FRIENDS AND COADJUTORS AT PARIS. 47 



of David. Of the portraits lie painted 250 in number, of 

 which 100 were full-length one is a portrait of Humboldt, 

 which is still preserved at Tegel. The following sketch of 

 this distinguished painter is furnished by Grans, 1 who was in- 

 troduced to Gerard by Humboldt in the year 1825 : ' Gerard 

 the artist presents us with a character widely different, but no 

 less interesting (than Cuvier). Apart from his profession, 

 in which he not only greatly excelled but enjoyed the re- 

 putation rare for an artist of being a critic of undoubted 

 taste and discrimination, there was no subject in science, 

 politics, or social life, upon which he could not converse with 

 the -lively wit and acuteness of an Italian. His receptions, 

 scarcely ever crowded till after midnight, and to which the 

 summer formed no interruption, were thronged with men of 

 science, artists, actors, statesmen, men of fashion, and 

 foreigners, and were pre-eminently distinguished by that 

 promiscuous character peculiar to French society. Cards and 

 conversation, not here separated, as in Germany, formed the 

 source of entertainment, in which the peculiar charm lay in 

 the entire absence of constraint.' . . . 



To the distinguished men we have thus passed in review 

 might perhaps be added the names of Poisson, Fourier, Cauchy, 

 Laugier, Matthieu, Malte-Brun, La Eoquette, Jomard, Le- 

 tronne, Champollion, David, Laroche, Denon, &c., as well as 

 Silvestre de Sacy and Nerciat, from whom he sought assistance 

 in his studies of the Asiatic languages. Towards all of these 

 he cherished, till the close of life, a sincere attachment and a 

 grateful sense of the favours he had received at their hands. 



1 l Riickblieke auf Personen und Zustande ' (Berlin, 1836), p. 19. 



