OPIE. 
mine, aud pra¢tifing the difficult art of painting in a forcible 
manner, and in an original and untutored ftyle, was the theme 
of wide-fpread reputation. By the intervention of Mrs. 
Bofcawen, to whom the doctor mentioned the talents of 
prefentations, prefled upon in his 
ftudy, and infure the exertions of his talents in their 
avour. 
But in little lefs than a twelvemonth, the novelty ceafing, 
and thofe talents being more folid than fhowy, fitted more to 
gratify the fenfible than pleafe the vain, i burft of occus 
aging graces'and 
; are Sas to trut 
being the guide to judgment with the many, Opie was left 
for a while, almoft as if he had never been known, to fcram- 
ble his way onward, as chance or the happy exercife of his 
powers palin affift and dire&t him 
B was not a man to be overcome by fuch a change of 
circumitance, and perhaps it was fortunate for his reputation 
that it was experienced by him. Being gifted. by nature 
with the mott refolute induftry and perfeverance, he was de- 
termined not the lefs to merit a continuance of ie cel = 
; and employed the time now 
t as of ruttic fabeas ae in 
more regular hiftorical painting. 
By the eftablifhment of ce Shak fpeare oo in ies 
Opie was firft fully made known to the p the latea 
powers of his mind were there ened fh, a what he 
wanted of academical and claffical information, he compen- 
fated for, in great meafure, by charaéter, by force, and by a 
bold imitation of nature in individual parts. For this gal- 
lery he painted five large pi€tures, of which the fineft was 
from the Winter’s Tale ; Leontes oe the oath to 
Antigonus to take charge of the c But he produced, 
about the fame time, a work of far more excellent quality in 
effect and inet VIZ. ion gape of James I. of Scot- 
land, now on Council room at Guildhall; a 
work which, for hue and colour, hale sou ba with 
the as ft, and is wrought with the greateft boldnefs and 
for 
orc 
The {pirit of commerce having been pir apie! exerted, 
by employing hiftoric art in the illuftration of our great dra- 
matic author, other f{peculations upon the ee principle 
were {oon entered upon : Macklin adopted the bible as the 
bafis on which to form a gallery of pictures; and Bowyer, 
the Englith hiftorian Hume; and both were happy to avail 
themfelves of the talents fo powerfully exhibited by Opie, 
who painted many pictures for each of thefe inftitutions 
with pee ae els. 
‘Es 
7) 
ie nape aa - —_ eee with ftrong effect, he therefore 
informed eye, by the abfolute truth of oo in which 
they are wrought, by the expreffion of his heads, peta 
larly of old men, or of ftrongly marked chara@en which ar 
exceedingly impreffive, by the energetic actions of his nn 
cipal ih by the broad and daring execution of his pen- 
cil, and by the magic force of his chiaro-fcuro. In the 
rei poe no artift ever excelled him. 
m the canvas in fome 
bade favourable circumftances, would be abfolutely 1- 
lufive 
When the tide of hiftoric commiffions fubfided, Opie em- 
ployed himfelf in reprefenting {cenes of common life, as well as 
in portraits. Cottage vilits, an old foldier at an ale-houfe door, 
fortune-tellers, and that clafs of materials which the Dutch 
emi 
a sent have dg Segreriene by high finifh and 
convenient neatnefs of fize, he painted upon a large fcale. 
The repu an fo juftly due to his elie ad now become 
fteadily attached to him, and he longer to complain 
of the unfeeling caprice of fafhi r njoyed an un- 
interrupted fource of e » in portraiture at leaft, 
aa andin ver a mor cay 
of tafte ; hich, while it pleafes the eye, too frequently facri- 
fices fomewhat o e ften gracefully as 
olle 
at the fame time, ) they beheld the great extent of his power 
in precife and amare but determined and bold, imitation 
of feature and char 
Opie h pig “abe aed an affociate of the Royal 
Academy in 1786, and an i 
chofen. 
compofition, with no flight 
life jof fir J. Reynolds, in Dr. Wolco 
the fubje@t.”’ ae his exertio t 
drew upon him &, the more perhaps as he was not ge- 
nerally kno o be a man fond of literature; and the world 
even elegant language, from one who was not sponta ane 
reprefented 
