“ 
1804.] 
Ces) 
MEMOIRS OF EMINENT PERSONS. 
Gah tes 
ACCOUNT of GEORGE MORLAND. 
E@RGE MORLAND was the fon 
of,an artit, whofe talents, though 
relpectable, were not of the firtt order 
in his profeffion: this gentleman made, 
in the early part of his life, what is com- 
monly called a great figure; but, having 
foft much proprrty, by engaging in {chemes 
that were not ‘prudeatly condatted, 
fhrunk from the world in difgu&t during 
the latter part of his time, and educated 
his family in that ob{curity to which the 
narrownels of his circumftances confined 
him. 
Whether George fhewed, in the earlich 
part of his life, that inclination for the 
art which frequently indicates genius, or 
whether the practice was forced upon him 
by his father, who might feehthat it was 
the only art in which he could educate 
him, I know not; but Ido know, that 
in the exhibitions of the original Society 
of Artifts, to which the Father belonged, 
were fhewn drawings by George M forland, 
at the age of four, five, and fix years, 
which would have done credit to youths 
who were learning the art as their profe(- 
fion; and, from this time, his father 
forced him to ffudy, unremittingly, the 
pradice of every department of the art, 
till he entered tie world upon his own 
account. 
The whole of this time, he was confined 
in an upper rcom, apie diawings, 
drawirg from the plaifler culls, or copying 
pictures. Reltriéted from feciety almoft 
pote -what opportunities he had for 
amufement were obtained by ftealib; his 
affociates were a few boys in the Ve igh- 
bourhood, and the means of enjoyment 
were aaieindil by working fo hard when 
at his ftudies,.as to produce a few drawings 
or piétures more than his father eae 
he could do in a given time; thefe he has 
been known to lower, by a ftri ing, from 
the window of his apartment to his affo- 
ciates, who were appginted to receive 
them; by them they were turned into 
moiiey, which was {pent by them in com- 
mon when opportunities offered. 
‘In this manner pafied the firft feventeen 
years of the life of George Morland, and 
Ws this he is ‘indebted for the ets 
power he had over the implements of his 
art, for it is notorious, that whether it was 
the pencils and pallet, cr the crayon he 
was called upon to ufe, no one has had 
more command of his materials than this 
€minent art, —, 
Avarice wis the ruling paffion of tke 
father, who fold the drawings, &c. made 
by his fon, for fmall fums; and’ as his 
paffion was infatiable, kept him continu- 
ally at work, ‘and gave him little, if any 
other, education. He probably Hey 
by this smeans, to keep him in bis power ; 
but in this cafe, as in many agers: the 
forts of avarice defeated their own pur pofe. 
George Murland’s fi: ft original compo- 
fitions were diftated by ‘his father; they 
were {mall piiures, of two or three fi-. 
gures, taken from the common ballads of 
the day, fuch as ‘‘ young Roger came 
tapping at a s window,” &c, Thefe 
the old gentleman put into frames, and 
fold at different prices, from one guinea 
to three, according to the peckers of his 
cuftomers: thefe, though infiniely infes 
rior to Morland’s fubfequent works, were 
admired as the produziions of a youth, 
acd a great number were done; many git 
into the hands of engravers, and the 
prints that were made from them, firtt 
brought Morland ino notice. 
Some gentlemen, to whom the father 
was known, would have patronized the 
fon: from one he borrowed two capital 
pittures of Vernet, which G. Morland 
copied molt admirably. Mr. Angertteia 
permitted him to copy Sir Jofhua Rey- 
nolds’s celebrated pigture of Garrick be- 
tween tragedy and comedy: th’s copy. is 
in exiftence, and is highiy creditable to 
Morland’s talents. It was on this occa- 
fion that the unfortunate peculiarity fia 
his difpofition fhewed itfelf, The picture 
wasat Blackheath; and the two Morlands 
west there to copy it: Mr. Angerttein 
wifhed to notice the youth, and fee the pro- 
grefs of the work ; but the father told the 
“iter of this article, that his fon rm fuied 
to begin his picture, til it was fo'emniy 
promifed him that no perfon whatever 
fhould overlook the woik, avd that he 
fhould do whatever he pleaied. . The pre- 
mife was made:—he painted the picture; 
affociated with the fervants while he was 
in the houfe, ard no intreaties could 
make him come within the yeach of Mr, 
Angerftein. 
Another gentleman, who was going to 
fpend the fummer at Margate, adviled the 
father to fend his fon thither to paint 
fmall portraits. The plan was a good 
one; it was adopted : and Géorge Mor- 
land, with his picture of Garrick, and 
fome others, took Icdégings for the feafon, 
Company flocked round him; his por- 
traits 
