1803. ] 
M. D. of the Royal Artillery, Surgeon to 
the Miffion, and upwards of Two Years aéting 
Phyfician to the Grang Vizier. 4to. Embel- 
lifhed with nearly 30 coloured Engravings. 
21, 12s. 6d. boards. Phillips. 
Travels in the United States of America 
in 1798, 1799, 1800, 1801, and 1802. By 
J. Davis. 8vo. 8s. boards. 
A Tour through feveral of the Midland 
and Weftern Departments of France in 1802. 
Retrofpe? of the Fine Arts. 
437 
With Remarks on the Manners, Cuftoms, 
and Agriculture of the Country. With En- 
gravings. By the Rev. W. Hughes. 8vo. 
78. boards. 
Travels into Upper and Lower Egypt, in 
company with the French Army, during the 
Campaigns of General Bonaparte. By Vivant 
Denon. ‘Tranflated by Arthur Aikin. A 
new edition; with nearly one hundred En- 
gravings. 8vo. 3 vols. 21. 2s. boards, 
| 
MONTHLY RETROSPECT OF THE FINE ARTS, 
(Communications and the Loan of al! new Prints are requefted.) 
The THIRTY-FIFTH EXHIBITION of the 
ROYAL ACADEMY. 
‘¢ —— Qui agit, ut prior fit, forfitan etiam, 
fi non tranfierit, equabit.” 
QUINCT. ORAT.INSTIT. lib. x. cap, 2. 
E abound in Reviews of Books, 
y y and what good reafon can be given 
why there fhouild not be a Review of Pic- 
tures? There are now more artilts than 
authors, many that can fee who cannot 
read; and, though every man does not 
profels to be a judge of poetry, and there 
are a few who acknowledge their igno- 
rance of the Greek alphabet, there ts. 
fearcely a man to be found who will not 
affume fome knowledge of painting, and 
think he can judge of the character of a 
countenance, and form fome idea of the 
proportion one part bears to another. 
From thefe circumftances it feems not 
neceflary to enter into a feparate detail of 
the merits of many of the beft pictures in 
the Academy; and, as to the worft, if we 
had room, which we have not, it would be 
wafte of time to write or read any thing 
about them. To criticife them with feve- 
rity, would be to break a butterfly upon a 
wheel. Sorry we are to remark, that they 
are fo numerous in the prefent exhibition ; 
in which, though there are unqueftionably 
feveral fine pictures, there is no leading 
produétion to mark any national improve- 
ment in the arts. To tho‘e who recollect 
the works of Sir Jofhua Reynolds, Mr. 
Wilfon, Mr. Gainfborough, Mr. Morti- 
mer, and Mr. Barry, with which the walls 
were once decorated, the prefent view 
affords a-very melancholy and cheerle(s 
profpect ; and the warmelt advocates for 
~the improvement of the arts in this coun- 
try muft acknowledge and lament, that 
the prefent exhibition is, in feveral re- 
fpe&ts, inferior to fome that have pre-~ 
ceded it. 
We are forry to remark, that the little 
Monrury Mac, No, 101, 
difagreements among the members, which 
from fome caufe or other have been kept 
up from their firft inftitution, are fill 
continued, 
A fhort time previous to the opening of 
the Exhibition at the Royal Academy, the 
daily papers teemed with accounts of the 
Prefident having attempted to introduce a 
large picture of Hagar and Ifhmael, which 
had been previoufly laid before the public 
in the Exhibition of 1776; having oblite~ 
rated the old date, and inferted that of 
1803 in its place. The comments on this 
circumftance gave rife to a very large 
portion of acrimony and ill nature, fea- 
foned with a very fmall portion of wit, 
and thrown into a fermentation by the 
mifreprefentation of feveral relative cir- 
cumftances. We do not wifh this retro- 
{pect to be confidered as the vehicle for 
recording illiberal comments on the artifts, 
and fhall therefore notice no other parts of 
the tranfaction than fuch as we believe are 
{tated as facts by the Prefident’s friends,’ 
and the confequent refolutions of the aca- 
demicians, fome of whom appear in the 
eagernefs of their zeal to have determined 
on making a very foolifh law, to prevent 
fuch things being repeated, which, after 
weighing the fubjeé&t with coolnefs, they 
wifely abftained from confirming. 
The circumftances have been thus ftated 
tous. Mr. Weft, in confequence of a fe- 
vere illnefs, had not the power of painting 
his ufual number of large piftures for the 
Royal Academy. He had many years 
fince painted a pi€ture of Hagar and Ih- 
mael, which was fold to Lord Cremorne : 
the figure of Ifhmael was confidered as 
having a very ftriking refemblance to Lord 
Cremorne’s fon: the fon died, and his 
lordfhip, not wifhing to poffefs what per- 
petually reminded him of an event {fo dif- 
trefling to his feelings, difpofed of the 
painting to a perfon from whom Mr. Weft 
atterwards purchafed it. Looking at it 
3 L with 
