1610.] 
the manner before explained, were the ~ 
only undertakings that occupied him in 
a period of two years. 
The first picture on which Carstens 
tried his. strength, was the death of /Es- 
chylas. It was only by dint of perseve- 
ring labour that he brought this picce to 
some degree of perfection; but he was 
still far from understanding the true 
principles of composition : at every step 
he found new difficulties; and perceived 
his own errors, though he neither knew 
how to avoid them, nor to compeusate 
‘for them by beauties. A perusal of the 
treatise of Dubos first. shewed him the 
object at which every artist should aim 
in his performances;. and the Dutch 
work of Gerard Lairesse on painting, as- 
sisted him in the application of \ these 
principles. Carstens derived his. only 
resources from books: almost ail his dis- 
coveries were the result of his own ap- 
plication. While he remained at a dis- 
tance from the academy, he was of course 
unable to profit by the lessons of the pro- 
fessors; but, with the works of Raphael 
before his eyes, he was in no danger of 
mistaking lis path. 
When he had been nearly four years at 
Copenhagen, he became acquainted with 
count Moltke, who possessed a very va- 
Juable gallery. Carstens visited this 
~ collection with great assiduity; and the 
count, having remarked that, circum- 
stance, desired to see some painting of 
his performance. For this purpose 
Carstens executed a design representing 
Adam and Eve near the ‘Tree of Know- 
ledge, from Milton’s Paradise Lost: the 
count approved this specimen; and en- 
gaged Carstens to execute itin oil, at the 
price of sixty crowns. Encouraged by 
this mark of beneficence, our young ar- 
tist applied himself to the undertaking 
with ardour, and completed the picture 
in two months, The count was then in 
the country, and Carstens went himself 
to lay before him his performance: but 
his patron scarcely deigned to recollect 
him; and endeavoured to redeem his 
promise by offering hin: the inferior sum 
of eight ducats. Carstens, indignant at 
such a reception, rejected a reward 
which seemed to him to carry with it a 
proofof contempt. Even the keeper of the 
count’s gallery was affected by similar 
feelings at his master’s conduct: he 
shewed~an interest for the unfortunate 
artist; and mentioned him to cham- 
berlain Warnstedt, one of the most en- 
lightened connoisseurs of Copenhagen. 
This nobleman paid av sit to Carstens, 
Memoirs of the Life and iWerks of Carstens, 453 
to assure him of his protection ; and in- 
deed, a few days afterward, the crown — 
prince, having been informed of the con- 
duct of count Moltke, sent for Carstens, 
gave him a kind reception, and bought 
his picture for a hundred crowns. 
‘This incident happened very fortu- 
nately for our artist, who had exhausted 
his slender patrimony. Ile now had re- 
course to asiyle which he bad hitherto 
neglected, and in some degree despised, 
by resolving to follow. portrail-painting,. 
as ameans of subsistence. But this pur- 
suit did not absorb his whole time, and 
Carstens never lost sight of the end which 
he had contemplated from his first enters 
ing his carecr. Wis zeal, far from being 
checked by these obstacles, derived fresh 
incitements from them. 
He had formed an acquaintance with 
protessor Stanley, an artist endowed with 
a lively and fertiie imagination; who 
sometimes visited Carstens, and exa- 
mined his designs. Among these there was 
one which particularly attracted bis no- 
tice, representing, according to the my- 
thology of the northern nations, the Gods 
lamenting over the Corpse of Balder. 
Staniey shewed this piece to his colleagues, 
who solicited Carstens to enter upon a 
course of academical study. Ue was-not 
much inclined to comply with this invi- 
tation; but the favour which was granted 
to him of being admitted almost imme. 
diately into the Hall of Models, conquered 
his repugnance; and besides, he hoped 
that by this means he might engage the 
attention of the prince, and be placed 
in the number of pupils destined for the 
school of Rome. 
The design exhibited by Carstens on 
this Gecasion, was a composition. of his 
own, representing Kolus and Ulysses; 
the latter producing an empty bottle and 
repulsed with contempt by the god. This 
design, which had a bard and wild cha- 
racter, struck the spectators, and deser- 
vedly obtained applause from the prince. 
Professor Abilgaard,* who. had some 
time before returned from Italy, had 
conceived. a favourable opinion of the 
designs of Carstens, and even hoped to 
have him for a pupil; but he was unac- 
quainted with the character of the young 
artist, who aspired to independence. 
The repugnance testified by Carstens to 
* This artist adorned the Hall of Knights, 
in the palace of Copenhagen, with magnifi- 
cent paintings on subjects from the History 
of Denmark ; but they were destroyed in the 
conflagration of 1794. 
the 
