Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

ing the mafk of friendship and good-will. This figure of peace, therefore, reprefents murder in difguife. The moral is as infamous as the defign.

211. Emancipation of Negro Slaves.-A transparent painting, evidently done to produce a mere temporary effect, and prettily coloured, ad captandum vulgus, but the piece has not been laboured with that fteady perfeverance and care which are neceffary to insure an artift's reputation.

212. A Methodist imploring Heaven to enflave Mankind. Piety is in this piece moft ludicrously burlesqued.

213. Shepherds finging Pfalms. The poor fheep do not feem to have been in any manner attended to, as they are apparently dying of the rot. The following lines of Milton, may, perhaps, be applicable to this picture:

"Of other care they little reck'ning make,
Than how to fcramble at the fhearer's feast,
And fhove away the worthy bidden guest;

Blind mouths! that fcarce themselves know how to hold
A fheep-hook, or have learn'd aught elfe the leaft

That to the faithful herdman's art belongs!

What reeks it them? What heed they? They are sped,
And when they lift, their lean and flashy fongs

Grate on their ferannal pipes of wretched ftraw;

The hungry sheep look up, and are not fed,

But fwoln with wind, and the rank mift they draw,
Rot inwardly, and foul contagion spread :

Befides what the grim wolf with privy paw

Daily devours apace, and nothing fed.

214. A Weathercock in a whirlwind. It is here impoffible to form any idea what the artist means.

SEVENTH DAY'S SALE.

Mr. GRAME, Montrofe.

215. Mafter Shallow. A very lively representation of thiswell known dramatic character.

216. Sincerity. A feeble attempt in very weak water colours.

M.

M. BELGROVE, Grosvenor Place.

217. A Jackdaw. Incomparably well painted, 218. A Peacock. Looks very proud and foolish. Mr. BLACKFORD, Hinton.

219. A gentleman at Coventry. The back ground

infamous.

Mr. RICHARD HELSEY, Upper Harley-ftreet.

220. A grand Inquifitor. This picture is in the obfolete ftyle of Cimaboe, who flourished juft before the revival of the arts. There is a monkish gloom about it, that difgufts; befides it wants that ftrength of light which fo eminently diftinguishes our best modern productions.

221. Burning of Heretics, being a reprefentation of an Auto-da-Fe-defigned with fome fpirit, but this mafter is not equal to the execution.

222. Turks forcing chriftian flaves to go to Mofque.. This is a whimfical performance. The Turks are violating every law of the koran, are drinking wine, and indulging themfelves in all the beaftlinefs of vice, while the poor chriftian flaves (who appear to have more need of food than prayer) are ftripped, and fcourged, and compelled to cry Alla! Alla!

223. Devotion. This artift conceives that the pure character of holiness may be expreffed by length`ening out the visage, and turning up the whites of the eyes.

224. Models of Churches, built in the dark ages. This ftyle of architecture is much too Gothic, Sombre,. and ill proprtioned, to be again adopted at the conclufion of the eighteenth century.

Mr. WARTON, Beverley..

225. Shearing a Hog, great Cry and little Wool.. Contemptible. This artist does not seem to have made up his mind to his Profeffion.

226. A Snail. The drawing in of the horns of this reptile is very naturally delineated; but the subject scarce deferves criticism.

Nn3

227. Will

227. Will o' the Wifp. The illufive luftre not amifs.

Mr. BANNASTER, Liverpool.

228. Ancient Piftol. There is nothing of the ancient difcernable in this picture, but the fomewhat boaftful expreffion of the mouth; for the figure clearly denotes manly fortitude, and generous intrepidity.

229. A good fellow. Cheerfulness, conviviality, liberality, and fpirit, pleasingly characterized.

230. African Slaves. Here this mafter fails; it is feriously to be lamented that he does not relinquish fuch fubjects as they tend to injure his reputation. Mr. SURLOW, Norwood.

231. A Bear with a fore head. The grumbling of the beaft is finely given: the obferver may almost fancy he hears him growl.

232. Adam turned out of Paradife. Though Adam has left Paradife it does not appear that he was fent away naked; for he feems to be well cloathed, and. well fed. The fine expreffion, which diftinguishes a ftate of innocence, is gone-nor is it poffible now to fuppofe him faying, "When I forget Paradife may Heaven forget me. The figure is coarfe and brutal. 233. A Canterbury tale. A moft difgraceful performance.

[ocr errors]

Mr. NUGENT, Temple.

234. A Back Stair-Cafe. A dark piece of business altogether.

235. Pompofity. Inimitably ridiculous.

236. An Irijh duft.. This artist may claim all the merit of the originality of this defign. The execution. is wonderful; for a finer duft never has been kicked up any where.

Mr. PEPPER, Hefings.

237. Statue of Demofthenes-in black marble. The expreffion of the countenance is uncommonly mean; but this perhaps may be owing, in fome degree, to the nofe being defective. The fpirit of the orator is totally wanting, and, indeed, he seems now to be learn

ing to speak with ftones in his mouth. The head is very bad indeed.

238. A tame Jackall. The docile character of this animal is well expreffed. It appears capable of fetching and carrying, and playing all the tricks of a dog; yet the favageness of its nature is ftill difcernable.

Mr. WHITEBREDE, Bedford.

239. The Horrors of War. A very animated compofition. This master has great excellence in his defigns, and poffeffes confiderable ability.

Mr. LENOX, Richmond.

240. Plans of various Fortifications. Very foolish plans. The painter knows nothing of the art which he means to illuftrate.

241. Uncle Toby riding his Hobby Horfe. The Hobby Horfe is tolerably well hit off; but the character of Uncle Toby is not all preserved. Inftead of fimplicity, philanthropy, courage, gentleness, and honour, this figure evidently fhews meannefs, avarice, felfishness, arrogance, and cruelty.

242. The Garden of Reform. This landscape, which certainly does more credit to the artist's talents than any one he has ever produced, is left unfinished; and he now declares his utter deteftation of the subject. He is, nevertheless, fo tenacious of his original defign, that he has abfolutely thrown an honeft man into prifon, for merely taking a copy of the drawing.

243. An Extortioner felling coals to the poor. The unfeeling rapacity of the extortioner is ftrongly marked. An immenfe multitude are paying him a guinea each. The number of the crowd gives a difgraceful effect to the whole compofition. They apparently,

The

"Computed by their pecks of coals, "Amount to Twenty Thousand souls!” 244. A Nobleman on a King's Birth-Day. Noble man feems to be highly gratified by a piece of blue ribband, which he wears across his fhoulder. Yet the countenance is expreffive of careless contempt, as though he were faying, "What care I for a King's Birth Day! This artift wants confiftency of style.

CANTOS

ON THE REPRESENTATION OF VORTIGERN

CANTO I.

The iron cheft,
I truft,
Is laid to reft,

And ruft;

And in it Vortigern

Might find a worthy urn,

Where foul, and body too (now dead and damn'd), May both be ftew'd, and boil'd, and ftuff'd, and cramm'd; Thence never more to budge,

Or bellow forth again his old-trunk fudge; Patch work moft vile, of fhreds and remnant's made, From Richard's regal robe, and Macbeth's belted plaid. This play was call'd a tragedy-fo deep, That no one hearing it could chule but weep; But tragi-comedy 'twas deem'd, I ween, When Phillimore,

Like a great boar

Rolling on earth, with his huge fnout, was feen,
And tragi-comedy turn'd to broad farce,
As foon as Father Benfon fhew'd his

At fight of this all prefent cry'd-with laughter,
And never could compofe their muscles after.
Some thought it ferious-fome a jeft-and fome
Swore t'was a bad burlefque on Thomas Thumb.
Thus in a mortal merry way,
Ended this play.

Of which no more must now be faid,
Because we fhould not fpeak ill of the dead..
But that's no reafon for not giving
All praife, and merit due unto the living.

Whitfield led on, and fill'd the poft of danger,
Of pioneering for the baftard ftranger;

When,

« PředchozíPokračovat »