1^95* Scottijh artists, — G. Hamilton. 5 



ton chiefly excels. In his female characters we 

 discover more of the dignity of Juno, or the cold- 

 nefs of Diana, than the melting softnefs, or the in- 

 viting playfulnefs of the Cyprian goddefs. 



Tlie most capital collection of Mr Hamilton's 

 paintings that can be seen in any one place, is in a 

 saloon in the Villa Borghese which is wholly paint- 

 ed by him, and represents in diflferent compart- 

 ments the history of Paris. These are painted oa 

 the ceiling, and the alcove of the roof. The death 

 of Paris forms the most capital painting in the mid- 

 dle of the ceiling ; and the other scenes form a se- 

 ries of pictures round the alcove on a smaller scale. 

 This work, though its position be not what an 

 artist would choose as the most advantageous for 

 exhibiting his finest pictures, is accounted a per- 

 formance of very superior excellence. The prince 

 Borghese, as if with a view to do honour to Scot- 

 tifti artists, has had the adjoining apartment painted 

 by Jacob More, who excels as much in landscape 

 as Hamilton in historical painting. He had another 

 saloon in the same palace, painted by Mengs, the 

 most celebrated German painter of modern times, 

 who has been dead some years. These three a- 

 partments are conceived to exhibit the finest speci- 

 mens of modern art now in Italy. 



Mr Hamilton has been at great pains to have al- 

 most all his best pictures engraved under his own 

 eye, by artists of the first abilities, so that Europe 

 at largs is enabled to judge of the stile of these ex- 

 cellent pictures with some degree -of accuracy. 



