MENGS.

ANTHONY RAPHAEL MENGS was born at Ausney, on 12th of March 1726. His father, Ismael, was painter to Augustus III. king of Poland, and contributed, by the severity of his conduct, to give to his son that air of rudeness and melancholy for which he was distinguished. Could any thing excuse the tyranny of the parent, it was the discernment with which he directed the studies of his disciple. He taught him, at an early age, anatomy and perspective; and in 1741 took him to Rome, where he compelled him to copy, in crayons, the finest relics of antiquity, Michael Angelo's Chapel of Sixtus, and the apartments of Raphael, increasing, for his advancement, his solicitude and his severity. The youthful Mengs daily evinced considerable progress, and extended his reputation. On his return to Dresden, after having made a second journey to Rome, where he married, he obtained the protection of the Prince Electorate.

Our limits will not permit us to follow this artist through all the epochas of a long and laborious life. Having been honoured with the title of First Painter of the Court of Dresden, he remained for some time in that city, from whence he proceeded to Naples and Madrid; but a secret predilection recalled him frequently to Rome. Invited into Spain by Charles III. he there executed a great many works, and was magnificently rewarded. Excess of application, and some disgusts, which artists envious of his merit excited, threw him into a state of marasmus, of which he died at Rome, in 1779. A good father, and a good husband; but thoughtless and prodigal, he was too little solicitous of the fate of his family. With a re

muneration of 40,000l. granted to him by the king of Spain, many liberal presents from the king of Naples, and putting his own price upon his pictures, he scarcely left behind him sufficient property to answer the expences of

his funeral.

Time only can establish the reputation of this celebrated artist. His partizans, at the head of whom is the famous Winckelman, place him upon an equality with Raphael, and even attribute to him superior qualifications. On the other hand, he has been censured for a diminutive style, it being pretended that in many of his works his finishing, had the effect of enamelling; and Pompeo Battoni used to say, that Mengs' pictures would serve for lookingglasses.

Mengs left behind him many manuscripts on the art of painting, which were published by his friend the Chevalier d'Azara, preceded by an advertisement, in which, following the steps of Winckelman, he considers him superior to Raphael. This opinion, though pardonable on the score of friendship, there requires but little judgment to refute. The pictures, however, of Mengs, evince considerable study of the ancients, a good taste, much dignity of expression, and labour of execution; but it is observable, that in attending too much to ideal excellence, he loses sight of that principle in nature which immediately strikes the spectator and awakens his attention, that he is wanting in fire and vivacity, and his manner is excessively dry. In his writings Mengs endeavours to inspire the mind of the artist with a sublime idea of his profession; but in his observations on the works of the great masters, he betrays at times an unjust severity, and appears only to applaud in order to give the greater weight to his critical

remarks.