Anecdotes of Painting in England

{-a rM . Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/paintingineng01walp ..' I ' ' /' ' / 7 // / / ' fleet Street. : ; ANECDOTES OF PAINTING IN ENGLAND; WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTISTS; AND INCIDENTAL NOTES ON OTHER ARTS COLLECTED BY THE LATE MR. GEORGE VERTUE; DIGESTED AND PUBLISHED FROM HIS ORIGINAL MSS. BY THE HONOURABLE HORACE WALPOLE; WITH CONSIDERABLE ADDITIONS BY THE REV. JAMES DALLAWAY. VOL. I. LONDON PRINTED AT THE SHAKSPEARE PRESS, BY W. NICOL, FOR JOHN MAJOR, FLEET-STREET. MDCCCXXVI. — ADVERTISEMENT TO THE PRESENT EDITION. 1 he Proprietor of this edition, in offering it to the public in its present augmented state, feels himself justified in claiming their indulgence to the following observation. It is well known, that the Portraits which Mr. Walpole procured to be engraven for the former editions, were not only sometimes taken from authorities inferior to others equally accessible, but that they were executed in a manner which, candour must allow, exhibited the parsimony, rather than the encouragement, of this otherwise noble patron of the arts. Neither care nor expense have been spared to render the present engravings, as to number exact imitation of the originals now selected and high finishing, worthy of the work they em- bellish, and of the best modern artists, who have been engaged for that purpose. Mr. Walpole designated his volumes " Anec- dotes of Painting in England ;" but found that he could not treat of the sister arts incidentally, as he had intended, with complete satisfaction. It has been my endeavour to fill up his outline more methodically, and to expand his information, where he has been concise, upon a presumption vol. i. a ;; VI ADVERTISEMENT. that his readers possessed a range of knowledge which equalled his own. I have therefore allotted a greater share to Architecture and Sculpture that a more general and equal view may be offered of the origin and progress of the sister arts, in this kingdom, in marking their fate through successive eeras, and as they have been highly favoured or barely tolerated, by its sovereigns. It is scarcely less difficult to offer any new remarks, than to condense what is valuable in those already made. Both will be attempted, and as succinctly as pos- sible. My primary intention has been to extend an acquaintance with these subjects, by contributing to the original work various remarks, which have occurred to me, during the leisure of many years pursuit of an inquiry, at least, interesting and delightful to myself. If, as Horace warns us, not to become obscure by brevity and conciseness I fear that to be copious and tedious, may not be far distant from each other. Without assuming a diffidence, which common discernment would be prompt to detect, I have studiously abstained from giving a peremptory or decisive opinion, if not depending on fact, concerning the ambiguous originality of any particular portrait, excepting where I have followed a judgment, much abler than my own. The additions will be rather Anec- dotes of Portraits, than of those by whom they were painted. ; ADVERTISEMENT. Vll A certain risque may be incurred, of fatiguing such of my readers who little value minuteness of inquiry, and have no taste for catalogues, however elucidated. I must nevertheless consider them as a part of Mr. Walpole's plan, and neces- sarily expletive of this work. There is, in fact, no method so satisfactory of ascertaining the excel- lence or fertility of the pencil of any able artist, as by collecting notices of his performance, and comparing them with each other; scattered abroad as the individual pictures are, and many of them no longer extant. So that valuable information must be drawn from many sources still existing and, what is most to the purpose, accessible. I consider myself as having been much favoured in that respect, and beg to express my particular obligation, as it may be due. Mr. Park, the excellent editor of the Royal and Noble Authors, (a part of whose plan I have followed, as inclosing additions within double brackets), has very truly observed, that Mr. Wal- pole requested information from those whom he thought best qualified to supply it ; and that when he had obtained and acknowledged it, he rejected it altogether, with the exception only of what was given by the poet Gray, or Mr. Cole. It is apparent, that the same inert or fastidious principle prevailed, when he left the " Anecdotes" completed by himself, so as to form a portion of the posthumous edition of his works. Of what he VU1 ADVERTISEMENT. then added, nothing has been altered or omitted. Bnt it was very inconsiderable. In Italy, Flan- ders, Holland, France and Spain, the biography of their painters is positively voluminous. We had none, before a few scattered notices of a few of the early writers were embodied by Mr. Walpole. The plan was his own, and the intelligence gra- tuitously given. Whatever was known on these subjects, was confined to the memoranda of a very few virtuosi and antiquaries, before his first volume appeared, at the commencement of the last reign. By him, the prospect was first opened; the sources of information pointed out : and a new interest in the works of our native or adopted artists was created, which in its progress, was animated by taste, and fostered by industrious research. The praise and thanks of every lover of the arts are but a just tribute to the memory of Mr. Walpole. JAMES DALLAWAY. Herald's College, London, 1826. IX TO THE EIGHT HONOUEABLE MARY LEPEL, BARONESS DOWAGER HERVEY OF ICKWORTH. Madam, I shael only say in excuse for offering this work to your Ladyship, that if I could write any thing really deserving your acceptance, I should not prefix your name to such trifles as the following sheets. But my gratitude for the goodness and unmerited distinction which your Ladyship has so long shown me, is impatient to express itself ; and though in the present case I am rather an editor than an author, yet having little purpose of ap- pearing again in the latter character, I am forced to pay my debts to your Ladyship with Mr. Vertue's coin. If his industry has amassed any thing that can amuse one or two X DEDICATION. of your idle hours, when neither affection, friendship, nor the several duties which you fill with so much ease and dignity, have any demands upon you, I shall think his life was well employed ; I am sure my time will have been so, if I have made him tolerable com- pany to my Lady Hervey, who has conversed familiarly with the most agreeable persons dead and living of the most polished ages, and most polished nations. I am, Madam, Your Ladyship's Most obedient Servant, HORACE WALPOLE. : XI PREFACE. W hen one offers to the public the labours of another person, it is allowable and precedented to expatiate in praise of the work. Of this indulgence however I shall not make advantage. The industry of Mr. Vertue was sufficiently known the antiquarian world had singular obligations to him. The many valuable monuments relating to our history, and to the persons of our monarchs and great men, which he saved from oblivion, are lasting evidences of his merit. What thanks are due to him for the materials of the following sheets, the public must determine. So far from endeavouring to prepossess them in favour of the work, it shall be my part fairly to tell them what they must expect. In Italy, where the art of painting has been carried to an amazing degree of perfection, the lives of the painters have been written in number- less volumes, alone sufficient to compose a little library. Every picture of every considerable master is minutely described. Those biographers treat of the works of Raphael and Correggio with as much importance as commentators speak of Horace or Virgil ; and indulging themselves in the inflated style of their language, they talk of ; XU PREFACE. pictures as works almost of a divinity, while at the same time they lament them as perishing before their eyes. France, neither possessed of such masters, nor so hyperbolic in their diction, con- trives however to supply by vanity what is want- ing in either. Poussin is their miracle of genius Le Brun would dispute precedence with half the Roman school. A whole volume is written even on the life and works of Mignard. Voltaire, who understands almost every thing, and who does not suspect that judgment in painting is one of his deficiences, speaks ridiculously in commendation of some of their performers. This country, which does not always err in vaunting its own productions, has not a single volume to show on the works of its painters. In truth, it has very rarely given birth to a genius in that profession. Flanders and Holland have sent us the greatest men that we can boast. This very circumstance may with reason prejudice the rea- der against a work, the chief business of which must be to celebrate the arts of a country which has produced so few good artists. This objection is so striking, that instead of calling it The Lives of English Painters, I have simply given it the title of Anecdotes of Painting in England. As far as it answers that term, perhaps it will be found curious. The indefatigable pains of Mr. Vertue left nothing unexplored that could illuminate his subject, and collaterally led him to many particu- : PREFACE. Xlll larities that are at least amusing : I call them no more, nor would I advise any man, who is not fond of curious trifles, to take the pains of turning over these leaves.

Load more