The life and writings of Henry Fuseli Volume I Part 30

[53] In my Lectures.

[54] The British Inst.i.tution was opened for the first exhibition, on the 18th of January, 1806.

[55] A name by which he generally designated the amiable and ingenious Tiberius Cavallo, a gentleman well known for his numerous and able works on Natural Philosophy, who was also on a visit to Mr. Rackett at this time: at whose hospitable house he usually pa.s.sed three or four of the summer months.

[56] Mr. Johnson made Cowper a present of one thousand pounds over and above their agreement.

[57] The pa.s.sage is thus translated by Franklin:--

-----"A dreadful clap Of thunder shook the ground; the virgins trembled, And clinging fearful round their father's knees, Beat their sad b.r.e.a.s.t.s and wept."

Sophocles dipus Coloneus, Act. 5, Scene 1.

[58] Professor Bonnycastle was born at Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, in January 1752, and died at Woolwich, 15th of May, 1821.

[59] While these pages were pa.s.sing through the press, Europe and the fine arts have been bereaved of the splendid talents of Sir Thomas Lawrence. This gentleman died, after an illness of a few days continuance, on the 7th of January, 1830, in the sixty-first year of his age.

Shortly after Sir Thomas's arrival in London, Fuseli saw "the future promise" in the youth, and was therefore gratified in making remarks upon his portraits for his improvement. This kind notice, from a man whom Sir Thomas held in the highest esteem for talents and various acquirements, made a deep impression on his mind: he sought an intimacy with him, which, upon more mature knowledge of the individual, ripened into the closest friendship. The world is now deprived of these two great artists, and there can be no other than feelings of deep regret for their loss. These, however, with regard to myself, are not unmingled with those of satisfaction, when I consider the many happy hours pa.s.sed in their society, and that this pleasure was enjoyed for more than twenty years.

At the death of Mr. West, in the year 1820, Fuseli was among the most forward of the Academicians to propose that his friend, Sir Thomas, who was then on the Continent of Europe, should fill the chair. This honour he felt due to him, not only for his unrivalled powers as a portrait painter, but for the elegance of his mind and the urbanity of his manners. Few men had so pleasing an address; and fewer the happy method of making this acceptable to the particular persons with whom he conversed.

Although Sir Thomas Lawrence was not, in the usual acceptation of the word, a scholar, being unskilled in the dead languages; yet he was well versed in English literature, had a fine taste for poetry, and I have heard him recite some lines of his own composition, (full of merit) with great taste, feeling, and judgment.

Sir Thomas is known to the public chiefly as a portrait painter,--the only lucrative branch of the art in England. In this, his style was truly English. In the countenances of his men we see faithful likenesses; sometimes certainly given with some degree of flattery; but he was always the more intent in shewing "the mind's construction in the face." In his portraits of heroes there is always dignity; in those of statesmen, depth of thought, with firmness of character. In the delineation of females, in which he chiefly shone, beauty and delicacy were combined with great taste of att.i.tudes, and which was heightened by the elegance and disposition of their drapery. His backgrounds were always appropriate to the portraits; and when his pencil was employed on large pictures, these were introduced with great taste and power.

The drawings of the human face in black lead pencil, frequently heightened with a little colour, which he sometimes made to present to his friends, exceed all praise, for truth, delicacy, and fine finish.

Had public encouragement gone hand in hand with the powers of the man, we should, no doubt, have possessed some fine epic and dramatic subjects from his pencil. As a proof of this, I may again be permitted to advert to the sublime picture of "Satan calling up his Legions," which was purchased by the late Duke of Norfolk, and came again into the possession of Sir Thomas, when his Grace's effects were sold: here we see an epic subject of the highest cla.s.s treated with invention, great power of drawing, and brilliancy of colouring. This, with "Homer reciting his Verses to the Greeks," are the only historical pictures from his pencil that I am acquainted with, and perhaps the only ones known. In this advanced stage of my work, I may be excused for giving only a brief sketch of my friend, whose loss every admirer of the fine arts in Europe deeply deplores;--a man whose name will go down to posterity coupled with those of the great masters who have preceded him in the pictorial art; and as the present high appreciation of his merits does not rest upon advent.i.tious circ.u.mstances, time will rather add to than detract from his fame.

[60] In this particular, the writer is in error, as Dr. Holland was kind enough to give his gratuitous attendance, at the earnest request of Sir Thomas Lawrence.

[61] The pa.s.sage is as follows:--

"Olim quod vulpes aegroto cauta leoni Respondit, referam: quia me vestigia terrent Omnia te adversum spectantia, nulla retrorsum."

Horatii Flacci Epistolarum, 1. i.

It is thus imitated by Pope:--

"Faith I shall give the answer Reynard gave; I cannot like, dread Sir, your royal cave; _Because I see, by all the tracks about, Full many a beast goes in, but none comes out_."

[62] Among the more recent acquaintances of Fuseli, there was no one for whom he entertained a higher regard than for Mr. Samuel Cartwright; he has said to me, "Cartwright is a friendly, liberal man, and has the mind of a gentleman."

[63] At this time, his age could not be accurately ascertained: he was in his eighty-fifth year, having completed his eighty-fourth on the 7th of February preceding his death.

[64] At this time, his age could not be accurately ascertained: he was in his eighty-fifth year, having completed his eighty-fourth on the 7th of February preceding his death.

[65] Fuseli made this remark in reference to the capital employed, and the encouragement given to the Slave Trade by some of the merchants of Liverpool, and the consequent wealth which was derived by many from this traffic. Every one who is acquainted with the parliamentary history of this country knows the arduous struggle made for its abolition, and the part which Mr. Roscoe took, when member of parliament for Liverpool, to effect this measure. In these efforts he was cordially joined by many of his intelligent and liberal townsmen.

[66] This and other remarks on the pictures of Sir Joshua Reynolds, were written at Hastings, in the year 1813, shortly after the first exhibition of Sir Joshua's works at the British Inst.i.tution, and sent thence by Fuseli in letters to Sir Thomas Lawrence.

[67] The pa.s.sage is thus rendered by Cowper:

"My temper, Sir, inclines not me t' extol Or to depreciate much, or much admire,-- Full well I recollect thee as thou wert."

[68] First part of Shakspeare's "King Henry the Fourth," Act 3rd.

[69] These statues, which have been named Castor and Pollux by some, (and by an absurd anachronism, Alexander, by others,) were considered by Fuseli to be the work of Phidias, and designed for a monument. He was of opinion that they are duplicate figures; and the subject, "Achilles curbing and addressing his steed, and astonished at the answer of his prophetic courser."

[70] This picture is lost: his celebrated work of "Sin pursued by Death," being painted over it. On this canva.s.s there are no less than three finished pictures.

[71] Darwin.

[72] See Pilkington's Dictionary, by Fuseli, second edition, page 191.

[73] They are now the property of the Countess of Guilford.

[74] This character of Fuseli was written a short time previously to his death.

[75] Dante.

[76] Ibid.

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.