In this institute, among the rarest exemplars of the best schools, is deposited this great painter's celebrated picture of Philoctetes; considerably larger than life: the hero is seen suffering on the isle of Lemnos, under the persecution of the Atrida. The subject is from Sophocles; and was painted by Parrhasius, a Greek of Ephesus-vide the elder Pliny: "Here for ten years Have I remain'd, whilst misery and famine Keep fresh my wounds; and double my misfortune. And may the Gods, with equal woe, repay thein." FRANKLIN'S SOPH. This production of epic art, matured by extensive knowledge, and by cultured genius, raised the British character among foreigners: and having gained the applause of the present, it will descend with increasing admiration to future ages! The Philoctetes of Barry, was engraved at Bologna by an Italian, soon after the picture was finished; and impressions from the plate were dispersed over every part of the continent. Edmund Burke demonstrating his positions on the Sublime and Beautiful, painted about the year 1771. 91. 9s. od. Cupid instructing Mercury to string the Lyre from his Bow..... ...131. 2s. 6d. Mr. Barry's Portrait, sitting at the Base of the Statue of Hercules, who is crushing Envy, holding the picture of the Cyclops, a subject painted by Timanthes. A Study from the picture of St. by Corregio. Dido and Eneas, from Virgil. 121. 12s. Od. Jerome at Parma, ...171. 17s. 6d. The first picture from defects; yet on that distressing occasion did the Royal Academy of Arts, instituted by the best of sovereigns for the protection and culture of talent, expel from their society (and with an ignominy which time seems now to retaliate upon their laws) an artist of the highest class-one, whem posterity, if not his cotemporaries, will proclaim, in the words of his own Lear, a man more sinned against than sinning," and the independence of whose principles, and the greatness of whose mind, made the errors of his enthusiasm seem far too trivial to call down such mighty resentment." Barry painted at Rome, and the only Landscape, which he quitting in pursuit of nobler game, it was flung by unfinished. Temptation of Adam, by Eve. ..141. 14s. "Thus Eve with count'nance blith her story told, On my experience, Adam, freely taste, 1051. After long choosing, and beginning late, Barry, prepared for the undertaking by sedulous studies after the Greek marbles, the great labours in the Vatican, and in the best repositories of the arts at Rome, settled the doubts long fluctuating in his active mind, whether to select his subject from Homer, or from Milton: 'twas decided in favour of the latter! and the temptation of Adam by Eve was committed to the canvas; from whence it issued with a purity of form, combined with attic perception, that gained universal eclat among the cognoscenti of all nations (where the fame of Paradise Lost had attracted no less attention than the Iliad); but it' was particularly spoken of by the French, undoubtedly at that time (with a very few exceptions) the best artists at Rome, who were fast regenerating from fluttering, and frothy compositions; or what is still more base, insipid mediocrity of design, which they had been accidentally thrown into from the nature of their debilitating establishment, and the frivolous usages of a voluptuous city. From Rome this picture was consigned to the care of the late Edmund Burke, for exhibition in this metropolis, where it obtained the highest encomiums from the first of our British artists, and from all intelligent judges in works of virtu: it not only met admirers, but competitors for purchase: But it was set aside, with others, merely from the singularity of this unique artist. 1151. 10s. Venus Anadyomene..... This production from the celebrated pencil of Barry, was painted upon his return from Italy, and exhibited publicly as soon as it came from his easel. It claimed, and met with decided approbation! In this picture, the candid, and the judicious, see combined, attic fire, with the most chaste and captivating contour of bewitching forms: this subject had been treated by Apelles, the merit of whose performance may be estimated by the following epigram: "Si nunquam Venerem Cois pinxisset Apelles, Jupiter beguiled by Juno. 261. 5s. This picture was placed by Augustus in the temple dedicated to his father, which was also named the Anadyomene, from the fine work of art it contained. "To Ida's top successful Juno flies, Great Jove surveys her, with desiring eyes." This truly sublime and classic representation from the great Iliad, carries with it a moral lesson of the highest importance; the poetry of Homer is finely embodied by painting; and while the figures from their magnitude possess all the sublimity of the feast of the Gods in the Ghigi Palace, they are treated with considerably more learning and comprised within a size adapted the space of a common apartinent. "In omnibus ejus operibus intelligitur plus semper quam pingitur; et cum ars summa sit, ingenium tamen ultra artem est." ...2301. 9s. Pandora, or the Heathen Eve. The last production of the great, and of the extraordinary BARRY, was carried on, under every circumStance of discouragement; and the artist was borne out in the undertaking, solely by the perseverance and fortitude of his enlarged and independent mind: what would have subdued most other men, raised and invigorated the exertions of Barry to a pitch of knowledge in the art he loved, seldom attained, and never exceeded. "Non vidit Phidias Jovem, fecit tamen, velut tonantem; nec stetit ante oculos ejus Minerva, dignus tamen illa arte animus, et concepit Deos et exhibuit." Senec. Rhet. lib. 20.. Of the Pandora, the author gives the following narration. "While I was studying the Greek statues at Rome, and comparing them with the gods and goddesses of Raffaele at the Ghigi, I felt myseif impelled to try how far any own will and strength would carry me in a parallel subject with this of Raffaele: the advantages of living in the 18th century, after so much intervening, and very essential criticism, and Greek illumination in the articles of beauty, character, sublimity, &c. these essential advantages appearing to me, if not a sufficient counterpoise, yet at least a considerable accession of weight in the light scale of a tramontane, and a modern: emboldened by this, I sat down, with great avidity, to a subject from Hesiod, which is more interesting, and fuller of action than that of Raffaele's from Apuleius. "It is Pandora or the Heathen Eve, who having been brought by Venus into the assembly of the Gods, is emblematically seated: while she is attiring by Cupid, and the Graces: the former is demanding from his mother, the powerful Cestus; Minerva is discoursing of the domestic duties of a wife, with a shuttle in her right hand, and in her left a tapestry robe, with the story of Jove fulminating the Titans, or the punishment of pride and arrogance, likely too soon to become apparent in the descendants of poor Pandora. Vulcan is reposing from his labour, surveying the beauteous mortal: the hammer in the hands of Vulcan, the fire, egg, water, tadpole, frog, serpent, &c. near him, are allegories allusive of the general design. Mercury is putting on his talaria, to carry her down to Epimetheus the destined husband; the Loves and Horæ are scattering flowers; Hebe carrying round nectar on the occasion-Jupiter, Juno, Neptune, and Pluto form the principal group-behind Juno, are seated Cybele, Ceres, and Diana; two of the Parcæ, in a cave of clouds behind Jupiter, are employed upon her destiny, whilst the other is coming forth with the well-known casket, which contains her portion, &c. near lies (sleeping) Cerberus, On the opposite side of the picture, Apollo is singing the Hyméneal! upon his right are the muses Urania, Euterpe, Clio; on the left of Apollo, in the middle ground, Bacchus, Pan, Mars, and Venus (intriguing, though the goddess is somewhat pouting with jealousy). Between Minerva and Pandora stands Hymen. In the back ground upon the left, the coursers of the sun and other Muses, are preceded by Aurora, whose "rosy morn" throws ruddy gleams throughout the various groups that compose the majestic Synod of Olym pus, and close the interesting scenery of the epic drama. VOL. I. "Except the mere mention which Pausanias makes of a Basso Relievo carved by Phidias upon a pedestal of Minerva at Athens, this is altogether a virgin subject, and perhaps one of the finest remaining of the ancients; as I had this subject much at heart, and the whole of my studies, whilst I was abroad, were one continued preparation to the painting of it, (which might indeed well satisfy me, as it included the whole of the art,) it was with great mortification I found myself necessitated to decline two very flattering offers, which were made for the painting of it, one by his Grace the Duke of Richmond, the other by Mr. Lock, but it was impossible for me to comply, as I was thoroughly persuaded that this subject, would, from the very nature of it, lose much of the grandeur of its effect, by being reduced to too narrow limits." The following observations of a French critic of celebrity, who has written much upon the art, are suited to most ages of civilization, and are therefore humbly submitted. "New performances are approved of at first by judges of a very different character; by men of the same profession, and the public; they would soon be rated at their just value, were the public as capable of defending and maintaining their sentiment, as they know how to espouse the right party: but their judgment is easily perplexed by persons who make a profession of the art. Now these persons are frequently subject to make a false report of things: for reasons which we shall give hereafter. They therefore throw such a mist over the truth, that the public continue frequently for some time in a state of uncertainty or error; though such artists cannot impose on others, so as to make them believe that those excellent things are but indifferent with respect to others; the error into which they throw the public by this means with respect to a new performance, is a long while in removing. Till the work becomes more generally known the prejudice which the decision of such artists has caused in the world, balances the sentiments of judicious and disinterested persons; especially if it be from the hands of an author, whose reputation (from habits natural to the studious) is not yet established. Boileau's prediction in favour of Racine's Tragedies, is fully accomplished! an impartial posterity has declared |