Account of the Marquis of Stafford’s Gallery of Pictures. 625 
art. The large flower piece, by Van-Ost, 
Seems very properly placed near it, to 
Serye as a foil to its superior merits. But 
who could paint like Van Huysum ? 
Four Paintings. 
These are sea pieces by the celebrated 
William Vandervelde, of the Flemish 
school, whose naval pictures are deemed 
by the mest excellent judges to be ini= 
thitable. ‘The water, sky, and objects, 
are allin perfect unison, the clouds seem 
as if they were moving with the wind ; 
the figures im the boats are finished with 
spirit and freedom: there is a pleasing 
varicty also in the disposition of the 
lights, and the most distant objects seem 
to vanish into thin air. Vanderveldeé 
often represents the guns as fire.! off by 
the slipping; of these the smoke 1s al- 
ways so admirably shadowed, and con= 
trasted with the rest of the colouring, as 
completely td resemble nature. Upon 
the whole, there has been no fashion in 
his pictures, they were equally esteemed, 
during his life, as at present. He re- 
sided for a considerablé time in Lon- 
don, and wes appointed marine painter to 
Chartes I]. by whom his works were 
held in the highest esteeny. 
4 young Gentleman reading in his Study, 
by Gerard Douw. 
This admirable little picture exhibtts, 
to great advantage, the high finishing of 
the Flemish school, The hght shines in 
from a side window upon the young stu- 
dent who is seated at his table, and 
seems to be deeply meditating on what 
he has read. His books are piled up, 
folio upon folio: the globe too, and the 
green cloth, which covers the table; and 
which hangs in folds upon the floor, are 
most richly shadowed; the simple light 
of the window strikes all the objects from 
one point, like the rays from the rising 
sun, and is Similar to them in the brilli- 
ancy of cfiect. The fate of tlre young 
man seems alive, and to start fromthe 
canvas, and the exquisite care and art 
of the patter are observable in all the 
objects which are laid upon the floor, 
and which may be calied the Datch at- 
companiments. A carious pewter guart, 
with the lid dinged from frequent use, is 
Jaid at his feet, empty of course, which 
circumstance seems to make him pause 
m his studies, as if anxious to replenish at, 
Moxtuty Mac., No. 173. 
The whole is a good and useful lesson for 
those, who value authors only for their 
size; which brings to mind the old adage, 
“that a large book is a great evil;” or the 
words of Bacon, “ that some books should 
only be tasted, -others chewed, and 
others swallowed, and digested.” ‘If 
youth be too much confined to a soli- 
tary life of study, the thoughts will wander 
abroad, and to variety we must at last 
have recourse, as one of the greatest 
pleasures of our existence, and then we 
Shall find ‘sermons iti stones, and good 
in every thing.” It is the conversation 
aiso of active society which is necessary 
to illuminate the knowledge to he de- 
tived from réading, as the flint is struck 
byithe steel to elicit the spark; even so 
rath springs from the opposition of 
thoughts and sentiments. In this picture 
the light seems beaming in at tlie win- 
dow to reproach him, and to say, Why 
do you waste your hours here? Come a- 
broad and mix with society; you will then 
join with the science of books, the know- 
ledge of mankind, worth perhaps nine- 
tenths of the whole, 
‘¢ The proper study of mankind is man.” 
Such pictures, when properly -under- 
stood, convey a continual and lasting 
moral to the mind. “ Ut pictura sve 
poesis.” The pictures of Gerard Douw, 
have borne an incomprehensible price, 
and are only to be found in the cabinets 
of the richest noblemen, or princes ; and 
no wonder, for it ts reported of him that 
he was two months. employed upon 
painting z broom; a friend coming into 
his rooin, and expressing his surprize at 
his patience, “I have yet,” said he, “seven 
days’ work to perform upon that object.” 
Hewas the pupil of Rembrandt, whom 
he excelled in colouring, but his pictures 
are smaller, and of course not so mach 
celebrated by those who look for several 
yards square of canvas: he was also less. 
covetous, and made painting rather his 
émusement, than an effort oflabour. It 
is said, upon good authority also, that he 
had the weight of his pictures paid in 
gold, and that, upon this account, he 
very naturally used the heaviest wood 
for his boards, that bis profit might he 
enhanced accordingly, and that he mare 
ked upon the back of his pictures, the 
number of hours employed upon éach. 
4M NATIONAL 
