Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][subsumed]

generally allowed, that few, if any, of the profeffion, at that time, were fo thorough masters of that excellent, but intricate fyftem. In 1716, he married Mifs Sufanna Hiller, daughter and heiress of Mr. Anthony Hiller, of Effingham in Surrey; a young lady in every respect worthy of his choice. For Mr. Chefeiden's "Anatomy of the Human Body," published in 1722, he made drawings from the real fubjects at the time of diffection, two of which were engraved for that work, and appear, but without his name, in Tables xii and xiii. In the fame year, on the exhibition of The Conscious Lovers, written by Sir Richard Steele, Mr. Highmore addreffed a letter to the author on the limits of filial obedience, pointing out a material defect in the character of Bevil, with that clearness and precifion for which, in converfation and writing, he was always remarkable, as the pencil by no means engroffed his whole attention. This he allowed to be publifhed, for the first time, in the Gent. Magazine for 1762, p. 404. His reputation and bufinefs increafing, he took a more confpicuous ftation, by removing to a houle in Lincoln's Inn Fields, in ·March 1723-4; and an opportunity foon offered of introducing him advantageously to the nobility, &c. by his being defired, by Mr. Pine the engraver, to make the drawings for his prints of the Knights of the Bath, on the revival of that order, in 1725. In confequence, feveral of the knights had their portraits alfo by the fame hand, fome of them whole lengths; and the Duke of Richmond, in particular, was attended by his three Efquires, with a perfpective view of King Henry the VIIth's Chapel. This capital picture is now at Godwood. And our artift was fent for to St. James's, by King George I. to draw the late Duke of Cumberland, from which Smith fcraped a mezzotinto.

In 1728 Mr. Hawkins Browne, then of Lincoln's Inn, who had ever a just fenfe of his talents and abilities, addreffed to him a poetical epiftle " on Defign and Beauty;" and, fome years after, an elegant Latin Ode, both now collected in his poems. (See the latter, with a tranflation, in the Gent. Mag. for 1768, p. 392.) In the fummer of 1732, Mr. Highmore vifited the continent, i company with Dr. Pemberton, Mr. Benj. Robins, and two other

friends, chiefly with a view of seeing the gallery of pictures belonging to the Elector Palatine at Duffeldorp, collected by Rubens, and fuppofed the best in Europe. At Antwerp alfo he had peculiar pleafure in contemplating the works of his favourite maf ter. In their return they vifited the principal towns in Holland. In 1734 he made a like excurfion, but alone, to Paris, where he received great civilities from his countrymen then there, particularly the Duke of Kingston, Dr. Hickman (his tutor,) Rob. Knight, Efq. (the late cafhier), &c. Here he had the fatisfaction of being fhewn, by Cardinal de Polignac, his famous group of antique ftatues, the court of Lycomedes, then juft brought from Rome, and fince purchafed by the King of Pruffia, and deftroyed at Charlottenbourg, in 1760, by the Ruffians. In 1742 he had the honour to paint the late Prince and Princefs of Wales, for the Duke of Saxe Gotha; as he did, fome years after, the late Queen of Denmark for that court. The publication of Pamela, in 1744, gave rife to a fet of paintings by Mr. Highmore, which were engraved by two French engravers, and published by fubfcription in 1745. In the fame year he painted the only original of the late Gen. Wolfe, then about 18. His Pamela introduced him to the acquaintance and friendship of the excellent author, whofe picture he drew, and for whom he painted the only original of Dr. Young. In 1750 he had the great misfortune to lose his excellent wife. On the first inftitution of the Academy of Painting, Sculpture, &c. in 1753, he was elected one of the Profeffors; an honour, which, on account of his many avocations, he defired to decline. In 1754 he publifhed "A critical Examination of thofe two Paintings [by Rubens} on the Cieling of the BanquetingHoufe at Whitehall, in which Architecture is introduced, fo far as relates to perfpective; together with the Difcuffion of a Question which has been the Subject of Debate among Painters: printed in 4to. for Nourfe. In the folution of this question he proved that Rubens, and feveral other great painters, were mistaken in the practice, and Mr. Kirby, and several other authors, in the theory. And in the XVIIIth vol. of the Monthly Re. view, (printed in 1758, p. 66,) he animadverted (anonymously) on Mr.

Kirby's unwarrantable treatment of Mr. Ware, and detected and exposed his errors, even when he exults in his own fuperior science. Of the many portraits which Mr. Highmore painted, in a large practice of 46 years, (of which feveral have been engraved,) it is impoffible and useless to difcufs particulars. Some of the most capital in the hiftorical branch, which was then much lefs cultivated than it is at prefent, fhall only be mentioned, viz. Hagar and Ishmael, a present to the Foundling Hofpital: The good Samaritan, painted for Mr. Shepherd, of Campfey Ah: The finding of Mofes, purchafed at his fale by Col. (now Gen.) Lifter: The Harlowe Family, as defcribed in Clariffa, now in the poffeffion of Thomas Watkinfon Payler, Efq; at Ileden in Kent: Clariffa, the portrait mentioned in that work: The Graces unveiling Nature, drawn by memory from Rubens: The Clementina of Grandison, and the Queen-mother of Edward IV. with her younger Son, &c. in Wefiminfier-Abbey: the three laft in the poffeffion of his fon.

In 1761, on the marriage of his daughter to the Rev. Mr. Duncombe, fon to one of his oldest friends, he took a refolution of retiring from business, and difpofing of his collection of pictures, which he did by auction, in March, 1762, and foon after removed to his fon in-law's at Canterbury, where he paffed the remainder of his life, without ever revifiting the metropolis. But though he had laid down the pencil, he never wanted employment: fo active and vigorous was his mind, that, with a conftitutional flow of fpirits, and a relish for inftructive fociety, he was never lefs alone than avben alone; and, befides his profeffional pursuits (above-mentioned), to philofophy, both natural and moral, and allo divinity, he laudably dedicated his time and attention. No man had more clearness and precision of ideas, or a more ardent defire to know the truth; and, when known, confcientiously to pursue it. With ftrong pafLions, ever guided by the ftricteft virtue, he had a tender, fufceptible heart, always open to the diftreffes of his fellow-creatures, and always ready to relieve them. His capital work of the litera y kind was his "Practice of Perfpective, on the Principles of Dr. Brook Taylor," &c. written many years before, but not published till 1763, when it was printed for Nourse,

in one vol. 4to. This not only evinced his fcientific knowledge of the fubject, but removed, by its perfpicuity, the only objection that can be made to the fyftem of Dr. Taylor. It accordingly received, from his friends and the intelligent public, the applaufes it de ferved. In 1765 he published (without his name)" Obfervations on a Pamphlet entitled, Chriftianity not founded on Argument' [by Dodwell];" in which, after fhewing that it is a continued irony, and lamenting that so ample a field should be offered the author of it for the difplay of his fophiftry, he gives up creeds, articles, and catechifms, as out-works raised by fallible, men, and confining himself to the defence of the gospel, or citadel, thews, that pure primitive chriftianity, though affaulted by infidels, will ever remain impregnable. His opinion of Rubens may be seen in the Gent. Mag. for 1766, p. 353, under the title of "Remarks on fome Paffages in Mr. Webb's Enquiry into the Beauties of Painting,' &c." In the fame year

[ocr errors]

he published, with only his initials, "J. H." two fmall volumes of "Effays, moral, religious, and mifcellaneous; with a Tranflation in Profe of Mr. Browne's Latin Poem on the Immortality of the Soul," felected from a larger number written at his leifure, at different periods of life. "As fuch," fays Dr. Hawkesworth (in his Review of them, vol. xxxvi. p. 238)," they do the author great credit. They are not excurfions of fancy, but efforts of thought, and indubi table indications of a vigorous and ac tive mind." In the Gent. Mag. for 1769, p. 287, he communicated " A natural and obvious Manner of conftructing fun dials, deduced from the fituation and motion of the earth with respect to the fun," explained by a fcheme. And in that for 1778, p. 526, his remarks on colouring, fuggefted by way of a note on the "Epistle to an eminent Painter," will fhew that his talents were by no means impaired at the age of 86. Indeed, he retained them to the laft, and had even ftrength and spirit fufficient to enable him to ride out daily on horseback, the fummer before he died. A ftrong constitution, habitual tempe. rance, and conftant attention to his health in youth as well as in age, prolonged his life, and preferved his fa culties to his 88th year, when he gradually ceased to breathe; and, as it

were

Curious View of Old London defcribed.

were, fell asleep, on March 3, 1780.
He was interred in the South isle of
Canterbury Cathedral, leaving one
fon, Anthony, educated in his own
profeffion; and a daughter, Sufanna,
mentioned above.

His abilities as a painter appear in his
works, which will not only be admired
by his contemporaries, but by their po-
fterity; as his tints, like thofe of Ru-
bens and Vandyck, inftead of being
impaired, are improved by time, which
fome of them have now withstood
above fixty years. His idea of beauty,
when he indulged his fancy, was of
the highest kind; and his knowledge
of perspective gave him great advan-
tages in family-pieces, of which he
painted more than any one of his time.
He could take a likeness by memory
as well as by a fitting, as appears by
his picture of the Duke of Lorrain
(the late Emperor), which Faber en-
graved; and thofe of King George II.
(in York Affembly-room); Queen
Caroline, the two Mifs Gunnings, &c.
Like many other great painters, he
had a Poet for his Friend," in the
late Mr. Browne; to which may
be added a poem addreffed to him
$4 years ago, by another friend, ftill
living, which the reader will find in
our poetical department.

Defcription of a Painting on Board, of the Time of James I.

T

Each

HE painting is on two leaves of wood, made to fhut together like the ancient altar-pieces. leaf or flap is 4 feet 2 inches to the point of the pediment, by 3 feet 4 inches. On the outfide of the righthand leaf is a view of London, Southwark, and the river. Among 5 churches on the Surrey-fide, St. Saviour's is the moft diftinguished, and before it appears the Bishop of Winchefter's palace, out of which the proceffion hereafter to be mentioned proceeds. Under the gates of this palace are two men in gowns and white fleeves. The trumpeters come out before them, preceded by a number of men in black gowns with white fleeves, who advance after another numerous train over London-bridge, which appears fided by houses, and croft by a gate with a pointed pediment, furmounted by a crofs. On the right hand of this is thrown by the perspective the heavy

• "A Thought at his Grave" was in·ferted in our last, p. 144.

179

tower of St. Magnus' church, with its pyramids at the corners. Beyond the bridge, along Watling-street, walk men in black gowns, three and three; then nine Aldermen, three and three, in red gowns and chains, preceded by the Lord Mayor in his gown, and the Sword-bearer: before these go 12 clergymen in black gowns, following Archbishop at their head, holding his 12 bishops in lawn fleeves, with the cap in his hand, and preceded by nine doublets, who are preceded by 12 lanoblemen, fome in black, others in red ruffs, five pages walking before dies in black and red gowns, with stiff them in cloaks. These are now ar

rived at the Weft door of St. Paul's Cathedral, under which is the King in a red doublet, trimmed with ermine, the crown on his head. On one fide the door ftands a page lifting up a fcroll in his right hand, his cap in his left, and oppofite to him a little full dreft in a ruff, &c. On the left, juft girl without the gate, ftands a Bishop, probably the Bishop of London, who feems to have given way to the King. Over the gate this inscription in Roman capitals:

"Behold the King cometh with great joy."

Twenty churches appear in the city; and on the river fide we fee Baynard's Caftle and the Tower: the latter a fquare fort, furrounded by an embattled wall, with round towers in the corners, a gate to the water, and in the center of the South fide a large building as the Tower of Babel is commonly reprefented, with a lofty crofs on it. In the Borough are five churches befides St. Saviour's; that in the left corner has a lofty steeple, feemingly round, furmounted by a fmall fpire. The Thames is covere dwith fhips, who have the union flag. The hills appear beyond London, and one very high to the right. From the fky proceed these two lines in capitals:

"For thy temple's fake I will with
thee all profperity.

"Many good things are done in thee,
O thou fayre citie."
Round the black frame of this leaf is,
written in gold capitals:

"And when it came into the
Kinge's minde to renew the house
of the Lord, he affembled the
Priests and the Levites, and faid
unto them, Go into the cities of
Judah, and gather of all Ifrael

money

« AnteriorContinuar »