Art of Fainting in Frajice. 255 



\Vater colours to a perfection which k-aves nothing for us to 

 desire. 



M. Fiorillo charges the French with unsucccssfLilly imi- 

 tating the Flemish painters; but ihev had no occasion to 

 imitate them at all. Taunay, Demarne, Drolling, Swebach, 

 mademoiselle Gerard, Boily, and others, have produced pic- 

 tures which, without being copied after the Flemish, will 

 do honour to their genius with posterity. 



I have thus corrected the defects I have found in running 

 over the work of M. Fiorillo ; and I must do him the justice 

 at the «ame time to say, that his works contain some v/ell 

 written articles, and that he is acquainted with literature ; but 

 he writes hastilv. In order to compose a work upon the state 

 of the arts in any country, it requires a long time to collect 

 materials, particularly when the author is not in the country 

 itself. 



It would he tedious to mention in detail the artists whom 

 M. Fiorillo has entirely forgotten ; I shall merely mention 

 their names with some notes, in order that he may inquire 

 for their productions, if he ever gives, what is very much to 

 be desired, a second edition of his work. 



Among the pupils of Casanova we look in vain for the 

 names of Norblin, Mayer, Duverger, and of Duvivier. Nor- 

 blin is one of the first battle painters: he lived a long time 

 in Poland : he paints well, and his composition is agreeable. 

 1 am in possession of some fine designs of his in bistre and 

 Indian ink. Mayer died very young, and was buried ai 

 Ermenonville by the side of J. J. Rousseau. He possessed 

 a great genius. Duverger died young also : I know several 

 very fine designs of his. Duvivier, who remained with his 

 master until he died, lives at Vienna, and paints with great 

 success. 



Lantara painted and designed in the taste of Claude Lor-^ 

 rain, and his pictures have an agreeable effect ; his designs, 

 generally in black crayons, are very much sought after. 



M. de Boisseu, of Lyons, a true amateur, is one of the best 

 designers I know : no one is superior to him in using Indian 

 ink: his landscapes are true portraits of nature ; the very 



Vol. 27. No. 107. April 1807- K hour 



