1810.] 
across the Channel, and he met the most. 
flattering reception, &c.” and a little 
farther on; “ This reception and, those 
praises, excited however the envy of the 
London artists; and it would appear that 
a conspiracy was formed to defame and 
depress him!! This is nothing but the 
common cant of foiled imbecility, and 
proves nothing of either envy or malig- 
nity, exceptin the writer; which is far- 
ther proved by aseries of illiberal abuses 
of Mr. Hope, who has been to this man, 
as well as to everyartist, a liberal and ho- 
norable patron. His charges against Mr. 
Hope however assume a@ more tangible 
shape, and can therefore be’ more accu- 
rately examined. ‘* Mr. Dudost puts it 
to the honest and impartial feeling of the 
public, whether Mr. Hope bad. a right, 
after getting the picture of Damocles in- 
to his possession, (does Dubost mean to 
imply by this that he got it surrepti- 
tiously?) to efface the painter’s name, 
and afterwards, with the barbarity of a 
Vandal, to destrey the piece itself hy 
citting itin two parts, Although Mr. 
Dubost sold the picture, he did not sell 
it to be destroyed”—Very well. So Mr. 
Hope is not only aVandal, butalso a fool; 
for, according to this account, he-gives 
an immense sum (800 or 1000) guineas 
we believe) for a picture, and destroys it. 
But mark, how a plain tale shall put him 
down, The picture has certainly been 
cutin two parts; but how? A few inches 
of sparable canvas from the upper part: 
of the picture is cut off to make it fita 
€ertain place intended for its reception, 
and the picture (except the circumstance 
of fitting the place better) is neither bet- 
ter or worse for its cutting—destrayed it 
is not, as its own existing evidence can 
prove. As to the’effacing his ‘name, 
if it had been suffered to remain after 
the evidence of every picture Dubost has 
produced in England since, would have 
been lending to an imposture, and it 
therefore is properly taken off; and there 
is no doubt the real painter or painters” 
name, can be afiixed there in its stead. 
Mr. Dubost also complains of the direc-’ 
tors of the British Enstitution refusing 
to exhibit his picture of Diana and Ve- 
nus. In reply to this, ‘all thatis neces- 
sary to be said is, that they would have 
deserved censure had they acted in a con- 
trary manner. One more quotation, and | 
we have done with Mr. Dubost. He 
asks, * Whatcan Mr. Dubost therefore 
do, in defence of his reputation ?” 
answered from Shakspeare, ‘ Tell truth, 
and shame the devil,” 
Monthly. Retrospect of the Fine Arts. : 
He is 
Ni 
53 
FARTHER ACCOUNT OF MR. SCETAVO= 
NETTI.—Vide last month. 
Lows Schiavonetti was born at Bas-~ 
sano, ithe Veietian territory, in Aprit 
1765. His father was a stationer, whose 
moderate circumstances enabled him to 
give to his eight children (the eldest of 
whom was Louis) a liunited but useful 
education. From his mtancy he always. 
nantesiéd a taste for drawing) and some 
of his early productions excited the 
approbation ef an able painter, Julius 
Golini; so that at the ave of 43, he took 
him under his care, and laid that foun- 
datiomof able drawing that so much dis- 
tinguishes all his works. -Gotini dying 
shortly after this, he was left to himself = 
“but studying the works of Bartolozzi ang 
Volpato, his improvement was so rapid as 
togar him employment from Count Re 
maudini, then the most extensive pub= 
lisher in Europe. Schiavonetti practised 
here with much. credit, when his rising: 
talents procured him an: honorable invi= 
tation to visit England, which he did im 
the face of a pension that was offered 
hua by some Venetian noblemen if the 
would abandon bis intended emigration. 
Upon his frst coming to England he con- 
nected himself with Bartotozzi, anda 
printseller of the name of ‘Pestolini, but 
afterwards established himself on his Own 
foundation ; and from this period to thaz 
‘of his death, he ‘cultivated his genius 
with a success that answered the eXpece 
tations which were first formed of rer 
and conducted all his affairs with ay 
uprightness and integrity that will cause 
his name to be equally hionored as a 
gentleman and as an artise. | 
Mr, Schiavonetti (says Mr. Cromek, 
j 
from whose excelent account in the 
Examiner, this is principally taken) pos» 
sessed in very high perfection a freedom 
and accuracy of delineation. This pow- 
er, united with the grace and dignity 
which were the. peculiar characteristics 
of bis style, enabled him to treat every * 
subject with a truth and distinctness of 
expression ravely to be found in the 
works of other artists. 
To sum up ius professional merits in a 
few words, Mr. Schiavonetti classes with 
Girard Audran, Edelinck, Strange, and 
Woollet, He not only possessed the 
powers of delineation—the harmony of 
lines—the union in tones, and general 
effect, which characterise the works of 
hese eminent men; but he added a bril- 
liancy of execution, and playful undulas 
tion OF effect, which approached. ‘more 
nearly to the free peneiling of the paint. 
& 
2 er, 
¢ 
™~» 
