1S06.3 



The Enquirer. 



33S 



lowed, nor too ftrongly inculcated, it can 

 by no means be conlidered as extending 

 to the exclulion or prohibition of an In- 

 quirer into the general progrcfs of thofe 

 arts themfelves, wliofe individual paths 

 are thus woefully planted with thorns, to 

 wound the folc of the adventurer in the 

 race of genius. 



'J'here \^, at the prefcnt moment, a 

 •onfulerable defire excited in the minds 

 of us Engliflmien, refpecting the progrefs 

 of the fine-arts araongll us, and particu- 

 larly of painting and fculpture. We can 

 be well contented that I'renchmen (luiU 

 bear away the palm in dancing, that Ita- 

 lians ihali fuig, that Germans lliall com- 

 pofe ; but \\ e are relilcfsly, nay foniewhat 

 intolerantly, anxious that our own paint- 

 ers Ihould hold an exclulive eminence in 

 the general and extenlive competition of 

 the modern day. 



Without acceding to the partiahties 

 of thofe who. are immediately interefted in 

 the competition, the fuecuhitive Jinquircr 

 i-s led by temper, and an habitual train of 

 thought, to caft his glance forward be- 

 yond the adual fcenc, and to endeavour 

 to explore the final ])oint of eminence 

 which a particular nation is likely to at- 

 tain in the courfe of fo ardent a purluit. 

 He longs to penetrate the \c\\ of futurity, 

 and to deicry what luminaries of genius 

 will reflect their rays on his country in 

 the proceis of centuries ; he pants to an- 

 ticipate the fragrant fweets oi honourg 

 which ihali bloom to enrich his native 

 foil when he Ihall lie mixed witii it# 

 riufr. 



The late I\Ir. Barry, whofe fmgularities 

 made him no lefs an objeit of notice than 

 his numerous merits, has Itarted a doubt 

 whether the time had not actually palled 

 by, in which the Englilh Nation would 

 have been capable of entering the path 

 of excellence in the art of paiiiting. lie 

 confidered our talle ub in a llate of pre- 

 mature degeneracy, as corrupt and viti- 

 ated H ithout having been regulated or 

 refined. The age, he faid, was frivolous 

 and frothy ; and how ihall Genius avoid 

 the inllucnce of the atmofphere which it 

 ijihales.'' This aifeitiuii, it is to be fear- 

 Cil, was not devoid of truth ; but an En- 

 ijuircr, who wilhes to be led to a compre- 

 henfive view of the progrelfive powers of 

 tiie arts in his own couatiy, and to invef- 

 tigate the priniary and permanent caufes 

 of their iuccefs oi' failure, will perhaps re- 

 gret that Mr. Barry examined the fubjett 

 only fuperficially, and that he had not 

 treated it, at kali, more ilifpallioiiately. 



The great and Uuly adci^uate objects 



of our rofearch (whioh that able painter 

 and fcholar poirelVed ample faculties to 

 elucidate,) are, firft, the fpecies and de- 

 gree of talents ufually or probably to be 

 found among our native artiils ; the me» 

 thods of lludy adopted generally by 

 them, or the School of Englilli Pfunting ; 

 and, lalHy, the degree in which it is pro- 

 bable that the fpirit of our political con- 

 ftitution, and the nature of our habitual 

 opinions, will ever combine with our na- 

 tive talents for the arts, to aid the fonnar* 

 tion of artiils, and etleCt the ultimate 

 perfeftion of art. 



Of the natural powers of our country- 

 men in tiic field of painting and fculp- 

 ture, little queftion ran be made. la 

 the hll of our deceafed artiils, ofwhoia 

 we may be now allowed to form an im- 

 partial judgment, the various merits oi 

 Thoiulull, Hogarth, Reynolds, Scott, 

 Wilfon, Gainlboiough, Moiland, and 

 Barry ; of Bacon, Banks, and Proctor ; 

 prefent futficieiit examples to authorize 

 the national claini to a wreath amidlt 

 the candidates for graphic honours aiid 

 the meed of fculpture. The hope of 

 every excellence that depends on indivi- 

 dual talent, juftly arifes in our breafis. 

 Iv or are the general exertions of our liv- 

 ing artifts derogatory to fuch a Jiopc, — 

 " In the ralh and iUiberal declamations 

 of Winkelman againll our country, (fays 

 au amiable and erudite authorj he has 

 received the chaftifemeut of (Eugliihj 

 Genius, which has avenged itl'elf by its 

 triumph, in performing what the bigorted 

 anticjuary decUu'ed it never could per- 

 form." 



The merits of our living artiils, and th« 

 tendency of the methods offiudy purfucd 

 by tiiem, Ihall be made the fubjects of a . 

 future inquiry. The fpecies of painting 

 alio in which the Englilh arc molt likelv 

 to excel, involving a feparate queltioii, 

 Ihall be referved for anotlier place. 



The molt arduous and important point 

 of the prefent fubject of iu(|uiry refpccts 

 the tendency, or, as it may be callecl, th« 

 genius, of our political ellablilhinents • 

 our prejudices ; our habitual apprecia- 

 tions of utility and glory. Ifis requifite 

 to inquire at what point of communica- 

 tion there is a probability that the inte- 

 rells of the arts may fo infufe and blend 

 themfelves into thofe of the ftate, tluit 

 they lliall be entitled to thrive and gixuv 

 up together with them ; in Ihort, in what 

 manner the arts may ever hope to be- 

 come necelfary, cither to the well-being, 

 the happinefs, or the honour, of the 

 people at lar^e. Vv ithout thii foiuce of 

 fupi.urt, 



