Mignard, Dorigny, Perrier, Dufresnoy, Le Brun, and Le Sueur.

VERNET AND THE CONNOISSEUR.

VERNET relates, that he was once employed to paint a landscape, with a cave, and St. Jerome in it; he accordingly painted the landscape, with St. Jerome at the entrance of the cave. When he delivered the picture, the purchaser, who understood nothing of perspective, said, "the landscape and the cave are well made, but St. Jerome is not in the cave." "I understand you, Sir," replied Vernet, "I will alter it." He therefore took the painting, and made the shade darker, so that the saint seemed to sit farther in. The gentleman took the painting; but it again appeared to him that the saint was not in the cave. Vernet then wiped out the figure, and gave it to the gentleman, who seemed perfectly satisfied. Whenever he saw strangers to whom he shewed the picture, he said, "Here you see a picture by Vernet, with St. Jerome in the cave." "But we cannot see the saint,"

replied the visitors. "Excuse me, gentlemen," answered the possessor, "he is there; for I have seen him standing at the entrance, and afterwards farther back; and am therefore quite sure that he is in it."

ZOFFANI'S CORRECTNESS OF EYE.

SUCH was Zoffani's habits of literally copying,

VOL. II.

at the moment, every thing before him, that once when a nobleman of high rank sat to him, at Florence, for his portrait, at the time before braces to suspend the breeches were worn, and the portrait was nearly finished, the last day on which he sat, owing to some accident, the shirt obtruded itself between the waistcoat and small clothes; a circumstance by no means uncommon at that time to men of all ranks. Zoffani thinking only of what he saw, in putting the last touches to the picture, inserted this unintentional circumstance, though it had never before appeared so on the former days of sitting.

CELEBRATED COLLECTIONS OF ANTIQUE GEMS.

THE most considerable collection in Germany is that of Prussia, began by the Elector Frederick William, and augmented by Frederick II. from the collection of Baron Stosch, of which Winckelmann has published a catalogue. If the Prussian collection has the advantage on the score of erudition, that of Vienna has the preference in point of art. It has cameos of the largest size and of immense value. Eckhel has published engravings of its principal beauties. The senate of Leipsic has a good collection of antique gems. The King of Denmark possesses in his palace at Copenhagen some fine antique vases of sardonyx, and others enriched with cameos and intaglios, some of which are modern,

by the celebrated Laurence Natter, who resided and followed his art in the palace. The King of the Netherlands has also a good collection in his palace at the Hague.

CONTRAST OF THE GREEK AND ROMAN

SCULPTURE.

THE Greeks often represented their deities and heroes naked, the Romans rarely so. Naked or nearly naked figures, are often found in the early sculptures of the Egyptians. Yet with all this partiality for representing the naked figure, in which the Greeks so much indulged and succeeded, they have equally surpassed all other people in the representation of drapery and costume. The most ample draperies that they gave to their male figures were those of Jupiter, who was sometimes represented, as in the celebrated statue at Olympia by Phidias, naked to his waist, but clothed from the girdle downwards, signifying that his upper part being uncovered, he was known to the heavenly beings; but the lower part being covered, indicated how he concealed himself in his works from the view of man:-of Serapis, of Esculapius, of Silenus, and to the statues of philosophers. In the drapery of females they particularly excelled, giving them flowing full robes, arranged in graceful folds, and embellished with tasteful borders.

DR. SYNTAX'S TOUR IN SEARCH OF THE PIC

TURESQUE.

THE manner in which the late Mr. Coombe composed his popular poem, Dr. Syntax, is a curious fact in the history of the fine arts.-Mr. Rowlandson, celebrated for his humorous designs, made a series of sketches, in his loose style, to burlesque a modern tourist in search of the picturesque. This eccentric genius, like Gillray, never at a loss for subject, chose to make this hero a comical, thin visaged country parson, and led him from place to place, into a variety of situations, whimsical to the last degree. There were perhaps eighty or a hundred of these. Mr. Ackermann for many years had been a collector of the humorous designs of this artist, and among others, purchased these. One evening in looking over his portfolio, in company with Mr. Coombe, for a subject for the Poetical Magazine, he pounced upon the tourist. Coombe was amused with the sketches, and a few were selected as a theme for versifying. It was subsequently agreed that a continued tale should be formed from them, and Mr. Ackermann was to continue the selection; one, two, or three were forwarded to Mr. Coombe, and when he had written from them, as many more were sent in exchange; thus without further arrangement, or the author having the least knowledge of what would come

next, the work proceeded, being published in detached parts, until the poem grew into a sufficient number of verses to form a volume.

The magazine was discontinued, and long after, at the instance of his neighbour, Mr. Taylor, proprietor of the Sun evening newspaper, Mr. Ackermann was induced to publish the Tour of Dr. Syntax in a separate volume; Mr. Taylor always insisting that it was a poem that would suit the public taste. The best comment upon his judgment is, that no poem perhaps has experienced so extensive a sale. It may not be known to all our readers, perhaps, that the world owes to the lively pen of this Mr. Taylor, of the Sun, that admirable tale in verse, entitled "Monsieur Tonson," which has been successfully dramatized.

POUSSIN'S BON MOTS.

SOME of Poussin's sayings have been preserved. They are remarkable for good sense, and that kind of philosophy which is of most value in the conduct of life. He was asked one day, what was the chief benefit he had derived from his extensive reading, and what he regarded as his best knowledge? "How to live well with all the world," was his

answer.

One evening Cardinal Massimi having paid him a visit, staid with him till dark. Poussin, who had