On Pahilhig. 59 



Windfor caftle, and which by the flrft judges are ranked 

 among the heft of his works, if not the very belt. They 

 are unqueftionablv preferable to any of his pictures iu ihe 

 Vatican, for purity of invention and hilloric truth. His 

 eafel piijtures are generally poor. 



By expreffion we do not confine ourfelves to the face 

 merely, but to the juftnefs of the general action. That ex- 

 prcfli:m is jultly placed at the head of the art is evident from 

 its difficultv, for to exprefs well we muft in ourfelves icel the' 

 paiiion we wiOi to reprefent. He who wifnes to wring an- 

 other's heart with anguifli muft feel as exquifitcly hinifclf : 

 hence the neceility of recurring to nature, and not depend- 

 ing on the feelings of another, as the mannerift ever muft. 

 We ihall obtain but little advantage in this inftance from a 

 model : we mull therefore recur to ourfelves; and in fo doing 

 the looking-glafs will become our belt friend : for, as Pope 

 obferves. 



They bell dial I paint them \vho can feci them mod. 



- The paffions, as they are called, by Le Brun are over- 

 charfrcd, fo much fo as to have become caricatures. There 

 IB nolaying down rules for what mull ever depend on the 

 feelings. Next to nature, the antique heads of the Laocoon, 

 the dyuig Alexander, the Niobes, and manv others, will be 

 well worth confnhing : but expreffion muft be general; we 

 fee ajonv in the fingers and toes of the Laocoon as firong 

 as in the face. Domenichino and Fouflin were great in cx- 

 prcflion; but, as before obferved, Raphael is the firft mo- 

 dern. 



It would bo an unpardonable neglect to overlook a work 

 of Britifti art, that for expreOion would difpute precedence 

 with the bcft of the Roman fchool. Where (hall we foe pa- 

 ternal defpair reprcfented with more force and truth than in 

 fir Jofbua Reynolds's count Ugolino, or the horrors of death 

 pronounced in a more determined and mafterly manner than 

 m the children? W^c need fav no more : Sweetncl's and Truth 

 were iiis handmaids; and when he died the Graces would no 

 longer remain on the earth. Where encouragement has 

 been offered, the Britifli artifts have done their duty: in 

 portrait and landfcape they equal, if not exceed, the bcft ; 

 and in hiftory fonie works have appeared honourable in the 

 higheft degree to the nation. They will be fulilcient to (how 

 to |)o!terity the powers of the art in the lime we live: a tew 

 good works are euoueh, perhaps, in an ungrateful age '. 



• I am jiiftific<l in nfine; the words ungraitful nge, by the nuiTpcful 

 ucgleft Ihown at the fale of M.ukHn's piAurcs bv lirit.rii artiAi. Art, 



C 4 ■ Ijko 



