The L I F E of M. D U F R E S N O Y. xvii 



latter inftructing the former to paint with greater expedition 

 and eafe. 



Poetry fhared with Painting the time and thoughts of Du 

 FRESNOY, who, as he penetrated into the fecrets of the latter 

 art, wrote down his obfervations ; and having at laft acquired 

 a full knowledge of the fubject, formed a delign of writing a 

 Poem upon it, which he did not finim till many years after, 

 when he had confulted the beft writers, and examined with 

 the utmofl care the mod admired pictures in Italy. **' w i' 



While he refided there he painted feveral pictures, particu- 

 larly the Ruins of the Campo Vaccino, with the city of Rome 

 in the figure of a woman ; a young woman of Athens going 

 to fee the monument of a lover; ^Eneas carrying his father to 

 his tomb ; Mars finding Lavinia fleeping on the banks of the 

 Tyber, defcending from his chariot, and lifting up the veil 

 which covered her, which is one of his beft pieces ; the birth 

 of Venus, and that of Cupid. He had a peculiar efteem for 

 the works of Titian, feveral of which he copied, imitating 

 that excellent Painter in his colouring, as he did Carrache in 

 his defign. 



About the year 1653 he went with Mignard to Venice*, 

 and travelled throughout Lombardy; and during his ftay in 

 that city painted a Venus for Signer Mark Paruta, a noble 

 Venetian, and a Madonna, a half length. Thefe pictures 



c ihewed 



* This is the account of Monf. Felibien, Entretlens fur hs vies et fur let 

 ouvrages des plus excellent pehitres, torn. II. edit. Land. 1705, p. 333- But the 

 late author of Mrege de la vie des plus fameux peintres, part n. p. 284, edit. 

 Par. 1745, in 4to, fays, that Frefnoy went to Venice without Mignard ; and 

 that the latter, being importuned by the letters of the former, made a vifit t 

 4*im in that city. 



