1814.] On the History and Theory of Prospect-Painting. formone of the richest landscapes on which the eye of man can rest-and all contribute to enhance the value of the miracle, and to inspire gratitude to the giver of sight. Few subjects are so well adapted for the prospect-painter, as this, to sink the figures in the scene serving to impress the topic. Finally, Paul Brill chose to delineate temples, columns, triumphal arches, classical ruins, and edifices, a taste w which he bequeathed to his friend Nieuland, who completed his last productions. Now this progress of the individual may, I think, also be traced in each en tire school of art. Each school of art begins with (1) the rustic. The ignoble is of easier attain ment than the beautiful, its very essence consisting in impropriety of outline, which may err in either direction. A degraded nature is imitated with less trouble than the entire-if a cottage is drawn out of perspective, the jagged thatch hides the undue convergence of the lines-downfally buildings, pollard trees, conceal imprecision of outline. It proceeds to (2) the sublime.-Contortion is more easily seized than grace; caricature than the middle form; huge than minute inflections; violent shapes of mountains and rocks, than the graceful outline of gently swelling hills; frothy cataracts, than mirrors of water, where the reflections are difficult to copy. It attempts (3) the beautiful. As in poetry, there is many an energetic for one beautiful writer, so in landscape there are several Pietro Tempestas, for one Claude Lorrain. A delicacy of observation, a nicety of discrimination, which seizes almost imperceptible causes of delight, is requisite to depict with ef fect-arcadian scenery-its mild sunshine-glittering waters-soft verdure and lovely inhabitants. Lastly, art pursues (4) the artificial.Instead of painting after nature, it paints after art; and chooses for its topics palaces, bridges, temples, perspective views of streets and canals, monuments of antiquity, insides of cathedrals, towns, and their ornamental edifices. scape-painters were 407 Bernazzano, of Milan; and Muziano, of Brescia. *Both were remarked for the rusticity of their scenery, insomuch that the latter got the nick-name of the country-boy, il giovane dei paesi. Fabrizio Parmegiano and Giorgione Barbarelli have also left something of a name for imitating ordinary objects, and making trees distinguishable from one another. Titian, by the accidental use of his pencil in the delineation of mountain-scenery, became the founder of heroic landscape. Fiorillo enumerates Viola and Angoli among those who first profited by the nobleness of his manner, and who car. ried aërial perspective, or the art of bedimming distances, to a new perfection. But Salvator Rosa, born in 1614, was in this line of art to attain the highest rank. Simplicity of design and sublimity of im pression mark his every composition. In his landscapes he aims at exciting a shudder, a sort of panic fear, by the wild hor rors of the scene. His forests have a gloom which announces to the passenger a homeless and inextricable labyrinth full of abystes. His mountains look like decaying pillars of the world. The approach of night is his darling hour, banditti his favourite company. Salvator Rosa also excelled as a good-humoured satiric poet, and speaking of one of his own productions, exposed in the exhibition at the Rotunda, he says, Questo anno non ci ho messo altro che un sasso. But his single rock could supply stuff and station for a temple of Fame. A Dutch artist named Peter Molyn attempted to compete with Salvator Rosa, and acquired among the Italians the nick name of il cavalier Tempesta, from his rage for painting storms, and violent accidents of light. In the time of Salvator Rosa two other par Dughet, called also Poussin, after his artists acquired a rival celebrity. Gasrelation and master, was born at Rome in 1613. He studied the bolder phenomena of nature, and imitated them suc cessfully; but quitted this romantic sce Now this last being the most difficult nery for a softer character of landscape, department of art, ought to rank high-acquired by taking views at Tivoli, Alba It requires greater precision of outline, greater knowledge of perspective, greater dexterity to impicture. And it brings the art of the painter nearest to its proper destination, which is to bestow on stationary persons (1) the pleasures, and (2) the information to be gotten by travelling. est. Among the Italians the earliest land 9, Frescati, and in such enchanted diffuse; the shapes of his leaves he varies grounds. His verdure is too uniform and more than the moderns who study gross effect; but the dingy colouring, especially beautiful compositions. His figures are of his foregrounds, delays the effect of his commonly heroic or mythologic, and ope*Fiorillo Geschichte der Maulerey. 3 G 2 rate, rate, like a poetic inscription at the bot- The moving crystal from the fountain plays, rets new, Sun-shiny hills, dales hid from Phoebus' rays, Groves, arbours, mossy caves, at once they view, And that which beauty most, most wonder brought, No where appear'd the art which all this magic wrought.* In the school of Salvator Rosa was formed Ghisolfi, who deserted natural landscape for views of edifices; but he was surpassed in perspective by his cotemporary Viviani, and by his successor Ricci. After the death of Claude we scarcely find the name of an eminent painter of natural scenery in the whole Italian school, but a long catalogue of Caliavari's, Canaletto's, Pozzo's, Zacco. lini's, Caroli's, Codagora's, Vanvitelli's, Piranesi's, &c. who all cultivated edificepainting, or perspective art. The French school of paintingt begins with the mountain-scenery of Mompert and Savery; it attains the beautiful under Fouquieres and Milé, and Jardin; it proceeds to imitate architectural works under Moucheron, Griffier, and Clerisseau. In the Flemish school, the same law of progress may be tracked, not however so distinctly, because many of the Flemish painters studied at Rome, and adopted the form of toil there in vogue; thus an ticipating that state of the art, to which domestic progress did not yet invite. Yet, at the earlier period you find Mostaert, Matthew Brill, Coningsloo, Vadder, faithful to nature, but abounding with rustic and ignoble delineations. The next generation of artists, such as Poe Fairfax's Jerusalem Delivered. + Biographie Universelle. lemburg, Schönefeld, Everdingen, Ge noels, Sachtleven, Glauber, imitate the romantic scenery of Italy first in its colossal, then in its delicate, features. And at length Lingelbach, Breenberg, Neef, Delen, direct their attention to the imitation of domestic works of art. Some have sought reputation by painting all the good scenery on a given stream; so Thicle has given views of the Elbe, Sachtleven of the Upper Rhine, Griffier of the Lower Rhine; each making himself as it were a priest of the genius of the stream, whose works are to convene successive genera tions of men to the worship of its beauties. Be it however acknowledged that the name of Stenwyk, who excelled in perspective art during the infancy of the Flemish school, forms an apparent anomaly. Some critics suspect that his grandson, Nicholas, sold, as works of Henry Stenwyk the elder, many insides of cathedrals of his own painting; in this case, his antedated excellence should be likened to that of Rowley, and is as orderly a phenomenon. Thus the history of prospect-painting may be compared with the progress of the Rhine; on whose banks originated so many of the chief ornaments of this school of art. Its course begins among rugged rocks and swelling cataracts, where nature, magnified in every limb, astonishes the most indifferent. In the middle of its progress, after marriage with the Mozelle, it flows through a gracefully hilly region, rich in trees, and studded with villas, and reflects the beauties of a cultivated landscape. At length it reposes, subsides, or evaporates, among the cities of opulence, the havens of commerce, and the edifices of polity. There is in all this order and succession of pursuit so much of the natural progress of the human mind, that analo gous steps may be observed in almost every line of exertion. Take old travellers, in Hakluyt's collection, you will find their engravings represent the enormous, monstrous, prodigious features of nature, Norway rocks, or the boiling jet-d'eaux of Iceland. You will find a middle generation of travellers intent on the graces of scenery and the beauties of artful gardening, on describing Juan Fernandez, or Sidney-Cove. You will find, in this maturer age of our literature, that the works of man, and the monuments of antiquity, form the favorite subjects of representation and illustration. What is a port-folio of views, and sketches, and drawings, but an orbis pictus; and who Pilkington's Dictionary. Hagedorn does not progressively cast out whatever Ueber die Mahlerey. represents the insignificant or the unreal? Biographical 1814.] On the History and Theory of Prospect-Painting. Biographical Chart of Prospect-Painters. 409 The line represents the period of their activity, the date of their bloom. 1550 60 70 80 90 16 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 17 10 20 30 40 50 1550 60 70 80 90 16 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 17 10 20 30 40 50 To To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. In the Bride of Abydos the very first SIR, SEVERAL Of Youre Coom phe News have quoted passages from the New Testament, to prove that a state of warfare is incompatible with the principles of Christianity: the truth of this I readily admit, but the injunctions to abstain from war can never be safely adopted by any nation, unless these principles are universally acted upon. The people, for instance, denominated Quakers are a sect who strictly and conscientiously adhere to the pacific tenets of Christian theology; but should the population of this country consist of quakers only, nothing can be more evident than that we should exist merely as a colony to some less scrupulous power, and in a state of complete subordination; an idea very congenial to the feelings of our neighbour upon the opposite coast, but not likely to be much relished by the generality of Englishmen. The fact is, that the precepts to "love our enemies," to "do good to them that hate us and despitefully use us," &c. are, like many abstract theories, only practicable upon a limited scale, and in the very nature of things impossible to be made the rule of national conduct, or to be consistent with national security. The truth of this remark, as also the difference between theory and practice, is strongly evinced by the known fact, that countries professing Christianity, and having for their motto, "Peace on earth and good-will towards men," are perpetually at war with each other, and constantly invoking the Supreme Being to go forth with their fleets and their armies!" E. T. PILGRIM. Woburn. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, N° O man can be a greater admirer of Lord Byron's poetical talents than myself, but I am not blind to his faults; and I grieve to see a genius so noble and original condescend to borrow the ideas, and frequently even the very words, of another. In an inferior poet this might be passed over, and thought of no more; but what shall we say of one, possessing the highest poetic genius, thus arraying himself in borrowed plumes, and not candid enough to acknowledge his obligations? In the very confined circle of my own reading I have detected numberless plagiarisms; and I doubt not persons of more extensive erudition must be aware of many more equally striking. line is evidently a literal translation from the mentions's "De l'Allemagne," while she mentions a German romance, "Wilhelm Meister," by Goethe, in which she says there are some charming verses, que tout le monde sait par cœur en Allemagne," commencing with, Connois-tu le terre on les citronniers fleurissent." Every reader will immediately recognise in this the original of "Know'st thou the land where the cypress and myrtle." How much further his lordship's plagia. rism may in this case extend I am ignorant, as I do not understand German, and M. de Stael has not translated Goethe any further. The description of Zuleika, beginning, "Who hath not proved-low feebly words reminds me much of the opening of the second canto of Campbell's "Pleasures of Hope." In the same part, of the lastnamed beautiful poem, one line, "The power of grace-the magic of a name." will recal to the remembrance of my readers, part of the description of Conrad, in the Corsair : "The power of thought-the magic of the mind." Line 184. For the expression of, "The music breathing from her face." Line 179. in the Bride of Abydos, his lordship has expressed his obligations to M. de Stael; he has written on that passage, more but, even if he had not, the note which touchingly poetical than poetry itself, must have saved it from my animadversions. In the description of Leander's crossing the Hellespont, "the beautiful-the brave." Bride of Abydos, Canto 2, Line 4. is only altered from Lady Randolph's lamentation over the body of her son, by substituting the article for the pronoun, "My beautiful-my brave." In the Corsair we are reminded of our immortal Shakespeare, "What is my beaver easier than it was," Richard 111, Act 5. by 1814.] by Conrad's orders to Juan, Tour round North Wales. "See that free from rust My carbine-lock springs worthy of my trust; Be the edge sharpened of my boarding brand, And give its guard more room to fit my hand." Lines 163-166. Then give me all I ever ask'd-a tear." The Corsair.Line 359. and, "I gave to misery all I had a tear." Gray. bear a very striking similitude. In the last canto of the Corsair, Conrad's feelings, when he thinks of Gulnere, remind the reader of Marmion's remorse when the remembrance of Constance crossed his mind. "And he was free, and she for him had given Her all on earth, and more than all in heaven!" The Corsair, Line 1696. "And I the cause--for whom were given Her peace on earth-her hopes in heaven!" Marmion. Many of the most beautiful similes in "The Giaour," "The Bride of Abydos," and "The Corsair," are taken from 1 "The History of the Caliph Vathek;" and the notes to that extraordinary, but in some parts beautiful, tale. The idea of the three-winged butterfly of Kashmere, and the allusions to the eye of the gazelle, and the blossom of the pome granate, are also mentioned by Sir Wil liam Jones to be almost universal in all the poetry of the East. An idea which Lord Byron has thrown into "Childe Harold,” also owes its origin to the eastern world. The Caliph Omar ben Abdalaziz, the most tempe rate and self-denying of the race of the Abassides, declared that "to merit heaven it was necessary to make a hell of earth :" 411 against the established feelings of others, merely because they are singular. If these opinions be sincere, the publica tion of them can only excite pity for the inevitable wretchedness of a mind harbouring such sentiments; but if other wise, is there language strong enough to express the indignation which every good mind must feel against one, who, from the mere frenzied love of singularity, can promulgate such sentiments? None can write better than his lordship; and I will conclude by a quotation from the preface to one of his own works,* which at once condemns himself, and offers an apology for an humble indivi dual venturing to censure this Goliah of literary fame. "The unquestionable possession of considerable genius, by several of the writers here censured, renders their mental prostitution more to be regretted. Imbecility may be pitied, or, at worst, laughed at and forgotten; perverted powers demand the most de cided reprehension, No one can wish and able writer had undertaken their more than the author, that some known exposure; but in the absence of the remay, in cases of absolute necessity, be gular physician, a country practitioner allowed to prescribe his nostrum to prevent the extension of so deplorable malady." CANDIDUS. March, 1814. For the Monthly Magazine. CONTINUATION of the SKETCH of a TOUR round NORTH WALES, AUGUST 1813. Third Day. DOLGELLY to Tan-y-Bwlch. After leaving the giant Cader and his satellites, and viewing, at six miles distance, (half a mile out of the road) the fine fall of a small river, which rushes down a considerable precipice in the bosom of a most romantic and richly-wooded glen, we enter upon a region of sterility and desolation, and travel many miles through the worst part of Merioneth. shire. The high road now runs through an uninclosed moor, bounded (though at a greater distance from the traveller than before,) by huge mountains, probably the nearest of them five miles from the road-no trace of cultivation even on the flat below-piles of peat stacked, or fresh cut, the only mark of human labou-the mountains grey, black, and stony-from the very summit to the base |