13072] 
The Infant Hercules, after oF 19 
J. Reynolds .s.... vO ey BNA al 
Musidora, from Thomson’s Seasons 25 
Juliet in the Garden Scene Bal taiie Ge 
A Female, with a Parrot, &c..... 58 
Gil Blas, wresting the Keys from has 
DameLeonarda. J. 
O22 6 OO -O:96:6 26 
© ©0 © ©oCcEe o 
430 
The history of this admirable painting 
iS somewhat curious, It was originally 
‘purchased by the conductors of the Poe 
lygraphic Society for fifty pounds, and 
from it they took innumerable copies, 
When the scheme was abandoned, and 
the pictures in their possession sold, it 
was purchased by Mr. Opie. The price 
now given for it, evinces the high esti- 
mation in which the admirers of the fine 
arts hold the works of the late President 
of the Royal Academy ; and it dees credit 
to the present times, by proving that we 
have men of discernment sufficient to see 
the beauties of a capital performance, 
though the painter was neither an ancient 
master nor a foreigner, but a modern, ’ 
and an Englishman, : 
Large as the sum it sold for may seem, 
it sinks to a mere milk-score when com- 
pared with the five thousand guineas, for 
which a picture by Rembrandt was 
last month struck down at Christie’s 
Auction-room, . Pall-mall. We have 
been told, that it was bought in by the 
proprietor, and afterwards sold by private 
contract toa wealthy connoisseur for five 
thousand pounds. This picture was 
painted fora pensionary of Holland, and 
remained in his family until the subjugas 
tion of that country by the French, when 
it was with all possible secrecy and dis- 
patch conveyed aleng the shores of the 
Baltic to a port, from whence it was 
shipped for England. Jt is unquestion- 
ably a capital, a most capital, picture; 
most of the figures are extremely fine, and 
the light diffused over the whole is in- 
tinwtable, and perhaps as consonant to 
truth and nature, as the art of painting 
can possibly represent. Itis noc only in 
Rembrandt’s best manner, but it is the 
finest picture we ever saw from his peu- 
cil. Still, the sum said to be paid for it 
Is Immense. 
_ Mrs. Opie ‘has presented an elegant 
print from a design by Smirke, to all 
the gentlemen who attended the funeral 
of her deceased husband. A similar 
print was presented to all the friends of 
Sir Joshua Reynolds, who attended the 
Temains of that artist to the grave, 
Monthly Retrospect of the Fine Arts. , 
print, which is engraved with 
splendid appearance. 
7 
His Royal Highness William Frederic, Duke of 
Gloucester and Edinburgh, painted by Sir 
William Beechy, R.A. and engraved and- 
published by W. Say, Norton-street, Mary-lea 
bone. , 
From what cause it has arisen we do 
hot presume to determine, but certain it 
is that the portraits of the Royal family 
have been rarely so delineated and en- 
graved, as to merit being placed in any 
very high class as prints. Tius portrait 
Is, however, an exception to the general 
rule, for it is painted in a manner worthy 
of Sir W. Beechey, and extremely well 
engraved in mezzotinto. oe 
Earl Camden, K. G.I Hoppner, Esq. R.A. pinxit. 
I W. Ward sculpt, i 
This is a very respectable portrait, 
and engraved in mezzotinto, in a very 
good style. 
The Rev. Walter Blake Kirwan, Dean of 
Killala M.A. Shee, R.A. pinxit. Engraved 
and published by G. Clint. 
This portrait was exhibited a year or 
two ago at the Royal Academy, and we 
rememoer being struck with it, and 
thinking it an exceedingly well painted 
picture of a populardivine. The painter, 
has given hima singularly spruce appear= 
ance: how far that may be consonant to 
te original, we do not know; the same 
character is, however, transferred to the 
great spirit 
and fidelity in mezzotinto, ; 
Alexander the First, Emperor of all the Russidsa 
Published for Ackermann. 
The emperor is delineated in his mje 
litary dress, with hat and feather, star 
and garter, &c. and in colours has a most 
The character of 
the face is extremely spirited. The por- 
trait from which it was copied, was 
brought to England by Mr. Peterson, 
and is said by all who have seen the ori 
ginal, to be a very accurate resemblance. 
James, Earl of Malmesbury, KB. of his Ma-= 
jesty’s most Honourable Privy Council. -T. 
Lawrence, R.A. pinxit. Engraved and pub= 
lished by W Ward. s 
This is a good print; but the lights and 
shades are rather violently opposed, 
which renders it in some degree spotty, 
Daniel Lambert. H. Singleton, pinxit. C. Tura 
ner sculpt. published by Daniel Lambert. 
Among all the portraits which the 
collectors of heads have got together, 
(and the late Mr. Gulston had upwards 
of twenty thousand, ) it will not be cas 
to find Gne who may more truly be dee 
nominated « wery great man. The pice 
ture was well painted ; and as to resem« 
Af? blance 
