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inony, and with such a commanding truth 

 of representation, as no high finishing can 

 give*. 



*' The following anecdote of Sir Joshua Reynolds, 

 which a friend of mine heard from a pupil of his who was 

 present at the scene, will serve as a further illustration of 

 the subject ; and I trust will not be unacceptable to the 

 reader. This pupil going one day into Sir J oshua's paint- 

 ing room, found him in a state of perplexing contempla- 

 tion; he had been endeavouring to produce a glitter on a 

 piece of splendid drapery, which occupied a very interest- 

 ing situation in the centre of the eye of his picture, and 

 never could do it to his mind : he tried again and again ; 

 rubbed it out; took snuff with unusual energy, but all 

 would not do. He now looked for some time desponding- 

 ly on the picture, playing with a large hog's brush which 

 he held in his hand : at length he began to move back- 

 wards towards the chimney with his brush behind him, 

 till his heel kicked the fender; when stooping sideways, 

 he thrust the brush into the ashes and cinders. His face 

 then assumed a look of hope mixed with exultation, and 

 having just wiped off a portion of the cinders on the car- 

 pet, he advanced towards his work, and grouted on the 

 remains of them upon the part where he wished the bril- 

 liancy to be produced, crying out with a triumphant air, 

 <* that will do." 



His object, which was accomplished by a kind of in- 

 stinct, seems to have been this ; to lay on such a ground 

 for the reception of the proper colours, as by facing the 



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