348 Dissertation on the Paintings of the middle Ai^d 



Croydon canal) on the south-east bank was in brisk mo- 

 tion with two of the sails partly furled. Cioiids now ,be* 

 gan to form round the whole horizon, of a dark colour^ 

 and appearing to indicate thunder; the general mass re- 

 mained nearly stationary in the horizon, while small thiti 

 ones passed the meridian, most of them trivino- out a few 

 drops of rain ; this continued till about a quarter past nine- 

 Most of the clouds near the zenith disappeared, and two 

 or three small meteors or falling siars displayed themselves, 

 by darting nearly perpendicularly downwards. 



I am, sir. 

 Your most obedient humble servant. 



Tower Royal, March 27, 1813. JoSEPH StEEVENS. 



LV. Dissertation on the Painlingi of the middle Age^ and 

 those called Gothic. Extracted from an unpublished tVork 

 on Painting, Inj M. Paillot de Montabert. 



[Concluded from p. ]7S.] 



Analysis of the Qualities of the Painters of the middle Age ^ 

 and their Parallel with those of the most eminent modern 

 Painters. 



We now come to Raphael. Not only was this celebrated 

 genius nearer antiquity, from the time in which he lived j 

 but I am convinced that he formed in the midst of his 

 career his taste and ideas rather upon ancient models which 

 he incessantly studied, than from the influence of the works 

 of his eminent contemporaries. The latter assisted him, it 

 is true, in this imposing execution of clair-oscnr, and 

 steadiness of pencil which have since constituted the best 

 part of the grand style : but to the ancients and to his pre- 

 decessors he was indebted for his chaste love of truth, and 

 simple nature: it was to the ancients that he was indebted 

 for that simplicity which charms in his figures and in his 

 dispositions; and above all for that expression which was 

 so much in unison with his great mind. Who can explain 

 his sensations when he designed the animated figures of 

 AJasaciio, or studied the bas-reliefs and paintings of the 

 ancient* ; or finally, when he translated into a better lan- 

 guage so many images of the painters of preceding cen- 

 turies, and whose reputation still resounds throughout 

 Italy? This is impossible; but it is beyond a doubt, that 

 what constitutes the difl'erence of succeeding painters is 

 the union of the same qualities winch have so long after 



his 



