1805.] 
at high art ;.in Mr. Welft’s, an aim at 
elegant nature. 
While Sir Jofhua was winding through 
the intricacies of the valley in fearch of 
grace, Mr. Welt kept the beaten path of 
the ancients, contemplated nature through 
the medium of Grecian art, and rigidly 
adhering to his models, attempted to unite 
dignity with precifion. When he had 
eve a picture in his mind, he calcu- 
ates his powers, fubmits it to rule and 
compafs, and, balancing his figures with 
the utmolt exa&tnefs, makes a fketch. In 
this he generally dilplays a perfect know- 
ledge of compofition, and as his figures 
are given in the fketch, fo are they dif 
played in the picture. Like the laws of 
the Medes and Peifians, he altereth not. 
But his finithing is not always an im- 
provement of his produétions.; in clearing 
away their afperities, he deftroys their 
energy. With a finoothnefs of furface, 
they acquire a hardnefs of outline, and 
are fometimes, though not always, polith- 
ed till the {pirit evaporates. How far it 
is fo in his piétures now exhibited, is the 
object of the prefent inquiry. The largett 
is— 
Wo. 151. Thetis brings to her Son the Armour of 
Achilles. B. Weft, R. A. 
This, as the leading pi&ture, demands 
particular attention, and, confidering the 
.. indifputable talents of the painter, we are 
forry we cannot give it unqualified praile. 
It may fairly be denominated a fhowy, 
and perhaps a fplendid, pigture, but the 
floating figure of Thetis defcribes a por- 
tion of acircle, infead of the ferpentine 
line, which gives the idea of elegance and 
motion ; and, though the fubordinate 
parts, fuch as the fword, belt, &c. are 
more finifhed and polifhed than they need 
to be, the figures are hard and cold. 
We have fpoken of this pi&ture, which, 
after all, has fine parts, in harfher terms, 
from the apprehenfion, that young artifts, 
affe€ting to tread in the fteps of fo diftin- 
guifhed a painter, may fubftitute border 
and ornament for fentiment and drawing. 
In fome of Mr. Welt’s other pictures, 
there isa {pirit, animation, and fobriety 
of colouring, which prove powers of more 
than common magnitude, and lead us to 
think, that, when his works have a diffe- 
rent defcription, they are experimental 
attempts at another manner, very inferior 
to hisown. His next article in the cata- 
logue is, 
, _ No. 77. The Deluge. 
This is an extremely fing pifture, ne- 
ceflarily ina fombre and gloomy ftyle of 
Monthly Retrofpe of the Fine Arts. 
487 
colouring. The fcene is very happily 
imagined, and the figures molt correctly 
drawn. The fubjeét demanded fuch ag 
are not pleafing to the eye, and that they 
are ina certain degree difgufting, is not 
the error of the artift. 
No. 83, Mary Magdalen and the other Mary 
at the Sepulchre, 
The ftory is very well told; but the 
figure of the angel, we think, has been 
in fome of Mr. Welft’s other pictures ; at 
Jeaft one that in attitude and air bore a 
ftrong refemblance to this. But of thefe 
atrial beings we do not know much; and 
it muft be owned, that, to give variety to 
fuch objects as we never faw, is nota very 
eafy taik ; neither is it quite fair to criti- 
cize thefe imaginary forms. 
86, The Expuljion of Adam and Eve from Pac 
radife 
In conception, era and drawing, 
this delineation difplays the hand of a 
matter, and is worthy of the Prefident of 
the Royal Academy. 
139. Thetis bringing Armour to her Som 
A very {pirited ketch ; but Mr. Welt's 
iketches are almoft invariably fine. 
345. Belifarius and the Boy. 
This ftory has been told by artifts of 
other times, dad by artifts whofe celebrity 
gave a high reputation to all their produc- 
tions. Mr. Weft has conceived and ex- 
preffed it with propriety and effect. 
M. De Loutherbourg has been long 
eminent in his walk, defervedly obtain- 
ed great celqprity, and, in the particular 
branches that he has.cultivated, has evinc- 
ed a‘{pirit and vigour of pencil that has 
given great effect to his produttions; 
though, fpirited as they are, they have 
frequently a burnifhed glitter, very un- 
pleafing to a correct eye. In this exhibi- 
tion he has two pictures. The firt is, 
No. 130. Decifive Battle of Alexandria, foughs 
on the 21ff of March, r8o1 » when Unfortu 
nately Sir R. Abercromby was mortally 
wounded. P, F. De Loutherbourg, 
Befieging towns, florming cities, and 
fighting bloody battles by land or fea, 
have long been favourite fubjeéts with M, 
De Loutherbourg ; and, to do him juftice, 
it muft be admitted, that,*in the delinea- 
tion of fuch fcenes, there are very few, if 
any, that equalhim. We have here an 
immenfe number of figures, all in aétion, 
allengaged in their proper bufinels. The 
whole has a fhowy and firiking appear- 
ance; but, though parts are brilliant and 
bufy, it is in fome inftances gaydy and in- 
correct, 
364. 
