4o0 



Monthly RetrofpeSiof the Tine-ArU. 



(Dec. r. 



rank. For tlie Queen's Study flie has 

 painted a number of beautiful bouquets, 

 &c., and arranged the piilures and prints 

 in the o'her apartments, one of which is 

 IBiw entirely appropriated to early imprel- 

 fions from the beft wotks of Hogarth. 



SCULPTURE. 



As a teftimony of national gratitude to 

 that gallant General the late T. Drnidas, 

 who died in the Weft-Indies during the 

 lad war, Pailiament fome time fince voted 

 a furn of inoney for a monument to com- 

 memorate his (iginl military achieve- 

 ments. The monument was accordingly 

 executed by Mr. Bacon, erefled in St. 

 Paul's Cathedral, and about the middle of 

 laft month opened and fubmitled to the 

 infpeftion of the public. 



It confifts of a coloffal ftattie 'of Britan- 

 Ilia, placing a wreath of laurel en the buft 

 of the General, which is ereffed on his 

 tomb. Britannia is affociated with a 

 figure of Senfibility ; to the right of which 

 is the Genius of Britain prefenting an 

 olive-branch, allufive to the objeft of our 

 exertions in war being the attainment of 

 fln honourable peace. By the fide of the 

 pedettal is a Lion, and military trophies 

 are placed on the tomb, which is enriched 

 by an alto-relie'vo reprefentation of Bri- 

 tannia in the aft of protefting Liberty 

 from Anarchy and Hypocrify. 



This monument is quite equal to any 

 of thofe lately opened. The drapery is 

 executed with a lightnefs and delicacy that 

 is abfolutely aftonifliing ; and though it 

 was the opinion of Sir Jofliua Reynolds 

 that the ancients afled more v^'ifely than 

 the moderns, in not attempting to give the 

 airy lightnefs of (ilk to thefe rigid mate- 

 rials, we ftill think that it cannot be a de- 

 fe£l for a ftatue to come as near as may be 

 to a refcmblaijce of that from which it is 

 copied j — be it obferved, we mean as to 

 form 5 for to paint a ftatue like that of the 

 redoubted dagger-knighr Sir William 

 Walworth, in Fiftimongers' Hall, would 

 be rather tno fretty to be pleafingto any 

 eye except that of a Hottentot. 



To return to the monument, — The 

 figure ftanding on an inclined plane gives 



an idea of a figure that does not ftancf 

 firm; and the left leg has rather an awk- 

 ward appearance. As the Lion is a prin- 

 cipal objeft, it is a pity that it is not like 

 nature, any deviation froni which, in i'o 

 noble an animal, is fo far from improving, 

 that it inevitably injures. The buft ap- 

 pears to be very highly and accurately 

 finiftied. There is not yet any infcriptioii 

 on either this oi the monument of Captain 

 Faulkner, which has been finiOifd fome 

 time. The infciiption on Captain Bur- 

 gefs's monument has a poor and vulgar' 

 efFefV, from the letters being fo violently 

 black, like thofe on a common grave-ftose 

 in a country church yard. 



Relative to any circumftance that ex- 

 cites public attention at the beginning of 

 the month, we have frequently five or fix 

 caricature-prints, fuch as they are, before 

 the month is half crncluded. The fpefd 

 with which thefe precious fpecimens of 

 copper fatiie are engraved, and the induf- 

 try with which they are circulated, is not 

 more remarkable tnan the dullnefs with 

 which they are conceived, the clumfinels 

 with which they are executed, ar;d the 

 marvellous alacrity with which they fink 

 iiito oblivion. That fuch has been the 

 fate of many reams of this graphic wit, is 

 a feiious truth : but of this fate the fpi- 

 rited produftions of Mr. Gilray are in no 

 danger. The fubjefls are ufually well 

 felefted, feized with peculiar promptitude, 

 alinoft invariably whimficaliy and well 

 combined, and etched with a celerity that 

 has been rarely attained by any other ar- 

 tift. He has lately pubiifhed feveral, 

 which have much point, relative to the 

 local circumftances of the day. In the 

 laft which we have feen, of Gefieral 

 Mack's Surrender of Ulm to Bonaparte, 

 there is whim and wit. 



At a general meeting of the Royal Aca- 

 demic'ans, the beginning of laft month, 

 B. Weft, Efq., Prefident, communicated 

 to them His Majefty's approbation of 

 John Opie, Efq., as profeflbr of painting, 

 he having been elefted at a general alTem- 

 bly held in Auguft laft. Mr. Richard 

 Weftmacot, jun., was afterwards declar- 

 an affociate of the Royal Academy. 



VARIETIES 



