely we have a sufficient number of interjections to satisfy 
 any moderate person. If you are to dwell on this topic thus, we shall never arrive 
 at the end of our labours. 
 
 " Bless your soul, (cried the Incendiary,) I shall not have done this hour." 
 
 " Oh ! that I was not written down a dunce, and that deservedly ! — Oh ! that 
 there was no Recipe for making new stones look like old ones ! Oh ! that" — " Now, 
 pray" — " Oh ! that St. Paul's had never been built ! Oh ! that the statue of 
 Queen Anne had never been cut in stone ! Oh ! that I had never condemned the 
 Elgin Marbles before I saw them ! Oh ! that I had never said I gave 250 Guineas 
 for the Gem of Flora, when Bonelli declares he valued it, in the lot, only at Jive 
 Guineas ! Oh ! that I had never talked of scalding a Pig's-tail, under the head of 
 Sublime and Beautiful ! Oh ! that I had not," — 
 
 I tell you what, (said we,) you shall not go on any longer. If you do not in- 
 stantly cease from this subject, we will leave you to yourself. 
 
 " Why, (said he,) I had a thousand more Ohs ! but if you are determined to 
 stop my mouth, so be it. I only know this — but never mind ; the time will come 
 I shall have — Well, well, go on. — What is the next picture ?" 
 
 No. 68. 
 
 Landscape.— 'G. Poussin. — Right Honourable Charles Long. ■ 
 
 THIS sketchy Picture has the fault we attributed to No. 8, that of being too light 
 for an old Picture. It has scarcely any defects. Except the tendency towards 
 green in the sky, and extreme distance, there is nothing to observe upon but what 
 naturally belongs to the department of our Cousin Peter. " I can account very 
 easily, (said the Incendiary,) for the silence of Mr. Knight. His hands have been 
 too full of business, and his head too distracted, to allow of such an exertion ; but, 
 pray, why has Mr. Long, this year, withheld his usual critical effervescence in the 
 
25 
 
 front of the Catalogue ? Now, upon my word, taking Mr. Knight's geometrical 
 measure of taste in the Fine Arts, the foot-rule, I deem his preface-writing to he 
 full as instructive and profound as the learned Analyst's. Many of his notions on 
 art, I can assure you, have the reputation of being very acute, with those who are 
 able to stand sufficiently in their own light, and look at them a little edge wise."— 
 " To tell you, (said we,) the truth, he is no Zamzummim in criticism, and, I 
 fancy, is a little apprehensive of the consequence of committing his crudities to the 
 press ; but he should feel the lash of those who are able, and are at length deter- 
 mined, to petsevcre in unmasking the superficial and the pretending." 
 
 No. 69. 
 
 Holy Family. — Garqfolo. — G I. Cholmondeley, Esq. 
 
 IF any of the visitors to the gallery can recollect this Picture, we will trouble them 
 to insert the observations which we ought to have made upon it. We, no doubt, 
 looked at it in its turn as we passed ; but we do not really remember any thing at 
 all about it. 
 
 We likewise can affirm the same of Nos. 70 — 72 — 77 — and 'JO ; and will ven- 
 ture therefore to state, from this simple circumstance alone, that there are none of 
 them, taken singly or collectively, worth a straw. 
 
 No. 73. 
 
 Holy Family. -—A. Carracci.—Earl of Suffolk. 
 
 THERE is a lascivious cast in the eyes of this Virgin, most admirably at variance 
 with her scriptural character. We are informed, however, that the original ex- 
 pression was, some years since, destroyed by a little accident, which happened to 
 
 the Lady while under the cauterizing hands of a Picture-dealer, Dr. , and that 
 
 the present is only a modern substitute, which, notwithstanding its insufficiency, 
 was procured at the expence of a great many pounds. 
 
 " It has occurred to me, and I wish you would publish it for the advantage of 
 
 H 
 
26 
 
 those who spend so much upon old Pictures, with bran-new surfaces, (cried the In- 
 cendiary,) that it would be a good thing to vest the beauties of old Pictures in the 
 hands of trustees, and not suffer them to be touched without the regular consent of" 
 the Court of Chancery." 
 
 No. 70, see No. 69 — 71. 
 
 The best Pictures of Murillo in England. 
 WE leave them, consequently, to Peter. 
 
 No. 72, see 69. 
 No. 76, see 71* 
 No. 77, see 59. 
 
 No. 78. 
 
 Our Saviour and his Disciples. — P. Veronese. — Marq. of Stafford. 
 
 AN excellent specimen of Paul Veronese, and the subject treated in that most 
 inimitable style of drollery, so little understood by the Artists of these degenerate 
 days. The dog in the front, has doubtless, from his dress, been dancing for the 
 amusement of our Saviour and the two disciples. 
 
 No. 79, see 69. 
 No. 80. 
 
 Virgin and Child, and St. John. — P. del Vaga. — Major Rawlings. 
 
 TO Major Rawlings, 
 Sir, 
 
 We beg leave to assure you, that we have a full conviction of the 
 diabolical nature of this attempt on the persons of the Virgin, Child, and St. John ; 
 and hope the hue-and-cry against the avocation of informer, will not prevent your 
 
27 
 
 laying such an information against P. del Vaga, as will insure this guilty Painter's 
 being brought to condign punishment. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 We have the honour to he, 
 
 with every sense of your public-spirited conduct 
 on this occasion, 
 
 The Defenders. 
 
 No. 81. 
 
 The Assumption.— Beato A. da Fiesole.—Rev. J. Sandford. 
 
 THIS extraordinary flight of high-mettled saints and angels, on a gold ground, 
 was workad by Beato A. as a pattern for a Samplar. We once saw a fac-simile of 
 it in gingerbread, in the hands of the celebrated Jack Horner. It would be invalu ! 
 able, if this should turn out to be the original. 
 
 No. 82. 
 
 The Mocking of Christ. — Caravaggio. — T. Jones, Esq. 
 
 HERE is a flagrant instance of the mistaken conception of the subjects of the Pic- 
 tures now exhibiting. Mr. Jones may, if he pleases, impose on himself with the 
 notion that this Picture represents the Mocking of Christ. He is only made to be- 
 lieve this, by the impious wag who has painted the Crown of Thorns upon the figure 
 which he has, by this means, marie to personate our Saviour. It has really the 
 appearance of a dirty, flabby delinquent, who having been detected in the act of 
 depredation, is about to receive punishment at the cart's tail. 
 
 No. 83. 
 
 Landscape. — Claude.— Earl of Egremont. 
 
 " HERE, (cried the Incendiary,) is the most infamous specimen of an endeavour 
 to deteriorate a Picture, by placing it in the dark, I ever remember to have wit- 
 
 ♦ 
 
28 
 
 nessed. — This is acknowledged, on all hands, to be the finest work of the master. 
 And why is it placed here, where it cannot be seen ? And why is it not placed in 
 the very first situation and best light in the Gallery ?" Because my Lord Egre- 
 
 mont is nobody at the Institution, and because Sir G and his man are every 
 
 body. You recollect what I told you about the Parson's Rubens last year. Only 
 look at the conspicuous places of Mr. Holwell Carr's Pictures this season ! 
 
 No. 84. 
 
 Christ tempted. — Titian. — T. Hope, Esq. 
 
 THIS is likewise admirably placed to do justice to its merits. The exquisite varie- 
 ties of the flesh tones are quite lost at this distance. " As this is a truly-valuable 
 Picture. I am sure, (said the Incendiary,) Mr. Hope must be delighted to see the 
 thing of Carlo Dolce, to which it has been compelled to give place." 
 
 No. 85. 
 
 Sea-Port. —Claude. -Sir W. W. Wy nne. Bart. 
 
 THE only Claude with a glass we ever saw ; and the one, of all others, that least 
 deserves the distinction. We would not swear that its cover has not been its curse, 
 and the cause of the trees being in such deep mourning from head to foot. 
 
 No. 86. 
 
 Portrait of a Lady and her Son.—Giorgione — R. P. Knight, Esq. 
 
 WE suppose that Mr. Knight values dirt on Pictures, as he values the scratches of 
 the chisel on stones.* This might, as the Picture- dealers say, turn out something, 
 if it were cleaned, but we really cannot answer for it ; there is great uncertainty in 
 these matters. 
 
 * We use the term Stones insUad of Statues, as being more in unison with Mr. Knight's own style 
 of expression. 
 
29 
 
 No. 87. 
 
 The Communion of St. Nicholas. — P. Veronese. — British Institution. 
 COUSIN Peter's own, from beginning to end. 
 
 No. 88. 
 
 Landscape. — N. Poussin. — Sir G. Beaumont. 
 
 THIS Director's conduct puzzles us greatly; here is this work of a high class ! — 
 On reference to our Catalogue, we fine moreover that No. 66, and this, are his only 
 Pictures. It is very strange ! 
 
 No. 89. 
 
 Portrait (said to be) of Luther. — Pordenone. — Sir A. Hume. 
 
 LUTHER ! who says so? — M Why Sir Abraham ; don't you see in the Catalogue, 
 he calls it 1 a Portrait, said to be of Luther.' " 
 
 Well ! Well ! If you have not better authority than his, don't quote it, my 
 good fellow ; you will only be laughed at : you may recollect perhaps that what 
 he imagined was " Toby Philpot," we proved to demonstration was a Magdalen.* 
 Now this is the chap who cooks sausages at the Horse-guards ! — Look at his frying- 
 pan face ; why Shadrach, Meschech and Abednego were icicles to him. 
 
 " And yet I think it may be Luther; he has been engaged in a warm con- 
 troversy." — 
 
 A hot one you mean ; but as I am sceptical on most points, you must first prove 
 to me that Pordenone lived at the same time with Luther, then that Luther sat to 
 Pordenone, then . . 
 
 " Well ! if I am able to satisfy you on these heads, what will you say then ?" 
 
 Why then you may burn the picture, for it is not worth house-room — so go on 
 -to No. 90. 
 
 * Vide No. 38. 
 I 
 
30 
 
 No. 90. 
 
 St. John. — L. Carracci. — B. West, Esq. 
 IS this your's, Mr. West? 
 
 No. 91. 
 
 Landscape.— G. Poussin. — J. O. Bowles, Esq. 
 
 IT is reported, in the Chronicles of the learned Jacobus Benabuta, that his friend, 
 Father Jerome Viresa, arriving late at a certain inn in Italy, the host immediately 
 began to lament that the night should be so dark as to prevent his Reverence from 
 seeing the beautiful view, for which the place was celebrated. " Don't distress 
 yourself for my misfortune, cried the Father, only give me a lantern, and I will 
 take my long stick and poke for the prospect." Perhaps Mr. J. O. Bowles may not 
 know it ; but this Picture represents that very prospect for which the learned Viresa 
 poked. The Artist has hit off the tone precisely. — Heigh ! Ho ! Bowles ! 
 
 No. 92. 
 
 A Man selling Water-Melons. — Caravaggio. — A. Champernowne, Esq. 
 
 MR. Champernowne should have been more polite, and suffered the Lady to take 
 precedence of the Gentleman. It should have been " a Lady purchasing Water- 
 Melons." A subject of this importance to the Fine Arts, and a Picture of such 
 uncommon excellence, should not be misnamed. There is an ingenious con- 
 trivance in this Wdrk, by which the left hand of the Gentleman puts on the ap- 
 pearance of being a third hand of the Lady. 
 
31 
 
 No. 93. 
 
 . The Death of Regulus. — S. Rosa. — Earl of Damley. 
 
 HOW Salvator got his great name, we are somewhat able to guess, but how he is 
 able to maintain it, in this age of refinement is most wonderful. 
 
 No. 94. 
 
 Marriage of St. Catherine. — Titian. — B. West, Esq. 
 
 MR. West has had a die sunk of his head lately. To what order of moral action 
 must this be referred ? 
 
 No. 95- 
 
 Landscape. — F. Mola. — JR. Colborne } Esq. 
 OF the right or the wrong tone, — it is not certain which. 
 
 No. 96. 
 Cousin Peter's. 
 
 No. 97 to No. 106. 
 
 Heads of our Saviour, 4fc— Sir. T. Baring. 
 
 WHAT are these things, and from whence did they come? There are two or 
 three which exhibit some slight indication of meriting the name they bear, as far as 
 
32 
 
 their obliteration will allow us to judge, but there are others, which though they 
 can all be referred to the original Picture, are little better than Caricatures, and 
 they all betray a feeble execution. 
 
 " Sir Thomas Baring is pleased to be facetious on this point, (exclaimed the 
 Incendiary,) these heads, denominated the Apostles, are all Portraits of members of 
 the Ugly Club, which was held at the Devil and Toasting-fork, a well-known Cider- 
 cellar in Houndsditch. The members were chosen by ballot, from the ugliest 
 Candidates ; and it is a remarkable circumstance, that the justice of the selection 
 was never once called in question. On admission, each member presented his por- 
 trait to be hung up in the Club-room, when it became the property of the Master 
 of the House. 
 
 " In consequence of the death of Mr. Perry, the late landlord, who was ruined 
 by a bad apple season, these choice Spirits were brought to the hammer and 
 knocked down to Sir Thomas Baring. 
 
 " From a peculiar delicacy of feeling in the Directors, they still are allowed to 
 keep, under the nick-names of the Apostles, each other's company ; and Sir Thomas's 
 name, united to their's, appears ten times in succession in the Catalogue." 
 
 We regret that the smoke of tobacco, and the spray of the cider, ale, and spruce- 
 beer bottles, has materially injured these Curious Portraits. Enough, however, re- 
 mains to show, in how great a degree the present race have degenerated, and that 
 we could, with difficulty, now find a number sufficiently blest by nature, to com- 
 pose another club like this. We believe Parson E..e to be the only surviving 
 member.] 
 
 No. 107. 
 
 The Marriage of St. Catherine. — Titian. — Lord Dun das. 
 
 WE wish Lord Dundas had followed up his assestion, by showing, the Picture was 
 executed when Titian was in Scotland. 
 
 No. 108. 
 
 Sleeping Child. — Alonzo Cano. — H. Banks, Esq. 
 
 ALONZO Cano ! Oh ! oh ! Mr. Alonzo; I perceive, with all your title of " Spa- 
 nish Michael Angelo/' you are no better than you should be ! — Sleep on, then. 
 
33 
 
 No. 109. 
 
 Landscape. — A. Carracci. — T. W. Coke, Esq. 
 
 MR. Coke, as an agriculturalist, must feel great reverence for this Picture. The 
 constant necessity of being out in the open fields, cannot but have given him some 
 notion of the colour of the several objects, such as trees, &c. How readily will he 
 recognize ev ery article in this correctly-minute work of Carracci ! 
 
 No. 110. 
 
 An Allegory. — The Painter between Virtue and Vice. 
 P. Veronese. — T. Hope, Esq. 
 
 PAUL Veronese, in his dressing-gown, between Virtue and Vice, looking out of 
 the Picture to the Spectator, for the applause due to his selection. As from the 
 complexion of these Ladies, it appears to have been a kind of Hobson's choice, we 
 think really a great deal of credit will be due, if, upon mature consideration, the 
 Critic should discover a just ground for the Painter's preference. There is an odd 
 kind of animal in the rear of the Lady, who turns her back on the company. Is 
 this intended to represent any part of the said Lady's family? or is it only the leg 
 of a stool ? or is she labouring under the misery of Corisca ? We wish the Directors 
 would inform the public. To persons of a reflective turn of mind, the delicate 
 mode of treating this subject will be apparent, from the obvious action of the two 
 Ladies, the well-pointed direction of their eyes, and the torn calf of the gentle- 
 man's leg. 
 
 No. ill. 
 
 The Death of Tancred. — N. Poussin. — Earl Poulett. 
 ANOTHER Nicola Poussin in the dark. 
 
 K 
 
34 
 
 No. 112. 
 
 St. John writing the Revelations. — Dominichino. — P. J. Miles Es a 
 
 « HEAVEN for its mercy ! what a Saint is here !" This the Mortal to whom the 
 Firmament was opened ! Can Cceli patefecit arcana, he said of such a Lub- 
 ber as this ? — Impossible — it is some fellow, under sentence of death for robbing a 
 Hen-roost ; penning his last dying speech and confession. The celestial bliss of 
 such an uninspired Ideot, would consist in eating fat pork and swinging on a gate ; 
 and his notion of Heaven must be nearly as distinct as the chaps, who, getting up 
 in the middle of the night to ascertain the state of the weather, popped his nose 
 into the pantry, and discovered it was confoundedly dark, and that the air smelled 
 of bread and cheese. 
 
 Poor Dominichino ! thou wert a true born Terr^e filius ; thy flights (like a 
 turkey's) never rose three inches from the ground. 
 
 As every thing with the Heideggers of Pail-Mall must have the sanction of 
 authority, this most wretched sign, is pompously recommended to our attention 
 on account of its coming from the " Giustiniani Palace." Admitting the truth of 
 this statement, what does it prove, more than that Prince Giustiniani once pos- 
 sessed a worthless Picture,* which Mr. Miles, or Mr. Hart Davis, or Mr. Harris's 
 executor, or Mr. Somebody, has the bad luck now to possess ; and the very cir- 
 cumstance of its being good for nothing, may, for ought we know, be the very 
 reason why Prince Giustiniani parted with it. It is of little importance to tell us 
 rt how this from Heaven or Ottoboni came." 
 
 We ourselves, when young and inexperienced Collectors, and knew about as 
 much of the Fine Arts as Sir A. Hume, or Sir Thomas Bernard, do at present, pur- 
 chased a Picture — to our shame we confess it — for no other reason, than that it 
 formed part of the far-famed Orlean's Gallery. At present, however, we can 
 assure the the Marquis of Stafford, or the Earl of Carlisle, or any other of the Con- 
 
 * Our Authors do not appear to be aware that the Giustiniani Collection was altogether of but a 
 third rate reputation. Even the best Pictures in it were esteemed of little or no value, and this St. 
 John was always considered as one of the very worst. Editor. 
 
35 
 
 tractors for that Lottery — in which, as in most other Lotteries, the Prizes remained 
 with the Contractors, that we will cheerfully resign it to him, or them, for a New 
 Sixpence struck from a Die engraved by Pistrucci. 
 
 We have been informed that the present object of our attention served as an oil- 
 skin wrapper or cover to a case of Pictures introduced into this Paradise of Fools : 
 should that be the fact, we entertain the liveliest hope (if he be yet water proof 
 and sound) that he may again serve the same purpose on their journey back again; 
 but as that unfortunately appears rather doubtful, he might, by a little ingenuity 
 be converted into a Red Cow, in which state he would prove a great acquisition to 
 Mr. Looney Mactwolter, who is in want of a sign for his new Dairy in the 
 Kent Road. 
 
 No. 113. 
 
 Virgin and Child. — Carlo Dolce.— Rev. J. Sandford. 
 
 THIS Lady with her heart in her hand, we hail with all that delight her merits so 
 justly entitle her to. Oh ! Mr. Sandford — Mr. Sandford — where abouts do you 
 wear your Brains. 
 
 No. 114. 
 
 Christ bearing the Cross. — Carlo Dolce.— Sir T. Baring. 
 
 THIS disgusting specimen of Carlo the Sweet, as he is termed, or of Carlo the 
 Mawkish, as he ought to be called ; — this specimen of low, mean, beggarly, vile 
 corruption ; senseless feeling ; vulgar taste and insipid, spiritless, laboured execu- 
 tion, is a disgrace to the Art, and has proved an excellent trap for all those people 
 who have been silly enough to expose their ignorance, by dwelling t with rapture on 
 such a contemptible performance. 
 
 Dismissing all assumed characters, we cannot but express our indignation at the 
 Directors, who could, as a body, suffer such an infamous example of every want 
 of good Principle in Art, to be held up to the world as a work for the admiration of 
 
3fr 
 
 the public, and as a guide to Professors. It is the more culpable in them, since 
 this thing is of the class, exactly fitted to impose upon and mislead the unknowing. 
 Have you no sense, gentlemen, of what you owe to your own characters as men of 
 taste ? and are you totally insensible to every just debt which is due to the Arts of 
 your own oountry ? 
 
 No. 115. 
 
 The Shepherds' Offering. — Carlo Dolce. — Sir T. Baling. 
 
 HERE is another specimen of the puerility of the same master, but not quite so 
 bad as the two former ; thanks to the size of the figures, &c. 
 
 No. 116. 
 
 Wisdom and Strength, an Allegory. — P. Veronese. — T. Hope, Esq. 
 
 HUMAN strengih is here personified by Hercules bearing on his club. This, how- 
 ever, is not very conspicuous. We thought the Painter intended to represent him 
 as about to fall. 
 
 No. 117. 
 
 The Nursing of Jupiter. — N. Poussin. — Dulwich College. 
 GOOD. 
 
 No. 118. 
 
 Titian's Daughter. — Titian. — Lady Lucas. 
 
 WHY is this poised up in a dark corner ? If we remember right, it would well 
 bear being seen. 
 
37 
 
 No. 119. 
 
 Christ and St. Peter. — Guido. — Earl of Darnley. 
 
 CHRIST and Peter corrected on the Picture to Christ and Judas. The mistake 
 was very excusable. We are not certain, even now, if the correction is not an error. 
 Judas, alias Peter, we should think was painted by Guido, at the time he showed 
 his famed model for beauty. 
 
 No. 120. 
 
 A Maris Portrait. — Adel Sarto. — Earl Cowper. 
 WE admire Earl Cowper for sending this ; it is wonderfully interesting. 
 
 No. 121. 
 
 Virgin, Child, and St. Peter. — Titian. — Marquis of Lansdowne. 
 
 GOD only knows what this would be like, if it were only cleaned, and put in any 
 light where it might be seen. 
 
 No. 122. 
 
 Bacchanalian Dance.— N. Poussin.—>T. Hamlet, Esq. 
 
 WE have spoken favourably of all the Pictures attributed to Poussin, except Sir 
 Watkin Williams Wynne's copy, but we would have it understood, that we are 
 fully sensible to all his defects. He is at best a dry, scholastic Pedant, who never 
 rises above a cold, academic view of his subject ; learned in design, but totally 
 destitute of sentiment, feeling, or passion. 
 
38 
 
 No. 123. 
 
 St. John writing the Revelations. — G. Bassano. — Earl Powis. 
 
 ANOTHER opposition Revelationer, ten thousand times worse than the former, 
 by Dominichino. 
 
 No. 124. 
 
 Virgin and Child. — Raphael. — P. J. Miles, Esq. 
 SO you believe this to be by Raphael, Mr. Miles ? 
 
 No. 125. 
 
 Adonis going to the Chace. — Titian. — Earl of Darnley. 
 AND you believe this to be by Titian, Lord Darnley ? — God help you both I* 
 
 * It was not this Titian, we believe, but a Correggio, that Lord Darnley sold to Mr. Bonelli for 
 ** a mere song," as the phrase goes, " amongst a parcel of others," and which Mr. Bonelli very 
 kindly consented to part with again to his Lordship for TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS i ! ! 
 
 THE END. 
 
CONCLUSION. 
 
 " YOU last year," (cried the Incendiary,) " in your Conclusion, took a summary 
 view of your previous observations on the Gallery ; but, as I have matters of more 
 importance than what concerns the Pictures to speak upon, I shall beg of you to 
 suffer me to dismiss the present Exhibition, with merely requesting the proprietors 
 of the better works, to look and see whose and what those are, which occupy the best 
 lights and most prominent places. Let Mr. Hope turn his eyes to his ' Temptation 
 of Christ,' by Titian ; Mr. West, to his Guido ; Lord Egremont, to his Claude ; 
 Lady Lucas, to her Titian ; the owners of all the Nichola Poussins, to their Pic- 
 tures' — and say, if these works, which are truly admirable, are not sacrificed by 
 their situations ? Let them then observe, the distinguished and marked pteference 
 given to Mr. Holvvell Carr's wretched Andrea del Sarto ; his Claude ; the Pictures 
 belonging to Mr. Miles; those belonging to Mr. Hamlet ; Sir George Beaumont's 
 two Landscapes ; and Sir T. Baring's contemptible Carlo Dolce ; and ask them- 
 selves, if such an arrangement arises out of a desire to promote the Arts, and refine 
 the public taste ? or whether it is not, on the one part, to forward the interested 
 views of gentlemen and other dealers ; and, on the other, to feed the petty vanity 
 of those collecting Directors, who cherish so little sense of justice and delicacy, as 
 to take advantage of their influense to have their own Pictures hung in the most 
 conspicuous situations, to the detriment of such as would, if fairly seen, be es- 
 teemed superior ?" 
 
 " It was necessary to say thus much," (said the Incendiary.) — " I have indeed a 
 few anecdotes on this head, which I am almost tempted to add, as they would serve 
 greatly to enforce the just consideration of this point ; but let this gentle hint, for 
 
40 
 
 the present, suffice. The busy interference of certain individuals, in this respect, 
 may serve to dilate upon next season. 
 
 " There are three points, upon which I am desirous of putting forth a few words," 
 (continued he.) 
 
 " On the Directors' newly-proposed gratuities and commissions." 
 
 " On the judgments and conduct of those select Directors, denominated ( The 
 Committee of Taste,' as displayed in their decisions in regard to the National Mo- 
 numents. 
 
 " And, lastly — On the result to be apprehended from the appointment of those 
 four Directors, to whom the Lords of the Treasury have delegated the power to de- 
 cide on the merits of the designs to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo. 
 
 "As to the proposed gratuities and commissions, a few sentences will be sufficient 
 to settle that." 
 
 At the foundation of the British Institution, the inducement held out to the artists 
 to join in its support, was simply, that a number of Noblemen and Gentlemen pro- 
 posed to unite themselves into a Society, for the purpose of aiding and assisting the 
 Professor in the disposal of his labours. A proposal of such promise was received 
 by the Artists ; of course, with all those demonstrations of gratitude, it, in appear- 
 ance, deserved. But a very little time had elapsed, before it became obvious, that 
 the Profession, by lending their productions to the establishment of an institution 
 of this description, were, in reality, raising up, and giving sanction to, an interme- 
 diate body, between themselves and the public, to prejudice their merits. As soon 
 as this became evident, reflecting Artists began to examine (admitting, if such a 
 society might be desirable) how far those individuals, who had placed themselves at 
 its head, were qualified for the important and arduous task of conducting it. The 
 conclusions they drew were by no means favourable to the wishes of the Directors, 
 and the better artists were consequently found gradually to withdraw themselves 
 from the support of the institution. This secession, which, in the minds of the 
 Directors, carried the semblance of an ungrateful desertion, naturally generated a 
 desire, on their part, to to persevere, and, if possible, compel the Artists, by submis- 
 sion, to sanction their authority. Hence, the last six or eight years have been spent 
 in indirect endeavours, on the part of the Institution, to reduce the Artists to obe- 
 dience ; * and, on that of the Artists, to defend what they esteem the rights of the 
 Profession. 
 
 * To obtain this object, it will be seen (say the Artists) that something like a secret understand- 
 ing has existed, even with respect to the purchase of modern works by the Directors, Nothing what? 
 
41 
 
 This I believe to be an impartial representation of the origin and character of that 
 mistrust, which is now very generally known to exist between particular leading 
 men, who denominate themselves the Patrons of Modern Art, and the established 
 Artists. Driven from one feeble resource to another, they have at length stumbled 
 on a proposition, much more plausible in appearance than any they have hitherto 
 had the food fortune to alight on before ; so plausible indeed, that, fortunately for 
 the Artists, they have never stumbled on it till it has been too late. Had they Com- 
 menced their Institution with such a proposal, it might have been of serious conse- 
 quence to the Arts, as things have turned out ; but since the views of the Direc- 
 tors have been developed, the bait, however tempting, is now known to contain a 
 hook, and will therefore merely serve to catch the younger fry, and such as have no 
 sense to see their permanent interests, or what they owe to their profession and 
 themselves. These latter may be induced to run the chance of being publicly dis- 
 graced, by men whose judgment they despise, while they will feel nothing but a 
 consciousness of shame, even if preferred. For what hope can any one hold out 
 to himself, of honour, where those, with whom it would be alone honour to con- 
 tend, are determined to withhold themselves. Now, for the sake of these, who 
 are such ill calculators, and who are insensible to the self-sacrifices they are about 
 to make — for the sake of these, and to prevent all plea of ignorance for their dere- 
 liction, let me state the consequences which must follow a compliance with the 
 wishes oc the Directors. Nothing less, I maintain, in the end, than the overthrow 
 of their own practice, and the ruin of the art itself. Where there is no solid judg- 
 ment, as a basis, there must be a constant oscillation btween fear and doubt ; and 
 each one, who submits to this tribunal, will rind, to his cost in the end, that he 
 will be deserted ; and that he has, in doing so, tended only to raise a power to crush 
 
 ever (Mr. Wilkie's Picture excepted) for the last six years, his been purchased by the leading Members 
 of the Institution, from the Exhibition of the 'Royal Academy ; though some of the works, which 
 had bceu previously exhibited Uiere, and afterwards sent to Pall-Mail, were immediately bought. 
 One very extraordinary instance occurs, in the Picture of the Pleiades by Mr. Howard, which though 
 totally passed by, unnoticed by any of these Gentlemen at the Royal Ac ademy in 1814, was not only 
 purch ised, when sent the followm : .-.prmgto the -jritish Gallery, but the second prize ^humiliating 
 circumstance !) awarded to it This, say the chief Artists, appears to us strong corroboration of 
 our suspicions, that a sec ret determination has existed, by Til possible means, to force Artists ro send 
 their works to the British Gallery, to the detriment of the Royal Aencieniy Exhibition ; and that the 
 Director; arj much iwik auxious to establish their own authority with the public, than to aiford any 
 ingenuous protection to the Arts. 
 
 M 
 
■ 
 
 42 
 
 himself. If he be a Member of the Royal Academy, let him look to his pledge to 
 that Institution and see what is to become of the schools of that establishment, if 
 his brethren, as well as himself were to withdraw from the Annual Exhibition. 
 
 Let those Members well reflect, if there are any so lost to their duty, as to hesi- 
 tate, let them coolly consider what is to become of the Schools,* if the Exhibition 
 is to be robbed of its historical, its fancy, and attractive pieces. 
 
 If the Directors say, the Artists can paint for both, let them observe the present 
 looseness of the English Style, arising, no doubt out of the necessity of supplying 
 an annual display ; let them think of this, and say, what kind of productions we 
 must expect, if the painters are to work for two Exhibitions, and what the Art 
 must dwindle to, in consequence of such practice. 
 
 They should hi justice recollect, that their own appraisement, and that of their 
 friends may be a little partial, and that the majority of the Members of the 
 Royal Academy is composed of the first talents of the country, and that these talents, 
 on inspection of the lists, will be universally found to be in unison upon all the 
 latter elections. 
 
 These Yellow Admirals f we expect will cry out of course against our mention 
 of such a <c Null and Void" Institution, as the Academy ; but what do the Direc- 
 tors do for the Arts, in comparison to the Academicians? They subscribe a 
 hundred guineas once. The Academicians give their fifty guineas annually — for 
 let them divide the profits of the exhibition, and they would share to that amount. 
 Who then is most a Patron, the Director or the Academician ? He who gives a 
 
 » Much abuse has been of late publicly spread, in regard to this Body, originating in some young 
 Gentlemen, who have had their self-importance mortified and offended, by what they and their friends 
 undoubtedly considered an undue neglect of their extraordinary claims. These young Gentlemen, 
 disappointed of their hopes, have cantoned out (as Locke calls it) a little Goshen for themselves, 
 where they conclude light shines and day blesses them. They, associating with but one sort of men 
 (those of their own Calibre, and who agreeably consent to flatter for the simple return of flattery to 
 themselves) living separate from those who could inform, and fearing to learn, lest they should be 
 obliged to acknowledge, their ignorance ; "such" (continues the above writer,) " may not amiss be 
 represented by the inhabitants of the Marian Islands, which, being separated by a large tract of Sea 
 from all communication with the habitable parts of the earth, thought themselves the only people of 
 ihe world. 
 
 t Of course the Yellow Admirals of Greenwich Hospital, are here alluded to. 
 
43 
 
 simple hundred guineas, or he who relinquishes what he obtains by a display of 
 his abilities, in favour of the Education of his Brethren. 
 
 The public at large consider the Academy (that is those few who know that the 
 walls contain schools, which are supported at the expense of upwards of 4000J. 
 per annum) as a Government Institution. It never has received any support what- 
 ever from Government, but is wholly maintained by the Exhibition. The only 
 case in which it is at all indebted to any one for support, is to its lamented Patron 
 the present King, who lent the establishment five thousand pounds at its com- 
 mencement, and gave the apartments it now occupies. 
 
 ee With respect to the second point," (cried the Incendiary,) iC that of the conduct 
 of the Committee of Taste, with respect to the National Monuments, I shall merely 
 state a fact which has come to my knowledge ; — the models for the last monument, 
 voted by Government, were sent into the Committee on the Saturday ; they amounted 
 to nearly one hundred, but the Gallery was wanted for the Exhibition of the Old 
 Masters, and it was therefore necessary that this mass of things should be turned 
 over as quickly as possible, so as to return them to the Artists on the Monday ; 
 the consequence has been, that ; in the estimation of every one who has seen the 
 productions, some of the most indifferent have been preferred ; from one gentleman, 
 whose works are well known to the public, it is universally proclaimed, they have 
 selected his very weakest effort, and either from negligence or knavery, I know 
 not which, the best model in his collection, had nearly been unseen by the Com- 
 mittee ; it was sent back to the Artist before the Directors met : — one of them 
 however, who is fond of the Art, for its own sake, and not for any wish to ob- 
 trude himself on the public as a Man of Taste, found a favourable opportunity 
 for showing his real desire to promote the interest of Modern Talents ; he had seen 
 the above mentioned Work, it had made a favourable impression on him, and miss- 
 ing it when the Committee met, he demanded it of the Secretary. The Secretary 
 was obliged to acknowledge that it had been sent home hy order of one of the 
 Directors, says Mr. Gillam. " By no such thing," says the Director— which of 
 the two is the person to assert a falsehood, remains to be shown. — It was immedi- 
 ately ordered to be fetched back, and a decision of the Committee gave it the pre- 
 ference it deserved. 
 
 " Now this appears to be no very favourable specimen of the exertions of the 
 Committee, nor do I think the House of Commons would feel very well satisfied, 
 that in a case where they are anxious to show their sense of a gallant officer's ser- 
 
44 
 
 vices, the gentlemen deputed to see the task performed in the best way, should 
 hurry over their business, in order to promote a more favourite scheme of their 
 own." 
 
 a Leaving this point, I now proceed to state my apprehension on the latter sub- 
 ject. — The Waterloo Monument." 
 
 As this is to be a more than ordinary exertion, the Committee of Taste, it seems, 
 was not sufficiently select, and therefore the superabundant Critics were lopt otf, 
 and only four of the Heaven-born Hoogoveens suffered to remain, viz : — the 
 Marquis of Stafford, the Honourable C. Long, Sir George Beaumont, and 11. 
 P. Knight, Esq. — These bungled on for some months, on. their own bottoms ; 
 but at length finding they could not go alone, they added Mr. West to their num- 
 ber ; the Nation may rely on it, this will only add respectability to the appear- 
 ance. He will not be suffered to have any opinion, but what they will instil ; — 
 but what do the Artists say to this arrangement? Why this circumstance can hardly 
 fail to give an improper bias to their decisions in favour of such as are more willing 
 to allow their pretensions. 
 
 Now, it plainly matters not to say, whether thoscopinions are or are not founded 
 in truth — just or unjust ; — If they are, the sentiments entertained by the Profession 
 generally, and more particularly by our most eminent men, they must of course 
 tend to deprive the Public of that willing assistance, which it is the duty of every 
 well-wisher to his country, to see displayed in the execution of this work. 
 
 After feeling and being assured,* that England possesses Artists capable of add- 
 ing fresh honour to the age, by the commemoration of the glorious atchievement, 
 it will scarcely be a subject of serious mortification if we should find those persons 
 most adequate to the performance of the task, are not those who are likely to afford 
 their co-operation in its execution. 
 
 In regard to the general sense of the incompetency of these gentlemen, can 
 there be a greater proof, than their last exhibition ? Were they not obliged to 
 solicit even the loan of three Pictures from Mr. West, before they could venture to 
 open their doors to the public ? What were the Sketches their Thousand Guineas 
 elicited ? What were they, and who were they by ? And what are we to expect 
 when on a larger scale ? 
 
 * They state in their letter, that they are sensible of the existence of talents adequate to do justice 
 to so noble a work. 
 
45 
 
 It is truly ridiculous, to see the profound and senseless ignorance they are con- 
 stantly displaying ; — but let me go on.— Who were the works, composing the ma- 
 jority of the Exhibition, from ? And why was the form of the Catalogue broken 
 in upon, for the description of Mr. West's Pictures ? Was it intended to produce 
 an impression in the minds of the public, that the President's name was sufficient 
 to answer for the absence of all the other Artists ? How came Sir W. Beechey's 
 proffered assistance to be accepted against all law and rule ? You were sensible 
 Gentlemen, yourselves, of the lamentable exposition of your failures, which this 
 sorry exhibition made evident, and you were anxious and willing, like drowning 
 men, to catch at the smallest assistance that might rescue you, and shelter you 
 from any of the disgraee that must follow such an exposure. 
 
 To go back to the original question then as to the incompetence of this tribunal 
 consisting of the Marquis of Stafford. Mr. C. Long, Sir, G. Beaumont, and Mr. 
 Richard Payne Knight ; let us ask, say the Artists, what are the Marquis of Staf- 
 fords pretensions to sit in judgment on an occasion like the one in contemplation. — 
 Is he in possession of any collective opinions, or any regulating principles on the 
 subject of Art ? Has he any system of Criticism, that could insure the least cer- 
 tainty of a just preference ? Has he even any plausible show of reason to account 
 for his likings or dislikings ? Would either of his coadjutors undertake to show that 
 he has ? Would they even affirm it ? Would they commit themselves so far as to say, 
 that they could, or would place the least reliance on his verdict in any case 
 wherein their own credit was at stake ? 
 
 Next inquire (say they) how far Mr. Long is really in possession of the acquire- 
 ments necessary to the exercise of the power now delegated to him. With his expe- 
 rience, he surely does not require to be reminded of the mischievous effects of su- 
 perficial interference in every pursuit. And yet, with the full conviction which he 
 must have of this truth, how can he venture thus to stand forward, and publicly 
 challenge us to question his right of doing so ? We entertain some opiniou of Mr. 
 Long's general good sense, and we do not, in matters of taste, degrade him to the 
 level of the Marquis of Stafford; but we cannot certainly consent to see him en- 
 throned, as an Arbiter, on such points. We cannot allow any person to be singled 
 out, as a Dictator to the Profession, who would not be able to maintain the least 
 connected conversation with any one of its Members ; who could not deliver a dozen 
 sentences on any topic, of the smallest importance on art, without betraying his 
 gross want of accurate and efficient information. 
 
 N 
 
46 
 
 Sir George Beaumont is a. practical m;in. In the particular department to which 
 he is devoted, and where we think there are no personal feelings, no petty jealousies 
 to bias him, his opinion is certainly entitled to a degree of attention. But can Sir 
 George himself have the temerity to afiirni, that he has a competent knowledge to 
 decide on any of the higher branches of art? Will he venture to affirm, that he 
 has any adequate information with regard to any of the necessary points ! To take 
 only one — Will he venture to assert, that, without such a knowledge, those niceties 
 of form can be discriminated, which mark the difference between the wciks of such 
 of the First and Second Class? He surely will not, cannot affirm, any of these 
 things. He is conscious of it. Satisfied, then, of his own deficiency in these 
 attainments, w hich are necessary to insure a just decision on the present occasion, 
 how is it that Sir George ventures to forfeit his own self-respect, in undertaking 
 a responsibility to which he knows himself unequal? 
 
 The name of Mr. Knight (continue the Artists) till of late, carried with it, in 
 appearance, more pretention. He is an Author on Art, and still some persons may 
 probably give him credit for considerable information on the subject ; but it is not 
 what a few individuals may think, that is now to the purpose. It is solely what the 
 best Artists conceive of his judgment. It is the sentiments those men entertain, 
 who are alone capable of doing honour to the present undertaking, that must be the 
 object of our consideration. If they deem Mr. Knight's practical taste bad, they 
 will assuredly not submit to his authority ; and his nomination, of course, to this 
 task, becomes a national evil. 
 
 What ! (exclaim they) will you place over us a critic, who refuses, in opposition 
 to all the better opinions of the country— in contradiction to the first esteemed 
 judgment in Europe— the Chevalier Canova, and the universal acclamation of all 
 persons of real taste ? Will you place over us a man, who denies his sanction to 
 the refined and prominent beauties of the Marbles of the Parthenon, and the Tem- 
 ples of Theseus ? 
 
 What ! will you delegate the arbitration, in matters of taste, to one who thus 
 ungenerously avows, that, had he lived in the days of Pericles, he would have ob- 
 jected to the claims of Phidias ? Surely such a taste and such a judgment are not 
 of a character to preside over art, or to he suffered to interfere Avith men capable of 
 doing justice to such a glorious event as this, which the nation has now in contem- 
 plation. 
 
 It will be evident, on the statement of these sentiments, that we have endea- 
 
47 
 
 voured (said the Incendiary) to divest them, as much as possible, of every thing 
 like the asperity, with which they may naturally be supposed to. be ompankd, 
 when uttered by the Artists. Strong, then, as they may now appear, they still 
 present but very faint copies — very softened representations of their originals. — 
 With this Committee, then, (continued he,) at the head, to decide, what have wc 
 to expect ? 
 
 It is this, say the Artists, that no one, who has any reputation to lose, will hazard 
 a contention, in which he believes he has to stem the double tide of incompetence, 
 together with a pre-existing wish to degrade. 
 
 There may, perhaps, occur a solitary instance or two, where, in the personal 
 considerations of the individuals towards seme one or more of these gentlemen, no 
 alternative may be left them but to comply ; and some may, from pecuniary mo- 
 tives, be induced to venture on this forlorn hope ; but these only have to add, to 
 the mortification of rejection, the sense of having sacrificed what they owe to the 
 dignity of the Aits and themselves. 
 
 In "what way then can the country hope for the exertions of those Talents whieh 
 are capable of doing justice to this Glorious Event ? — But one ; — in the case of the 
 Elgin Marbles, we have seen the good effects resulting from an examination of 
 Professional men, before a Committee of the House of Commons. Why should 
 not some such measure be adopted on this occasion ? Why not let a Committee 
 * examine the first abilities of the country ; as to the best and most effectual means 
 of attaining the object. The Government would surely be thus more likely to arrive 
 at practicable information, than by suffering a set of obnoxious individuals to go 
 on ferretting out something from this man, and something from that, which they 
 hope to add together for the furthering of their own reputation, when the ultimate 
 end will be nothing, but their own disgrace, the disgrace of the Arts, and the 
 disgrace of the Country. 
 
 Whatever scheme may finally be resorted to, (we are sure the present will be 
 abandoned,) the first object must be, to conciliate the Artists, and to adopt such 
 plain as will gain their willing co-operation, and let every member of the Govern- 
 ment recoMcet that where so great a sum is to be expended and so great an event to 
 be commemora ti, it becomes his duty to see that every exertion be made to 
 insure success, and prevent any little petty ambition from interfering, to the. 
 ruin of every hope. 
 
ADVERTISEMENT to the DIRECTORS, 
 
 Gentlemen, 
 
 THE Spies of the Institution are, every one of them, knoivn to the Incen- 
 diary. It will, therefore, be necessary to hire a fresh set of Ear-wiggers for the 
 next Season. The tall Old Man in Black, and the short Young one in Brown, 
 are totally useless, as they have not the art to hide the object for winch they 
 are retained. 
 
 The Defender. 
 
 AS the arrangements for publishing the Catalogue this year have precluded the 
 possibility of the Author's correcting the Press, many errors have crept into 
 the work, particularly in the division of the sentences. The folloiving, how- 
 ever, it is believed, are the chief of the mis-printings and mistakes in fmnc- 
 tuation; for the rest they must have the Reader's excuse. 
 
 ERRATA IN FIRST PART. 
 
 Title-page, . . . line 1, for raisonee', read raisonne'. 
 
 Preface, page 1, line 11, for frit, read hit. 
 
 Advertisement, 1, 8, for his read lies. 
 
 Catalogue, . . 9, 21, for gusts read gusto. 
 
 13, 20, for abscissa read abscissa. 
 
 — , 25, for would read should. 
 
 15, 8, after ' legs,' a period — ' here,' which follows, with 
 
 19, 24, for the point read this point. [a capital H. 
 
 26, 6, for Phigulian read Phigalian. 
 
 — , 30, for Lee read Leigh. 
 
 27> 1* for these read their. 
 
 — . 4, for brought read bought. 
 
 29, 13, for where read when., 
 
 30, 13, for ealry read early. 
 
 31, 10, for obtraded read obtruded. 
 
 .32, 9, after bottle-holder a (j ) instead of a (,L 
 
 34, 25, for RS read Recipe, and for 17 read vj. 
 
 35, 21, for Raisonnee read Raisonne. 
 
 41, 15, erase the words ' very satisfied.' 
 
 42, 14, after ' Had it been,' insert the word ' seen.' 
 
 43, 2, after (No. ) insert 52. 
 
CATALOGUE RAISONEE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Pictures now Exhibiting' 
 
 AT THE 
 
 asuttsf) ^nstttutton, 
 
 Printed with a sincere desire to assist the Noble Directors in turning the Public Attention to those 
 particular Pieces which they have kindly selected with the benevolent intention of affording the 
 most favorable contrast to Modern Art, the Encouragement, of which it is well known, is the sole 
 
 Aim and Profession of the Institution. 
 
 The incendiary has just inclosed ns the following extract from Bacon's Essays, as there is no better way of 
 catching a Knave than in his own Trap, we shall print his communication, that he may see how little we fear 
 
 its application. 
 
 " There are some men of wisdom and sufficiency, that do nothing or little very solemnly : " maguo 
 conatu nugas." It is a ridiculous thing, and fit for a satire to persons of judgment, to see what shifts 
 these formalists have, and what prospectives to make superfices to seem body that hath depth and 
 bulk. Some are so close and reserved as they will not shew their wares but by a dark light*, and seem 
 always to keep back somewhat ; and when they know within themselves they speak of that they do not 
 well know, would nevertheless seem to others to know of that which they may not well speak. 
 Some help themselves with countenance and gesture, and are wise by signs; as Cicero saith of Piso, 
 that when he answered him, he fetched one of his brows up to his forehead, and bent the other 
 down to his chin. Some think to bear it by speaking a great word, and being peremptorily ; and go 
 on, and take by admittance that which they cannot make good. Some, whatsoever is beyond their 
 reach, will seem to despise or make light of it as impertinent or curious ; and so would have their igno- 
 rance seem judgment. Some are never without a difference, and commonly by amusing men with 
 a subtilty, blanch the matter. To conclude, there is no decaying merchant, or inward beggar, 
 hath so many tricks to uphold the credit of their wealth, as these empty persons have to maintain 
 the credit of their sufficiency. Seeming wise men may make shift to get opinion ; but let no man 
 
 choose them for employment." 
 
 • The pityful rascal says, he means here particularly to allude to one of the Directors, a certain Person, which 
 by a slip of the pen, he has spelt with an A instead of an E, making it Parson, w ho during the arrangement, 
 had his Rubens up and down a dozen times, and at length placed it in a dark coi ner, where it now hangs, say- 
 ing " It certainly looks best in a subdued light." — Query why? 
 
The COMMITTEE of TASTE, under a deep sense of the great importance 
 
 of their Opinions, to the true welfare of the Fine Arts, give the Public notice, that 
 
 it is their intention, during the present Exhibition at the Royal A^a^rny,^^main- 
 
 tain, that the PICTURE of OUEEN CATHERINE'S TRIAL/ is a production 
 
 S\ 
 
 Superior to the celebrated Theodosius, by Vandyke ; 
 That it is, without exception, one of the finest-coloured Pictures in the 
 world ; 
 
 And that it is not in the least Theatrical in its composition. 
 
 These positions, after the most mature deliberation, the Committee of Taste 
 repeat it, is their determination to reiterate, and cause to be reiterated by their 
 several critical dependents, during the whole time of the present Exhibition. — 
 They farther think, that they may possibly even stand firmly by their opinions for 
 the next twelve months ; but at the expiration of that period, or probably on the 
 production of the very next Picture, they certainly pledge themselves to assume the 
 very reverse of these notions ; they will then faithfully promise to hold — 
 
 That the Artist which they now affect to consider as a miracle, is, in 
 
 their opinion, no miracle at all. 
 That he is, in their opinion, not in the least equal to paint a Picture 
 
 superior to the Theodosius of Vandyke. 
 And that, instead of his style being free from the meretriciousness of 
 
 Theatrical display, it is, in their opinion, formed by a literal Copy 
 
 of the Stage representations. 
 
 The Committee of Taste thus generously make known their several and 
 opposite Resolutions, that the Public may not be led, to their confusion, into the 
 
( 2 ) 
 
 adoption of extravagant notions, which the Committee feel perfectly assured, they 
 themselves will be obliged, in the end, to abandon. In the second place, sensible 
 that this unfortunate artist has so much real merit, that he is entitled to a much 
 more steady encouragement than the Committee's long habits will permit them to 
 hope they shall be able to give him. They trust, he will not suffer himself to be 
 deluded into a conception, that the Committee will continue to support their over- 
 charged admiration of his exertions beyond that period, when a favourable oppor- 
 tunity may present itself for them to desert him. They farther trust, that, with this 
 notice, the unfortunate artist will not be unprepared for the fall, when the moment, 
 arrives for them to kick him from that high pedestal, on which they were now 
 about to elevate him. It is the same sort, only a much higher plinth, from which 
 the Committee have for some years past annually kicked down some one or more 
 of their unhappy victims. 
 
 In addition to the above, the Committee cannot but express a hope, that as the 
 present unfortunate object of their selection is certainly in possession of consider- 
 able Talents, the Profession will steadily continue to afford him, under his future 
 disgrace, that well-founded praise, which is alone eventually calculated to benefit 
 the artist, but which is not at all calculated to show off the Connoisseur. 
 
LETTER OF DEDICATION* 
 
 TO THE 
 
 INCENDIARY WHO PUBLISHED THE TWO EXTRACTS. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 One of the Directors (Richard Payne, Knight, Esq. in his Analytical En- 
 quiry into the Principles of Taste, page 276, second edition*) under the arti- 
 cle Sublime and Pathetic, reports of a Pot' of Boiling Hot Tea, " that it im- 
 mediately took all the hairs off a raw pig's tail that was put into it." 
 
 It is not from any inordinate feeling of exultation derived from the pro- 
 found philosophical and accute deduction drawn from the fact that we are 
 induced to quote this passage, but merely, Sir, for the purpose of expressing 
 our hope that this Catalogue may act towards you the part of a pot of hot 
 water, and that it may leave you no more covering to your tail, than Richard 
 Payne, Knight, Esq.'s raw pig now has. 
 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 Stans pede in uno. 
 The defender of the much-to-be as-it-will-be-seen-defended Institution. 
 
 • We know that a Dedication is now an obsolete thing, and that a Dedication to a Catalogue 
 even in the days of Dedication, would have been deemed a singular thing, but a Dedication to an Ad- 
 versary must at all times, we feel appear a more preposterous thing than either. Yet who has a bet« 
 ter right, to be thus addressed than the person for whose reformation a work is written. It is a 
 strange doctrine surely that teaches us to present our Friends with the Physic intended for our foes. 
 
 t Although we know more than one Director who takes upon himself to dictate, we only know of 
 one who undertakes to write. When we shall hereafter have occasion to use his authority, we shall 
 merely cite him with the adjective then found in company with him, and further we shall merely 
 put the figures of the page from whence we quote, without again naming the analytical inquiry, 
 for as the author no doubt considers it as the work best worth reading on the subject, we consider 
 it the best worth quoting on the occasion. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 To those who have read, with attention, our remarks in reply to the pub- 
 lication of the two Extracts from the Proceedings of the British Institution, it 
 may perhaps appear quite unnecessary to add any further observations in de- 
 fence of the present Exhibition in Pall Mall ; but in establishing our position, 
 (that the Directors were solely urged to this measure by the secret intention of 
 rendering a most essential service to the Modern Artist,) we feel that every 
 additional proof which can be adduced will be hailed by the Public, with 
 pleasure and delight. 
 
 We therefore gladly seize the opportunity of subjoining another extract 
 or two, by way of Preface to our Catalogue — extracts of such a positive nature 
 as we trust will in conjunction with a few more explanatory observations put 
 the question at issue beyond all further dispute. 
 
 The first resolution ever framed by the noblemen and gentlemen who met 
 to establish the British Institution, consists of the following sentence, viz. — 
 
 " The object of the establishment is to facilitate by a Public Exhibition, 
 " the Sale of the productions of British Artists." 
 
 Now if the Directors had not felt quite certain as to the result of the 
 present Exhibition, if they had not perfectly satisfied themselves, that instead 
 of affording any, even the least means of promoting unfair and invidious 
 comparisons, it would produce abundant matter for exultation to the living 
 Artist; can we possibly imagine, they the foster parents of British art, would 
 ever have suffered such a display to have taken place Certainly not. If they 
 had not foreseen and fully provided against all such 'injurious results, by the 
 deep and masterly manoeuvre alluded to in our former remarks, is it conceiva- 
 
 B 
 
6 
 
 ble that the Directors jvould have acted in a way so counter, so diametrically 
 in opposition to this their fundamental and leading principle ? No, No ! It is 
 a position which all sense of respect for their consistency will not suffer us to 
 admit, which all feelings of respect for their views forbids us to allow. 
 
 In the preface to the Catalogue of Sir Joshua Reynolds's Works in 1813, 
 they observe, " It is not for the purpose of opposing the merits of the dead, to 
 " those of the living, that this Public Exhibition is undertaken, on the con- 
 " trary, its chief object is to call attention, generally, to British, in preference 
 " to Foreign art, and to oppose the genuine excellence of Modern, to the 
 counterfeited semblance of Ancient productions, which too frequently usurp 
 " its place, and under the authority of Names deservedly venerable^ absorb 
 " that wealth and patronage, which ought to foster and protect the British 
 " School." Now with what assurance could the Directors look this para- 
 graph in the face, if they were not perfectly satisfied in their hearts, and 
 if they had not by every means in their power insured that the present 
 Exhibition should, in its effects, call forth that attention to British, in pre- 
 ference to Foreign art, which they so ardently desire. In what terms could 
 the Directors answer to the accusations of their own consciences, if they had 
 really been guilty of so gross a desertion of all their professions and principles ; 
 if they had really (further than was necessary to give a colour to their design) 
 brought forward the works of those Masters they denominate so deservedly 
 venerable, so " dreadful of front," to contend in the public estimation for that 
 patronage which ought to foster and protect the British School. 
 
 It is absurd to contend for any such point longer, yet in duty we cannot 
 quit this subject without noticing another paragraph in the same preface, page 
 1 1, which we think still more strongly calculated to reduce the matter to cer- 
 tainty. " The inferior Pictures of Sir J. Reynolds, may also be of service, 
 " by teaching the young practitioner, who compares them with the best, not 
 4; to despair, and the young and old Collector to value the name by the zoorkr, 
 " and not the works by the name, since many of the genuine and authentic pro- 
 u ductions of the greatest Artists of Italy and Flanders, are as unworthy of 
 " the reputation which they acquired by other Works, as the worst of these 
 « are of the reputation due to the best. As matters indeed, of mere antiqua- 
 " rian curiosity, such Pictures may, in some instances, be justly valued ; but 
 " to hear their faults and defects extolled, and see them paid for as excellen- 
 ** cies, is one of the severe mortifications which every real Artist, much con* 
 Kt versant in thetrafic of Art, is doomed to experience. 
 
7 
 
 " Even the very few faded Pictures, may be of some use in teaching the 
 " Artist what to avoid, and the Collector what to distrust." 
 
 Now, if the Directors in the case of Sir J. Reynolds, whose talents that 
 Exhibition was intended to commemorate as a national honour, I say, if the Direc- 
 tors thought proper on such an occasion to admit bad and faded Pictures, by 
 way of instruction to the Collector and the Artist, is it at all to be wondered 
 at, that in an Exhibition like the present, they should bring forward some few 
 of those unworthy specimens alluded to in the last extract of the Flemish School. 
 Is it at all to be wondered at, that in an Exhibition such as this, when nothing 
 like a patriotic desire to uphold the arts of their country, can possibly 
 have place in the minds of the Directors, that we should attribute to them the 
 desire of holding up the old Masters to derision in as much as good policy 
 would allow ? Is it to be wondered at that when the Directors have the three- 
 fold prospect, by so doing of estranging the silly and ignorant Collector, from 
 his false and senseless infatuation for the Black Masters, of turning his uujust 
 preference from Foreign to British art, and by affording the living Painters 
 a just encouragement, teach them to feel that becoming confidence in 
 their powers, which an acknowledgment of their merits entitles them to? 
 Is it to be wondered at, we say, that a little duplicity shpuld have 
 been practiced upon this occasion, that some of our ill-advised Collec- 
 tors and second rate picture Amateurs should have been singled out as sheep 
 for the sacrifice, and, thus ingeniously made to pay unwilling homage to the 
 talents of their countrymen, through that very medium, by which they 
 had previously been induced to depreciate them. 
 
 All the professions then in the Preface of the Catalogue to this Ex- 
 hibition, namely, that the Directors in submitting this Collection to the 
 Public, do not present it merely for the purpose of amusing the curious 
 or of delighting the judicious, &c. &c. must be considered as thrown 
 out as a mere blind, while the Directors in reality have it in view artfully 
 to lead their readers to conclusions diametrically opposite to those they 
 apparently wish to elicit. 
 
 We fear we shall too long intrude on the reader's patience if we do not 
 hasten to our main object, all further arguments in defence of the Directors, 
 then we shall now reserve and place under their proper and respective heads 
 in the Catalogue ; and we trust they will, as well as the public, feel that we 
 have spared no pains to do them all the justice of which our feeble talents are 
 capable ; that in as far as our recollection and the few documents in our bands 
 
8 
 
 will admit, we hare cited every circumstance and act, which can at all tend to 
 elucidate their real views, display their consistancy, and enhance their measures 
 in the public estimation. A perfect sense of equity, however, will not suffer 
 us to close our preface without a few more last words, without first noticing 
 that the commendations we have already and are again about to bestow, 
 attach in reality to a few, some four or five individuals at most. 
 
 In all societies, but particularly societies of men of rank and fortune, 
 the transactions of the business, invariably devolves on those persons who 
 from a pure and unextinguishable love for the object held out and for no other, 
 persevere in their efforts to reach the goal of their wishes long after those of less 
 eager temperament, have had their hopes blunted and their exertions deadened 
 by the lapse of time and the want of success. 
 
 It is to such persons that our compliments exclusively apply. 
 
 To ourselves we also owe in justice one more moment. If in the course 
 of these observations we should be found in any way contradictory to our- 
 selves, the Public and the Directors will, we trust, excuse and place it to the 
 earnest desire we have to leave no argument untouched for the support of 
 an Institution in which it is evident we feel so exceedingly interested. 
 Further, if in our anxiety to display the peculiar qualities for which we 
 conceive this Collection has been brought before the Public, we should 
 call to our assistance language apparently too strong ; if in our wish to please 
 the Directors, we should without mercy, damn all that deserves damning, 
 and effectually hide our admiration for those pieces and passages which are 
 truly entitled to estimation, it must be placed entirely to that patriotic sympathy, 
 which we feel in common with the Directors, of holding up to the Public as the 
 first and great object, THE PATRONAGE OF MODERN ART. 
 
 By some infernal agency or other, the Incendiary has just contrived to seat himself at the 
 table on which we are writing. We begin to fear he is actually the Devil himself. We do not much 
 
 like his looks. 
 
A 
 
 CATALOGUE, 
 
 &C. 
 
 tatrcase Hatls anD Wltltttt Hangings, 
 
 EFORE we enter on a review of the individual Pictures, we wish to say 
 a word or two on the Staircase Rails and Velvet Hangings. 
 
 To every ardent lover of the Fine Arts, the first and most prominent 
 feature, on entering this now, and now-ever-shall-be magnificent Gallery, 
 must be the fresh gilt Staircase Rails and the Velvet Hangings. 
 
 Every body knows the power of gold. Every body knows that splendid 
 Frames and Velvet, right earnest silk Velvet Hangings, as secondaries, have great 
 influence in exciting our admiration for the things they accompany, and sometimes 
 even for the things to whom they belong; indeed, says the Director before quoted, 
 speakingof the effectsof splendid decorations, " such is their effect that they often 
 u serve as a universal substitute and compensate for the want of every other merit." 
 In the present case, however, we must look to another principle k for the gratifica- 
 tion afforded us. The Directors have been actuated by a very opposite motive in 
 his display. They knew very well that these gorgeous trappings, by the 
 principle of contrast, might be also turned to account in lowering as well as 
 raising the estimation of the things they accompany, and here is another 
 instance to throw in the teeth of those who suppose the Institution had not 
 the encouragement of the Modern Arts in view by this Exhibition. Who does 
 not perceive (except those whose eyes are not made for seeing more than they 
 are told to see by others,) that Vandyck's Portraits, by the brilliant colour of 
 the Velvet, are made to look as if they had been newly fetched home from the 
 Clear Starcher, with a double portion of blue in their ruffs ? — Who does not 
 
 C 
 
10 
 
 see that the Angelic Females in Rubens's Pictures, (particulary in that of the 
 Brazen Serpent,) labour under a fit of the bile, twice as severe as they would 
 do if thej' were not suffering on red velvet? — Who does not see, from the same 
 cause, the Landscapes by the same Master, are converted into brown studies, 
 and that Rembrandt's ladies and gentlemen of fashion look as if they had been 
 on duty for the whole of last week in the Prince Regent's new Sewer? — And 
 who, that has any penetration, that has any gratitude, does not see, in seeing 
 all this, the anxious and benevolent solicitude of the Directors, to keep the 
 old Masters under. 
 
 Next to the decorations, let us say a word or two about the arrange- 
 ment of the pictures. But No ! That had better fall in, in its proper place 
 amongst the criticisms, so now for 
 
 No. 1, 
 
 KING CHARLES 
 
 " I have washed my hands with innocency." 
 
 PICTURE CLEANER. 
 
 And I or my predecessors have washed their face with a vengeance. 
 
 The sky round about it have I, or thy predecessors also visited with 
 a heavy hand ; with a thick and muddy cloud after our own invention. 
 
 I, or my predecessors have melted the small of thy back into black- 
 ness, and clothed thy horse's neck, not with thunder, but a grisly wig. 
 
 I and my predecessors would, peradventure, that his head and his legs 
 had been larger, that we might have had the glory and honour of making 
 them so small. 
 
 As for his knees, let no man speak of them, for what man has seen 
 them by reason of their great darkness. 
 
 So much for the respondent Picture Cleaner. And now without men- 
 tioning any names, (for we would willingly avoid an action for Scan Mag :) and 
 we know what an irritable set the artists are, we ask if there are not many 
 modern painters who would look at this head, as it now is, and as it ever was y 
 very probably from its present appearance, and justly say with Corregio, " I am a 
 
11 
 
 painter still!" We will also ask, if the public do not know of two animal painters 
 at least, now living, who have it in their power most materially to correct the 
 drawing of the horse in regard to proportions and anatomical construction, and 
 whether they would not chime in with the picture cleaner, though from different 
 sentiments, in lamenting the smallness of the head and the inadequate strength 
 of the legs : further we will inquire if there are many principal painters, who 
 Mould have been satisfied in attaining the general effect produced in this pic- 
 ture by such a sacrifice of truth, in point of light and shade. 
 
 The Incendiary who sticks close at our elbows tells us, that—" It is no- 
 thing but the fear of thwarting our pretended views of the Directors, which pre- 
 vents us from acknowledging that we could speak a great deal more highly in the 
 praise of this picture than we are able to bring censures against it, and that in 
 fact if we would let the secret transpire, we should admit this work to be a 
 most magnificent and gl rious effort of art, in every other respect, except the 
 above-mentioned circumstances." What can we say to such a brute ? 
 
 No. 2. 
 
 When we recollect the various portrait compositions which came from 
 the pencil of Sir Joshua Reynolds, the sense — the united purpose which com- 
 bined the action of every figure to some object, when we turn our attention 
 to the numerous pictures of this description, executed by many succeeding 
 artists, we feel confident the public will agree with us in viewing with sen- 
 timents of exultation, the inanity of design which marks the combination 
 of these two figures; the child is a child upon its mother's lap, it is true, 
 but it is as independant a child as the painter's imagination was well capable 
 of furnishing ; the mother is likewise as independant of the child, as the 
 child is of the mother. They are indeed so totally free from any govern- 
 ing principle of action, that if it were not for tradition, or a kind of sylogis- 
 tical working of the . probability out of the possibility from the association 
 of the two on one canvass, we should be totally at a loss to establish this 
 fact. We beg to direct the attention of the spectator to the tip of the lady's 
 nose, which is totally lost in " the splendour of its own brightness." 
 We think the colours of this picture, the reds in particular, very success- 
 fully opposed by the charming beautiful velvet hangings. The Incendiary 
 
12 
 
 who seems, as if he intended to thrust in one of his cursed remarks at 
 the conclusion of every article, winked at us here, and said, " you have 
 " done this very well, but do you think the connoiseurs will suffer the 
 " want of good sense and intelligence to be set up against the merits of execu- 
 " tion and imitation, because you pass them in silence. ?" 
 
 No. 3. 
 AN ALE GORY 
 
 Of the opening of the Temple of Janus, wherein Mars, dragged on by Alecto 
 and the Furies, resists the entreaties of Venus ; he tramples on the Arts 
 and Sciences as he goes, while Europe distracted, in black satin, as Tilbu- 
 rina was in white, lifts up her hands in despair. We beg leave to assure 
 the public of our full conviction that the directors by the introduction of 
 these kind of subjects, had it wholly in contemplation to completely exter- 
 minate by a strong blow, what may be called the riddle me riddle me re stile 
 in painting 
 
 Allegorical compositions, or a combination of enigmatical figures to 
 convey a sensible idea of some abstract proposition, is now pretty well scouted 
 by all persons pretending to good sense, or good taste, if the figures are of 
 the artist's own invention, they require like the milk signs, to have the name 
 of the beast or his attributes written over them. These kind of materials then 
 must be old before they can become intelligible without an index of reference, 
 and where is the merit of doing that which is to be done, without any exertion, 
 but that of applying to a set of conventional tables. As far as regards the 
 general consideration of Allegory, we shall dismiss all the Rubens's in thegal- 
 laryof this class with the above remarks, and the Public will readily agree with 
 the Directors, no doubt, in the propriety of our treating them with so little 
 consideration. But before we quit this article, we shall take an opportunity to 
 speak to the point of Rubens's sketches in general and the more immediate 
 object of bringing them forward in this exhibition. The motive of the institu- 
 tion for doing this, may be gathered from a perusal of the advertisement at- 
 tached as a fly leaf at the end of their catalogue. Not the Day and Martin 
 Lottery Office like puff, that occupies the back of the title page, as little to the 
 
13 
 
 credit of the Directors, as it is to the dignity of the gentlemen whom it is, 
 intended to serve.* From the contents of this it will plainly be seen, that 
 they have been selected for the purpose of affording a contrast to those 
 FINISHED Sketches, which the Directorst flatter themselves they shall 
 elicit (including the frames of 3 feet 4 by 4 feet 6) by the promise of a thousand 
 guineas, to be divided to a scruple and presented to those persons who are 
 able to stand the test of the then new invented and best critical thermometer. + 
 As they also announce it, to be their intention to adjudge the merits as 
 well as the premiums, they have probably already called upon the new 
 born geniuses with the several bundles of talents which they may deem neces- 
 sary to insure their success. 
 
 We trust, however, the Directors have not given'these new Tyros more 
 than will enable them to turn each a-drift at the end of the year, in favor of 
 some fresh wonder, for their grand principle should always be uppermost in 
 their recollection, that excellence is not so likely to be obtained by encourage- 
 ing perseverance in the few who may have arrived at some eminence, as it is by 
 multiplying and starving the many. The proper inducements to exertion in 
 the pursuit of the fine arts, are as we ourselves have frequently heard one of 
 the Directors stoutly contend, 
 
 Pallentes Morbi, Luctus, Curaeque, Laborque 
 
 Et Metus, et Malesuada Fames, et Turpis Egestas 
 
 Terribeles Visu Formas. 
 
 Virg. 6 jEn. 
 
 * This passage was foisted into the text by the Incendiary, while we got up to stretch our 
 selves and escaped our observation till printed. 
 
 t We cannot in justice to our strict sense of equity, too often repeat that the compliments 
 paid to the Directors, are due to four or five person* at most, as we specified in the Preface. We 
 are sorry for those, who may not conceive themselves included in our commendations, bnt they must 
 recollect, that it is as contemptible to desire unmerited praise, as it is to bestow it. 
 
 X The Incendiary says, he has heard that one of the Directors has actually been for several 
 years engaged in the laudible endeavour to make extracts of the several qualities necessary for 
 forming a painter. Having read in a learned work of the experiments performed about a century 
 ago upon cucumbers, with the hope of obtaining sunbeams for winter consumption, he set to work 
 and tried a variety of substances but with the modesty of true philosophy, he acknowledges with 
 little success. The only source from whence he hopes any essential benefit will be derived, is from 
 eggs and vinegar. He thinks time may develope something through the medium of these two 
 articles that may tend greatly to the advancement of the higher branches of the arts. 
 
 D 
 
14 
 
 No. 4. 
 
 LANDSCAPE— SUNSET. 
 
 This and the Moonlight, No. 19 — The Incendiary maintains, ought not 
 to have been admitted, but we deny the assertion, and while the Directors con- 
 tinue to stick out in calling them landscapes* — we are certain we shall have 
 every bod) on our side. Indeed, as real patrons of modern art, we know not 
 how sufficiently to thank the Directors for the selection of the sketches of 
 Reubens on this occasion, particularly as they so guardedly keep out of sight, 
 all the real merits which they do possess and praise them for qualities in which 
 they are most obviously deficient; while they hold them up as imitations of 
 nature, they place themselves on excellent ground, while they talk of botaniz- 
 ing on their weeds and plants, of drawing from the various animals with which 
 they are peopled, instruction in natural history, they must effectually do 
 the moderns all the service that can be wished. Every one will perceive that 
 such commendation is mere irony, a sort of irony which must give double plea- 
 sure by adding to the gratification derived from a hearty laugh at the joke, 
 the higher delight obtained from a sense of the benevolent purpose, it is in- 
 tended to answer. We reserve ourselves to speak more decidedly on* this style 
 of landscape painting in our criticism attached to No. 8. 
 
 •Nos. 5 and 6, 
 Considered as sketches under article 3. 
 
 No. 7. 
 
 THE BRAZEN SERPENT: 
 
 This picture we have had occasion to notice in speaking of the effect of 
 the new-gilt-stair-case rails, and the red velvet hangings ; we then took upon 
 ourselves to point out the dreadful bilious attack under which all the lovely inha- 
 
 * Our incendiary, who is getting into a little better humour at the mention of the Rubens s 
 landscapes, will not suffer us to close this article, without pointing out the stain in the great tree, No. 4, 
 .tnd that the part most like nature in the sky of No. 19, was painted by Sir Jos, Reynolds. 
 
15 
 
 bitants of this frame, are suffering out of compliment to the Directors, and for 
 the benefit of the moderns. We nave had it insinuated to us, that the noble 
 ?danagers secretly wish us in the course of the Catalogue, occasionally, to ask 
 certain questions of the public, but not to mention their names, for fear of 
 giving- offence to the owners of the several pieces, namely, " How would any 
 person of the least taste for the feminine gender, like the ladies of his 
 family, or even acquaintance, to harbour any inclination to emulate the colour 
 of the sweet damsels in this picture ?" The question is extremely pertinent, and 
 we are happy to assure the noble Directors, that we have invariably received the 
 same answer from every one of our own particular friendfe, which we are sen- 
 sible they are anxious to obtain — an exclamation of horror at the mere thoughts 
 of such a desire. Who knows, say they, what the thing might end in ? We 
 suffer enough disgust from the several washes, pastes and messes already in 
 use to restore the ravages of time, and which are sometimes even barbarously 
 suffered to supplant the finer farina of nature; but if we are to be threatened 
 in the faces and bosoms of our Venus's and Graces with all the diversified colors 
 of the rainbow, there is no knowing what lengths our ladies may go in the 
 end and no security, that they may not finish like these in the horrible 
 endeavour to personate all manner of filthy things in form as as well as hue. We 
 repeat, therefore, that we are happy to assure the Managers, that on this head, 
 their hopes are completely realized, and that the mass of soddened flesh, evi- 
 dently on the turn, which this picture presents, is generally esteemed a sight 
 better suited to the shambles than any person's apartment who pretends to the 
 least delicacy and refinement. 
 
 We hardly think it necessary, yet to keep the Incendiary in good hu- 
 mour and to convince him of the sincerity of our defence of the Directors, we 
 are induced to point out to the public, the lady who has to all appearances, im- 
 paled her child upon her own arm, probably from the want of some more ap- 
 propriate instrument. He also wishes us to enquire if any modern artist had 
 suffered himself to be guilty of introducing such a doubtful and seemingly, brutal 
 action, it would not have been sufficient to have damned his picture, how- 
 ever good it might have been in other respects, in the eyes of the would-be 
 connoisseur whose prejudices and folly, it is the object of the institution to 
 expose. Prav, says our Incendiary, as detail, have the goodness likewise to 
 attend to the lady with a swelled face on the right, notice her left arm and 
 hand, and further ask the meaning of amalgamating the characters of Moses 
 Mid Hercules. 
 
16 
 
 " Well, said he, (after we had written the last sentence,) " upon niy word 
 Cthe Devil's word) 1 begin to think — but No — No — I cannot believe it — it cannot 
 be — If you do not allow our principle, cried we, what excuse could the 
 D rectors have for holding up such things, as models of excellence and 
 imitation ? Want of taste, said he." Nonsense and want of candour, said 
 we; but come, let us proceed, we shall convince you before we have 
 done. 
 
 No. 8. 
 
 LANDSCAPE, by RUBENS. 
 
 Under this article we shall endeavour to say all that the directors 
 would wish us to say on the subject of Rubens as a landscape painter, re- 
 serving No. 10 as the only article of that kind which requires to receive a 
 separate consideration. " Certainly, said the Incendiary, to understand them 
 as imitations of nature, it will require some new view — some cabalistic sense 
 of it, that cannot be hoped for, or derived from any other source than a spe- 
 cies of revelation." 
 
 In the first place, then we must refer our reader to the principle laid 
 down in No. 4, that we wholly wish to view these things, as landscapes 
 according to the desire which we have no doubt, is entertained by the Directors. 
 Any eye, by a glance round the room, will readily perceive that Kubens's 
 Landscapes resided wholly on his pallet. The same general tone — the same 
 monotony of contrast pervades the whole; they are more the results of mecha- 
 nical system, than of impressions derived from any intercourse with nature. 
 "Talk of nature, exclaimed the Incendiary, in works wherein not only all deeds 
 of partnership are annulled with this Goddess, but in which a system of 
 Atheism is openly avowed, and all being denied her! In which, there is a 
 constant mimical and metaleptic cajolery going on between the earth, the 
 sky, the water, and all things! In which every ordinary relation, all real 
 existence, is contradicted and supplanted by the hidious offspring of an 
 incestuous intercourse between the painter and his pallet! In which we are 
 presented with appearences that appal us in thier mockery and which if we 
 
 were for a moment to find realized, would strike us with consternation and 
 
 horror — In which" 
 
 Dear Mr. Dev — Incendiary, you are in a passion and scarcely talk 
 
 English, we shall hope to satisfy you if you will allow us to proceed — let us 
 
17 
 
 see where were we ? Oh! they are more the results of mechanical system 
 than of impressons derived from an intercourse with Nature — Nature that is 
 ever variable in her combinations, and ever beautiful, who has no restrictive 
 principles to bind her affects in chains, and knows no law but the single law 
 of consistency. The ground work of her pictures is not made of one material, 
 she never spreads her canvass with one tone to work into, nor is the treatment 
 of one part of them ever in open contradiction to another. As examples of dex- 
 terity of hand and skill, in the artificial display of the materials, Rubens's 
 landscapes may afford those amateurs gratification, who are content to accept, 
 as an equivalent for sense and nature, a pannel full of signs intended to 
 represent trees, clouds, men, &c. &c. &c. but let no person contend that they 
 at all have the least pretension to resemblance with the objects they have 
 agreed in their minds to let them stand for, since they are at best but carica- 
 tures, and very little more than a mere collection of hierogliphics. 
 
 We know by these reflections, that we shall lay ourselves open to the 
 retort of those who will conceive us deficient in the feelings necessary to the 
 comprehension of the higher character of painting, but let those who conceive 
 this, learn if they imagine such a reflection will attach to us from these 
 observations, that they themselves are ignorant of what really constitutes 
 the grand in art, if they are insensible to the incongruity between the choice 
 of the subject, and the mode of treatment adopted by Rubens in his land- 
 scapes. They are in short, the most mannered representations that it is possi- 
 ble to conceive of the most homely — the most familiar scenes and occurrences. 
 Now productions which have manner, gross manner for their basis, are surely 
 not examples to bring forward for imitation. Happy, happy modern artist 
 then ! Benevolent, glorious discriminating cherishers of modern art, admi- 
 rable Directors ! what do we not owe to you even on this single account ? ! 
 What a debt of gratitude is there not due to you in thus holding up to ridi- 
 cule, works which if they were suffered to obtain any influence as examples, 
 would corrupt all good taste, and be productive of nothing but manner, manner, 
 manner, dreadful ruinous destructive manner. 
 
 " Bravo! exclaimed the Incendiary, at any rate I begin to think you 
 must yourselves be convinced of the truth of the views which you affirm 
 actuate the Directors, whether it is founded in fact or not, for my part, how 
 ever, my doubts are not yet satisfied." 
 
 E 
 
18 
 
 How do you get over the introduction to the gallery of 
 
 No. 9r 
 
 That picture, said we, is evidently one of the blinds the Directors 
 found themselves under the necessity of introducing to disguise their inten- 
 tions from the would-be connoisseurs ; we will leave this therefore and 
 proceed to 
 
 No. 10. 
 
 Before we enter into the consideration of this article, which if we were 
 to apply any term, even the very lowest appellation art could furnish, we 
 should hold ourselves guilty of one of the grossest misapplications of language, 
 it would be possible to practice. Before we enter on a review of the thing 
 itself, we shall take the liberty of transcribing for the perusal of the reader, a 
 passage or two from the Preface to the Directors' Catalogue of this Exhibition. 
 
 " To gratify the public taste and to animate the British artist to exer- 
 " tion, the Directors of this Institution have, in former years, selected some 
 " of the best productions of the British school ; they now, with the same view, 
 " offer some of the admired works of the Dutch and Flemish schools, to the 
 " inspection and observation of the public. And they take this opportunity of 
 u acknowledging the readiness and liberality with which the possessors of these 
 " beautiful specimens of art, have lent them for the purposes of this Exhi- 
 " bition. 
 
 " Whatever difference of opinion may exist, as to the best mode of 
 " directing the studies of youth to the attainment of excellence, all seem to 
 :< agree that example is the most animating principle which influences their 
 tc conduct. The Directors of the Institution, therefore, in submitting the 
 " collection to the public, do not present it merely for the purpose of amusing 
 " the curious, or of delighting the judicious." 
 
 " With the hope that SUCH productions may excite in the British artist, 
 the ardour of EMULATION. They offer them to him not that he may copy, 
 but that he may STUDY them, they wish him to CATCH THE SPIRIT rather 
 than to trace the lines, and to set his MIND, rather than his hands to 
 WORK upon this occasion." 
 
10 
 
 " To a superficial observer, many of (lie GREAT WORKS before us 
 may seem the result of GKN1US without the aid of study ; No opinion can 
 be more falacious — no mistake more fatal. Genius and fancy it is true, give 
 the magical charm to the productions of art, but those who think that genius 
 and fancy will supply the place of care, attention, and industry, mistake the 
 course they have to pursue." 
 
 Now if it had not been shewn that we were aware of the real 
 intention of the Directors, it might look invidious to select these para- 
 graphs and apply them to this magnificent and wonderful effort of the h :- 
 inan powers : but if it were possible to suppose the Directors could be 
 serious in holding up such a paltry, contemptible smear as this, as an example 
 for study, we should have a just right to select any means that might present 
 themselves to hold them up in return to the ridicule they would justly deserve. 
 
 But No, No, we know these great men better. O! Lucian, how poor 
 a Banterer wert thou in comparison with these noble Directors? Wouldst thou 
 have had the face of brass to hold up this piece of grimed pannel, which may 
 be matched in beauty and meaning by any house painter's shop board, by any 
 stained pallet rag? Wouldst thou have ventured to introduce connoisseurs of 
 thy day to such a dirty patch as this, and with the pompous declamation con- 
 tained in the glorious preface ? Couldst thou, pointing to such a thing as this, 
 have talked of animating examples, animating principles, objects of ardour, 
 objects of emulation ? have called it a work, desired the artists to study it, to 
 catch the spirit of it, to put their mind to work upon it, called it a great work, 
 the mixed re»ult of genius aided by study, by care, by attention and industry. 
 Oh No, Lucian ! thou never couldst have had face enough to have done this, 
 acknowledge then that thou art far surpassed by these wits of modern times, 
 these extraordinary, these most wonderful, these most deep and satirical Di- 
 rectors. But further mark the art, the ingenuity, the foresight with which the 
 thing is planned from the very beginning. Knowing the difficulty they should 
 have been reduced to if they had entered into any particulars, and that they 
 them selves would have been obliged to speak of the majority of the works in the 
 Gallery as they deserved, I say, knowing this, mark how shrewdly the Di- 
 rectors have stuck to general expressions in their Preface, and avoided all 
 notice almost of any individual specimen, whereas, if they had not felt the 
 absurdity of holding up such things as examples, is it possible that with the un- 
 bounded desire they have to instruct tho painters, thoy would have refrained 
 from pointing out those specific beauties for which it. is ludicrously supposed 
 each of the pictures ha« been selected. 
 
20 
 
 In our first paper, it was hinted that we thought it might be possible 
 that the Directors intended to afford an example (that is in appearance) in 
 their own persons of the folly which they wished to expose in others ; now 
 we conceive we have only to look at this picture, at No. 13 and No. 26, to 
 discover a very strong and plausible ground for our conjecture ; for on what 
 principle could we pretend to explain the abuse which the noble Director, who 
 is the possessor of this invaluable production, pours forth on the greatest 
 landscape painter of the present day, if he really was so deficient in taste and 
 judgment as seriously to hold this up as an example of art. No, No, his 
 pretended value of this thing is a mere farce, his abuse and his admiration are 
 both equally the offspring of his ungovernable love and zeal for the moderns. 
 
 Only imagine the noble Director arguing with himself thus—'-' If I 
 " affect to despise the best of the moderns, and see that I make, m.// abuse sujfi- 
 " ciently gross, as 1 am a practitioner myself, 1 may indulge a fair hope that 
 " it will be placed to the account of jealousy and the despair on my part of 
 " being able to produce any thing which will bear the least competition with 
 " the works 1 pretend to put down. Now having a high reputation amongst 
 e i my friends, I shall by this piece of cunning, induce a still higher of the 
 " artist 1 affect to abuse whilst in setting up as a specimen of great talent, a 
 " thing that I know is infinitely inferior to any, the most unsuccessful effort 
 " I ever made myself, even at the commencement of my studies, by bringing 
 £< forward such a paltry daub to be laughed at, I shall afford, according to 
 " my heart's desire, the strongest inducement to the encouragement of modern 
 " art and particularly that department of the art to which I am more parti- 
 u cularly attached — The Art of Landscape Painting. 
 
 " I know not," cried the Incendiary, " how it is you bring yourself to be- 
 " lieve in the truth of such conclusions, but it is my opinion, and 1 believe it 
 li is prett}' generally the feelings of the profession at large, that there is a wide 
 " difference between a Patron and one who is merely busied about art, for the 
 " credit he himself may derive from the exertion." " Such men are the pests of 
 " all pursuits, where the certainty of demonstration is not to be obtained, and 
 " therefore, where vague and undefined notions are not so closely questioned 
 " as they are in the more regular sciences ; creatures of this species buzz 
 " about the purleuis of art, and having little claim to attention on their own 
 " account, place themselves beside every new comer of promise, and endeavour 
 u to shine in the eye of the world, by the lustre they thus borrow by reflection. 
 " If this were all the harm, we might readily excuse the paltriness of the 
 
21 
 
 ••' object, for the advantages that it might occasionally afford, but this is 
 " never the end of it. The young Tyro, by the attention of these beings, 
 " is constantly inspired with hopes that they never suffer him to realize. 
 " No sooner does a new child-aonder appear, but they hasten to hail his 
 " reception, and as long as they 'can keep the upper hand of him, as long as they 
 " can dictate and direct him, so long he meets with the praise and protection 
 " of these people, but the moment he, by study, gets beyond their depth, he is 
 " no longer to be encouraged, but feared.* He then is converted into an object 
 " of annoyance to contrast to something better or singled out for reduction him- 
 " self, by the opposition of something worse. If the alarm happen to prove 
 " a false one, which of late has been the case nine times out of ten, and we 
 " have nothing but the ignorant cry of talent, in the place of talent itself, then 
 " the creature who raises the cry is the first to escape, in dread of the impeach- 
 " ment his discrimination must otherwise meet, whilst the miserable object, who 
 " has been made the instrument of the day, to rob the deserving of their 
 " reward, is deserted and left in solitude to curse the applauses which inspired 
 " him with false expectation, and which have merely lured him on to crush him 
 " in the end beneath the double weight of shame and poverty." 
 
 Sir, said we, (for we forgot for the moment the strong reasons we had to 
 believe the Incendiary was the Devil) this may be all very true, and we wish it 
 were in our power to give you an answer, but the time is short and the 
 Catalogue waits for us. 
 
 \o. 11. 
 
 The particular expression which lighted-up the countenance of the 
 Incendiary at this instant, and which conveyed a strong impression of the mixed 
 feelings of pity and that pride which is the offspring of superior views, induced 
 us to hasten on for fear of the consequence. No. 10, then, said we, is a whole I 
 length portrait of the Abbe Scalier, by Vandyck. The head is tolerably well 
 painted, but nothing very extraordinary. The hands are too large and the 
 confused and false perspective of the back ground, is not very complimentary 
 either to the resources or the perseverance of the painter. 
 
 * Feared. Because if he has any sense of the necessity there is for maintaining right 
 notion? in art, lie must frequently be obliged to expose the falacy of that pretended science, which as 
 it is acquired more for shew than use, is always shallow and ever attended with apprehensions: 
 
 F 
 
22 
 
 No. 12 
 
 Is A CANDLE-LIGHT, by RUBENS, 
 
 Which although a very celebrated and enormous prized picture, ii 
 we cover the face of the woman, we shall have every thing we could wish to 
 give us pleasure. The boy's head is most grossly painted and coloured, and 
 is quite out of keeping. The candle is far less bright than his cheek. 
 
 No. 13. 
 
 We have mentioned with the contemptuous attention it merits, under 
 our 8th article. 
 
 Nos. 14, 33, 34, and 3G, 
 
 We consider all as pictures, certainly of different degrees of excellence, 
 which we suppose the Directors would most willingly have spared, if they 
 could have obtained their object without them. 
 
 It must not, however, be imagined that because such works as we pass 
 in this way, we acknowledge to be good, the moderns have very great reason 
 to dread the efforts of being seen in competition with them. On the contrary, 
 an artist has every reason to wish such things should be understood properly, 
 and with the just restrictions that every picture requires, for the better they are 
 felt, the more will, what he himself does, be justly appreciated and valued. 
 
 It is the false taste and impressions derived from bad — old — rubbed 
 — out pictures and copies, that an artist has to dread. 
 
 " True," said the Incendiary, " but how does this agree with your princi- 
 ple, that the Directors had the modern arts more particularly in view by this Ex- 
 hibition." If we had simply stated, said we, that the Directors had assembled 
 this collection of rubbish together to leave it simply to its fate, your question 
 might have been very proper ; but have we not repeated again and again 
 that it is our firm conviction these Pictures have been brought forward with 
 far different feelings. 
 
 No. 15 
 
 Is entitled to a proportional share of the reprehension passed upon 
 Rubens's landscapes in general, under article No. 8. 
 
23 
 
 No. 16. 
 
 This beastly production we reserve to remark upon bye and bye. It 
 will probably be the last piece to receive our notice. 
 
 No. 17 
 
 May be put into the heap with the rest of its companions. The only point 
 in which it differs from them, is in the wiry dotting of its trees and its brassy 
 finishing. This only serves to extend its manner to the detail, and render its 
 artificial qualities less crude, it is true, but not less disgusting to a well edu- 
 cated eye. 
 
 No. 18 
 
 Is wretched ; but if we may be allowed to institute degrees of wretched- 
 ness, it may perhaps be a point less vilainously bad than No. 10. It is only 
 noticeable for the waggon which affords an example with what condescension 
 truly great men are willing to be indebted to each other.* 
 
 No 19 
 
 Is noticed under article No. 4. 
 
 No. 20. 
 
 This picture is probably an heir loom by the name of its possessor, and 
 we therefore fear no danger in suggesting that from its excessive hardness and a 
 very suspicious feebleness in the drawing, it seems to betray a great inclination to 
 establish its pretensions to the degradation of a copy. From the sense of 
 
 * Vi«lf No, 325. in the Catalogue of the Royal Academy. 
 
24 
 
 safety mentioned above, we are also induced to make another observation, 
 and to which we particularly request the attention of our readers. It is this ; 
 that whether we consider those pictures to be copies, which we are disposed 
 to think so or not, it will make equally in favor of the Directors' views of 
 raising a laugh at the expense of the possessor ; for if they are copies, il is 
 a reflection on the judgment of the owners in having been so duped, and if 
 not, if originals, a reflection on his taste and discrimination in not being better 
 .able to appreciate the merits of the master. 
 
 No. 21. 
 
 See article No. 5. 
 
 No. 22. 
 
 A STUDY OF A HORSE, 
 
 To which Sir Joshua Reynolds added half or two-thirds, or, per- 
 haps, more of a second, and merely by this simple process and nothing 
 else, converted it from A horse, the indefinite property of no one, into THE 
 horse, the definite property of Achilles, such is the power of genius. This 
 excellent discovery of making somethings of nothings by the sole act of at- 
 taching a epithet, by affixing a particular name to a thing that will be equally 
 well designated, by fifty different titles, is well calculated to forward that 
 admirable and now extended accomplishment of the modern connoisseur, that 
 facility of dismissing or rather missing all consideration of the subject or the 
 sense it is intended to convey, in the contemplation of a picture. This ori- 
 ginates in our having bent our attention to the Flemish and Venetian Schools, 
 in preference to the better models afforded us by the Schools of Italy and the 
 Antient Greeks. We are all now getting to knoAV the particular manner in 
 which each painter scrubbed his canvass with his pencil and deemed ourselves 
 quite learned in the art, when we can distinguish this man's hand-painting from 
 that; but although it forms an essential part of the education of the artist 
 to be acquainted with all the various means of execution; and although no 
 person can be a good judge of the beauties of colouring, without a very 
 tolerable acquaintance with the means which assist in producing the bril- 
 
25 
 
 liancy, &c. &c. &c. of a finely coloured picture., yet it should be consi- 
 dered after all, that it is but a very secondary object, and from its mischievous 
 influence on modern taste loudly called for this public censure of the 
 British Institution; for so assuredly the Directors intend the Public should 
 consider it. Here then, Mr. Incendiary, is a farther proof of the truth of our 
 opinions, for you have only to recollect that the object for which the Institution 
 was established, was that of spurring on the mind to exertions of a nobler 
 character — to the attainment of that ideal excellence which alone distin- 
 guishes works of .Art from mechanical productions.* 
 
 23 
 
 At the mention of this Elongation of the Duchess of Savoy, our 
 Incendiary pricked up his ears. 
 
 " For the sake of the learned nobleman who is the owner of this picture, 
 " I sincerely wish," said he, " that the Directors would adjudge it a few of the 
 " merits they have bottled up for the new prize sketches, for without thej r can 
 " assist it by this means, I fear that the large sum which it cost, will wear the 
 u appearance of a reflection not very flattering to his judgment or consolitary 
 " to his pocket." 
 
 So much the better for the Directors, said we, it is such men whom they 
 feel particularly desirous of detaching from their prejudices in favour of bad old 
 pictures. How often must we acknowledge our obligation to make you 
 sensible of their kindness. 
 
 " Before you proceed let me ask you one question," continued the Incen- 
 diary. " I see on referring to the advertisement, that the sketches are to be 
 " finished sketches, and that the merits are to be adjudged,to them and not to the 
 " painter, as you would have us understand. Pray now what do the Directors 
 " mean by a finished sketch, and how is this peculiar operation performed of 
 " adjudging the merits to it after it is completed ?" 
 
 Recollecting La Bruyer's advice, (" Ilfaut etre reserve m£me avec son 
 " meilleur ami, lo trop des que cet ami temoignercuriosite pour penetrer votre 
 secret,)" we merely said in reply, that as to what was intended by finished 
 sketches, we could not possibly say, until we had consulted the Directors 
 
 * Vide Preface to the Catalogue of 1811, page 10. 
 G 
 
26 
 
 themselves; but with regard to the adjudgment of the merits you know said we it 
 has been the invariable privilege of all men, great and small, since the crea- 
 tion to ffilk nonsense upon those subjects which they do not understand. 
 The only difference in the exercise of this prerogative, lies in the pur- 
 pose which the nonsence is intended to answer ; now the end of this 
 establishment being the encouragement of the modern fine arts, with the 
 double view of improving the prosperity and the resources of the empire* and 
 to produce those intellectual and virtuous feelings which are perpetually alive 
 to the welfare of the country ; as no end can be greater than this, it follows 
 that the Directors have a just ground to talk nonsense if any body has.t But 
 let us say something about the picture. 
 
 This is the picture of a deceased Duchess ; and in as much as the lady 
 herself is defunct, so likewise is Vandyck's picture of her ; the walls and 
 columns of the apartment in which she is represented, have been cruelly 
 robbed of every atom of their original paint, her face is reduced to a dead 
 colour and her red curtain totally scoured out. It is true, some heavy hand 
 has been busily at work to restore the havoc committed on this Duchess 
 and her accompaniments, but the miserable daubing which now acts as a 
 substitute for the original painting, rather tends to expose than hide its unfor- 
 tunate fate. 
 
 Whether we have much reason to regret the annihilation of all that 
 was valuable by Vandyke on this canvass, (the front of the Duchesses 
 dress excepted) we know not; at any rate, the disproportionate shortness 
 of the arms and the excessive height of the figure, render it somewhat 
 doubtful. We have bee<n induced to pay even this degree of attention to No. 
 23, because we understand that among the would-be connoisseurs, whose 
 object it is the Directors wish to expose, it has in its present state made 
 a considerable impression. So much for the judgment of these gentlemen. 
 
 No, 24. 
 
 This is a picture of very great celebrity and cost an enormous sum ; 
 when we heard it was to be produced we confess it excited very fearful 
 
 * See the account of the Institution, page 1, — and the Preface to the Catalogue, for 1811. 
 
 t On perusing this passage we wish we had not been induced to answer at all ; for although 
 the deduction is perfectly logical, and all reasonable men must agree with us in the inherent right 
 of the Directors to talk as they please upon any pointy still there is something that looks weak in ac- 
 knowledging it to be nonsense. And yet we do not know well how we are to make any thing else of it. 
 
27 
 
 apprehensions that it might operate most forcibly against the secret intention 
 of the learned Directors, in attracting that admiration which they so ar- 
 dently wish should be wholly engrossed by the moderns; but there are 
 even defects in this work, which in some degree compensate for its beauties 
 and reduce it from some thing supernatural to the production of a mere 
 mortal. The lady, and her horses in the first place, on the left, have no very great 
 pretensions to stick themselves up for admiration in a painter's eye. The limbs 
 and ramifications of the trees are in point of drawing, not at all under- 
 stood, and the sky is completely ruined by the square and angular termination 
 of the clouds. It is the best cuyp here, said the Incendiary. Perhaps not, 
 said we. 
 
 No. 25, 
 
 In this picture we beg leave to notice the Village Church amidst the 
 trees. The bush or tree on the foreground also, bears strong marks of 
 a tasteful feeling for Dutch elegance in point of form ; but as there are no 
 certain principles of taste, we may be mistaken in condemning Rembrandt's 
 choice on this occasion. " No person ever adopted, (says the Director, page 
 " 430,) or admired a style, which he felt or thought inelegant or impure; 
 " but the meaning which the words Elegance, Grace, and Purity bear, dif- 
 " fors not only in individuals, but in the same individuals as they are 
 " differently applied." 
 
 No. 26. 
 
 If we were happy in the opportunity of defending under Art. 10, the 
 contributor of that very useful work to the present Exhibition, from the invi- 
 dious suggestions which had gone abroad ; if we were gratified at the means 
 then afforded us of exposing the falacious conclusions of those whose short- 
 sightedness would not allow them to perceive the real object of his pretended 
 abuse of the moderns, we likewise experience equal pleasure in thus publicly 
 expressing our gratitude to the owner of the present article. The very 
 marked attention which the total demerits of this pie-c^ evinces he was desirous 
 
28 
 
 of paying the artist of his own time, calls for our sincerest acknowledgements. 
 But the great value of this picture in the scale of contrast, will not be really 
 felt, except by those who bear strongly in recollection, the numerous sketches 
 from nature of a similar description which the public have repeatedly seen 
 occupy these very walls; sketches executed by some of the youngest hands 
 of the day. 
 
 To those who do recollect these performances, it will not require a 
 moments consideration to give them the decided preference over this miserable 
 pretention to an historical landscape. 
 
 Every one, we feel, will readily acknowledge the justice of this obser- 
 vation, except such as have no judgment of their own to exercise, such as are 
 reduced to the necessity of waiting to take the cry from others before they 
 can cry at all ; or such as think an extract of the alphabet the surest 
 criterion of merit in a picture. " This position in favour of the Directors and 
 for which you argue with so much earnestness," exclaimed the Incendiary, 
 " implies such an unusual exhibition of deep artifice and generosity, that I 
 cannot bring myself to conceive it in the least degree possible." 
 
 No. 27. 
 
 We have now reached the wall on which is suspended most of the 
 Dutch cherubs and cherubims of the present Exhibition, male and female, — 
 each " a grisly band." The majority of them are of such a judicious 
 depth of colour, that they make the live ladies and gentlemen who visit them, 
 look as raw and smooth as the much-to-be lamented and much-to-be pitied 
 Richard Payne Knight, Esqr.'s pig's tail, to which we alluded in our Letter 
 of Dedication. 
 
 It would be ungenerous not to acknowledge the superiority of the 
 antients, when they really deserve it; such conduct would only betray 
 that general desire to depreciate, which must inevitably counteract its own 
 views*. We willingly, then, subscribe to the great and cunning subtlety of 
 
 * We request the reader to recollect our profession at the conclusion of our Preface, 
 namely, that if we are found to pass over the beauties, and little more than notice the defects of the 
 pictures in these rooms, it is not from any insensibility to their merits, but purely out of a desire 
 to gratify the Directors and to forward their patriotic views. We also at the same time, beg leave 
 to recal to his attention, that our compliments are only due to four or five Directors at most. 
 
§9 
 
 Rembrandt, in reducing his flesh so much below the tone of nature; for 
 it is evident, by this scientific contrivance, the artist has been enabled to paint 
 his back grounds with such a perfect degree of obscurity, that he has fully insured 
 their contents from the least liability of discovery. However anxiously the spec- 
 tator may pour over them to discover the secrets they contain, he cannot 
 possibly do otherwise than leave off as wise as when he began. 
 
 As this lady appearently has by nature a very dark complexion, and is 
 assisted in addition, by a very tolerable quantity of dirt, we shall not venture 
 to determine the exact tint of her skin, until she has had her face washed. 
 
 Here is another point on which the moderns ought to feel grateful. 
 
 Tlie pictures, Nos. 40, 79, 100, 133, 131, are in such a condition, some 
 from the want of varnish, and the remainder from the want of cleaning, that if 
 they have any merits at all, they are totally obscured from our view by the cloud 
 in which they are enveloped. In the three last instances, we think, however, 
 that the Directors would have done more service to the moderns, had they 
 suffered the public to see the qualities of which these picture are composed. 
 
 No 28. ' 
 
 An insipid piece of mediocrity, and on any other occasion would have 
 deserved a place at the top of the room ; but it is calculated to do so much good, 
 by being seen, that we beg leave to thank those who had the arrangement of 
 the pictures for placing it in the situation it now occupies. 
 
 No. 29. 
 
 This picture having, we understand, been purchased with the prize 
 money presented by the Institution to the owner, we shall not deliver any 
 opinion on its merits. 
 
 " As defenders of the measures of the Directors" cried the Incen- 
 diary^ " you must not imagine I will suffer you to pass on this occasion 
 without a few words expressive of my sentiments, and those of the public 
 on that decision. I shall be very brief. Whatever your opinion may be on 
 this subject, I conceive that this act reflects the strongest discredit on the 
 
 H 
 
30 
 
 delicacy, judgment and consistency of the Directors. But before 1 go into 
 the particulars, I think it but due to the wounded feelings of the Royal 
 Academy, to premise that I think the gentleman through whom that wound 
 was inflicted, is not totally free from blame ; that gentleman of acknowledged 
 abilities and established rank, whom the Directors so unhandsomely and un- 
 justly degraded, by giving him the second prize against a mere boy in art, 
 that gentleman, in exposing himself to such a humiliation, should have 
 recollected, that in consenting to accept a premium from the Directors of the 
 British Institution, he was acknowledging the authority and right of these 
 Directors, to sit in judgment upon his talents. He should also have recol- 
 lected, that, as a Member of the Royal Academy, he by such a submission 
 was sacrificing the dignity of that Establishment, and placing it on a secondary 
 footing to that Institution, which was professedly framed in subordination to, 
 and for the purpose of forwarding its views." 
 
 On the conduct of the Directors in this affair, I have to observe, that 
 in as far as their feelings, as men of refinement are concerned, this decision 
 conveys no very exalted notion of their sensibility. In as far as theirjudgment 
 was concerned in this decision, 1 appeal to the walls of the Royal Academy, 
 at this moment, and the present silence of those individuals who were the 
 persons guilty of committing this marked insult and injustice. In as far as their 
 consistency is concerned in this decision, I beg leave to quote the following 
 passage from the Preface to the Catalogue of 1811, viz. 
 
 " Upon offering some remarks on the object, plan and progress of the 
 " British Institution, it should be premised that in its foundation the fine 
 " arts have been appreciated, not merely as sources of revenue, or as means 
 " of civil refinement, but have been revered and honoured for a nobler and 
 " more useful purpose. In the arrangement of their plan, the Directors 
 " have not been unmindful of those brilliant periods, when the views of the 
 a artist Was elevated above the forms of common life, to the contemplation 
 " of that ideal excellence, which alone distinguish works of art, from mere 
 a mechanical productions ; and which enables the artist to unite with nature 
 " and truth, the charms of beauty and originality." 
 
 Can it be credited, after reading this extract, that the subject of the 
 picture which received the principal prize, was at best, but the mere portrait 
 of an Old Man, while that which was not thought deserving the first 
 place in the estimation of the Directors, was a beautiful, elegant, and poetical 
 design of the Pleiades. 
 
31 
 
 How far this insult might have been premeditated in the ambiguous 
 
 application to Mr. II d (before the decision) to ascertain if he would 
 
 accept the prize if it were adjudged him, I know not, but sincerely hope for 
 the honour of the Institution, that the consciences of the Directors are every 
 one, free from so mean a stain. This is well known, however, that in the 
 year 1810, the following Resolution was moved by the Director, who made 
 the above application, and it was reported to have been moved with 
 this exclamation, " We will let the Academy see what we can do," that 
 is, we will let that Academy see whose objects in our orginization we pledged 
 ourselves to promote ; since the chief of its members have began to discover 
 our insufficiency to perform the task we have undertaken ; and appre- 
 hensive of our views, have withdrawn themselves from our Exhibition; 
 "W e will let that Academy see, since it has began to discover in our acts the 
 ambition of go\erning the patronage, and electing ourselves into a Board 
 of Dictators in art, instead of promoting the interests of art itself ; We will 
 let that Academy see, if it is not in our power to crush it, and the just title 
 that professional superiority has to be considered as the proper tribunal to 
 decide the merits of professional cpiestions, that we are not at least ashamed 
 to avow our disgraceful anxiety to do so. With such a feeling was the fol- 
 lowing Resolution passed on the 3rd of July 1810: — * " Resolved, that no pic- 
 <? ture that has been publicly exhibited in the metropolis, shall be in 
 " future admissible for exhibition and sale in the British Gallery.^ 
 
 On the 19th of November, however, those Directors who really wish 
 to render the arts all the service in their power, and are less anxious to be 
 held up to public view themselves, than of holding up those whom they pa- 
 tronize. These gentlemen, feeling the reproach which such a measure 
 must bring upon the Institution, met and passed the following counter-re- 
 solution : — 
 
 " Resolved, that the order of the Committee respecting the non-ad- 
 " mission of pictures that have been publicly exhibited in the metropolis be not 
 >' enforced in respect to pictures that have been exhibited at the Royal 
 Academy." 
 
 * This Resolution was passed while the following stood on their minutes, 4th Resolution of 
 April 27,1805. " A preference to he given to such pictures as have been exhibited, or [offered for 
 " exhibition at thcRoyal Academy." 
 
£ Surely it is high time then, that some one should call aloud on those 
 independant Governors of the Institution, the noblemen and the public, to 
 
 rescue and shelter the arts from the intrusion of vanity and presumption 
 
 from the destructive grasp of those, who under the mask of protection, seek 
 only to obtain the strength to controul." 
 
 The indignant looks^of the Incendiary whilst dictating these remarks, 
 totally prevented the possibility of our hazarding any reply, we therefore, with- 
 out a word, proceeded to the consideration of 
 
 No. 30. 
 
 No sooner had we directed his attention to this picture, than he ex- 
 claimed " What, is Gog come again? What mountain bulk of blubber and 
 " black jaundice is this ? faugh what a mass of filth and brutality is here ! The 
 <c very mimicry of which, threatens us with disease, makes us shudder with alarm 
 " and forewarns us of approach, lest by accidental collision the plaits 
 " of the drapery, should unfold and disgorge upon our heads their horrible 
 " contents. 
 
 «- " O where shall fancy rind 
 
 " A proper name to call thee by, expressive 
 " Of all thy horrors?" 
 
 Blair's Grave. 
 
 It must be owned, said we, that the creature is most dreadfully hidious, 
 and that he is certainly one of those " great ugly" things of which the Direc- 
 tor in his Enquiry, page 229, acknowledges Mr. Burke is correct in speaking 
 in such terms. From its absurdity altogether, said we, you can surely have 
 no doubt but the Committee* reasoned with themselves thus — We have only 
 to put this frightful brute in the most conspicuous place to convince our wives, 
 our daughters, and the public, of the horrible consequences which must 
 follow if the patrons of the old masters should carry the day, and oblige the por- 
 trait painters to render such a brutal account of their friends and relations. 
 
 * " Great things may be more ugly, than smalls because deformity will be prominent and coo 
 
 J " spicuous in proportion to the scale upon which it is exhibited." 
 
 Director's Enquiry, p. 23t 
 
 J 
 
33 
 
 No. 31. 
 
 There was a painter of the name of Ferdinand Bol, as well as 
 Rembrandt, and if this picture should be proved by uninterrupted descent to 
 have come actually from the hand of Rembrandt, so much the better for the 
 moderns. 
 
 No. 32* 
 
 We are afraid, presents several passages that we wish for the defence 
 of the Directors it had not possessed, yet we dare say they hoped that 
 the bundle of rags, the ridiculous chrysalis of clouts which is here made 
 to personate the infant Saviour, would at least have attracted the attention 
 of the Society for the Suppression of Vice, if it escaped the censure and just 
 condemnation of the dignataries of the Church. Surely this picture is fully 
 calculated to bring contempt on that religion which one can hardly imagine 
 it is not meant to caricature. Who must not laugh at seeing the kind of wise 
 men that are here represented offering their gifts, the kind of fellows nick- 
 named kings that are to act as evidences of the fulfilment of the prophecies. 
 The treatment of this picture is doubtless not far removed above the old Joe 
 Miller's story of the Dutch sacrifice of Isaac. 
 
 These brutes, said the Incendiary, who set up for " your majesties " 
 look as if in order to preserve their beauty, they had travelled all the way 
 from the East in treacle pots, and then how delightful the " dim-discovered " 
 preparation of the Dutch mongrel behind in the unavailable disguise of an 
 Asiatic Prince ; only mark his slaves with an umbrella, how they are shading 
 him from darkness for there is no light fortunately to give any sense or mean- 
 ing to the introduction of this incident. 
 
 * There is a head oil the right of this picture without a covering, we wish the spectator to 
 look at it and compare it with this observation extracted from the Preface of this year's Catalogue 
 page 12. " If the expression of his (Rembrandt's) characters is sometimes mean, it is always 
 M appropriate." 
 
 I 
 
84 
 
 Then there is poor Joseph and two or three other unfortunate people 
 who seem never to have possessed any nether extremities or like Baron 
 Munchaussen's horse, to have lost thein without their masters ever having 
 found it out.* 
 
 " Well," continued the Incendiary, " even granting, that the Insti- 
 tion may have meant this Exhibition as a ridicule upon those who attach 
 so much value to the shop qualities of painting — to the dexterity of the 
 executionist and the colourist'; there is this danger, that those whom it is 
 meant to expose, feeling themselves attacked, may defend their prejudices 
 with all the influence of their rank and acquired-reputation as connoisseurs, 
 while those who are unacquainted with the technical jargon, with which such 
 men wholly support themselves, may shrink from the defence of common 
 sense and the just feelings of an unsophisticated taste. All we have to 
 reply to this, is, said we, that there is still enough good intellect and un- 
 contaminated sense left among that class from whom the fine arts are to look 
 for support. Let them but step forward in their defence, let them but assert 
 the almost forgotten claims of nature and imtellect against prejudice and the 
 pallette critics and we may then hope to make the goal which the Institution 
 pretends it is so desirous we should reach." 
 
 No. 33. 
 
 This picture has been noticed under No. 14. 
 
 No. 34. 
 
 If the colour of the flesh of this picture could change place with the 
 head above it, then it would be one of the finest pictures of the master in this 
 country, as it is, the flesh is too strongly tinted. In this portrait there is a 
 filthy instance of Rembrandt's attention to detail, and the model from which 
 he was painting. On the only finger that shews the nail, the dirt under it 
 is faithfully depicted. 
 
 * That we are borne out in our opinion of the views of the Directors may be seen on every 
 hand, here is a quotation from the Directors' Enquiry, page 412. " The compositions of tlieono 
 " (Raphael) are sublime, and those of the other (Rembrandt) ridiculous." 
 
35 
 
 No. 35. 
 
 •' Fair, lovely lady, bright and crystalline, 
 
 " Beauteous and stately as the eye-trained bird ; 
 
 " As gloriouS as the morning washed with dew ; 
 
 " Within whose eyes she takes the dawning beams, 
 
 " And Golden Summer sleeps upon thy cheeks. 
 
 " Wrap np thy radiations in some cloud 
 
 " Lest that thy beauty makes this stately town 
 
 * Unhabi able as the burning zone 
 
 " M r ith sweet reflections of thy lovely face." 
 
 Taming of the Shrew. 
 
 Now seriously let us ask if any person* in his senses would not be 
 ready to exterminate an artist of the present day if he converted his mistress 
 into such an abortion as this. Yet most of the portraits of Rembrandt certainly 
 give us a faithful fac-simile of ladies who look after the genteel profession of 
 the famed Dulcimea, or in other words cinder-sifting, and the gentlemen who 
 are in the respectable line of coal- heaving. Can you, Mr. Incendiary, then 
 for a moment doubt the intention of the Directors on this point? They could 
 certainly have no hope, but to shew the superior and elevated conception of 
 character, which the moderns in portrait painting maintain over that of 
 Rembrandt's pictures and which they must have been mad if they imagined 
 the world had not sufficient common sense to perceive. 
 
 36. 
 
 This is the most like a lady of any portrait by Rembrandt we remem- 
 ber to have seen ; vet we are happy to assure ourselves that there is a mean 
 muddling execution about the features, which no painter of eminence of this 
 day would like to see in his own works. 
 
 No. 37. 
 
 Well known, and now better understood than when it acquired its 
 high reputation. It is a good, but not an extraordinary picture. 
 
 * No one certainly but a connoisseur. It is possible (says the Director who has a pig with a 
 <calded tail) that a person may prefer ale to Champaign. 
 
36 
 
 No. 38. 
 
 " Haberaus confitentem reum." 
 
 Cicero. 
 
 No. 39. 
 
 We do not recollect any thing of this picture, except the bust 
 
 No. 40, 
 
 Is a picture of high reputation, but the Directors clearly foresaw that 
 they had only to produce it in the present company to shew its heaviness and 
 how little it merits the character it has received in comparison to the picture,* 
 No. 41, which hangs against it. 
 
 No. 41. 
 
 " This is such a beautiful example of the master," cried the Incen- 
 diary, " that I shall not suffer you to say a word against it. There are no 
 Dutch angels in this." 
 
 No. 42, 
 
 The Directors well know will be found to have an English made sky > and 
 in point of composition only worthy of that notice, which of necessity induces 
 the observer to compare it with the moderns for their benefit. 
 
 No. 43. 
 
 This picture represents the interesting operation of opening oysters. 
 The gentleman who is eating them, is exhibited under the pleasing appearance 
 of a smile, while the lady who presents him with a glass of wine, shews the 
 superior influence of the intellectual faculties over the muscles of the face; 
 She does not smile. In truth if there was time we could notice numerous other 
 ingenious conceits which the painter has contrived to introduce into this one 
 picture, but of which the meaning is so deeply hidden that it would require a 
 Director three times a day to point them out. 
 
 * Its merits arc certainly of a minus quantity. 
 
37 
 
 No. 44. 
 
 A satin gown, quite as interesting as a satin gown can be. 
 
 No. 45 
 
 This picture, we are happy to say, is the blind admiration of the would- 
 be connoisseurs. We are delighted to find it so, because there could not be 
 a stronger proof of the deficiency of their taste, judgment and good sense. 
 This desultory assemblage, in which every figure is an expletive, in which 
 every individual, is master of himself and totally independent of all his 
 companions ; this picture in which is plainly written on each countenance 
 and action, "No connection with the next door, or any other person whatsoever," 
 this picture is called the " School Master, " and is supposed to represent the 
 interior of a school. 
 
 Now what is the first and prominent feature of this wonderful composi- 
 tion, Oh, most natural incident ! a boy is seen sleeping on the floor,with his head 
 on his hat, then just above him stands a female lay figure, or something very 
 like one; to the right is another very extraordinary event, a boy offering a 
 a pair of spectacles to an owl, which said owl acknowledges she was forced 
 into the service for the mere purpose of having the spectacles offered her, since 
 she never would have thought of intruding herself into such a situation, 
 had she not been expressly called upon. Another boy behind the chair of the 
 master, is endeavouring to make faces, but as the painter himself was unable 
 to furnish him with one that was at all tolerable, the joke turns out very flat 
 and unsuccessful. Then in the offing we have a fight, and, Oh, most probable 
 circumstance again ! we are presented with a boy stuck up on a desk, 
 hollowing with all his might to the master, who is so deaf, or so intent on 
 mending his pen, that all this bustle and noise totally escapes his slightest 
 observation. The same good fortune likewise attends the mistress, who sits 
 by his side, so that good easy people, they are apparently as quiet, as if they 
 were seated in a snug back room by themselves, in some little parsonage, 
 half a mile removed from any village or human habitation. It has been 
 suggested that this master and mistress are very sly people, and that they 
 are merely affecting this indifference, that this quietness is a mere put- 
 
 K 
 
38 
 
 on of theirs; if we can find any of the aforementioned connoisseurs who 
 will back this opinion, we will undertake to re-criticize the picture. At present 
 we are disposed to take the composition as it is, and to acknowledge although 
 very improbable, yet that such things might be found together, that is in a 
 picture, provided the painter had no more sense than to put them there.* 
 
 With respect to colour and execution, this picture deserves as little 
 notice as the composition. 
 
 Nos. 46, 55, 64, 81, 104, and 108. 
 Are LANDSCAPES by BOTH and BERGHEM. 
 
 Agreeing with the Incendiary, that Rubens, in landscape painting, is a strict 
 atheist, so we conceive these two gentlemen may be properly termed disaf- 
 fected painters, that is, painters who dilute nature by system, until she re- 
 tains nothing of that strength of character, which so forcibly interests us. 
 We shall merely speak to the two first numbers, these are affirmed to be repre- 
 sentations of the grand scenery of the Lago de Bolsina, and are evidently 
 selected to shftw that Both knew not how in the least to take advantage of the 
 noble features of nature. On the contrary he invariably contrives to block 
 out all that constitutes the leading points of the landscape, with stumps and 
 thorns and briars 'till the spectator is alarmed lest in his approach he should 
 get entangled, and like the renowned man of Thesalie, noticed in the earlier 
 English classics, be in imminent danger of losing his eyes. 
 
 No. 47. 
 VILLAGE POLITICIANS. 
 
 Was evidently selected and this name given it, to induce that compari- 
 son which must be obvious and so effectually beneficial to a certain modern 
 artist ; it is too low in merit and too high in situation to need any further 
 remark. 
 
 » The spectator will perceive many other absurd and ridiculous incongruities in this work; 
 after he has looked them through with attention, let him recollect a subject of the same nature now 
 exhibiting by a Modern Artist, and if he has any regard for the reputation of his understanding, he 
 will instantly turn with indignation from so gross an endeavour to palm upon him as a specimen of 
 excellence that whieh is entitled to nothing but his contempt. ^ ^ Incendiary .. 
 
No. 48. 
 
 No one seems to think this picture in the least worth any attention, a» 
 they will not look at it then, we need not talk of it. 
 
 Nos. 49, 50, 51 , 54, 71 , and 92, 
 
 Are all painted by Wouverraans. 54 and 71, are the only pictures 
 amongst the lot that require any particular notice ; parts of these are tolerable. 
 
 No. 52. 
 
 It was doubtless calculated that no one would feel any interest in this 
 picture, and the calculation has proved just, it might as well have been at 
 Castle Howard, or Grosvenor Place. Yet this even serves to shew the desire 
 of the Directors to cover their walls with whatever they could get, so as it 
 would take up any room and shelter them from the necessity of hanging up 
 pictures that might have militated against their favourite object. 
 
 No. 53. 
 
 A Lady Reading a Letter. 
 
 No. 54. 
 
 See Article 49. 
 
 No. 55. 
 
 See Article i'6. 
 
40 
 No. 56, 
 
 Will give some idea of the good intention of the Directors in hanging 
 up this picture in the situation it occupies — a place where, if it has any of the 
 merits of the masters, to whom it is attributed, namely, extreme finish and detail, 
 they are sure to be lost. 
 
 No. 57. 
 
 Like the above, was expected to look clayey and muddy, and to 
 insure success in this particular, they have hung it next to No. 59. 
 
 No. 58. 
 
 A good portrait, but selected to shew how much more knowing the 
 moderns are in the arrangement of their back grounds. 
 
 No. 59. 
 
 We hope the gentleman in this picture will be successful in the object of 
 
 his search.* 
 
 " Prius quam incipias consulto, et ubi consulueris mature facto opus est." 
 
 Sallurt. 
 
 No. 60 
 A PORTRAIT. 
 
 No. 61. 
 A BETTER. 
 
 • " To shew what may be obtained, is likely to lead to the attainment of it." See Preface 
 to Catalogue, page 12. 
 
41 
 
 No 62. 
 
 A Man Eating Shrimps. 
 
 u Great examples are the true promoters of emulation, the surest 
 " conductors to excellence." See Preface to the Catalogue, page 12. 
 
 No. 63. 
 
 Hail all hail ! summit of misery ; summit of all thats mean and bad in 
 art ! hail cows ! hail sheep ! hail woman ! hail cock ! hail trees ! hail sky ! 
 hail all ! all hail ! But most of all, hail ye who didst in spite of fear, seek 
 by selecting this to give instruction better what to buy — Directors hail ! ! 
 
 No. 61 
 
 We like the taste of this frame ; the size of the parts suits the size of 
 the objects in the picture so well. The picture itself is noticed under article 46. 
 
 No. 65, 
 
 This and No. 80, are the only pictures which the owner has sent as a 
 blind, the rest are all of the true class, and will no doubt be very serviceable 
 in directing the attention of the visitor to the moderns, according to the wish 
 of the Directors. 
 
 No. 66, 
 
 And 78 are, next to the portrait of Charles, the best specimens of the 
 master here. They are likewise in the best state of preservation, but we think 
 the possessor of these pictures ought to be narrowly watched by the Directors; 
 for it is evident he has not contributed at all to their views in the present 
 exhibition. 
 
 L 
 
42 
 
 No. 67. 
 
 We are told that the possessor of this picture purchased it at the most 
 dreadful price of fifteen hundred guineas. We would for his sake that the 
 money was safe again in his pocket, for he certainly has paid a vast deal too 
 much for it. But we forget he is one of the Directors, and probably was 
 induced to make the purchase for the purpose of the serviceable exposure 
 alluded to in our first publication. The sky must have been always wretch- 
 edly bad or otherwise dreadfully injured in its principal point and bunglingly 
 repaired, the chief vessels are ill drawn and most heavily painted in all their 
 parts, the objects on the right are muddy even to suspicion ; in fact there 
 is nothing but the water and the centre of the picture that is at all worthy of 
 the master. 
 
 No. 68. 
 
 This example might have been injurious if the face had not been 
 totally rubbed out. 
 
 No. 69. 
 
 The Directors, speaking of the minor pictures, say they generally 
 display the most faithful and exact imitation of nature — look at this specimen, 
 Mr. Incendiary, and say if yon think they are not bantering now. 
 
 No. 70. 
 
 We hope the patched colour of the flesh in this picture is agreeable 
 to the connoisseurs. 
 
 No. it 
 
 See article 49. 
 
 No, 72. 
 
 Exquisitely hard, and most delightfully execrable. 
 
43 
 
 No. 73. 
 
 « Those who think that genius and fancy will supply the place of care 
 " andvattention, mistake the course they have to pursue." Preface to Cata- 
 logue, page 10. 
 
 No. 74, 
 
 " Say nothing about this," said the Incendiary, "nor the next; they are 
 both very good in their way." 
 
 No. 76, 
 
 For the sake of the Lady, we hope she received this letter in the dog 
 days. We never before knew that it was possible to set the teeth on edge 
 through the medium of the eye. 
 
 No. 77, 
 
 A marble sea and marble sky. 
 
 No. 78. 
 
 Noticed under 66. 
 
 No. 79. 
 
 This picture presents a number of people assembled for no individual 
 object but to help each other to do nothing, or nothing to the purpose. The 
 culinary utensils are the only things in this master's pictures which seem to 
 exist for any purpose. They do appear to be exerting themselves in their 
 departments with all the livelyness and spirit which we could expect of 
 them. 
 
 With respect to this particular picture we have only to remark that 
 Teniers is admired for silveryness, and that no one is admired for being leaden. 
 
44 
 
 No. 80 
 
 See article 65. 
 
 No. 81. 
 
 See article 64. 
 
 No. 82. 
 
 A Lady in a Yellow Gown. 
 
 No. 86. 
 
 * A Lady in an Ash Coloured Gown. 
 
 No. 87. 
 A Lady in a Blue Gown. 
 
 No. 83. 
 
 As we never have seen a worse specimen of the master, so we cannot 
 do better than simply thank the Directors for their selection of it. 
 
 No. 84. 
 
 " Pray" said the Incendiary, " do observe the faces in this picture, 
 particularly that of the woman." They are nearly as well painted, said we, 
 as you could formerly have got them done at a certain Baker's shop in the 
 Strand, yet you cannot say of any one of them, " this was done in half a minute." 
 
 No. 85, 
 
 We know the artists do not like cold colour, and we know Sir Jos. 
 Reynolds objected to the admission of too much in a picture — this may be 
 read over while you look at 87 also. 
 
 * Sir Joshua Reynolds observes, " that none but great colourists can venture to paint purt 
 white linen, near flesh, but such as know the advantage of it." 3rd vol. Reynolds's Works, p. 2HI 
 
4o 
 
 " Stay," said the Incendiary, " 1 shall not allow this opportunity to 
 pass, without noticing a point materially connected with this opinion of Sir 
 Joshua Reynolds. The interest exerted to keep up the absurd prejudice 
 that professional men cannot be proper critics in art, because they have not 
 an university education, is daily losing ground. The progress of science has 
 shewn, that men who busy themselves about tilings will always say more to 
 the purpose, than those who busy themselves about words ; and this is pre- 
 cisely the point in question ; for though these university critics no doubt talk 
 very prettily at a dinner table, where there are no examples to put then 
 theories out of countenance; yet let them once get an itch for writing books > 
 and they bring themselves to the necessity of proving the soundness of their 
 judgment by its application to particulars, and it then generally falls 100 
 per cent, in value. Thus the learned Director, in an article in 46th number 
 of the Edinburgh Review, p. 281, with great temerity has ventured to 
 assert that which every one who has eyes, will instantly deny, namely, 
 that in the picture of Christ in the Garden, by Corregio, brought from 
 Spain by the Duke of Wellington, the sole mass of light on the robes 
 of the principal figures, is of as pure and bright a sky blue as ultramarine 
 could produce. Now either the learned Director does not know what the term 
 sky blue means, (which is rather extraordinary to be sure,) or for the sake of 
 his position he has affirmed, that which is quite the contrary to what he knows 
 to be the fact ;* he either never saw ultramarine in his life, and does not know 
 the gaudy tint it may be made to produce, or he has, for the sake of his 
 theory, stated a falsehood. t Again, having heard that purity of tint, was the 
 
 • It is not my object to contend against the position which the Director means this assertion 
 to illustrate (a point which to him, as a critic, appears to be a discovery, but which had long since 
 been understood by intelligent artists,) I cite it to shew that such critics opinions may be taken 
 as far as the terms of the propositions agree with each other, but not at all as any proof, be- 
 cause the aforesaid critics now and then are able by dint of daily labour and luck to play off 
 a set of terms without making a mistake, that they know really any thing at all of the just ap- 
 plication of them. 
 
 t There is a feeling of harmony implanted in human nature, which points out the relative 
 characteristics of all things, which prevents our acting in a way inconsistent with the objects around 
 u?, or talking in a tone unsuited to the nature of our subject, or the person we address. Thus we 
 readily remove an unoffending child from our path, if accident throws it in our way, with tenderness 
 and rare ; but an intruding animal, who is snarling at our heels, without any other cause, than the 
 v i.v>iiy of hearing him -elf bark, we naturally salute with our heel. 
 
 M 
 
46 
 
 result of an execution rapid and unmuddled, at page 25, he asserts, that 
 Hogarth's deficiency, as a colourist, originated in his want of skill as a 
 draftsman, which depriving him of the power of rendering his conception 
 " with facility and fidelity, increased his perplexities, and frustrated the 
 intentions of his taste in the embarrassments of his execution." Had he 
 stopped here, I should have been content to have denied the position ; I 
 should have been satisfied to have asserted in contradiction, that of all 
 the painters who have ever lived, Hogarth is the last to whom such an obser- 
 vation can apply, and that the poverty of his colour actually arises out of 
 the " singleness " of the execution, and the want of repetition ; I say, I 
 should have been content, had the learned Director stopped here, to have 
 merely stated the above in contradiction ; but No ! the learned Director must 
 unfortunately go on to prove his position by shewing, that when Hogarth did 
 succeed, he succeeded by a single effort. As examples he points out the 
 first picture of the Marriage A-la-Mode and the Lady's Last Stake — with the 
 particular character of the first, I cannot at this moment charge ray recollec- 
 tion sufficiently to speak with that decision, which is necessary to answer such 
 a critic: but with the latter, I have my remembrance so completely saturated, 
 that 1 can undertake flatly to say, that there was not a head of Hogarth's ex- 
 hibited at the Royal Institution, which had been so often gone over, according 
 to the painter's term, as this head in question. 
 
 Finding that the best method of treating the Incendiary, was not to 
 oppose his brutal violence, or his ridiculous conceits, we merely said, that 
 the Director was not in the habit of looking at a question in all its bearings, 
 and possibly on this point, might thence have committed himself — but we had 
 better, said we, go on with the Catalogue. 
 
 No. 88, 
 
 Is very laboured and hard, but we think the possessor is better off in 
 having this picture, than No. 77, which we would recommend him to part with ; 
 if the present Exhibition should not cure the connoisseurs as it is expected to do, 
 
47 
 
 No. 89. 
 
 « For the Benefit of the Modern Fine Arts," this is a Director's pic- 
 tare, and his having sent it to the " Institution for promoting them does him 
 great honor." We are unable to find terms sufficiently expressive of our 
 sense of this gentleman's kindness. There is nothing but the principal man's 
 head in the picture that has not been rubbed out as clean as a whistle,— It 
 exclaims with Horace, non sum qualis eram. 
 
 No. 90. 
 
 An Ostade, in Clay, we believe. The only one we recollect to have 
 seen in this material. 
 
 No. 91. 
 
 " For the gratification of the Public," and the delight of the Proprietor, 
 the Directors have shewn their sense of the merits of this picture, by 
 placing it in the very worst situation in the room. But it is the best com- 
 position of the kind here. So the artists will do well to thank them, unless 
 they think its blackness would have done the fine arts more service, by being 
 seen. 
 
 No. 92. 
 
 Thi9 specimen of scattering in art, is bung up " to delight the ju- 
 " dicious."* Vide Preface to Catalogue. 
 
 Nos. 93 and 94. 
 Passable — that which may be passed. Johnson's Dictionary. 
 
 * On referring to the Preface, we find this Exhibition was made tut to delight the 
 
 judicious, &c. &c. 
 
48 
 
 No. 95. 
 
 On the picture of Christ's Charge to the Apostles, at Brussels, Sir 
 Joshua Reynolds, in his Tour through Flanders makes this remark — " The 
 " characters are heavy, without grace or dignity, and the handling, on a close 
 " examination, appears tame. The name of Rubens would not stand high 
 " in the world, if he had never produced other pictures than such as this." 
 3rd vol. of Reynolds's Works, page 259. 
 
 We cannot pass over this large work, without doing justice to those 
 exceedingly condescending remarks, contained in the Preface to the Catalogue 
 of Sir Joshua Reynolds's Works in 1813, and in the Edinburgh Review of 
 1814, page 270, both written by that admirable Director, the half dressed 
 state of whose raw pig's tail, we cannot too often or too deeply deplore. 
 
 We allude to those mild and gentle expressions, which he stooped to 
 summons, and his brother Directors without any conception of the degradation 
 permitted him to print. The benevolent purpose they were intended to effect, 
 was that of correcting the insolence of a young student, who was so exceedingly 
 presumptious as to entertain a criminal predilection for large pictures, in oppo- 
 sition to the said learned Director. By any other body of men (so backward 
 is society in what regards the knowledge of true dignity) — By any other 
 body of men we repeat such a public visitation on such an offender and for such 
 an offence, would have been deemed an act of meanness, calculated only to re- 
 flect back a powerful gleam of shame upon themselves. But it seems to be 
 the happy characteristic of this gentleman in particular, and of those four 
 or five Directors who are allowed to perform the labour of this Establishment ; 
 it seems to be their peculiar good fortune to shew almost on every occasion, 
 a species of condescension that is exceedingly inimical to all those refined 
 and elevated feelings which are generally in estimation with the world at large. 
 Thus again the learned Director in the same Review feeling great and lauda- 
 ble indignation at the conceit of Mengs, the Italian, always takes scrupulous 
 care not to mention his name, without coupleing it with the title of Mister. 
 This ingenious and respectful method of expressing his contempt for the man 
 through the medium of his rights, reminds us somewhat of that practice, oc- 
 casionally adopted by a certain class of ladies, who when under the influence, 
 not of the gentlest passions of the human breast, are apt to indulge each 
 other with their full titles of Madam and Miss. Now without a very deep 
 
49 
 
 insight into the nature of this noble Director's mind, this species of 
 condescension might ingender reflections very injurious to his character as 
 a philosopher. It might induce a belief that he was sometimes subject to the 
 influence of feelings exceedingly paltry and totally incompatible with any thing 
 like an enlarged understanding. But no such thing. This modest fear and 
 diffident apprehension felt by the noble Director and his four or five colleagues, 
 of placing themselves too high in the public estimation ; this dread of com- 
 mitting any act that should imply too strong a sense of elevated feeling, is to 
 be placed to a very different account, it is to be placed entirely to that prin- 
 ciple of human nature which teaches us that those who possess the higher 
 qualities of the mind, are invariably the last to obtrude them upon others. 
 We cannot, however, but feel some uneasiness on this point. We know that 
 it would be presumptious in us to suppose that our advice could be in the least 
 necessary to such persons, or that we should have more than a faint 
 glimmerring of that dignified conduct with which, as men of rank, the Direc- 
 tors must be much better acquainted than ourselves. But there is a possibility 
 that diffidence and condescension may be carried too far ; where a little 
 of that pride which is the characteristic of a gentlemanly mind, may be shewn 
 without injury to the modesty of any individual. Thus we have heard of a 
 complimentary letter, lately written by the body, in which they even descended 
 so far as to make a full acknowledgment of the difficulties to which they had 
 put themselves in order to pay the compliment*. It would be assuming too 
 much on our parts, we repeat to imagine that any sense which we can entertain 
 on this point would be of the least service to the noble Directors, but we 
 cannot help suggesting that if they would allow themselves to stoop a little to 
 the general habits of the world, if they would suffer themselves to shew some little 
 of the dignified sentiments they feel and not let their diffidence interfere too 
 much, it would be (according to the prejudices of the day) more in character with 
 their rank and professions and more in unison with what is generally esteemed 
 elevated and noblet. 
 
 Nos. 96 and 98. 
 
 The last of these pictures is the best. 
 
 * We did our utmost to procure a copy of this letter, but were unsuccessful. 
 , t " Qui novit, neque id quod sentit exprimit, perinde est ac si nesciret. " 
 
 Thucyd.. 
 
 N 
 
50 
 
 No 97. 
 
 Better than either. As these three pictures are tolerably good, and the 
 Directors have not put them out of the way, we beg- to remind the reader of 
 the precaution necessary whenever such a tickleish point is to be carried, as 
 that which the Directors have in view by the present Exhibition. 
 
 No. 99. 
 
 If it were not fortnnately for the gross and positive colour of the figures, 
 this piece would be a dreadful eye-sore. It is by far the most brilliant of all 
 the Cuyps here. 
 
 No. 100. 
 
 If any man affirm of this picture, that it has not brown enough, make 
 him take his oath of it, and then indict him for perjury. 
 
 No. 101. 
 
 As we have nothing very particular to say about this picture, we shall 
 indulge ourselves with communicating to the reader, two pieces of information, 
 the one extracted from the Preface to the Directors' Catalogue, and the other 
 the reflection which it immediately called forth in us. 
 
 " Delicacy of execution," says the Preface, " may be combined with 
 " breadth and dignity." Plumb-pudding, say we, may be eaten with roast 
 beef on Sunday ; that is mere execution, having nothing to do with breadth 
 and dignity, and Sunday in no wise bearing enmity to roast beef and plumb- 
 pudding. 
 
 No. 102. 
 
 This is delightfully black in the shadows, and is happily, for what 
 merits it possesses, thrust out of reach. 
 
No. 103. 
 
 If we had any history of this gentleman at hand, we would transcribe a 
 portion of it for the entertainment of the reader, as it is, he must be satisfied 
 with his mere effigy. He will in doing so, have an oppoitunity of displaying 
 his philosophy, by being content with a little; whilst the Directors will have 
 the full power of appreciating the extent of his exertion, since they know 
 how little reason he will have to be contented at all. 
 
 No. 104. 
 
 Mentioned under article 46. 
 
 Nos. 105 and *#8, 
 
 The Directors wish to set the public right, with respect to the pictures 
 of Hobbima, notwithstanding their present value, although bearing exceeding 
 strong marks of attention to nature, they are, generally speaking, too monoto- 
 nous in tone, and seldom display the full brilliancy of the pallette ; the trees 
 in mo-t of them have become black by time, and there is too equal a touch 
 running through the whole picture; the distant objects are painted in this 
 respect without any regard to the truth of perspective. The picture No. 108, 
 is the better of the two, but we have seen much superior specimens by this 
 master. Let us sing the praises of the Directors therefore. 
 
 No. 106. 
 
 At the first glance, without the assistance of the Directors' Catalogue, 
 we are at a loss to say, whether the noble Duke is not meant to be acting 
 the part of an episode on horse back, but a little reflection enables us to 
 determine, that although a number of extraordinary matters are summoned 
 together on one canvass by the compulsatory whim of the artist, they are 
 not in the least connected in an} - general action or otherwise are most 
 provokingly determined to revenge themselves on the painter for the unneces- 
 sary trouble he has given them, by acting in direct contradiction to all that he 
 wishes. 
 
52 
 
 But let us look a little closer into this heterogeneous mass of things. In 
 the first place, here then is to be seen as large as life, George Villiers, Duke of 
 Buckingham, in armour, mounted on a charger. He is attended by a pair of 
 naked inexpressibles, which are seen to hover round his head, as the reader 
 may frequently have observed crows to do about matter of a very different co- 
 lour certainly, but of quite as much inherent value; at his feet, or rather 
 the feet of his horse are grounded and nicely packed into the corner, two 
 more fleshy substances, the one shewing a pot, as a constable does his staff, 
 proclaims himself a water God, whilst the voluminous feminine lump of meat, 
 resting on his thigh, by her close contact and familiarity leaves us no doubt 
 as to her intimacy with the other substance of the male sex. In the distance, 
 the painter has favoured us with a number of vessels, some of which are 
 supposed to be firing their guns, but whether for the purpose of saluting 
 the noble Duke, or with the hope of bringing down the ponderous creatures 
 that flounder round his head and apparently threaten to kick out li is brains, 
 is doubtful. This, however, is certain, that neither himself or his horse seem 
 to be under the least apprehension, or shew that they entertain even the most 
 distant notion, that any one but themselves and the spectator exist within a mile 
 of the spot they occupy. Indeed so perfect is their abstraction, that if it were 
 not that the horse is evidently a fixture in the picture, we might be under some 
 apprehension that the hedge God and Goddess in the corner would very shortly 
 furnish a complicated fracture, and be under the necessity of taking their de- 
 parture, in double sedans for St. George's Hospital, to the great grief of the 
 noble and discriminating Directors, and the still greater fatigue of the poor 
 chairmen who would have to carry them. 
 
 With respect to the merits of the picture, as it is impossible to conceive 
 that the noble Directors, could wish to impose so gross a work on the public 
 as a specimen deserving their notice ; as it is impossible to conceive that they 
 would so grossly abuse their power, and mislead the student by their au- 
 thority to look on a thing so wretchedly bad as this, under the impression that it 
 affords an example for his emulation, and a direction for his guidance, we cannot 
 do otherwise than imagine more forcibly than ever, that it certainly was m ith the 
 view of depreciating the old masters, that this collection was brought together. 
 
 In fact, it is quite impossible to conceive that Rubens ever saw this 
 picture, or if he ever did, and any part of it remaining be of his hand, then 
 are the modern artists most exceedingly indebted to the noble Directors for 
 
53 
 
 bringing it forward, and giving them an opportunity of asserting, that if such 
 a wretched performance had made its appearance on the receiving days for the 
 Exhibition of the Royal Academy, it would have been at once unanimously 
 rejected. 
 
 The Incendiary, who sat listening with the most sovereign expression 
 of contempt upon his lips, but not without a mixture of sorrow on his brow, 
 now broke silence : " 1 have attended," said he, " with great patience, 
 and now hear what I have to remark. The Directors, I am told, acknowledge 
 that this picture is below all criticism, and urge in their defence for its being 
 here, the authority of an artist, whose name ought to be dear to the profes- 
 sion, as his abilities are great. Had he never seen this picture when he 
 recommended it to disgrace the Exhibition and himself? or had he seen it, 
 and was there any petty view, any personal interest to induce the recommen- 
 dation of it to the Directors ? I know the respect which is due to age, and 
 the stain it is on the character of him who is insensible to it, but there is a 
 duty which is paramount to that which we owe to grey hairs, and which impe- 
 riously calls on me to ask this question." For Heaven's sake, said we, let us 
 get on, for we dreaded the subject. 
 
 No. 107. 
 
 Not so good as No. 109. 
 
 No. 109. 
 
 Not so bad as No. 107. 
 
 No. 108. 
 
 Noticed under No. 46. 
 
 No. 110. 
 
 For the sake of forwarding the views of the Directors, we heartily 
 wish this picture was hanging in the Royal Academy at this instant. 
 
 No. Ill 
 
 This picture is one of those which Sir Joshua Reynolds calls the " has 
 beens." By its appearance now, however, we suspect that even in its better 
 days, it never had any great claim to attention. It is totally scrubbed out, 
 
 O 
 
54 
 
 No. 112, 
 
 Noticed under No. 105. 
 
 No, 113. 
 
 This seems a pretty black and white study, and we thank the Director* 
 for placing it where they have. 
 
 No. 114. 
 
 This is by far the most vicious example of the master we have seen — its 
 general character is comprehended under No. 46. 
 
 No 115. 
 
 A Dead Hare, " to direct the artists to the study of that ideal excel- 
 lence which ought to be the first object of the Institution to promote." 
 
 No. 116. 
 
 See the Incendiary's note to the title page. 
 
 No. 117. 
 
 As poor as the moderns could wish. 
 
 No. 118. 
 
 Black and white, and of far better quality in execution than that of 
 
 Dort. 
 
 No. 119. 
 
 God send the lady does not catch cold.* This is a complete Birming- 
 ham tea board. 
 
 * The Directors will, we fear, occasionally deem us too flippant. We are quite conscious of our 
 criminallity on this point, but how is it possible to treat such things otherwise. The fault lies not in 
 w but in the matter. . 
 
55 
 
 No. 120, 
 
 Quite as bad as possible. 
 
 No. 121. 
 
 See No. 4. 
 
 No. 122 
 
 This and No. 127 appears to have been seven times filtered and then 
 doubly vitrified. 
 
 No. 123. 
 
 This picture has been libellously denominated a portrait of Marshal 
 Turenne. We should rather imagine it was nothing more than a Flemish 
 Express, if it were not for the horse, which is rather performing an ex- 
 tention than a gallop, and which by one of those unfortunate casualties in 
 painting, seems to be indulging himself in the provoking desire of perso- 
 nating a green carneleopardus. Another information we think would like- 
 wise lie against this four-legged monster, namely, that his head and tail 
 appear leagued in a plot against his rider as if, by a sly and progressive 
 approach towards each other, they intended in the end to give him the slip. 
 In the back ground on the left, are apparently, a couple of chaffing dishes, 
 occupied by a double ambuscade of Dutch nut-crackers, but as the accompa- 
 niments of this horseman are of the secret nature spoken of under the general 
 review of Rembrandt's works, and we never like to pry into that which is evi- 
 dently the wish of others to conceal from us, we shall dismiss this picture, by 
 observing that it is totally undeserving any attention except for a few qualities 
 of colour and texture in parts, and which can alone be valuable or even intelli- 
 gible to a practical man. Considered as an example in any other respect, it is 
 truly ridiculous. 
 
 No. 124. 
 
 This is better than some others, but is branded in the face with the 
 iron of manner, and therefore will be found to come under the stated censures 
 in No. 8. 
 
56 
 
 No. 125. 
 
 If the owner of this picture thinks he has got a Vandyke, we are 
 happy in as far as his feelings are concerned, but if we may presume to put 
 our own conjectures up against his judgment we are sorry for him. 
 
 No. 126. 
 
 See article No. 3. 
 
 No. 127. 
 
 See article No. 22. 
 
 No. 128. 
 
 See article No. 115. 
 
 No. 120. 
 
 See article No. 3. 
 
 Nos. 130 and 131. 
 Things that are not bad enough to care about, and not good enough to 
 
 fear. 
 
 No. 132. 
 
 It is impossible to conceive any thing more vulgar or gross in the pain* 
 ting than this picture. 
 
 Nos. 133 and 134. 
 
 These pictures have been noticed before, but we really cannot pass 
 them without requesting the unprejudiced visitor to this gallery to look at 
 them and recollect the works he has seen by the artists of the modern School, 
 They surely can have nothing to learn from such things as these. 
 
67 
 
 No. 135 
 
 As there is something tolerable in this picture, we shall quit it as quietly 
 as we can. 
 
 No. 136. 
 
 If the person who sold this landscape to the present owner sold it to 
 him for a Rubens, that person had a very different estimation of this master's 
 talents to ourselves. If there ever was an original picture that looked more 
 like a copy than this, we have never seen it. 
 
 No. 137. 
 
 We presume the white horse represented in the stable, is of a phos- 
 phoric quality 
 
 No. 138. 
 
 We are ashamed to say, that we never look at these kind of pictures 
 unless we are obliged, as in the case of 107, which by its situation and colour, 
 so totally ruins the Hobbima by the side of it, that we cannot help noticing 
 it, to give it our blessing. 
 
 No. 139. 
 
 The dark side of the sky in this picture, totally disavows all relationship 
 with the light side, and begs it to be understood, that although they apparently 
 melt into each other, they are quite separate concerns ; they in fact reside in 
 a very different part of the country, and at a very considerable distance from 
 each other. This remark may likewise be useful in another review of the top 
 and bottom of the back ground of Vandyke's picture of the Abbe Scalier. 
 
 P 
 
58 
 
 No. 140. 
 
 If any valuable portion of this picture had been left on the canvass it 
 might have deserved the notice of the visitor. 
 
 No. 141. 
 
 Here let our observation on 136 be read over again, changing the name 
 of Rubens to Vandyke; it will save us the time and the trouble of saying the 
 same thing in other terms of this. But probably from the name of its posses- 
 sor, this may be an heir-loom, and possibly its pedigree forth coming ; if so, we 
 will beg the reader to add under the same condition of changing the name, what 
 we have remarked relative to the re or non-reality of the Duke of Buckingham's 
 picture. 
 
 No. 142. 
 
 The least of a subject, but the best picture in other respects here of 
 the master. 
 
 Nos. 143, 144, 145, and 146. 
 We do not recollect one of them. 
 
 (No. 16.) 
 
 We omitted to notice this picture in its place for two reasons, first, 
 because we thought it would afford us one of the strongest proofs of our po- 
 sition with respect to the views of the Directors, and because it is always 
 natural to defer the consideration of that which is unpleasant as long as it 
 is in our power. 
 
 Last of all, said we, addressing ourselves to the Incendiary, look at this 
 picture, look at the brutal and disgusting exhibition it offers to the eyes of the 
 
59 
 
 spectator, and ask yourself if any set of men of moderately decent feelings, 
 would, without some strong motive, present indiscriminately to the inspection 
 of the public, a canvass full of such abominable and gross sensualities as are here 
 brought together. Ask yourself if any set of men of the most ordinary degree 
 of refinement, would, without some powerful reason, expose in an Exhibition 
 which is made the medium of collecting together the female branches of the 
 higher classes, a picture which presents a congregated mass of drunkenness 
 and latent obscenity, a picture that exposes to view monsters that must put 
 every degree of feminine decency and delicacy to the blush, which is intended 
 to feed the eye with the most beastly and sensual images, so beastly as not to 
 bear any detail in language, since no language, even the most filthy, is capable 
 of conveying any notion of them, or the sentiments they are calculated to 
 inspire. Having asked yourself this, then read the following passages ex- 
 tracted from the account of the British Institution,* and say, if you can any 
 longer entertain a doubt as to the views of the Directors, by the present 
 Exhibition. 
 
 " Persuaded that our countrymen are capable of the same excellence 
 " in the arts as they have attained in every other branch of science and litera- 
 " ture, we solicit that they may be encouraged, to consider those excellent 
 " and immortal examples of the Grecian and Italian schools, as the objects 
 " not merely of imitation, but of competition. In a country where native 
 a energy is most abundant, we ask that professional taste and talent, and pa- 
 " tronage be no longer confined to inferior objects, but that our artists may 
 " be encouraged to direct their attention to higher and nobler attainments, to 
 " paint the mind and passions of man, to depict his sympathies and affections 
 u and to illustrate the great events which have been recorded in the History 
 " of the World." 
 
 In the foundation of the British Institution, it should be premised, that 
 " the fine arts havE been appreciated, not merely as sources of revenue, or 
 " as means of civil refinement, but have been revered and honoured for a nobler 
 lt and more useful purpose. When directed to intellectual and national objects 
 " and whilst their character is neither degraded by vulgar subjects, nor sullied 
 " by licentious images, they are calculated to gain a standard of morality and 
 " patriotism, to attrack the homage and respect of foreign nations, and to pro- 
 
 • Published 1805, l>age 23. 
 
CO 
 
 " duce those intellectual and xirtmus feelings which are perpetually alive to 
 " the welfare and the glory of the country." See Catalogue 1811, p. 9. 
 
 Now let us enquire how it is possible to reconcile such sentiments with 
 such a picture ; to draw the attention of the public and the artist to such an 
 example is surely to offer him something worse than what is to be understood 
 by inferior objects ; to point out such a picture as this is surely not to direct 
 the spectator or the artist to the contemplation of those higher excellences 
 which are to ennoble human nature and refine the morals of a people; these are 
 surely not the qualities of Art, for which the noble Directors feel such a deep 
 reverence; No! they are the very qualities they abhor, the very images for 
 which they have professed their hatred and detestation. The subjects that 
 degrade, — the licentious image by which the Art is sullied, by which it is 
 prevented from affording that standard to morality which they desire, and by 
 which it is made to oppose the progress of those intellectual and virtuous feel- 
 ings which they wish it to inspire. It will not do on this occasion to urge any 
 of the merits of the Artist in extenuation, it will not do to point out the in- 
 genuity of the design, the skilful arrangement of the colours or the perfection 
 of the work in any mechanical point of view ; not to have perceived on such 
 an occasion, — that in a public display all the minor consideration of art 
 should have been sacrificed to decency and moral feeling, would argue a defi- 
 ciency of principle as well as of just taste and understanding, disgraceful in the 
 extreme to those who should have betrayed such a deficiency. 
 
 " Stay," said the Incendiary, " may not your friends the Directors have 
 been made converts to the system of their learned Brother? may they not 
 now have deserted their former sentiments and agree with him in the opinion 
 " that the influence of painting on the passions is very small ?"* No, No, said 
 
 * The passage to which the Incendiary alludes is this — " There have been painters" says the 
 Director, page 452, of his enquiry, " to whom the production of their own art have appeared 
 ■ in the high character of bodies of universal ethics which were to correct national manners 
 " and to improve and promote the practice of every social virtue, by exhibiting examples 
 " of the imitation and recording events for the Instruction of mankind; as if men ever ap- 
 " plied to such sources of information for directions how to act in the moral or prudential 
 " concerns of life ; or ever looked at pictures for any thing but amusement." For the remarks 
 we wish to make on this passage, it is unnecessary we should quote further, since that 
 which follows, with regard to the inefficacy of Hogarth's Works is mere assertion, which 
 however roundly the learned Director affirms it, we humbly submit it would be quite im- 
 possible to prove. 
 
61 
 
 we, they never would have the hardihood to contend, that in the representation 
 of such beastialities as these, the art is deficient in exciting the most powerful 
 feelings of disgust and abhorrence. If, for a moment, we could suppose the 
 Directors in furnishing the gallery with this piece had any other object in view 
 than a strong desire to excite the public contempt for such works, we would 
 give the question up in despair ; but we contend for the impossibility of any such 
 conclusion and that our assertion has been thus far fully established. We 
 say in as far as the judgment, the consistency and the moral principles of the 
 Directors are otherwise implicated, our position has been completely made 
 out. That nothing however may be left unsaid to bring our proof as 
 near to moral certainty as possible, we shall now endeavour to place before 
 the reader a general view of the objects and the principles of the British 
 Institution, in as much as they are concerned with the present Exhibition, and 
 compare them with the character of the several classes of pictures it furnishes. 
 
 Our expression throughout this work of admiration and becoming deffercnce, for 
 the understanding of this gentleman, as an aggregate part of the wisdom of the Institution, 
 will not allow us to think ourselves for a moment entitled to enter into any contest with one 
 so eminently our superior. Yet if he will excuse the liberty, we will ask him a few simple 
 questions, which we dare say will only furnish him with matter of surprise and laugh- 
 ter, but as he himself says, p. 450, that the pride of sense is always meek and humble 
 compared with the pride of ignorance, we may at least hope to escape free from any 
 expression of contempt that this our ignorance might excite in some less ignoble mind. 
 
 All we wish to ask is this, if instead of considering pictures as a species of moral 
 lexicons to which we are to refer in any of the difficult and particular emergences of life, 
 we view them in the light of tablets for the excitement of sentiments ; as tablets of example 
 that may be of service in the formation of character ; we ask if we take them in this view, we 
 may not allow them to possess some little of the ethic effect, which has been refused them 
 by the learned Director. For instance, would he not allow that there are certain publications 
 in the world, which, if he were a family man, he would feel it quite necessary to put out 
 of the reach of his children, and Uiis solely for fear of the immoral desires to which the 
 prints they contain might give rise. 
 
 And if it be possible that immoral desires may be excited by pictorial representations, is 
 it not possible that our better sentiments may be called into action by representations of a 
 better tendency. That we may be thoroughly understood, let us put an exaggerated case. Suppose a 
 person should, for instance, busy himself a considerable portion of his life in groping out all the beastly 
 representations of one of the most sensual and degenerate worships of the antients, would he not be 
 liable to generate in himself the sensualities he so anxiously pours over in others; while on the 
 contrary, would not one who should have his walls furnished with examples of the higher actions 
 of his fellow beings, learn to look with some degree of detestation on a study, which 
 evidently led to such opposite result* from liis own? Certainly! Certainly.! 
 
 Q 
 
62 
 
 Now what are the leading and professed objects of the Institution, are 
 they not 
 
 1. " To facilitate by a public exhibition, the sale of the production of 
 British Artists." 
 
 2. To confine exclusively the exhibition to the productions of artists 
 of the united kingdom ? 
 
 3. To shut the gallery during the time of the annual exhibition of 
 the Royal Academy ? 
 
 4. Not to suffer the Institution to interfere in any respect with that 
 establishment! And 
 
 5. To direct the public to the encouragement, and the artist to the 
 study of that elevated character of art, which has for its object the noble 
 ends of adding to the intellectual enjoyment of man and the improvement 
 of his moral sentiments. With respect to the four first points, we shall leave 
 them to answer for themselves, and confine our attention wholly to the last. 
 
 Let us then see how an exhibition like the present can tend to the en- 
 largement or delight of (he human mind. 
 
 The first thing that strikes us in looking over the Catalogue, is that out 
 of 146 pictures, only 18 are historical and 34 are portraits ; now as the 
 Institution manfully set their faces from the very first against portrait painting, 
 and complained of the degeneracy of the English taste in this respect; as they 
 never suffer to this day any modern portraits to disgrace their walls, unless 
 the artist has the precaution to nick-name them ; as we have shewn that the 
 majority of the pictures of this class are either examples that can be of no 
 service in modern practice or undeserving any attention in themselves ; and 
 lastly as the Institution denominates itself a British school for historical and 
 landscape painting exclusively, it follows that these 34 pictures must be totally put 
 out of the consideration, and that the Directors must in as far as regards this 
 particular, be totally exonerated from any other view, than that of holding up 
 the owners of the pictures, to the derision of the public. 
 Of the Landscapes we shall find 
 
 Eight by Rubens, 
 Two by Rembrandt, 
 Five by Both, 
 Three by Berghen, 
 Which together make 18 pictures of what we have denominated man- 
 nered and bad examples.* 
 
 * We have only taken two by Rembrandt, because the Mill is certainly a good, though not 
 a prre&t picture 
 
63 
 
 We must allow, indeed, that there are eleven pictures called Cuyp's, two 
 Hobbima's and one Kuysdale, to oppose to them, that is fifteen pictures in 
 a style which our artists can do themselves no injury by studying, and on this 
 point we acknowledge ourselves a little at a loss to defend the noble Directors. 
 
 But if through a little negligence or a little ignorance, they should in this 
 instance have sacrificed the interest of the modern fine arts, they have made full 
 amends for it, by the selection of the remainder of the pictures. What possible 
 connection can there be between those noble and useful purposes, for which the 
 fine arts have been so deeply revered by the noble Directors, and a Lady in a 
 Blue Jacket, a Lady in a Red Jacket, a Gentleman Writing a Letter, Three 
 Ladies Reading one, a Fisherman, a Woman with Poultry, Three or Four 
 Dead Birds, a Shewman, a Dead Hare, a Dead Stag, a Woman Milking a 
 Cow, a Fiddle, a Man Eating Shrimps, and another catching Fleas, &c. &c* 
 I say, what possibly relationship can there be between these things, and those 
 views entertained by the Directors — None ! None! the conclusion is therefore 
 as clear on this point as on that of the portraits. 
 
 Passing the sea pieces, and what few other pictures must, like the above, 
 be considered as in no way interfering with the alledged object of the Institution, 
 we now come to the historical pictures in the whole eighteen, vi/. 
 
 Three by Rembrandt, 
 
 Whose compositions as the learned Director has called them " ridicu- 
 ous," page 412t, we of course enter on the list of nothings . 
 
 * It is scarcely necessary to point out the undoubted superiority of our countrymen in this 
 department of art. The Dutch may be a little, and it is but a little better painters of pots, 
 coppers and fiddles, but in every thing which regards the occupations and habits, the natural and 
 external markings of the internal workings of human nature, the English have left them far behind. 
 For one connected history with a moral, we shall in vain look round these walls. Let those would- 
 be patrons and connoisseurs, cast their eyes on the east wall of another Exhibition, let thein notice 
 the complete series of circumstances which are there brought together in one picture ; which are 
 collected to act to the elucidation of one point, let them look at this, and blush at their total want 
 of real feeling for art. 
 
 t " The compositions of the one (Raphael) arc sublime," the other (Rembrandt) " ridiculous.'' 
 Again, page 305, " Rembrandt's (expression is) ridiculously low and mean" (the latter parts of the 
 sentence) " though admirably just and natural,"— we have quoted to shew that it is not always so 
 Mi our renrnrk on No. 32. 
 
64 
 
 Three by Vandyck, 
 That certainly afford little to admire and plenty to reprobate. 
 Twelve by Rubens, 
 Seven sketches and five pictures. 
 
 The sketches are some among them good enough, as sketches, but 
 the facility of hand, the ornamental character of composition which they 
 exhibit, canuot be considered as at all conducive, or as coming under what 
 is to be understood by those qualities of art, which call for our reverence and 
 esteem, so that like the others, these must be put on one side as making in 
 favour of our position. 
 
 Of the five which now only remain, it will be found that one we 
 consider as doubtful ; one tame and undeserving the name of Rubens ; one 
 patched in colour, particularly in the flesh ; the fourth brutal and of bad taste 
 in composition, character and colour; and the fifth of a most gross and 
 immoral tendency. In as far then as the general character of the pictures 
 are concerned, our assertion is again fully demonstrated to be correct. 
 
 If we now state that in the invitations to this Exhibition, the artists 
 were by no means the first persons considered, but actually the very last ; that 
 the number of invitations to the nobility for the private views and the night 
 exhibitions were such that the members of the Royal Academy were even quite 
 forgotten.* If we also state that none but such Professors and Students as have 
 offered their annual support to the gallery are admitted to this Exhibition 
 (the Academecians excepted) without paying every time they enter, we may 
 have some clue to guide us in this point ;t we may then learn why this col- 
 lection is satirically said not to have been got together so much " for the 
 amusement of the curious," or " the delight of the judicious," as for the in- 
 struction of the artist: Further let us consider the time at which the In- 
 stitution has chosen to open the gallery with old pictures. Is it not we ask 
 that very point of time in which exists the only prospect of obtaining a sale 
 for the modern works ; and must we not seek some stronger motive for this 
 than merely the desire of instructing the artists, which could have been 
 
 • This was the sole cause which led to that extraordinary display of condescension which 
 we took the liberty to mention a few paragraphs back. 
 
 t The Academicians have free admissions, but of which few of them, we believe, avail 
 themselves, since having no ticket of introduction, it is unpleasant to them to have to proclaim 
 their rank to the porters every time the said porter's memories happen to fail them, 
 
 i 
 
65 
 
 done more effectually at another anil a later period. And what we ask, can 
 this motive be ? how can we find an adequate answer unless we have recourse 
 to our position? unless we say, that the Directors perceiving the modern 
 works had not yet found that rapid sale which they were led to hope and 
 expect ; and attributing it to the still lurking admiration for old trash, they 
 artfully determined to bring together* such a collection as could not fail to 
 expose its owners to the laughter and ridicule of those who should visit the 
 gallery and compare with the annual display of their country's talent, the 
 costly nothings with which this exhibition abounds. 
 
 Having thus most fully established our position, we shall now lay down 
 our pens, modestly satisfied with the simple consciousness of the service we 
 have thus rendered the Directors and their Institution for the Encouragement 
 of Modern Art ; not in the least ambitious of either adding to our glory by 
 proclaiming to whom it is they are so much indebted, or at all covet- 
 ing the reward, which, from our sense of their benevolence, we feel 
 they would most gladly bestow. As we have been actuated by a sole love 
 of the art, so we entertain no desire to derive any emolument lest we 
 should excite a doubt as to the purity of our motives. 
 
 " You have settled this point very satisfactorily to yourself no doubt," 
 cried the Incendiary, " and 1 feel no inclination to keep up the contest any 
 longer. Let us then leave it now for the public to decide between us on the 
 object of this Exhibition ; let them say which of the three positions is most 
 likely to be correct. That which you maintain ; that which the Directors 
 profess; or that for which I contend." What is that, said we, for we do not 
 recollect to have heard your express opinion on this point. " 1 con- 
 tend," replied he, " that the Directors ought to have spoken thus, if they 
 had fairly stated their motives." " In submitting this collection to the public, 
 " we do not so much present it for the purpose of amusing the curious or 
 " of delighting the judicious ; we do not present it so much that the productions 
 
 * It has been ridiculously supposed by the Incendiary and asserted even by him, to have been 
 acknowledged by some of the Directors that the cause of our seeing so many bad pictures in the 
 gallery, arises out of the fear they entertained of giving offence to their several owners by returning 
 them unexhibited, but this is an assertion too absurd for belief. It is not to be imagined that if the 
 Directors really had the instruction of the artists more particularly in view, that they would have 
 suffered themselves to present bad examples to the students and thus mislead them from the fear of 
 offending individuals. Insolent conceit ! why thus put the noble Directors in the scale of understand- 
 ing little above idiots ? 
 
 R 
 
66 
 
 u it contains may excite in the British artist the ardour of emulation;* No! me 
 " expose these things for the purpose of obtaining as large a supply of money 
 " as we can get from the public, to make that shew of patronage in its disposal, 
 u which will give us importance in the eyes of the world, and in the end com- 
 " pletely enable us to controul all encouragement, and dictate 
 
 " ALL PRACTICE." 
 
 A word or two, continued he, in defence of the tone in which I 
 have saluted a few of your friends the Directors and 1 have done. If the 
 language I have applied to them should appear a little too harsh for readers 
 of their consequence and delicacy; if 1 should apparently have neglected 
 to place before my eyes the rank of the offenders and seemingly failed 
 in that respect due to persons of their station, by paying which, no one 
 sacrifices his dignity who knows how to appreciate it justly, let it be 
 recollected what the stake is, that is at issue. No less a stake than 
 the existence of the arts ; I say the existence, for if the project of the 
 Institution succeeds and these Directors get the controul of the arts into 
 their hands, from that moment will the} 7 rapidly begin to decline. 
 From that moment will the painters begin to be painters of other 
 men's thoughts and imitators of old pictures, instead of nature. In all 
 periods when the arts have gone down, it will be found that they have 
 done so in proportion to the number of models set up for their guidance. 
 This may appear a strange doctrine. To assert that good example is the 
 foundation of bad practice, doubtless appears paradoxical ; but so it is, 
 and on this account, because established precedents in matters of taste, 
 give being to a number of critics, who on the mere strength of the know- 
 ledge derived from such models, set themselves up as Directors of the 
 professors practiced On the mere strength of a most mischievously super- 
 ficial acquaintance with old pictures, do ninety-nine out of a hundred set 
 themselves up as Arbiters in art, whilst coming to the judgment seat to- 
 tally unprepared with any information at all drawn from the contempla- 
 
 * If this really had been the chief object, the Directors surely would have taken care not 
 to have brought forward pictures that would have been disgraceful to the pencil of any living 
 artist of repute. The defender of the institution has certainly neglected to notice the merits of 
 several pictures as much as possible, but the defects he points out, however numerous and however 
 gross, are certainly not imaginary — they are there. 
 
 t " Suffer the artists to make their oivn use of such models and they will be productive of 
 " good, they will know how to cull all that is valuable, all that can facilitate without obstructiug 
 " their views." 
 
67 
 
 tion or study of nature; they are of course quite inadequate to appreciate 
 the merits which a new and genuine view of it may present. Their only 
 standards are old pictures ; hence if the new production fails to remind 
 them of somewhat they have seen before, it is instantly condemned. When 
 such authorities then assume the rule, there is an end to every thing 
 like a struggle for originality. There is an end to all exertion, to every 
 endeavour after that quality which is alone found to obtain the admiration 
 of posterity. By the bustling vanity of a patron as he is called, a short 
 lived popularity and encouragement is obtained for the boy, who sacrificing 
 his own feelings, is willingly bribed to flatter his employer, by painting 
 his. This, however, lasts but a very littte while indeed, seldom beyond the 
 year; for his Director's views not extending farther than some favourite 
 model, and as all imitation falls behind and in the end never fails to 
 eloy, as soon as this truism is proved on the submissive pupil, he is de- 
 serted as a non-effective and some new and equally deceiving and deceived 
 starter is again and again put up to run the same round of falacious hope and 
 idle expectation. Let the Directors of the Institution look back to the many 
 promising geniusses that have been announced for the last ten years, as 
 about to rise at their fiat and deny this statement if they can. 
 
 I call then on the independent governors and subscribers — I call on the 
 public to beware how they administer support to such a plausible, but destruc- 
 tive establishment as the present British Institution. And let the artist of 
 talent look with a cautious suspicion to that favour which is a mere bait to lure 
 him to destruction, which finally must lead to the overturn of all his own hopes 
 and the total annihilation of the art itself. 
 
 This view alone of the subject 1 conceive would be an adequate excuse 
 for the little personal consideration shewn to those Directors' feelings, who 
 have been more particularly alluded to in the course of my reflections, 
 but I have a still stronger provocation to plead in my defence. 
 
 When men will stoop to condemn high talents with the virulence which 
 ought to be reserved for criminal actions, when men of undoubted judgment 
 and ability will, under the plea of correcting the taste, use all their influence 
 to oppress, when they will unblushingly proclaim their determination to 
 deprive the first genius of the day of encouragement, and set up inferior 
 works, to put him down, they must expect to have their actions narrowly scru- 
 fin zed and the purity of their motives suspected. When men will set up for 
 pretended patrons, who never in their lives purchased even a single modern 
 
68 
 
 picture, when men folded up in arrogance and conceit will dogmatically step 
 out to guide the arts who know nothing more about them than what they have 
 been able to obtain from Pilkington's Dictionary ; they can have no right to 
 complain of any treatment their temerity may have called down upon their 
 heads ; nothing but the bad qualities for which they are condemned, could 
 ever have entitled them to any notice at all. When men laboriously put their 
 shoulder to the wheel to collect a mass of heterogeneous matter and term 
 it analyzing ; when men will set to work to write books for the guidance of 
 others, who themselves are the blind that want to be led ; when men will do 
 this and do it too with an exhibition of that proud insolence which hides 
 from their own view, the meannesses into which it leads them, they must be 
 content to have their paltry feelings hung up in judgment as a punishment to 
 themselves and as a warning to deter others from the commission of the same 
 folly. If the individual to whom this alludes is not yet satisfied, we extract 
 the motto to his own review as a further justification of the treatment he has 
 received. 
 
 " Judex dainnatur cum nocens absolvitor." 
 
 Publius Syrus. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 Owing to the great hurry in which this Catalogue has been got up, together with some diffi- 
 culties which retarded the progress of its printing, several errors have crept into the text, some few 
 •f which are corrected in the following Errata. The rest we must have the readers excuse for. 
 Another year we shall be better prepared, and will pledge ourselves to be ready for the second week, 
 of the Exhibition. 
 
 PAGE. LINE. 
 
 Title 22 for peremtoriry read peremtory. 
 
 9 15 for a, read an 
 
 10 17 for their, read thy. 
 
 11 3 for proportions, read proportion. 
 14 29 for in, read over. 
 
 16 21 for pallet, read pallette. 
 
 17 4 for affects, read effects. 
 
 18 8 after article insert to. 
 
 20 35 for purleuis, read purlieus. 
 
 22 17 for efforts, read effects. 
 
 23 1 for bye and bye, read by and by. 
 
 23 11 for vilainously, read villanously. 
 
 24 18 for a epithet, read an epithet. 
 24 26 for deemed, read deem. 
 
 PAGE. LINE. 
 
 25 
 
 18 
 
 for lo trop des que cet ami temoigner, 
 
 
 
 read lorsque cet ami temoigne trop 
 
 
 
 de. 
 
 27 
 
 10 
 
 for cuyp, read Cuyp. 
 
 28 
 
 1 
 
 for artist, read artists. 
 
 30 
 
 17 
 
 for was, read is. 
 
 30 
 
 28 
 
 for was, read were. 
 
 34 
 
 19 
 
 omit pretends. 
 
 35 
 
 7 
 
 for makes, read make. 
 
 35 
 
 14 
 
 for the, read of. 
 
 35 
 
 18 
 
 omit that of. 
 
 35 
 
 19 
 
 for Rembrandt's pictures, read Rem- 
 
 
 
 brandt. 
 
 55 
 
 10 
 
 omit rather. 
 
 ..m 
 
List of Pictures. 
 
 No. Painters. Proprietors. 
 
 1 Portrait of King Charles I. on 
 
 Horseback Vandyke • • • • Duke of Marlborough 
 
 2 Lady and Child Ditto Sir A. Hume, Bart. 
 
 3 An Allegory Rubens A. Champernowne, Esq. 
 
 4 A Lands:ape, Sun-set Ditto Right Hon. Charles Long. 
 
 5 A Triumphal Procession • • Ditto Earl of Darnley. 
 
 6 The Doctors of the Church Ditto Sir W. W. Wynne, Bart. 
 
 7 The Brazen Serpent Ditto J. Graves, Esq. 
 
 8 Landscape, Harvest Scene, 
 
 with Rainbow Ditto A. Champernowne, Esq. 
 
 9 Portrait of Govaertius Ditto J. J. Angerstein, Esq. 
 
 10 Landscape Ditto Sir Geo. Beaumont, Bart. 
 
 Jl The Abbe Scalier Vandyke •••• Sir Thomas Baring, Bart, 
 
 12 Candlelight Rubens C. Duncombe, Esq. M. P. 
 
 13 Earth and Water, the Parents 
 
 of Plenty, an Allegory Ditto Earl of Mulgrave. 
 
 14 A Girl Looking from a Window Rembrandt • • Dulwich College. 
 
 15 Small Landscape Rubens Lady Stuart. 
 
 16 Bacchanalians Ditto Duke of Marlborough. 
 
 17 The Watering Place Ditto Dowr. Duch. of Buccleugh. 
 
 18 Landscape Ditto Marquis Camden. 
 
 19 Moon-light Ditto Earl of Mulgrave. 
 
 20 Portraits of the Lords Stuart. • Vandyke • • • • Earl of Darnley. b(£ 
 
 21 The Elevation of the Cross •• Rubens Jeremiah Harman, Esq. 
 
 22 Horses of Achilles Vandyke • • • • Right Hon. Charles Long. 
 
 23 Portrait of the Dutchess of 
 
 Savoy Ditto Earl of Aberdeen. 
 
 24 Fishing under the Ice Cuyp Duke of Bedford. 
 
 25 Landscape Rembrandt • • John Knight, Esq. 
 
 26 Landscape, with Tobit and the 
 
 Angel Ditto Rev. W. H. Carr. 
 
 27 An Old Woman Reading • • • • Ditto Duch. Dowr. of Buccleugh 
 
 28 Portrait of a Man with a Hawk Ditto Earl of Grosvenor. 
 
 S 
 
70 
 
 No. Painters. Proprietors. 
 
 
 Rembrandt •• 
 
 Geo. Hayter, Esq. 
 
 
 Ditto 
 
 Earl of Hche6ter. 
 
 
 
 Earl of Ashburnham. 
 
 32 The Wise Men's Offering 
 
 Ditto 
 
 H. R. H. the Prince Regent. 
 
 
 
 Ridley Colbourn, Esq. 
 
 
 
 Sir Geo. Beaumont, Bart. 
 
 35 A Girl's Head 
 
 Ditto 
 
 Rev. W.H. Carr. 
 
 
 Earl of Grosvenor. 
 
 
 
 W. Smith, Esq. M. P. 
 
 
 Ditto 
 
 Sir Simon Clark, Bart. 
 
 39 Portrait of Peter Cornelius 
 
 
 
 Van Booft, a celebrated Fle- 
 
 
 
 mish Historian, and a Friend 
 
 
 
 of Rembrandt; he is said to 
 
 
 
 have Translated Homer 
 
 
 Sir A. Hume, Bart. 
 
 
 Ditto 
 
 R. P. Knight, Esq. 
 
 41 The Adoration of the Shepherds Ditto 
 
 J. J. Angerstein, Esq.. 
 
 42 Small Landscape, with Cattle 
 
 
 
 
 
 Earl of Carlisle. 
 
 43 An Interior, a Woman Opening 
 
 
 Oysters; the Figure in the 
 
 
 
 Red Cap, a portrait of Fran- 
 
 
 
 
 Jan Steen 
 
 H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 
 14 A Lady Reading a Letter 
 
 G. Terburgh.. 
 
 H. R. 11. the Prince Regent. 
 
 
 Jan Steen 
 
 Marquis Camden. 
 
 46 Landscape, with a Fall of Wa- 
 
 
 
 ter, and Travellers Passing a 
 
 
 
 Bridge, View of the Lago di 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mrs. Arnold. 
 
 
 Jan Steen 
 
 Hon. A. Phipps. 
 
 
 Vandyke 
 
 Earl of Mulgrave 
 
 
 Wouvermans 
 
 G. Hibbert, Esq. 
 
 50 Landscape, with Horses and Fi- 
 
 
 
 
 
 H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 
 51 Landscape, with Horses and 
 
 
 
 Figures, a Farrier's Shop in 
 
 
 
 
 
 
71 
 
 No 
 
 52 Landscape, with Cattle and Fi- 
 
 gures 
 
 53 A Lady Reading a Letter 
 
 51 A Battle Piece 
 
 55 View of La<>'o di Bolsena, with 
 
 Soldiers Guarding Prisoners 
 
 56 View of one of the Towns in 
 
 Holland 
 
 57 Cattle, with Travellers and 
 
 Shepherds 
 
 58 Portrait of the Marquis of 
 
 Huutley 
 
 59 Cattle on the Banks of the Ri- 
 
 ver • 
 
 GO Portrait of Francis, Earl of 
 Bedford 
 
 61 Portrait of Lady Shirley 
 
 62 A Man Eating Shrimps 
 
 63 Lands-cape, with a Woman 
 
 Milking a Cow in the Fore- 
 ground ; on the left, a Stable 
 
 with Horses 
 
 64: Landscape; a view in Italy •• 
 
 65 Inside of a Church 
 
 66 Algernon, Earl of Northumber- 
 
 land, and Lady Anne Cecil, 
 his Wife 
 
 67 View of Dort 
 
 68 A Man Writing a Letter 
 
 69 Cattle at a Fountain 
 
 70 An Allegory of War and Peace 
 
 71 Landscape, with Cattle and 
 
 Horses 
 
 72 The Cosset Rouge 
 
 73 Woman with a Rabbit 
 
 U Corset Blue 
 
 Painters. 
 
 Cuyp 
 
 Terburgh 
 Wouvermans 
 
 Both 
 
 Vander Heiden 
 
 Cuyp 
 
 Vandyke 
 
 Cuyp 
 
 Vandyke 
 
 Ditto 
 
 F. Mieris • • . • 
 
 Proprietors.. 
 
 Earl of Carlisle. 
 
 G. Hibbert, Esq. 
 Lord Dundas. 
 
 Lord Dundas 
 
 H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 Earl of Carlisle. 
 
 Dowr. Duch. of Buccleugh. 
 
 H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 
 Duke of Bedford. 
 Earl of Egremont. 
 H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 
 P. Potter • 
 Both 
 
 De Heegist 
 
 Vandyke 
 Cuyp • • • 
 Metzu • 
 Berghem 
 Rubens • 
 
 H. R. H. the Prince Regent. 
 Lady Stuart. 
 Earl of Mulgrave. 
 
 Earl of Egremont. 
 Sir A. Hume, Bart. 
 
 II. P. Hope, Esq. 
 Dulwich College. 
 Marquis of Stafford. 
 
 Wouvermans 
 
 Metzu 
 
 G. Douw • • • 
 Metzu 
 
 Dulwich College. 
 Sir Simon Clark, Bart. 
 H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 George Hibbert, Esq. 
 
72 
 
 No. Painters. 
 
 75 Boors Smoaking Teniers •• 
 
 76 A Lady Reading a Letter • • • • Metzu ..... 
 
 77 A Gale, with a Yatch Firing a 
 
 Salute 
 
 78 Portraits of the Earl of New- 
 
 port and Lord Goring Vandyke 
 
 79 Village Feast Teniers 
 
 80 An Interior * De Hooghe •< 
 
 81 An Italian Scene Both 
 
 82 Portrait of Mrs. Kirk, Bed- 
 
 chamber Woman to Queen 
 Henrietta Maria Vandyke 
 
 83 An Interior, with Figures 
 
 Smoaking A. Ostade • • • 
 
 84 Domestic Scene ; an interior • • Ditto 
 
 85 The Village Ball Ditto 
 
 86 Portrait of Anne, Countess of 
 
 Bedford Vandyke 
 
 87 Portrait of Rachael, Countess 
 
 of Southampton Ditto 
 
 88 An Interior A. Ostade 
 
 89 Boors Regaling; an Interior •• Ditto 
 
 90 An Interior Ditto 
 
 91 A Sea Shore, with Ships at 
 
 Anchor, and Men of War in 
 
 the Offing Vandervelde i< 
 
 92 A Hawk : ng Party Wouvermans. « 
 
 93 Landscape, with Figures and 
 
 Cattle passing a Bridge Cuyp 
 
 94 The Castle of Benthiem Ruysdale • • • 
 
 95 Conversion of St. Paul Rubens 
 
 96 A Brisk Gale, with Men of War Vandervelde • 
 
 97 A Village Feast Teniers 
 
 98 View of the Dutch Coast with 
 
 a Man of War under Sail .... Vandervelde • • 
 
 99 Landscape, Evening, with Tra- 
 
 vellers ••••• Cuyp 
 
 Proprietors. 
 
 Jeremiah Harman, Esq. 
 H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 
 Vandervelde •• Jeremiah Harman, Esq. 
 
 Earl of Egremont. 
 Earl of Ashburnham. 
 Earl of Mulgrave. 
 Lady Stuart. 
 
 Lady Lucas. 
 
 John Graves, Esq. 
 
 H. R. H . the Prince Regent. 
 
 John Dent, Esq. 
 
 Duke of Bedford. 
 
 , Lady Lucas. 
 
 Jeremiah Harman, Esq. 
 ■ Sir A. Hume, Esq. Bart. 
 
 J. F. Tuffin, Esq. 
 
 Lady Stuart. 
 
 C. Duncombe, Esq. M. P. 
 
 . John Knight, Esq. 
 . W. Smith, Esq. M. P. 
 . R. H. Davies, Esq. M. P. 
 . W. Smith, Esq. M. P. 
 Duke of Bedford. 
 
 Lady Stuart. 
 
 . W. Smith, Esq. 
 
73 
 
 pfo. Painters. Proprietors. 
 
 100 Landscape with Figures •••• Cuyp Earl of Ashburnham. 
 
 101 A Sea- Coast, with Boats and 
 
 Men-of-War Backhuysen Lady Stuart. 
 
 102 A Village Fete Tenters P. Metcalf, Esq. 
 
 103 Portrait of Henry, Earl of 
 
 Southampton Mirevelde • • • • Duke of Bedford. 
 
 104 Landscape; an Italian Scene 
 
 with Travellers Both Ditto 
 
 105 A Water Mill Hobbina Viscount Palmerston. 
 
 106 George Villiers, Duke of Buck- 
 ingham on Horseback, with 
 
 Allegorical Fgures •••• • Rubens Earl of Jersey. 
 
 107 Fruit and Flowers Van Huysum •• H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 
 10S Landscape, Evening, with 
 
 Peasants Travelling Berghem • • • • W. Smith, Esq. M.P. 
 
 109 Flowers Van Huysum* • H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 
 1 10 Portrait of the Archduke Al- 
 bert Rubens Earl of Upper Ossory. 
 
 111 Cattle in a Landscape P. Potter • • • • Duke of Bedford. 
 
 112 A Forest Scene Hobbima John Dent, Esq. 
 
 113 Sea Piece Vandervelde •• John Knight, Esq. 
 
 Ill Mountaneous Landscape, with 
 
 Cattle and Figures Berghem •••• Viscount Palmerston. 
 
 115 Dear Hare Weenix H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 
 136 St. Amand Receiving St. Bavo 
 
 into his Abbey Rubens Rev. W. H. Carr. 
 
 1 17 Figures Dancing Teniers Lord de Dunstanville. 
 
 118 A River View, with Passage 
 
 Boats Cuyp Earl of Carlisle. 
 
 119 A Magdalen in a Landscape^ Vanderwerf •• H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 
 120 The Assumption of the Virgin Vandyke • • • • T. Hope, Esq. 
 
 121 A Triumph Rubens Earl of Liverpool. 
 
 122 A Fisherman and a Woman 
 
 with Poultry W. Mieris • • • • John Dent, Esq. 
 
 123 Portrait of Marshal Turenne 
 
 on Horseback Rembrandt » t Earl Cowper. 
 
 T 
 
74 
 
 No. Painters. 
 
 124 Landscape, Sun-set Rubens 
 
 125 Daedalus and Icarus Vandyke 
 
 126 An Allegory • Rubens ....... 
 
 127 The Showman W. Mieris 
 
 128 Dead Stag Weenix 
 
 129 A Procession Rubens 
 
 ISO The Temptation of St. Anthony Teniers 
 
 131 The Incantation Ditto 
 
 132 Woman with a Parrot Jordaens 
 
 133 River View, with a Raft • • • • Cuyp 
 
 134 View of Dort Ditto 
 
 135 Portrait of Henry Earl of 
 Northumberland Vandyke 
 
 136 Landscape, with Cattle and 
 
 Figures Rubens 
 
 137 A Stable with Horses and 
 
 Figures ••• P.Potter «••• 
 
 128 Fruit and Flowers Van Huysum.. 
 
 139 Landscape; the Approach of a 
 
 Storm, with Cattle P. Potter 
 
 140 Lord Stafford and his Se- 
 cretary ...» Vandyke 
 
 341 Portrait of Lord Grandison • • Ditto 
 
 142 The Exterior of a Cottage, 
 with a Woman cleaning 
 
 Muscles Ostade 
 
 143 A Man's Head F. Mieris 
 
 144 Flowers Van Huysum •« 
 
 145 Dead Birds Chysels 
 
 146 Portrait of a Lady F. Mieri* 
 
 Proprietors. 
 
 Sir W. W. Wynn, Bart. 
 John Knight, Esq. 
 Earl of Liverpool. 
 J. F. Tuffen, Esq. 
 H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 A Champernowne, Esq. 
 P. Metcalf, Esq. 
 Marchioness of Thomond 
 Earl of Darnley 
 Lady Stuart. 
 Lady Stuart. 
 
 Earl of Egreraont. 
 
 Lord George Cavendish. 
 
 H.P.Hope, Esq. 
 J. Thompson, Esq, 
 
 H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 
 Earl Fitzwilliam, 
 Duke of Grafton. 
 
 H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 Lord de Dunstanville. 
 J. Thompson, Esq. 
 H. P. Hope, Esq. 
 Lord de Dunstanville, 
 
 PRINTED BY Yf. SMITH AND CO. KING STREET, SEVEN DIALS. 
 
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