no A HISTORY OF 



is the first notice of this Irish sculptor who attained 

 to considerable eminence in his art. Before November 

 1750, the Society had provided an academy for draw- 

 ing in Shaw's court, which laid the foundation of 

 a School of Art that reflected much honour on it, and 

 which produced so many artists who attained dis- 

 tinction in sculpture, portrait and landscape painting. 



In 1752, the following distinguished artists are 

 found adjudicating on the competitions, in which they 

 showed much interest — Bindon, Lee, Drury, and Van 

 Nost. On this occasion James Forester took first 

 place, and in the following year, John Dixon was first, 

 when Patrick Cunningham was also among the com- 

 petitors. Pue's Occurrences of the 7th of August 1753 

 remarked that the art of drawing had within a few 

 years (by the encouragement of the Dublin Society) 

 made great progress in the city, " so that we may hope 

 to see most of the great men who have been orna- 

 ments of their country immortalised in the works of 

 our young artists." Pue's Occurrences, on the 26th of 

 January 1754, called attention to its work in this direc- 

 tion, and speaks of " that patriot body, the Dublin 

 Society, whose labours were attended with even more 

 than the wished-for success, which is every day apparent 

 in their academy for drawing founded in Shaw's court, 

 Dame street, under the direction and care of that 

 ingenious gentleman and useful member of society, 

 Mr. West." Again, in February, attention was called 

 to a great variety of handsome drawings which were 

 produced to the Dublin Society by boys under sixteen, 

 among which was a beautiful head of the Duchess of 

 Cleveland in crayons. They also produced several 

 modellings in clay, one of which was a bust of George, 

 Prince of Wales, by Mr. Van Nost's sister ; and a 

 whole-length figure from life, in plaster of Paris, of 



