152 Letters from the United States of North America. ([Asue, 
one picture,” says he, “ by, Mr. Inca ;-he, is. from ‘Ineland. ». His 
conception, I should think, was good; colouring good; dvaws, well,,but 
finishes so elaborately, and is so fond of affecting. strong reflections, of 
light ,among his shadows, that his imitation of flesh | looks too, dike 
metal or ivory. - But the multitude like it, and praise it for high finish., 
| “ Duntop, was intended: by nature to be a painter jout.eftheyrank 
and file ; but he has taken up the pencil too Jate in life. ..The»philos 
sophy of his historical pictures, if I may so use the term, is admirable. 
There is poetry in them too; but he is a feeble draughtsman; and/works 
with timidity: if he were twenty, instead of fifty years of age,,he 
might yet do wonders.” : 
.“ Do you know much of the south—of the people, and of their cha- 
racter? of their pride, the pride of birth, pride of office, and pride of 
inherited wealth? The statesman, planter, and lawyer rank there as 
No. 1; the merchant, No 2; and, I believe, the artist, as a sort of 
non-descript, who is tolerated in both classes, without belonging to 
either. You have heard of Frazer (Charles), the old preceptor (in 
.drawing) of T. Sutiy. Frazer, being high-born, was destined for 
the bar by his injudicious friends, who thereby sacrificed an excellent 
artist to make an indifferent pleader. His own good sense, however, is 
now prevailing, and I trust there is yet time engue? left to do some- 
thing creditable to his genius.”—« Painting, you know, is the talent of 
the Americans, and, even without the aid of encouragement, the market 
is overstocked with candidates.’—« I may mention, though I do not 
personally know, Mr. Wall, of New York, a landscape-painter in water 
colours. He is the author of “ Views on the North River,’ which 
have been published in aquatinta; but the engravings do no honour to 
the originals.* This gentleman had either been unknown or much 
neglected for years in the bustling and populous city of New York, 
until an English officer, Capt. Franks, found him out, and made him 
fashionable by purchasing all his works that were to be disposed of: 
now it is difficult to procure a picture of his under fifty dollars (eleven 
guineas). By the way, Doughty’s pictures (Mr. D. is a landscape- 
painter of singular merit) have much attracted the attention of English 
visitors ; and he has received several handsome commissions from some: 
a fact which has no little influence upon the perception of our amateurs. 
He improves, but requires the competition of experienced artists, who 
might provoke him to a better method of seeing nature.” . By the by, 
it is wonderful to me that such men do not undertake a copy, a close 
copy of the North American woods and waters, just as they appear in 
the rich autumn of the new world. The nature of both here is unlike 
their nature in other parts of our earth. Our exhibition this year 
has been made up of portraits. Neagle+ is the foremost in excellence. 
Eickholt {| and Otis§ have sent fourteen or fifteen each from their fac- 
tory ; but they have the majority of admirers. They are very like and 
“ very cheap.” ‘ Jane Stewart || is talked of as one who is to inherit 
* Very like: for there is not so much as one tolerable engraver of landscape or 
figures in America. Pocr Sully suffered incredibly by this, in two or three 
matters which he did (for the American edition of Sir W. Scott’s works). They 
were murdered.—X. Y. Z. ; ' 
+ Neagle, a man of great power in portraits ; bold, free, and full of truth. 
{ ‘A tinman, who makes heads in a “‘ superior’ way. - 
§ A manufacturer of ditto. 
} Daughter of the celebrated Stewart, already mentioned. 
