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of the Dutch masters. Ostade's pictures 

 and etchings are among the happiest exam- 

 ples of it ; but above all others, the works 

 of that scarce and wonderful master, Gera rd 

 Dow. His eye seems to have had a micro- 

 scopic power in regard to the minute tex- 

 ture of objects (for in his paintings they 

 bear the severe trial of the strongest mag- 

 nifier) and at the same time the opposite 

 faculty of excluding all particulars with 

 respect to breadth and general effect. His 

 master, Rembrandt, did not attend to mi- 

 nute detail ; but by that peculiar and com- 

 manding manner, which marked with equal 

 force and justness the leading character of 

 each object, he produced an idea of detail, 

 much beyond what is really expressed. 

 Many of the great Italian masters have 

 done this also, and with a taste, a grandeur, 

 and a nobleness of style, unknown to the 

 inferior schools; though none have ex- 

 ceeded, or perhaps equalled Rembrandt, in 

 truth, force, and effect. But when artists, 

 neglecting the variety of detail, and those 

 characteristic features that well supply 



