1805. ] 
countrymen, almoft all more handfome 
than are many houfes in great towns. 
Two leagues from Antwerp the poftillion 
refrethed his horfes, in a village, at a 
houle greatiy frequented by the Antwer- 
pians, who would enjoy the pleafure of a 
alk to its environs. The rooms are 
large; the chamber of the matter is ad- 
mirably neat ; the paintings on the walls 
frefh ; the coverlid of the bed is orna- 
mented with taffels and fringe. There is 
a quantity of new china. The room de- 
ftined for the {moaking of the inhabitants 
of the diftriét muft not be overlocked. 
Antwerp is a fuperb town; its inha- 
bitants amount to 60,0003 the fquares 
ave great; the ftreets wide; the houfes 
magnificent ; the commerce flourifhing ; 
and the Scheldt wathes the town on all 
fides. In walking on the banks of this 
river a few. years fince, you fawonly a 
firong citadel, thick fet with cannon. 
Now imerchants, factors, and the people 
meet there, at the time of tide, to count 
the fhips which lie in the river. I have 
reckoned in one day only, ten fhips failing 
in with the flow of the waters. 
It was te years fince I had feen the 
cathedral of Antwerp. I admired Ru- 
bens’s capital piece. The church then ap- 
peared to me too full of piétures; the 
pillars were encumbered and loaded with 
them, fo that you couid net command a 
view of the architecture. The -church 
at this day is abfolutely naked: it is, 
however, a fine gothic building. In view- 
ing the place where I had for a long time 
fixed my eyes on Rybens’s fine Defcent 
from the Crofs, I could not-_refrain from 
exclaiming, * Since we cannot tranfport 
with the picture neither the high wall on 
which it difplays itfelf, nor the fhutters 
that enclofe it, nor the great window 
which afforded the light under which it 
was drawn, nor the majeftic filence of a 
great church, which difpefes the mind to 
admiration and attonifhment, let the whole 
of this mafter piece of Rubens be left at 
Antwerp, rather than carry half of it only 
to Paris.”’ 
Antwerp is looked on as the chief place 
of the Flemith fchool. At the Academy 
of Painting, wh cn is on the firft floor of 
the Exchange (and very properly fo, for 
commierce makcs the arts to flourifh here) 
they thew, with religious refpect, the 
chair in which Rubens ufed to fit at his 
employment. His name is on the pannel, 
Many other painters have alfo made their 
chairs the guardians of their names: a 
tecble means of preferving them, There 
Montuty Mac. Noa. 325: 
An Account of the prefent State of Antwerp. 
17 
are too many names, and we are not fuf- 
ficiently accuftomed to hear them ‘pros 
nounced to remember them. Inftead of 
amuling ourfelves by reacing them, ve 
were more difpofed to view the pictures. 
There is a great number of pictures by 
the firtt painters of the Flemihh {chcol, 
and their moft eminent fucceffors. I wag 
condu&led to the Academy by a painter, 
refpectable for talents and age, Mr. Her 
rings. He is the profeffor of deign in 
the central fchool. The pupils here 
ftudy after beautiful models in plafter, 
taken from the ftatues of the Mufeum at 
Paris, and fent by government. 
The town-houfe has preferved fome pic- 
tures lefs remarkable for execution than 
for the hiftorical traits peculiar to the 
town, of which they perpetuate the me- 
mory. ‘There is no public eftablifhment, 
central fchool, hofpital, or particular 
foundation at Antwerp, where we do not 
meet with fome pictures. In general they 
are good ; and in all we remark, at leatt, 
fome excellencies of compofition or defign, 
or colouring; and every where fome 
traces of taite and feeling in the art. 
Some merchants have opened a great 
hall, in which they expofe to fale pictures 
and other curious articles. We know’ 
what is the common furniture of thefe 
halls, and how neceflary it is to diftruft 
the frames, the varnife, the light which 
they give to the picture, and above all the 
talk of the venders. We went to feea 
large picture, which the town had di- 
rected to be executed by Van-Bree, to 
the memory of Buonaparte. The Firft 
Conful takes under his proteétion relis 
gion, innocence, nature, and the arts, 
and reftores to juftice, raifed by virtue, 
her {word and balance. A defcription of 
this pigture has been taken and difperfed 
at Paris. I fhall make one obfervation 
only on the execution. It is, that a 
painter who has promifed to reprefent na- 
ture, fhould not paint her under the figure 
of amonfer. What other name is to be 
given to a woman with four breafts? 
I know, and the eee has not failed to 
recall it to my recollection, that the Egyp- 
tians defcribe nature under the gure of 
woman, whofe body is almof covered with 
breatts ; and I grant alfo that it is the 
practice to introduce into a picture one of 
thefe Egyptian ftatues as fuch, that is, as 
an antique monument, and an emb!em of 
nature: but in a piéture where all the 
manners and heads are modern, among 
fuch female forms as we are accuftomed 
to, behold, reprefenting innocence, reli- 
gion, and virtue, ‘* We perceive a tender 
Cc mathet, 
