1805.] 
is, the performance of ‘* The Revenge” by 
the Englifh- gentlemen. hey hired the 
town-theatre, and gave the above-piece, fol- 
lowed by the farce of ‘* Love a la Mode,” 
the profits being appropriated for the benefit 
of the poor Englifh. Both pieces were well 
performed ; and my friends fpeak highly of 
Mr. Halpin’s Zanga. I have not yet learned 
the exact amount of the receipts ; though 
Y had fome money fent to me to diftri- 
Monthly Retrofpect of the Fine Arts. 
265 
bute amongft the poor women in Paris.—« 
My friends in Werdun make me pay 
occafionally for the permiflion 1 have to re- 
main in Paris, by giving me commiilions 
without money ; but I execute them with 
pleafure ; for it is but juft, thus favoured as 
J.am, I fhould contribute, as much as lies in 
my power, to mand their fituation as come 
fortable as patil: 
MONTHLY: RETROSPECT OF. THE. FINE ARTS: 
The Loan of all new Prints and Communications of Articles of Intellisence are requefled. 
ORTRAIT has, in this country, 
been ever confidered as the’ leading 
branch of the arts, and the leading branch 
in portrait is Mr. W. H. Betty, the young 
Rofcius, who, the painters and engtavers 
feem to think, will ovt-grow his popula- 
rity, if they do not take him direétly ; 
and we have, confequently, portrait upon 
portrait. The portrait which was paint- 
ed by Northcote is, we perceive, to be 
engraved by Mr. Heath; and from Mr. 
Heath’s abilities we have every reafon to 
expect a capital print. From a drawing 
in the poffeffion of the Duchefs of Devon- 
fhire, we have 
The Young Rofcius, William H. W. Betty. En- 
graved by Ff: W Reynolds, from a Drawing 
by F. Ramfay, in the Poffeffion of her ene 
the Duchefs of Dewonfhire; to whom this Print 
is, with Permiffion, inferibed. 
This is an extremely fpirited and well- 
engraved portrait, inthe mezzotinto ftyle 
of engraving, in which Mr. Reynolds has, 
indifputably, the lead of all his contem- 
poraries. 
We have another theatrical portrait of 
Mr. Kemble in the Charaéter of Coriolanus 3 en- 
gravedby R. M. Meadows, from a Pifure 
painted by T, Laurence, R. A. 1n the Poffef- 
Sion of Sir Richard Worfley, Bart. to whom 
this Print is infcribed. 
The Jews, and fome of the barbarous 
people of the furrounding nations, at one 
time chofe their fovereigns as the gentle- 
men of the Agricultural Society choofe 
their prize cattle, and exalted a man to 
the rank of a King, and vefted him with 
the power of ruling over them, becaufe 
he was taller and larger than any of his 
contemporaries. Churchill, in our own 
time, whimfically remarked, that ‘ true 
native dignity confifts in héight,’ ’ and pro- 
perly quotes Serjeant Kite as his autho- 
rity. From the manner in which fome of 
the portraits of the prefent day are paints 
gigantic : 
ed, one would almoft think our artifts 
adopted a fimilar idea, and thought that 
quantity conferred dignity, and height 
elevated their fubje&t, and confirred_ oa 
him the rank of ahero. Thus, if they 
fail of making the object of their Geli- 
neation pidluretque, they, at leaft, render 
him portere{que. For the talents and ‘afte 
of Mr. Lawrence we have great refpect ; 
many of his preduétions ore entitled to 
high praife, but in this, we mult think 
he. has failed, and, perhaps, he has failed 
from endeavouring to excel himlelf. Be 
that as it may, the figure is al:ogether 
the face is much too full, and 
the neck out of all proportion thick. It 
is extremely well engraved in the chalk 
manner. 
‘Sobn Hoppuer, E/g. R. A. 
R. Turner feulpfit. 
1305. 
Some of the old Flemifhh and Italian 
painters diftinguifhed themfelves very 
much, in delineating their own portraits, 
and thefe refemblances have been gratify- 
ing not only to the phyfiog nom: {t; ag con- 
taining the features of menot diftinguifh- 
ed ability, but been handed down to pof- 
terity, in well engraved prints, as {peci- 
meas of their be({t works. The modern 
artilts of this country, though quite as. 
partial to their own figures as any of thofe 
who preceded them, have not fucceedied 
fo well; it was fair to expeét they woud 
be equally dittinguifhed inthis walx, bur, 
from whatever caufe it) has originated, 
this has not been the cafe; for fome of 
them have been fo fraught with the idea 
of being picturefque, that they have are 
rayed themfelves in fantaftic hadi's, wnich 
fcemed as if they were difguifed for a 
mafquerade, 
be concealed frem the Knowledge of their 
moft intimate friends; while others, in 
their zeal to avoid this, have rigidly ad- 
hered 
#, Hoppner pinxit, 
Publifhed February 275 
‘ 
and intended their figures to - 
