among the Ancients. ^[83 



force and propriety of the cxpreflion, and in fome 

 cafes the praife due to the colouring, evince a 

 degree of fkill, which, in the fuperior painters, 

 muft have been very confidcrable indeed, fince 

 we fee it pofTefTed in this degree, by artifts of 

 no eminence, and in performances executed in 

 the very decline of the art. But of landfcape 

 there is not one trace of the pencil remaining 

 which fhould lead us to infer the leaft portion of 

 excellence beyond what we fee. 



Of the COMIC and satirical paintings among 

 the ancients, I can find no mention, except of 

 one Calates, who appears to have painted comic 

 fubjeds on miniatures, and Antiphilus a minia- 

 ture painter alfo, who having caracatured fome 

 perfon of the name of Gryllus, thefe kind of 

 paintings were afterward denominated Grylli.* 

 There are no traces however of any thing among 

 the ancients which can bear the flighteft com- 

 petition with the labours of an Hogarth, or even 

 the diurnal affemblage of fatirical performances 

 which croud a modern print-lhop. 



Pyreicus feems to have been the Teniers of the 

 ancients. f ^r 



* Parvaet Calllcles fecit : item Calates comicis tabellis. 

 — Idem jocofo nomine Gryllum deridiculi habitus pinxit ; 

 unde hoc genus pifturae Grylli vocantur. Plin. XXXV", 

 37. Vide Pittura antice d'Ercolano, torn. III. Tavol. 26. 

 where fome paintings of this kind are copied. 



f- N^mque fubtexi par eft minoris pifturae celebres in 



penecille, e quibus fuit Pyreicus aite paucis poftferendus : 



P p 4 propofito^ 



