. FRENCH SCHOOL 
nt St. Joh ng - 
in 
after C. Ceefto, in which the infa 
bleffing of ou ord. The 
after a painting of Alban 
the name of the «* 
Virgin adoring the Sleat Jefus,”’ 
quare. ‘Two other ho oly families after A. Carracci. ‘¢ Re- 
Flight into Egypt,’’ after a Maratte e in- 
; 7 cd oe 
n is receivin 
i 
after Le Brun tion’ of the Kings,’”’ painted 
at Rome by Pouffin. “The Affumption of the Virgin,” 
after J. Micl, engraved, at me. oly Family,” 
in which the’Virgin is feen-with the infant Jefus on her 
knees, ie out a branch of cherries to St. Jofeph, after 
ace a. “ Jefus Chrift on the Crofs, adored by Angels 
after 
The a eeaned portraits from the graver of Vallet, 
are thofe of Alexander Algardi, feulptor 2 and architeét, in 
4to. Andrea Sacchi, painter, ratte, engraven 
in 1662, in 4to ympia Maidalchini er ni, Princi- 
pefla di S. ee engrayen ¢ at Rome in 1657. Charles 
Emanuel, <e of Gavoy, in folio, after his own ia 
The following are all after Paillet, and of the folio 
ift of Pierre Corneille,. ¢ y Melpomene ee 
Thalia. William le Roux, bi “ Pace. Antoine 
Daubray, count d’Offremont, iG of itate. Nicolas 
Favre de Berlife, count of the holy confiftory, and “ St. 
Francis de Sales a to pope Alexander VII.” large, 
and a Shale on two pla 
ony aie was ioe in the Orleannois i in the yea 
whom ahaa biographers will {peak, ) to the profeflion of 
ving. He who has acquired the power of cutting 
iteel an precifion, | has well prepared himfelf for the taflc 
of cutting copper with freedom, firmnefs, and facility. It 
is early circumftance o 
e tion fe ee 
owers in handling his pe each Europe 
beheld with admiration 
fter the example of Nanteuil, who was but fix years 
older than himfelf, he now fat down to acquire -the talent 
of painting portraits from the life, and many of his en- 
gravings are done after his own originals. pears to 
ave had no matter in fine art, as in fome refpects he had no 
- he bhaaee formed his ftyle, partly from bie 
the engravings of Nanteuil, but his 1tio ore 
vigorous an a nbridled ; and though he a cael lefs of f fim. 
licity, he ia in his be “ erformances, not lefs of exquifite 
offible to have more. In 
35 
capricious and extraordinary, rather than natural, and to fur- 
prife our fenfes rather than fatisfy our judg ae and in his 
- Jefus Chriit with his Difciples at the Hou 
of h rtra 
thoogh mingled with other th 
of the figure eee ee to the left of Jefus Chriit,. 
in “the fied ery and hat of the difciple to the right, and in 
the clouds above, Maffon has twifted and twirled his lines 
dbout, as if to fet fyftems at defiance. The whole of the 
back ground is wild and pacer and Watelet has remarked 
of the dog which is under the table, that he. looks as-if 
formed of ftraw: yet nowiitaning ee aud other 
n 
‘its production, been regarded as a valuable fchool for en- 
OF ENGRAVING. 
feeming aberrations from all pre- -conccived rule, here is fi uch 
e on of ts oa - 
‘harmonious ne the 
is engtaved, is lo eu rendered, ne 
8 
gravers, and a mafter-, sa of the art. 
His portrait of Guill ede Brifacier, oo known 
in ape es and by the appellation: of “the Grey-hcaded Man,’ 
another v wonder i 
aic 
“aA OF 
oO az] 
plexion of the ee and the firm foftnefs of ene in the 
i while his hatr, and the fine lace of his neck-bands, 
2 not lefs delicately and beautifully wrought. 
is phi of Oliver d’Grmiffon is alfo extremely 
beautiful, and is engraved with much more fim 
of Guido Patin, he has ane oe ee about in all his 
former curvetings and ¥ has harmonifed the 
tafte cannot 
mer gari 
whole fo admirably, ee EN 1e cor “fattidious 
but acquiefce in the pleafure it infpires, and welcome home 
the performer after his ad /ilitum flourifhing. 
Watelet has many feulble and judicious remarks o 
ityle of this very celebrated. engraver: e di en 
his favourite practice of reprefenting fingle hairs, detached 
the mafs; and in fpeaking portrait ‘which the 
orefent writer has not ree that ot ‘Chatles Patin, he fays 
“it poflefles much depth of tone, and almoft exhibits the 
appearance of real life: we fee the fatirical {mile of this 
ae finely difplayed—lefs fo it is true, than that of 
- his er—and his eyes gliftening with malice ; Sa feems 
more ane fhould belong to the portrait of a phyfician)— 
= ermine - _ robe is likewife ‘aoe ed w bey the greateft 
urac t in viewing more n eA aS con- 
ititute a at I cbferve much i ieee in r difpo- 
fition, as thofe which defignate the nofe pre fe pee d 
to form the cheek ; I am difpleafed when I examine thofe 
of the forehead, and overwhelmed with oniiament when 
I aa one {tiff courfe of lines empleyed to exprefs the 
BPE 
3 
= 
= 
. 
vxno ther of his moft meritorious works is the portrait of 
Gafpe 
afper Charrier, after nchet, where, aes sig we hair 
appear too briftly for hua hair, the fac oft exqui- 
fitely engraven, and the eyes have never i furpaifed 
pane for form, feeling, a or the animated humidi’y of 
the cic humour 
On the whole, ie charateriftic mark of genius which 
difpofes us to regard an artift rather by the dimenfions o 
than by his freedom ei om ae elong's among 
engravers pre-eminently to s_ hiftorical works, 
of which we fhall next beet ne see ae mott efteemed, 
are few i aa with -his portraits, but are of the fo lio 
dimenfion 
«The Toly Family,” from N. Mignard ; ; St. aes 
and * Jefus of Nazareth,” the latter {mall ; « The Affum 
tion of the Virgin,’’a large u upright from Rubens, a eee 
one of the moft rare and beautiful of the engravin gs 0 
Maffon, though it. bears ‘not name. Phe Brazen 
Serpent,” ae a — oe ae of Le Brun, pa 
on two plates s large dimenficns, an 
beforementoned etna! Chrift a the table of Emmaus, shter 
Titi 
The portraits from the graver of Matfo on are fome of 
them j in large, and others in fmall ces and are principally 
as follows, beginning with the fmalle 
the’ royal con my, ‘engraver in ordi- 
Antoine faffon 
nary to the king, fe ipfe fecit ; Frederic William elector of 
Eas: dated. 1683, (a fcarce print). a or 
8 Guide 
