an accomplished scholar, and rose to high 
employment in the service of his country, 
visiting several courts in the character of 
an ambassador. 
Of the disciples of Rubens, Vandvck best 
comprehended all the rules and general max- 
ims of his master; and even surpassed him 
in the delicacy of his colouring, particularly 
in portraits, in which he stands one of the 
highest masters of his art. 
France. The French school or schools 
may be classed in three different aeras, and 
characterized by as many different styles ; 
two prior, and one modern, since the pe- 
riod of the late revolution. The artists of 
the former schools chiefly adopted the man- 
ners of the various painters whose works they 
studied or imitated. But Poussin, Youet, 
Le Bran, and Le Sueur, are those masters 
who have given distinction to the French 
school in the province of history. The first 
and the last of these have been compared by 
the French to Raffaele, whose example Le 
Sueur in particular considered as his model. 
Poussin studied the antique statues with so 
great devotion, that his pictures frequently 
bear a strong resemblance to them. Le 
Bran’s battles of Alexander are deservedly 
celebrated for their spirit, composition, and 
correct drawing. Gaspar Dughet (common- 
ly called Gaspar Poussin, from his master's 
name, which lie adopted), and Claude Gelee 
(called Claude Lorraine, from the place of 
his birth), are eminent examples of excel- 
lence in landscape. The latter appears to 
stand without a rival, or at least stood unri- 
valled in his time. Both these painters de- 
rived their professional knowledge, as well as 
their choice of subjects, from the fascinating 
and classic objects of imitation which they 
found in Italy, where they studied and flou- 
rished. 
The arts which had been raised in France 
by the masters before-mentioned to very con- 
siderable dignity, sunk in the second school 
of Boucher and Vaulor to a state of imbeci- 
lity and affectation. The reputation of a 
colourist was sought by exaggerated tints, 
and the hand of a master was conceived to 
-consist in ostentatious penciling. 
In a more recent period, and particularly 
since the revolution, a new style lias been 
introduced into the arts. Yien was the first 
reformer of this class, and his example has 
been vigorously followed by David and his 
contemporaries. They have endeavoured to 
substitute a simple and rigid taste in the place 
of false and glittering manners. The attempt 
is laudable : the result will be judged of by 
posterity. 
The comparative merits of those modern 
schools which have been hitherto mentioned, 
are thus given by Richardson: 
“ The painters of the Roman school were 
the best designers, and had a kind of great- 
ness, but it was not antique. The Venetian 
and Lombard schools had excellent colour- 
ists and a certain grace, but entirely modern, 
especially those of Venice ; but their draw- 
ing was generally incorrect, and their know- 
ledge in history and the antique very little: 
and the Bolognese school is a sort of compo- 
sition of the others. Even Annibale himself 
possessed not any part of painting in the per- 
fection that is to be seen in those from whom 
bis manner is composed ; though, to make 
FAINTING: 
' amends, Le possessed more parts than per- 
haps any other master, and in a very high 
degree. 
“ The w orks of those of the German schools 
have a dryness and ungraceful stiffness not 
like what is seen amongst the old Florentines, 
that has something in it pleasing however; 
but this is odious, and as remote from the 
antique as Gothicism could carry it. 
“ The Flemings have been good colourists, 
and imitated nature as they conceived it; 
that is, instead of raising nature, they fell be- 
low it, though not so much as the Germans, 
nor in the same manner. Rubens himself 
lived and died a Fleming, though he would 
fain have been an Italian ; but his imitators 
have caricatured his manner ; that is, they 
have been more Rubens in his defects than 
he himself was, but without his excellences. 
“ The French, excepting some few of them 
(N. Poussin, Le Sueur, Sebastien Bourdon, 
&c.), as they have not the German stiffness, 
nor the Flemish ungracefulness, neither have 
they the Italian solidity ; and in their airs of 
heads and manners, they are easily distin- 
guished from the antique, how much soever 
they may have endeavoured to imitate 
it.” 
Spain. The art of painting began to flou- 
rish in Spain during the reigns of Charles the 
Fifth and Philip the Second. The style of 
painting, however, was not distinguished by 
great excellence until the works of Velasquez 
appeared. From the masterly imitation of 
nature displayed in his pictures, the school 
of the nation has been formed. 
Zurbaran and Ilerrera are among the best 
painters before Velasquez; and Murillo for 
the most distinguished after him. The soft- 
ness of tints and harmony of colour in the 
paintings of Murillo seem to enchant the 
eye. 
In Russia the arts are at present cultivated 
with great energy, and with unremitting at- 
tention on the part of the government. 
In America also, great establishments are 
forming at New York and Philadelphia, with 
the same view to the promotion of the arts. 
It now only remains to speak of the art of 
painting in England, where it is at present 
making great advances towards excellence. 
Painting has been cultivated in England at 
several periods with various success. We 
shall here give the account of it from Mr. 
West’s letter in the third number of Acade- 
mic Annals, published by the Royal Academy 
of London. 
“ Many sovereigns of this country have 
noticed and patronized the fine arts. Ed- 
ward the Third caused several chapels to be 
embellished with painted glass and enamelled 
monuments, as well as with paintings on the 
walls, representing scriptural subjects, and 
others from the church legends, together 
with portraits of then existing characters of 
both sexes. The chapel of St. Stephen, 
Westminster, was the most conspicuous. 
“ Henry the Seventh gave patronage to 
many ingenious men, both in painting, sculp- 
ture, and architecture. 
“ Henry the Eighth followed the example 
of his father, in giving patronage to eminent 
men. He invited those of the greatest cele- 
brity in painting in Italy, Germany, and 
Flanders, to visit his capital. Raffaele and 
Titian he wished to see at his court; and he 
endeavoured to draw them thither by the 
Xx2 
347 
most splendid offers : but not succeeding iit 
his desire, he procured several of their works; 
in particular the picture of St. George, by 
Raffaele, at present in the possession of the 
king of Spain, and the two pictures by Ti- 
tian, now in the gallery of the marquis of 
Stafford; the subjects of which are, Diana 
and Acteon, and Diana and Calisto. lih 
was more fortunate in his invitation to Hol- 
bein, at that time famous as a portrait painter, 
who resided in Henry’s palace, and whose 
works were soon spread through the king- 
dom. 
“ Charles the First, more attached to the 
line arts than any of his predecessors, formed 
a splendid collection of the works of the great 
Italian and Flemish masters. He invited to 
his court Rubens and Vandyck, and ether 
painters of considerable eminence, from Flan- 
ders and Holland ; and he gloried in count- 
ing among his natural subjects Inigo Jones, 
iiis architect, and Dobson, who rose to emi- 
nence in painting. These were the two first 
English artists who enjoyed the patronage of 
royal favour. 
“ Charles the Second was proud to follow 
the liberal example of his father, in bestow- 
ing rewards on ingenious artists. He patron- 
ized most of those who visited his court from 
Italy, Flanders, Germany, and Holland; of 
which the decorative paintings on the walls in 
V indsor-castle, and the palace of Ham pt on- 
court, by Verrio, and others, are evident 
proofs ; beside many pictures from poetical 
subjects, by Gennari, as well as portraits by 
several painters of considerable eminence. 
The favours which this monarch showered on 
the arts, were, however, confined to foreign 
artists. 
“ Queen Anne was the first of our sove- 
reigns who called into activity the British 
pencil, as the paintings in the cathedral of 
St. Paul’s, and the hospital at Greenwich, by 
sir James Thornhill, and others under his di- 
rection, sufficiently evince. In architecture, 
sir Christopher Wren was equally distinguish- 
ed by her favour. 
“ But to form the great epocha of patron- 
age conferred by a British king on Briti. h 
subjects, in painting, sculpture, and archi- 
tecture, was reserved for the reign of his pre- 
sent majesty, George the Third. 
“ In the year 1768, his majesty gave his 
royal sanction to a plan formed for the esta- 
blishment of an academy of painting, sculp- 
ture, and architecture, of which he was gra- 
ciously pleased to become the protector and 
patron. 
“ In the three branches of art which con- 
stitute that academy, he found many artists 
already formed: among others of consider- 
able celebrity in painting, Reynolds, Wilson, 
Hayman, Gainsborough, Hoare, Danu, Mor- 
timer, Barret, Sandby, . Wright, Cotes, and 
West; in sculpture. Bacon, Nollekens, and 
Wilton ; in architecture, Chambers, G. 
Dance, Stuart, T. Sandby, Gwyn, and the 
two Adams. 
“ At the same time, Strange, Woollett, 
Hall, Green, and Mac Ardell, shone with 
marked eminence among the engravers. The 
merits of our engravers, blended with the la- 
bours of the painter, opened a new avenue 
fame. The harmonious softness of Strange v 
the united skill of Wilson and Woollett in 
landscape, as seen in the prints of Niobe, 
Phaeton, Ceyx, Celadon and Amelia, &c. ; 
