454 
curately diftinguifhed ; refembling 
the manner of Paul Veronefe. 
This drapery is lefs offenfive in 
Rubens than it would be in many 
other painters, as it partly contri- 
butes to that richnefs which is the 
peculiar character of his  ftyle, 
which we do not pretend to fet 
forth as of the moft fimple and fub- 
lime kind. ‘ 
“ The difference of the manner of 
Rubens from that of any other pain- 
ter before him, is in nothing more 
diftinguifhable than in his colour- 
ing, which is totally different from 
that of Titian, Corregio, or any of 
the great colourifts. The eifect 
of his pictures may be not impro- 
perly compared to clufters of flow- 
ers; all his colours appear as clear 
and‘as beautiful: at the fame time 
he has avoided that tawdry eifect 
which one would expeét fuch gay 
colours to produce; in this refpect 
refembling Barocci more than any 
other painter. What was faid of 
an ancient painter may be applied 
to thofe two artifts, — That their 
figures look as if they fed upon 
rofes. ; 
“ It would be a curious and a 
profitable ftudy for a painter to ex- 
amine the difference, and the caufe 
of that difference, of effeét in the 
works of Corregio and Rubens, 
both excellent in different ways. 
The preference probably would be 
given according to the different 
habits of the connoiffleur. Thofe 
who had received their firftimpref- 
fions from the works of Rubens, 
would cenfure Corregio as heavy ; 
and the admirers of Corregio would 
fay Rubens wanted folidity of ef- 
fe&. There isa lightnefs, airynefs, 
and facility in Rubens, his advo- 
cates will urge, and, comparatively, 
a laborious heavinefs in. Corregio ; 
BNO ALS ER EG £57 Pbk; 
1797+ 
whofe admirers will complaint of 
Rubens’s manner being carelefs 
and unfinifhed, whilft the works of 
Corregio are wrought to the high- 
eft degree of delicacy ; and what 
may be advanced in favour of Cor- 
regio’s breadth of light, will, by his 
cenfurers, be callect affected and 
pedantic. It muft be obferved 
that we are fpeaking {clely of the 
manner, the effect of the picture ; 
and we may conclude, according to 
the cuftom in paftoral poetry, by’ 
beftowing on each of thefe illuftri- 
ous painters a garland, without at- 
tributing fuperiority to either. 
“ To conclude, I will venture to 
repeat in favour of Rubens, what 
I have before faid in regard to the” 
Dutch fchool,—that thofe who can- 
not fee the extraordinary merit of 
this great painter, either have 2 
narrow conception of the variety of 
art, or are led away by the affecta- 
tion of approving nothing but what 
comes from the Ltalian fchool.” 
Mr. Malone has prefixed to this 
edition, an account of the life and 
writings of Sir Jofhua Reynolds, 
drawn up in plain and unaffuming 
language: from which we fhall ex- 
ract the following fketch: — 
* Jofhua Reynolds was born at 
Plympton, Devonfhire, July 16th, 
1723; the fon of Samuel Reynolds 
and Theophila Potter. He was on 
every fide conneéted with the 
church; for both his father and 
grandfather were in holy orders; 
and his mother and maternal grand- 
mother were daughters of clergy- 
men. Having in childhood mani- 
fefted a difpotition for drawing, his 
father placed him, at feventeen, 
under Hudfon, the moft eminent 
Englifh portrait-painter of that 
time; with whom he. remained 
about three years. In 1749, he 
‘ weak. 
