456 ' 
We shall not pretend to determine, 
who was in the fauit: perhaps the one 
might demand too much attention on the 
score of obiigation, and tie other be uv- 
willing to concede suiicientiy tothe claims 
ai gratitude: but even this is but a mere 
guess! It cannot be denied deed, that 
both in the capital and in the coun- 
try, Wolcott betmended the painter whom 
he had first extricated from the bottom of 
asgaw-pit. It was he also, wlio made him 
known to Mrs. Boscawen, by whom he 
was introduced to the late Mrs. Delaney ; 
and the latter lady, having afforded an 
opportunity to the royal family, to see 
his “ Gid Beggar Man,” the painter of 
#hat picture was soon afterwards honour- 
ed with an order to repair to the Queen’s- 
house. On this occasion, His Majesty 
purchased some pictures of hun, not in- 
deed at a royal, but ata “ sen lenin? s 
price 2’ a circumstance whieh assuredly 
proved serviceable tothe reputation. TI! he 
talents of the artist nimself and the news- 
papers aid the rest; as public curiosity 
was not a little excited by the aecounts 
respecting a self-taught boy, “ drawn 
eat from @ fin-imine in the county of Corn- 
is 
Success now smiled on the labours of 
Mr. Opie, aud, as is usual in such cases, 
be changed his place of residence with 
his chanye of fortune... Having originally 
resided in a little court in the neighbour- 
hood of Leicester-square, he removed 
“rst to a house in Great-Queen-street, 
-Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields, and then to -Ber- 
ner’s-street, Oxford ‘Road. 
In. 1786, he was known as~an ex- 
hibitor at Somerset-House, secon after 
which he aspired to academical honours, 
He accordmgly became, firft an Acade 
_mician Elect, and then a Royal ible. 
mician. For some little tine | he enjoyed 
the profit and reputation ofa eHGnahia 
portrait-pamter; and where ftrength, 
breadth, and character were demanded, 
his pencil was deservedly celebrated, in 
respect tu the male figure. He is thought 
however to have been less fortunate in 
the personification of females, being ei- 
ther unwilling or unable to create those 
elegant fleeting, gauseous sprite-like mo- 
dein ephemeral forms, partly encased in 
transparent drapery, a and partly unveil- 
nig all their charms in the broad glare of 
day. 
Our — national vanity and national 
riches, however, induce us to render por- 
trait-painting by far the most yatuable in 
point of emolument m this country; and 
wiiile personal and interested Motives 
Memoirs of John Opie, R.A. 
~ snee 
[June 1, 
continue to operate, this, by being the 
most lucrative branch. of the art, wil 
also become that wost generally prac- 
tised. For interesting beggars, a com- 
plete representation of age and misery’ 
coupled together in old men and old wo- 
men; for rattan robbers and midnight 
assassins, perhaps Opie had no equal 
among his contemporaries. “He also was’ 
ove of those artists, who were employed 
to embody the thous hts of our great dra- 
matic bard, and he accordingly painted 
several pictures for the Shakespeare Gal- 
lery. ca 
When the Royal Institution was ena? 
ed, it became necessary that an artist 
should be found out, who could‘ deli- 
ver lectures on the subject of painting, 
rand Mr. Opie was accordingly: select 
‘ed for that purpose.” It niust be fairly 
owned. however, that nature had not ren- 
dered him eloquent; that -he was desti- 
tute of those graces which are calculated, 
to please a polite auditory, aud that as a 
publ ic orator he possessed no other qua- 
lification except the power of instructing 
those to wham he addressed himself. . 
No sooner did the professorship of 
painting in the Royal Aeademy become 
vacant, than Opie started as a candidate 
for the prize; he however resigned his 
claims in favour of Mr. Fuseli: but on the 
anpointment of the latter to the office of 
ae of the academy, he renewed his 
pretepsions, and was elected without any 
difficulty. The lectures delivered by him 
at Somerset-House, rather added to, 
than detractcd from, hisreputation; and 
he is allowed to have been far more 
essful there, than in Albemarie- 
SUreeu, 
In respect to the fleeting politics of 
the day, ] “Mr. Opie took no part; but 
he was warmly attached to the po- 
pular principles of our constitution, 
Indeed, he was always known to 
be, and was always _considered by 
* We wish we could here present our réa- 
ders with a catalogue of Mr Opie’s paintings, 
but we can only enumeratethofe that follow : 
1. The death of David Rizzio; this ap> 
peared at the exhibition some years sinces 
and excited considerable sensation; 2 The 
Murder of James I. king of Scotland; 3. 
~The Presentation in the Temple, Ay Jephtha’ $ 
Vow ; 5. Arthur; 6. Juliet-in the Garden 5 
7. Escape of? Gil Blas ; 8. Musidora 5 Le An 
admirable beggar, now in possession of Dr, 
Wolcott. ‘ 
In the exhibition aN 1806, he had eight 
portraits 3 in that of 1807, six; in neither of 
these, appeared any other subject whatsoever. 
; hw 
a 
