SCULPTURE. 



where the flimfy materials upon which they formed them- 

 felves were entirely worn out ; and the human intelligence 

 returning to the efl'ence of art, which is the imitation of 

 Nature, began the work anew, lludied the principles of the 

 ancients, and applied themfelves with diligence to a repre- 

 lentation of the human form divine. 



This fame mode of ftudy has produced a new and a better 

 fctiool, which promifes fomething like a jufl emulation of 

 the bed dayi of Greece, in the works of that diftinguifhed 

 iculptor Mr. Canova, and fome other fculptors, both na- 

 tives and foreigners, in Italy. 



The French nation, from its vicinity and intercourfe with 

 Italy, as well as from the friendihip which the early kings 

 of France cultivated with the emperors of Conftantinople, 

 always preferved a tafte for fine art in that country, and 

 fupplied the means of its improvement, both in painting 

 and fculpture. The large coUeftions of fine Greek maim- 

 fcripts, with their numerous beautiful illuminations, were 

 imitated by the French painters, and the nearnefs of the 

 countries to each other, enabled the French artifts to ftudy 

 iculpture and architefture in Italy, as well as the kings of 

 that country to fupply their great public works with 

 architefts and fculptors from Italy alfo. In the reign of 

 Francis I. Lionardo da Vinci, Benvenuto Cellini, and 

 Primaticcio, laid the foundation of a fchool of fine art, 

 fimilar to that in Italy, as improved from the lately dif- 

 covered Grecian works. The natives, who diftinguifhed 

 themfelves moft immediately after this period in fculpture, 

 were Pilon, Coufin, and John Goujon, whofe bas reliefs on 

 the fountain of the Innocents deferve admiration and praife. 

 In them is an union of the elegance of Raphael's Ichool, 

 with the Grecian purity and delicacy. The genius and 

 abilities of the people, added to national munificence, have 

 kept up a refpedtable fchool of fculpture in France till 

 the prefent time. 



Whatever has been done in painting and fculpture in 

 Spain, was alfo derived from Italy. The native powers and 

 virtues of the Germans, which have contributed fo largely to 

 modern improvement in arts and letters, have not been de- 

 ficient in the art of Iculpture. Our prefent limits and objeft 

 will not allow us to produce many examples; therefore we ftiall 

 inftance one which would be honourable to any nation, in any 

 period. The monument of the emperor Maximilian, father of 

 Charles V., (lands in the church of St. Anthony at In- 

 fpruck : it it in bronze, and was made by Alexander Collins 

 of Mechlin, the fculptor. The idea of this monument is as 

 extraordinary as ttie effect is pathetic. Maximilian lies in 

 his imperial robes upon his tomb, elevated about five feet 

 from the ground. There arc, at the diflance of two feet 

 from the tomb, marble fteps about two feet high- On one 

 flep Hand eight coloflal ftalues of his illuftrious relations; 

 and on the oppofite ilep as many more facing them. They 

 reprefent diltingnifhed royal perfons from the time of God- 

 frey of Boulogne, of whom he was one. The fpeftator is awed 

 by this iilcnt and impofing affembly, who Hand in ftriking 

 attitudes and foleinn grief by their relation. The anions 

 are bold and forcible ; the armour is rich and elegant in tlie 

 higheft degree ; but it may be objefted that the ladies have 

 fomething of mufcular heroilm in their charafters. 



There are feveral other fine llatues in bronze, of inferior 

 dimcnfions, reprelonting German princes, in the fame church. 

 There is alfo a moil noble monument by this artift in bronze, 

 reprefcnting St. George, with one foot on the dragon, which 

 he has juft flain. 



England, like the other nations of Europe, chiefly de- 

 jived her arts and letters from her Homan conquerors- A Ifo 



fhe is not without her obligations to Chriftian Greece as well 

 as ancient Greece, for the arts and learning of the different 

 ages. Thofe which were called Saxon architefture and fculp- 

 ture, were in faft only barbarous imitations of the provincial 

 Roman arts. The Norman architeAure and fculpture of 

 this country were likewife an imitation of Roman art ; 

 but through the more dillant medium of the Norman 

 French, fubfequent improvements in the revival of arts 

 were derived more or lefs remotely from Greek or Italian 

 ailiftance ; though, in juftice to tiie genius of the Englilh, 

 it muft be acknowledged that their progrefs in the art of 

 fculpture, down to the Reformation, kept a lefpeftable 

 pace with their neighbours on the continent, as may be ilill 

 feen by the fculpture on the weft front of the cathedral of 

 Wells, completed in the reign of Henry III. : in Exeter, 

 Litchfield, and Salifbury cathedrals, but more eipecially in 

 the fculpture in Henry Vllth's chapel in Weltminfter Abbey : 

 in alto relievos of fcripture fubjefts, monumental fculpture, 

 and fingle flatues, to be feen in different ecclefiaftical itruc- 

 tures throughout the kingdom. From the time of the re- 

 formation, when painting and fculpture were exiled from the 

 churches, the native genius of the country was left entirely 

 without employment ; and wherever painting was required 

 for the decoration of palaces, or fepulchral fculpture for the 

 churches, foreign artiits were employed, and, with little ex- 

 ception, fupphed the country with a degeneracy of French, 

 Italian, or Flemilh art. The belt of the foreign fculptors 

 who have been employed fince that time were Cibber, who 

 executed the ftatues of raving and melancholy madncfs on 

 Bedlam gates, the bas relief on the pedeftal of the London 

 column, the greater part of the kings in the Royal Exchange, 

 and a multitude of other ftatues for different buildings in 

 various parts of the kingdom : Roubilliac, who executed 

 feveral monuments for Weftminfter Abbey, with much 

 labour and attention to common nature, the compofitiuns 

 of which, however, are either conceits or epigrams, and 

 the parts are too often mean and vulgar. Scheeniacher exe- 

 cuted fome of the ftatues on St. Paul's, and the bas relief 

 in the pediment ; but he is not diftinguifhed by pre-eminence 

 and ability. 



Since the eftablifhment of the Royal Academy, and the 

 frequent employment of the fculptor's talents in public 

 monuments, the art has been praAifed by natives, whofe 

 own induftry, Itudics in Rome and foreign countries, and 

 the zealous exercife of their profefFion, iiave raifed workf 

 equally creditable to the country and their own talents. 

 Mr. Bacon's works have been much admired. Mr. Banks hat 

 left ftatues and baflb relievos which miglil be ranked with 

 fome of the beft works of antiquity : and fomo of tlie public 

 monuments by Englifh fculptors of the prefent day, might 

 be compared with advantage with the ableft produftions of 

 the fame kind on the continent. 



In the general treatife on an art, we cannot pafs over in 

 perfeft filence the produAione of a great empire which lia? 

 pretended to the higheft antiquity in its cultivation ; the 

 ingenuity and beauty of whofe finer manufaftures .ind more 

 delicate works have claimed uiuverfal attention, and have been 

 admired and coUeAed by moft of the curious. Tiie Chincfe 

 Iculpture muft be noticed ; though, from tiie produAions we 

 have feen in Europe, and from the beft authenticated in- 

 quiries, we have great rcafon to believe that fuch of their 

 paintings and fcufptures as can lay any juft claim to thofe 

 titles, have received moft of their charms from European 

 communication. There it great reafon to belie\r that their 

 fmaller models and bronzes were improved from a very barba 

 rous ftate. Among other branches of knowledge by Cathohc 

 M 7 mifTionarics 



