,,the ,,best ,,portraits ,,in ,,engraving4 ,,by ,,charles ,,sumner4 ,fifth ,edition4 ,,frederick ,,keppel ,,co4 ,,new ,,york1 #bj ,,east #afth ,,street4 ,,london1 ,,paris1 #c ,,duke ,,street1 ,,adelphi4 #bg ,,quai ,,de ,l',,horloge4 ,entered according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahge1 by ,,frederick ,,keppel1 ,in the ,office of the ,librarian of ,congress at ,washington4 ,,the ,,best ,,portraits ,,in ,,engraving4 ,engraving is one of the fine arts1 and in this beautiful family has been the especial handmaiden of painting4 ,another sister is now coming forward to join this service1 lending to it the charm of color4 ,if1 in our day1 the chromo can do more than engraving1 it cannot impair the value of the early masters4 ,with them there is no rivalry or competition4 ,historically1 as well as aesthetically1 they will be masters always4 ,everybody knows something of engraving1 as of printing1 with which it was associated in origin4 ,school-books1 illustrated papers1 and shop windows are the ordinary opportunities open to all4 ,but while creating a transient interest1 or1 perhaps1 quickening the taste1 they furnish little with regard to the art itself1 especially in other days4 ,and yet1 looking at an engraving1 like looking at a book1 may be the beginning of a new pleasure and a new study4 ,each person has his own story4 ,mine is simple4 ,suffering from continued prostration1 disabling me from the ordinary activities of life1 ,i turned to engravings for employment and pastime4 ,with the invaluable assistance of that devoted connoisseur1 the late ,dr4 ,thies1 ,i went through the ,gray collection at ,cambridge1 enjoying it like a picture-gallery4 ,other collections in our country were examined also4 ,then1 in ,paris1 while undergoing severe medical treatment1 my daily medicine for weeks was the vast cabinet of engravings1 then called ,imperial1 now ,national1 counted by the million1 where was everything to please or instruct4 ,thinking of those kindly portfolios1 ,i make this record of gratitude1 as to benefactors4 ,perhaps some other invalid1 seeking occupation without burden1 may find in them the solace that ,i did4 ,happily1 it is not necessary to visit ,paris for the purpose4 ,other collections1 on a smaller scale1 will furnish the same remedy4 ,in any considerable collection1 portraits occupy an important place4 ,their multitude may be inferred when ,i mention that1 in one series of portfolios1 in the ,paris cabinet1 ,i counted no less than forty-seven portraits of ,franklin and forty-three of ,lafayette1 with an equal number of ,washington1 while all the early ,presidents were numerously represented4 ,but1 in this large company1 there are very few possessing artistic value4 ,the great portraits of modern times constitute a very short list1 like the great poems or histories1 and it is the same with engravings as with pictures4 ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 explaining the difference between an historical painter and a portrait-painter1 remarks that the former paints men in general1 a portrait-painter a particular man1 and consequently a defective model4#a ,a portrait1 therefore1 may be an accurate presentment of its subject without aesthetic value4 ,but here1 as in other things1 genius exercises its accustomed sway without limitation4 ,even the difficulties of a defective model did not prevent ,raffaelle1 ,titian1 ,rembrandt1 ,rubens1 ,velasquez1 or ,vandyck from producing portraits precious in the history of art4 ,it would be easy to mention heads by ,raffaelle1 yielding in value to only two or three of his larger masterpieces1 like the ,dresden ,madonna4 ,charles the ,fifth stooped to pick up the pencil of ,titian1 saying it becomes ,caesar to serve ,titian6 ,true enough2 but this unprecedented compliment from the imperial successor of ,charlemagne attests the glory of the portrait-painter4 ,the female figures of ,titian1 so much admired under the names of ,flora1 ,la ,bella1 his daughter1 his mistress1 and even his ,venus1 were portraits from life4 ,rembrandt turned from his great triumphs in his own peculiar school to portraits of unwonted power2 so also did ,rubens1 showing that in this department his universality of conquest was not arrested4 ,to these must be added ,velasquez and ,vandyck1 each of infinite genius1 who won fame especially as portrait-painters4 ,and what other title has ,sir ,joshua himself8 ,sidenote3 ,suyderhoef4 ,historical pictures are often collections of portraits arranged so as to illustrate an important event4 ,such is the famous ,,peace ,,of ,m,ue,n,s,t,e,r1 by ,terburg1 just presented by a liberal ,englishman to the ,national ,gallery at ,london4 ,here are the plenipotentiaries of ,holland1 ,spain1 and ,austria1 uniting in the great treaty which constitutes an epoch in the ,law of ,nations4 ,the engraving by ,suyderhoef is rare and interesting4 ,similar in character is the ,death of ,chatham1 by ,copley1 where the illustrious statesman is surrounded by the peers he had been addressing--every one a portrait4 ,to this list must be added the pictures by ,trumbull in the ,rotunda of the ,capitol at ,washington1 especially the ,declaration of ,independence1 in which ,thackeray took a sincere interest4 ,standing before these1 the author and artist said to me1 ,these are the best pictures in the country1 and he proceeded to remark on their honesty and fidelity2 but doubtless their real value is in their portraits4 ,unquestionably the finest assemblage of portraits anywhere is that of the artists occupying two halls in the gallery at ,florence1 being autographs contributed by the masters themselves4 ,here is ,raffaelle1 with chestnut-brown hair1 and dark eyes full of sensibility1 painted when he was twenty-three1 and known by the engraving of ,forster--,julio ,romano1 in black and red chalk on paper1--,massaccio1 called the father of painting1 much admired--,leonardo da ,vinci1 beautiful and grand1--,titian1 rich and splendid1--,pietro ,perugino1 remarkable for execution and expression1--,albert ,duerer1 rigid but masterly1--,gerhard ,dow1 finished according to his own exacting style1--and ,reynolds1 with fresh ,english face2 but these are only examples of this incomparable collection1 which was begun as far back as the ,cardinal ,leopold de ,medici1 and has been happily continued to the present time4 ,here are the lions1 painted by themselves1 except1 perhaps1 the foremost of all1 ,michael ,angelo1 whose portrait seems the work of another4 ,the impression from this collection is confirmed by that of any group of historic artists4 ,their portraits excel those of statesmen1 soldiers1 or divines1 as is easily seen by engravings accessible to all4 ,the engraved heads in ,arnold ,houbraken's biographies of the ,dutch and ,flemish painters1 in three volumes1 are a family of rare beauty4#b ,the relation of engraving to painting is often discussed2 but nobody has treated it with more knowledge or sentiment than the consummate engraver ,longhi in his interesting work1 ,la ,calcografia4#c ,dwelling on the general aid it renders to the lovers of art1 he claims for it greater merit in publishing and immortalizing the portraits of eminent men for the example of the present and future generations2 and1 better than any other art1 serving as the vehicle for the most extended and remote propagation of deserved celebrity4 ,even great monuments in porphyry and bronze are less durable than these light and fragile impressions subject to all the chances of wind1 water1 and fire1 but prevailing by their numbers where the mass succumbs4 ,in other words1 it is with engravings as with books2 nor is this the only resemblance between them4 ,according to ,longhi1 an engraving is not a copy or imitation1 as is sometimes insisted1 but a translation4 ,the engraver translates into another language1 where light and shade supply the place of colors4 ,the duplication of a book in the same language is a copy1 and so is the duplication of a picture in the same material4 ,evidently an engraving is not a copy2 it does not reproduce the original picture1 except in drawing and expression2 nor is it a mere imitation1 but1 as ,bryant's ,homer and ,longfellow's ,dante are presentations of the great originals in another language1 so is the engraving a presentation of painting in another material which is like another language4 ,thus does the engraver vindicate his art4 ,but nobody can examine a choice print without feeling that it has a merit of its own different from any picture1 and inferior only to a good picture4 ,a work of ,raffaelle1 or any of the great masters1 is better in an engraving of ,longhi or ,morghen than in any ordinary copy1 and would probably cost more in the market4 ,a good engraving is an undoubted work of art1 but this cannot be said of many pictures1 which1 like ,peter ,pindar's razors1 seem made to sell4 ,much that belongs to the painter belongs also to the engraver1 who must have the same knowledge of contours1 the same power of expression1 the same sense of beauty1 and the same ability in drawing with sureness of sight as if1 according to ,michael ,angelo1 he had a pair of compasses in his eyes4 ,these qualities in a high degree make the artist1 whether painter or engraver1 naturally excelling in portraits4 ,but choice portraits are less numerous in engraving than in painting1 for the reason1 that painting does not always find a successful translator4 ,illustration3 ,,philip ,,melancthon4 7,engraved by ,albert ,duerer from his own ,design47 ,sidenote3 ,duerer4 ,the earliest engraved portraits which attract attention are by ,albert ,duerer1 who engraved his own work1 translating himself4 ,his eminence as painter was continued as engraver4 ,here he surpassed his predecessors1 ,martin ,schoen in ,germany1 and ,mantegna in ,italy1 so that ,longhi does not hesitate to say that he was the first who carried the art from infancy in which he found it to a condition not far from flourishing adolescence4 ,but1 while recognizing his great place in the history of engraving1 it is impossible not to see that he is often hard and constrained1 if not unfinished4 ,his portrait of ,,erasmus is justly famous1 and is conspicuous among the prints exhibited in the ,british ,museum4 ,it is dated #aebf1 two years before the death of ,duerer1 and has helped to extend the fame of the universal scholar and approved man of letters1 who in his own age filled a sphere not unlike that of ,voltaire in a later century4 ,there is another portrait of ,erasmus by ,holbein1 often repeated1 so that two great artists have contributed to his renown4 ,that by ,duerer is admired4 ,the general fineness of touch1 with the accessories of books and flowers1 shows the care in its execution2 but it wants expression1 and the hands are far from graceful4 ,another most interesting portrait by ,duerer1 executed in the same year with the ,erasmus1 is ,,philip ,,melancthon1 the ,st4 ,john of the ,reformation1 sometimes called the teacher of ,germany4 ,luther1 while speaking of himself as rough1 boisterous1 stormy1 and altogether warlike1 says1 but ,master ,philippus comes along softly and gently1 sowing and watering with joy according to the rich gifts which ,god has bestowed upon him4 ,at the date of the print he was twenty-nine years of age1 and the countenance shows the mild reformer4 ,sidenote3 ,caracci4 ,agostino ,caracci1 of the ,bolognese family1 memorable in art1 added to considerable success as painter undoubted triumphs as engraver4 ,his prints are numerous1 and many are regarded with favor2 but out of the long list not one is so sure of that longevity allotted to art as his portrait of ,,titian1 which bears date #aehg1 eleven years after the death of the latter4 ,over it is the inscription1 ,titiani ,vicellii ,pictoris celeberrimi ac famosissimi vera effigies1 to which is added beneath1 ,cujus nomen orbis continere non valet6 ,although founded on originals by ,titian himself1 it was probably designed by the remarkable engraver4 ,it is very like1 and yet unlike the familiar portrait of which we have a recent engraving by ,mandel1 from a repetition in the gallery of ,berlin4 ,looking at it1 we are reminded of the terms by which ,vasari described the great painter1 guidicioso1 bello e stupendo4 ,such a head1 with such visible power1 justifies these words1 or at least makes us believe them entirely applicable4 ,it is bold1 broad1 strong1 and instinct with life4 ,this print1 like the ,erasmus of ,duerer1 is among those selected for exhibition at the ,british ,museum1 and it deserves the honor4 ,though only paper with black lines1 it is1 by the genius of the artist1 as good as a picture4 ,in all engraving nothing is better4 ,sidenote3 ,goltzius4 ,contemporary with ,caracci was ,hendrik ,goltzius1 at ,harlem1 excellent as painter1 but1 like the ,italian1 pre-eminent as engraver4 ,his prints show mastery of the art1 making something like an epoch in its history4 ,his unwearied skill in the use of the burin appears in a tradition gathered by ,longhi from ,wille1 that1 having commenced a line1 he carried it to the end without once stopping1 while the long and bright threads of copper turned up were brushed aside by his flowing beard1 which at the end of a day's labor so shone in the light of a candle that his companions nicknamed him the man with the golden beard4 ,there are prints by him which shine more than his beard4 ,among his masterpieces is the portrait of his instructor1 ,,theodore ,,coernhert1 engraver1 poet1 musician1 and vindicator of his country1 and author of the national air1 ,william of ,orange1 whose passion for liberty did not prevent him from giving to the world translations of ,cicero's ,offices and ,seneca's ,treatise on ,beneficence4 ,but that of the ,,engraver ,,himself1 as large as life1 is one of the most important in the art4 ,among the numerous prints by ,goltzius1 these two will always be conspicuous4 ,illustration3 ,,jan ,,lutma4 7,etched by ,rembrandt from his own ,design47 ,sidenote3 ,pontius4 ,sidenote3 ,rembrandt4 ,sidenote3 ,visscher4 ,in ,holland ,goltzius had eminent successors4 ,among these were ,paul ,pontius1 designer and engraver1 whose portrait of ,,rubens is of great life and beauty1 and ,rembrandt1 who was not less masterly in engraving than in painting1 as appears sufficiently in his portraits of the ,,burgomaster ,,six1 the two ,,coppenols1 the ,,advocate ,,tolling1 the goldsmith ,,lutma1 all showing singular facility and originality4 ,contemporary with ,rembrandt was ,cornelis ,visscher1 also designer and engraver1 whose portraits were unsurpassed in boldness and picturesque effect4 ,at least one authority has accorded to this artist the palm of engraving1 hailing him as ,corypheus of the art4 ,among his successful portraits is that of a ,,cat2 but all yield to what are known as the ,,great ,,beards1 being the portraits of ,,william ,,de ,,ryck1 an ophthalmist at ,amsterdam1 and of ,,gellius ,,de ,,bouma1 the ,zutphen ecclesiastic4 ,the latter is especially famous4 ,in harmony with the beard is the heavy face1 seventy-seven years old1 showing the fulness of long-continued potation1 and hands like the face1 original and powerful1 if not beautiful4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,sleeping ,,cat4 7,engraved by ,cornelis ,visscher from his own ,design47 ,sidenote3 ,vandyck4 ,in contrast with ,visscher was his companion ,vandyck1 who painted portraits with constant beauty and carried into etching the same ,virgilian taste and skill4 ,his aquafortis was not less gentle than his pencil4 ,among his etched portraits ,i would select that of ,,snyders1 the animal painter1 as extremely beautiful4 ,m4 ,renouvier1 in his learned and elaborate work1 ,des ,types et des ,manieres des ,maitres ,graveurs1 though usually moderate in praise1 speaks of these sketches as possessing a boldness and delicacy which charm1 being taken1 at the height of his genius1 by the painter who knew the best how to idealize the painting of portraits4 ,such are illustrative instances from ,germany1 ,italy1 and ,holland4 ,as yet1 power rather than beauty presided1 unless in the etchings of ,vandyck4 ,but the reign of ,louis ,,xiv4 was beginning to assert a supremacy in engraving as in literature4 ,the great school of ,french engravers which appeared at this time brought the art to a splendid perfection1 which many think has not been equalled since1 so that ,masson1 ,nanteuil1 ,edelinck1 and ,drevet may claim fellowship in genius with their immortal contemporaries1 ,corneille1 ,racine1 ,la ,fontaine1 and ,moliere4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,sudarium ,,of ,,st4 ,,veronica4 7,engraved by ,claude ,mellan from his own ,design47 ,sidenote3 ,mellan4 ,the school was opened by ,claude ,mellan1 more known as engraver than painter1 and also author of most of the designs he engraved4 ,his life1 beginning with the sixteenth century1 was protracted beyond ninety years1 not without signal honor1 for his name appears among the ,illustrious ,men of ,france1 in the beautiful volumes of ,perrault1 which is also a homage to the art he practiced4 ,one of his works1 for a long time much admired1 was described by this author3 ,it is a ,christ's head1 designed and shaded1 with his crown of thorns and the blood that gushes forth from all parts1 by one single stroke1 which1 beginning at the tip of the nose1 and so still circling on1 forms most exactly everything that is represented in this plate1 only by the different thickness of the stroke1 which1 according as it is more or less swelling1 makes the eyes1 nose1 mouth1 cheeks1 hair1 blood1 and thorns2 the whole so well represented and with such expressions of pain and affliction1 that nothing is more dolorous or touching4#d ,this print is known as the ,,sudarium ,,of ,,st4 ,,veronica4 ,longhi records that it was thought at the time inimitable1 and was praised to the skies2 but people think differently now4 ,at best it is a curiosity among portraits4 ,a traveler reported some time ago that it was the sole print on the walls of the room occupied by the director of the ,imperial ,cabinet of ,engravings at ,st4 ,petersburgh4 ,sidenote3 ,morin4 ,morin was a contemporary of ,mellan1 and less famous at the time4 ,his style of engraving was peculiar1 being a mixture of strokes and dots1 but so harmonized as to produce a pleasing effect4 ,one of the best engraved portraits in the history of the art is his ,,cardinal ,,bentivoglio2 but here he translated ,vandyck1 whose picture is among his best4 ,a fine impression of this print is a choice possession4 ,illustration3 ,,cardinal ,,bentivoglio4 7,painted by ,anthony ,van ,dyck1 and ,engraved by ,jean ,morin47 ,sidenote3 ,masson4 ,among ,french masters ,antoine ,masson is conspicuous for brilliant hardihood of style1 which1 though failing in taste1 is powerful in effect4 ,metal1 armor1 velvet1 feather1 seem as if painted4 ,he is also most successful in the treatment of hair4 ,his immense skill made him welcome difficulties1 as if to show his ability in overcoming them4 ,his print of ,,henri ,,de ,,lorraine1 ,,comte ,d',,harcourt1 known as ,cadet a la ,perle1 from the pearl in the ear1 with the date #affg1 is often placed at the head of engraved portraits1 although not particularly pleasing or interesting4 ,the vigorous countenance is aided by the gleam and sheen of the various substances entering into the costume4 ,less powerful1 but having a charm of its own1 is that of ,,brisacier1 known as the ,,gray-,,haired ,,man1 executed in #affd4 ,the remarkable representation of hair in this print has been a model for artists1 especially for ,longhi1 who recounts that he copied it in his head of ,washington4 ,somewhat similar is the head of ,,charrier1 the criminal judge at ,lyons4 ,though inferior in hair1 it surpasses the other in expression4 ,sidenote3 ,nanteuil4 ,nanteuil was an artist of different character1 being to ,masson as ,vandyck to ,visscher1 with less of vigor than beauty4 ,his original genius was refined by classical studies1 and quickened by diligence4 ,though dying at the age of forty-eight1 he had executed as many as two hundred and eighty plates1 nearly all portraits4 ,the favor he enjoyed during life was not diminished with time4 ,his works illustrate the reign of ,louis ,,xiv41 and are still admired4 ,among these are portraits of the ,,king1 ,,annie ,,of ,,austria1 ,,john ,,baptiste ,,van ,,steenberghen1 the ,advocate-,general of ,holland1 a heavy ,dutchman1 ,,francois ,,de ,,la ,,motte ,,le ,,vayer1 a fine and delicate work1 ,,turenne1 ,,colbert1 ,,lamoignon1 the poet ,,loret1 ,,maridat ,,de ,,serriere1 ,,louise-,,marie ,,de ,,gonzague1 ,,louis ,,hesselin1 ,,christine ,,of ,,sweden--all masterpieces2 but above these is the ,,pompone ,,de ,,bellievre1 foremost among his masterpieces1 and a chief masterpiece of art1 being1 in the judgment of more than one connoisseur1 the most beautiful engraved portrait that exists4 ,that excellent authority1 ,dr4 ,thies1 who knew engraving more thoroughly and sympathetically than any person ,i remember in our country1 said in a letter to myself1 as long ago as ,march1 #aheh3 ,when ,i call ,nanteuil's ,pompone the handsomest engraved portrait1 ,i express a conviction to which ,i came when ,i studied all the remarkable engraved portraits at the royal cabinet of engravings at ,dresden1 and at the large and exquisite collection there of the late ,king of ,saxony1 and in which ,i was confirmed or perhaps1 to which ,i was led1 by the director of the two establishments1 the late ,professor ,frenzel4 ,and after describing this head1 the learned connoisseur proceeds3-- ,there is an air of refinement1 vornehmheit1 round the mouth and nose as in no other engraving4 ,color and life shine through the skin1 and the lips appear red4 ,it is bold1 perhaps1 thus to exalt a single portrait1 giving to it the palm of ,venus2 nor do ,i know that it is entirely proper to classify portraits according to beauty4 ,in disputing about beauty1 we are too often lost in the variety of individual tastes1 and yet each person knows when he is touched4 ,in proportion as multitudes are touched1 there must be merit4 ,as in music a simple heart-melody is often more effective than any triumph over difficulties1 or bravura of manner1 so in engraving the sense of the beautiful may prevail over all else1 and this is the case with the ,pompone1 although there are portraits by others showing higher art4 ,no doubt there have been as handsome men1 whose portraits were engraved1 but not so well4 ,i know not if ,pompone was what would be called a handsome man1 although his air is noble and his countenance bright4 ,but among portraits more boldly1 delicately1 or elaborately engraved1 there are very few to contest the palm of beauty4 ,illustration3 ,,pompone ,,de ,,bellievre4 7,painted by ,charles ,le ,brun1 and ,engraved by ,robert ,nanteuil47 ,and who is this handsome man to whom the engraver has given a lease of fame8 ,son1 nephew1 and grandson of eminent magistrates1 high in the nobility of the robe1 with two grandfathers chancellors of ,france1 himself at the head of the magistry of ,france1 first ,president of ,parliament according to inscription on the engraving1 ,senatus ,franciae ,princeps1 ambassador to ,italy1 ,holland1 and ,england1 charged in the latter country by ,cardinal ,mazarin with the impossible duty of making peace between the ,long ,parliament and ,charles the ,first1 and at his death1 great benefactor of the ,general ,hospital of ,paris1 bestowing upon it riches and the very bed on which he died4 ,such is the simple catalogue1 and yet it is all forgotten4 ,a ,funeral ,panegyric pronounced at his death1 now before me in the original pamphlet of the time1#e testifies to more than family or office4 ,in himself he was much1 and not of those who1 according to the saying of ,st4 ,bernard1 give out smoke rather than light4 ,pure glory and innocent riches were his1 which were more precious in the sight of good men1 and he showed himself incorruptible1 and not to be bought at any price4 ,it were easy for him to have turned a deluge of wealth into his house2 but he knew that gifts insensibly corrupt1--that the specious pretext of gratitude is the snare in which the greatest souls allow themselves to be caught1--that a man covered with favors has difficulty in setting himself against injustice in all its forms1 and that a magistrate divided between a sense of obligations received and the care of the public interest1 which he ought always to promote1 is a paralytic magistrate1 a magistrate deprived of a moiety of himself4 ,so spoke the preacher1 while he portrayed a charity tender and prompt for the wretched1 a vehemence just and inflexible to the dishonest and wicked1 with a sweetness noble and beneficent for all2 dwelling also on his countenance1 which had not that severe and sour austerity that renders justice to the good only with regret1 and to the guilty only with anger2 then on his pleasant and gracious address1 his intellectual and charming conversation1 his ready and judicious replies1 his agreeable and intelligent silence1 his refusals1 which were well received and obliging2 while1 amidst all the pomp and splendor accompanying him1 there shone in his eyes a certain air of humanity and majesty1 which secured for him1 and for justice itself1 love as well as respect4 ,his benefactions were constant4 ,not content with giving only his own1 he gave with a beautiful manner still more rare4 ,he could not abide beauty of intelligence without goodness of soul1 and he preferred always the poor1 having for them not only compassion but a sort of reverence4 ,he knew that the way to take the poison from riches was to make them tasted by those who had them not4 ,the sentiment of ,christian charity for the poor1 who were to him in the place of children1 was his last thought1 as witness especially the ,general ,hospital endowed by him1 and presented by the preacher as the greatest and most illustrious work ever undertaken by charity the most heroic4 ,thus lived and died the splendid ,pompone de ,bellievre1 with no other children than his works4 ,celebrated at the time by a ,funeral ,panegyric now forgotten1 and placed among the ,illustrious ,men of ,france in a work remembered only for its engraved portraits1 his famous life shrinks1 in the voluminous ,biographie ,universelle of ,michaud1 to the seventh part of a single page1 and in the later ,biographie ,generalle of ,didot disappears entirely4 ,history forgets to mention him4 ,but the lofty magistrate1 ambassador1 and benefactor1 founder of a great hospital1 cannot be entirely lost from sight so long as his portrait by ,nanteuil holds a place in art4 ,sidenote3 ,edelinck4 ,younger than ,nanteuil by ten years1 ,gerard ,edelinck excelled him in genuine mastery4 ,born at ,antwerp1 he became ,french by adoption1 occupying apartments in the ,gobelins1 and enjoying a pension from ,louis ,,xiv4 ,longhi says that he is the engraver whose works1 not only according to his own judgment1 but that of the most intelligent1 deserve the first place among exemplars1 and he attributes to him all perfections in highest degree1 design1 chiaro-oscuro1 aerial perspective1 local tints1 softness1 lightness1 variety1 in short everything which can enter into the most exact representation of the true and beautiful without the aid of color4 ,others may have surpassed him in particular things1 but1 according to the ,italian teacher1 he remains by common consent the prince of engraving4 ,another critic calls him king4 ,it requires no remarkable knowledge to recognize his great merits4 ,evidently he is a master1 exercising sway with absolute art1 and without attempts to bribe the eye by special effects of light1 as on metal or satin4 ,among his conspicuous productions is the ,,tent ,,of ,,darius1 a large engraving on two sheets1 after ,le ,brun1 where the family of the ,persian monarch prostrate themselves before ,alexander1 who approaches with ,hephaestion4 ,there is also a ,,holy ,,family1 after ,raffaelle1 and the ,,battle ,,of ,,the ,,standard1 after ,leonardo da ,vinci2 but these are less interesting than his numerous portraits1 among which that of ,,philippe ,,de ,,champaigne is the chief masterpiece2 but there are others of signal merit1 including especially that of ,,madame ,,heliot1 or ,la ,belle ,religieuse1 a beautiful ,french coquette praying before a crucifix2 ,,martin ,,van ,,der ,,bogaert1 a sculptor2 ,,frederic ,,leonard1 printer to the king2 ,,mouton1 the ,lute-player2 ,,martinus ,,dilgerus1 with a venerable beard white with age2 ,,jules ,,hardouin ,,mansart1 the architect2 also a portrait of ,,pompone ,,de ,,bellievre which will be found among the prints of ,perrault's ,illustrious ,men4 ,the ,,philippe ,,de ,,champaigne is the head of that eminent ,french artist after a painting by himself1 and it contests the palm with the ,pompone4 ,mr4 ,marsh1 who is an authority1 prefers it4 ,dr4 ,thies1 who places the latter first in beauty1 is constrained to allow that the other is superior as a work of the graver1 being executed with all the resources of the art in its chastest form4 ,the enthusiasm of ,longhi finds expression in unusual praise3 ,the work which goes the most to my blood1 and with regard to which ,edelinck1 with good reason1 congratulated himself1 is the portrait of ,champaigne4 ,i shall die before ,i cease to contemplate it with wonder always new4 ,here is seen how he was equally great as designer and engraver4#f ,illustration3 ,,martin ,,van ,,der ,,bogaert4 7,painted by ,hyacinthe ,rigaud1 and ,engraved by ,gerard ,edelinck47 ,and he then dwells on various details2 the skin1 the flesh1 the eyes living and seeing1 the moistened lips1 the chin covered with a beard unshaven for a few days1 and the hair in all its forms4 ,between the rival portraits by ,nanteuil and ,edelinck it is unnecessary to decide4 ,each is beautiful4 ,in looking at them we recognize anew the transient honors of public service4 ,the present fame of ,champaigne surpasses that of ,pompone4 ,the artist outlives the magistrate4 ,but does not the poet tell us that the artist never dies8 ,sidenote3 ,drevet4 ,as ,edelinck passed from the scene1 the family of ,drevet appeared1 especially the son1 ,pierre ,imbert ,drevet1 born in #afig1 who developed a rare excellence1 improving even upon the technics of his predecessor1 and gilding his refined gold4 ,the son was born engraver1 for at the age of thirteen he produced an engraving of exceeding merit4 ,he manifested a singular skill in rendering different substances1 like ,masson1 by the effect of light1 and at the same time gave to flesh a softness and transparency which remain unsurpassed4 ,to these he added great richness in picturing costumes and drapery1 especially in lace4 ,he was eminently a portrait engraver1 which ,i must insist is the highest form of the art1 as the human face is the most important object for its exercise4 ,less clear and simple than ,nanteuil1 and less severe than ,edelinck1 he gave to the face individuality of character1 and made his works conspicuous in art4 ,if there was excess in the accessories1 it was before the age of ,sartor ,resartus1 and he only followed the prevailing style in the popular paintings of ,hyacinthe ,rigaud4 ,art in all its forms had become florid1 if not meretricious1 and ,drevet was a representative of his age4 ,among his works are important masterpieces4 ,i name only ,,bossuet1 the famed eagle of ,meaux2 ,,samuel ,,bernard1 the rich ,councillor of ,state2 ,,fenelon1 the persuasive teacher and writer2 ,,cardinal ,,dubois1 the unprincipled minister1 and the favorite of the ,regent of ,france2 and ,,adrienne ,,le ,,couvreur1 the beautiful and unfortunate actress1 linked in love with the ,marshal ,saxe4 ,the portrait of ,bossuet has everything to attract and charm4 ,there stands the powerful defender of the ,catholic ,church1 master of ,french style1 and most renowned pulpit orator of ,france1 in episcopal robes1 with abundant lace1 which is the perpetual envy of the fair who look at this transcendent effort4 ,the ermine of ,dubois is exquisite1 but the general effect of this portrait does not compare with the ,bossuet1 next to which1 in fascination1 ,i put the ,adrienne4 ,at her death the actress could not be buried in consecrated ground2 but through art she has the perpetual companionship of the greatest bishop of ,france4 ,illustration3 ,,jacques ,,benigne ,,bossuet1 ,,bishop ,,of ,,meaux4 7,painted by ,hyacinthe ,rigaud1 and ,engraved by ,pierre ,imbert ,drevet47 ,sidenote3 ,balechou4 ,sidenote3 ,beauvarlet4 ,sidenote3 ,ficquet4 ,with the younger ,drevet closed the classical period of portraits in engraving1 as just before had closed the ,augustan age of ,french literature4 ,louis ,,xiv4 decreed engraving a fine art1 and established an academy for its cultivation4 ,pride and ostentation in the king and the great aristocracy created a demand which the genius of the age supplied4 ,the heights that had been reached could not be maintained4 ,there were eminent engravers still2 but the zenith had been passed4 ,balechou1 who belonged to the reign of ,louis ,,xv41 and ,beauvarlet1 whose life was protracted beyond the reign of terror1 both produced portraits of merit4 ,the former is noted for a certain clearness and brilliancy1 but with a hardness1 as of brass or marble1 and without entire accuracy of design2 the latter has much softness of manner4 ,they were the best artists of ,france at the time2 but none of their portraits are famous4 ,to these may be added another contemporary artist1 without predecessor or successor1 ,stephen ,ficquet1 unduly disparaged in one of the dictionaries as a reputable ,french engraver1 but undoubtedly remarkable for small portraits1 not unlike miniatures1 of exquisite finish4 ,among these the rarest and most admired are ,,la ,,fontaine1 ,,madame ,,de ,,maintenon1 ,,rubens and ,,vandyck4 ,sidenote3 ,schmidt4 ,sidenote3 ,wille4 ,two other engravers belong to this intermediate period1 though not ,french in origin3 ,georg ,f4 ,schmidt1 born at ,berlin1 #agab1 and ,johann ,georg ,wille1 born in the small town of ,koenigsberg1 in the ,grand ,duchy of ,hesse-,darmstadt1 #agag1 but attracted to ,paris1 they became the greatest engravers of the time4 ,their work is ,french1 and they are the natural development of that classical school4 ,sidenote3 ,schmidt4 ,schmidt was the son of a poor weaver1 and lost six precious years as a soldier in the artillery at ,berlin4 ,owing to the smallness of his size he was at length dismissed1 when he surrendered to a natural talent for engraving4 ,arriving at ,strasburg1 on his way to ,paris1 he fell in with ,wille1 a wandering gunsmith1 who joined him in his journey1 and eventually1 in his studies4 ,the productions of ,schmidt show ability1 originality1 and variety1 rather than taste4 ,his numerous portraits are excellent1 being free and life-like1 while the accessories of embroidery and drapery are rendered with effect4 ,as an etcher he ranks next after ,rembrandt4 ,of his portraits executed with the graver1 that of the ,,empress ,,elizabeth ,,of ,,russia is usually called the most important1 perhaps on account of the imperial theme1 and next those of ,,count ,,rassamowsky1 ,,count ,,esterhazy1 and ,,de ,,mounsey1 which he engraved while in ,st4 ,petersburgh1 where he was called by the ,empress1 founding there the ,academy of ,engraving4 ,but his real masterpieces are unquestionably ,,pierre ,,mignard and ,,latour1 ,french painters1 the latter represented laughing4 ,illustration3 ,l',,instruction ,,paternelle1 7,,the ,,satin ,,gown47 7,painted by ,gerard ,terburg1 and ,engraved by ,johann ,georg ,wille47 ,sidenote3 ,wille4 ,wille lived to old age1 not dying till #ahjh4 ,during this long life he was active in the art to which he inclined naturally4 ,his mastership of the graver was perfect1 lending itself especially to the representation of satin and metal1 although less happy with flesh4 ,his ,,satin ,,gown1 or ,l',instruction ,paternelle1 after ,terburg1 and ,les ,musiciens ,ambulans1 after ,dietrich1 are always admired4 ,nothing of the kind in engraving is finer4 ,his style was adapted to pictures of the ,dutch school1 and to portraits with rich surroundings4 ,of the latter the principal are ,,comte ,,de ,,saint-,,florentin1 ,,poisson ,,marquis ,,de ,,marigny1 ,,john ,,de ,,boullongne1 and the ,,cardinal ,,de ,,tencin4 ,sidenote3 ,bervic4 ,sidenote3 ,toschi4 ,sidenote3 ,desnoyers4 ,sidenote3 ,mueller4 ,sidenote3 ,vangelisti4 ,sidenote3 ,anderloni and ,jesi4 ,especially eminent was ,wille as a teacher4 ,under his influence the art assumed a new life1 so that he became father of the modern school4 ,his scholars spread everywhere1 and among them are acknowledged masters4 ,he was teacher of ,bervic1 whose portrait of ,louis ,,xvi4 in his coronation robes is of a high order1 himself teacher of the ,italian ,toschi1 who1 after an eminent career1 died as late as #aheh2 also teacher of ,tardieu1 himself teacher of the brilliant ,desnoyers1 whose portrait of the ,,emperor ,,napoleon ,,in ,,his ,,coronation ,,robes is the fit complement to that of ,,louis ,,xvi42 also teacher of the ,german1 ,j4 ,g4 von ,mueller1 himself father and teacher of ,j4 ,frederick von ,mueller1 engraver of the ,,sistine ,,madonna1 in a plate whose great fame is not above its merit2 also teacher of the ,italian ,vangelisti1 himself teacher of the unsurpassed ,longhi1 in whose school were ,anderloni and ,jesi4 ,thus not only by his works1 but by his famous scholars1 did the humble gunsmith gain sway in art4 ,illustration3 ,,napoleon ,i4 7,painted by ,francois ,gerard1 and ,engraved by ,auguste ,boucher ,desnoyers47 ,among portraits by this school deserving especial mention is that of ,,king ,,jerome ,,of ,,westphalia1 brother of ,napoleon1 by the two ,muellers1 where the genius of the artist is most conspicuous1 although the subject contributes little4 ,as in the case of the ,palace of the ,sun1 described by ,ovid1 ,materiam superabat opus4 ,this work is a beautiful example of skill in representation of fur and lace1 not yielding even to ,drevet4 ,sidenote3 ,longhi4 ,longhi was a universal master1 and his portraits are only parts of his work4 ,that of ,,washington1 which is rare1 is evidently founded on ,stuart's painting1 but after a design of his own1 which is now in the possession of the ,swiss ,consul at ,venice4 ,the artist felicitated himself on the hair1 which is modelled after the ,french masters4#g ,the portraits of ,,michael ,,angelo1 and of ,,dandolo1 the venerable ,doge of ,venice1 are admired2 so also is the ,,napoleon1 ,,as ,,king ,,of ,,italy1 with the iron crown and finest lace4 ,but his chief portrait is that of ,,eugene ,,beauharnais1 ,,viceroy ,,of ,,italy1 full length1 remarkable for plume in the cap1 which is finished with surpassing skill4 ,sidenote3 ,morghen4 ,contemporary with ,longhi was another ,italian engraver of widely extended fame1 who was not the product of the ,french school1 ,raffaelle ,morghen1 born at ,florence in #ageh4 ,his works have enjoyed a popularity beyond those of other masters1 partly from the interest of their subjects1 and partly from their soft and captivating style1 although they do not possess the graceful power of ,nanteuil and ,edelinck1 and are without variety4 ,he was scholar and son-in-law of ,volpato1 of ,rome2 himself scholar of ,wagner1 of ,venice1 whose homely round faces were not high models in art4 ,the ,,aurora1 ,,of ,,guido1 and the ,,last ,,supper1 ,,of ,,leonardo ,,da ,,vinci1 stand high in engraving1 especially the latter1 which occupied ,morghen three years4 ,of his two hundred and one works1 no less than seventy-three are portraits1 among which are the ,italian poets ,,dante1 ,,petrarch1 ,,ariosto1 ,,tasso1 also ,,boccaccio1 and a head called ,,raffaelle1 but supposed to be that of ,,bendo ,,altoviti1 the great painter's friend1 and especially the ,,duke ,,of ,,mencada on horseback1 after ,vandyck1 which has received warm praise4 ,but none of his portraits is calculated to give greater pleasure than that of ,,leonardo ,,da ,,vinci1 which may vie in beauty even with the famous ,pompone4 ,here is the beauty of years and of serene intelligence4 ,looking at that tranquil countenance1 it is easy to imagine the large and various capacities which made him not only painter1 but sculptor1 architect1 musician1 poet1 discoverer1 philosopher1 even predecessor of ,galileo and ,bacon4 ,such a character deserves the immortality of art4 ,happily an old ,venetian engraving reproduced in our day1#h enables us to see this same countenance at an earlier period of life1 with sparkle in the eye4 ,illustration3 ,,giovanni ,,boccaccio ,firenze presso ,luigi ,bardi e ,c',borgo degli ,albizzi ,no #dfj ,raffaelle ,morghen left no scholars who have followed him in portraits2 but his own works are still regarded1 and a monument in ,santa ,croce1 the ,westminster ,abbey of ,florence1 places him among the mighty dead of ,italy4 ,sidenote3 ,houbraken ,thus far nothing has been said of ,english engravers4 ,here1 as in art generally1 ,england seems removed from the rest of the world2 ,et penitus toto divisos orbe ,britannos4 ,but though beyond the sphere of ,continental art1 the island of ,shakespeare was not inhospitable to some of its representatives4 ,vandyck1 ,rubens1 ,sir ,peter ,lely1 and ,sir ,godfrey ,kneller1 all ,dutch artists1 painted the portraits of ,englishmen1 and engraving was first illustrated by foreigners4 ,jacob ,houbraken1 another ,dutch artist1 born in #afih1 was employed to execute portraits for ,birch's ,heads of ,illustrious ,persons of ,great ,britain1 published at ,london in #agdc1 and in these works may be seen the aesthetic taste inherited from his father1 author of the biography of ,dutch artists1 and improved by study of the ,french masters4 ,although without great force or originality of manner1 many of these have positive beauty4 ,i would name especially the ,,sir ,,walter ,,raleigh and ,,john ,,dryden4 ,illustration3 ,,mary ,,queen ,,of ,,scots4 7,painted by ,federigo ,zuccaro1 and ,engraved by ,francesco ,bartolozzi47 ,sidenote3 ,bartolozzi4 ,different in style was ,bartolozzi1 the ,italian1 who made his home in ,england for forty years1 ending in #ahjg1 when he removed to ,lisbon4 ,the considerable genius which he possessed was spoilt by haste in execution1 superseding that care which is an essential condition of art4 ,hence sameness in his work and indifference to the picture he copied4 ,longhi speaks of him as most unfaithful to his archetypes1 and1 whatever the originals1 being always ,bartolozzi4 ,among his portraits of especial interest are several old wigs1 as ,,mansfield and ,,thurlow2 also the ,,death ,,of ,,chatham1 after the picture of ,copley in the ,vernon ,gallery4 ,but his prettiest piece undoubtedly is ,,mary ,,queen ,,of ,,scots1 with her little son ,james ,i41 after what ,mrs4 ,jameson calls the lovely picture of ,zuccaro at ,chiswick4 ,in the same style are his vignettes1 which are of acknowledged beauty4 ,sidenote3 ,strange4 ,meanwhile a ,scotchman honorable in art comes upon the scene--,sir ,robert ,strange1 born in the distant ,orkneys in #agba1 who abandoned the law for engraving4 ,as a youthful ,jacobite he joined the ,pretender in #agde1 sharing the disaster of ,culloden1 and owing his safety from pursuers to a young lady dressed in the ample costume of the period1 whom he afterwards married in gratitude1 and they were both happy4 ,he has a style of his own1 rich1 soft1 and especially charming in the tints of flesh1 making him a natural translator of ,titian4 ,his most celebrated engravings are doubtless the ,,venus and the ,,danae after the great ,venetian colorist1 but the ,,cleopatra1 though less famous1 is not inferior in merit4 ,his acknowledged masterpiece is the ,,madonna ,,of ,,st4 ,,jerome called ,,the ,,day1 after the picture by ,correggio1 in the gallery of ,parma1 but his portraits after ,vandyck are not less fine1 while they are more interesting--as ,,charles ,,first1 with a large hat1 by the side of his horse1 which the ,marquis of ,hamilton is holding1 and that of the same ,monarch standing in his ermine robes2 also the ,,three ,,royal ,,children with two ,king ,charles spaniels at their feet1 also ,,henrietta ,,maria1 the ,queen of ,charles4 ,that with the ermine robes is supposed to have been studied by ,raffaelle ,morghen1 called sometimes an imitator of ,strange4#i ,to these ,i would add the rare autograph ,,portrait ,,of ,,the ,,engraver1 being a small head after ,greuze1 which is simple and beautiful4 ,illustration3 ,,john ,,hunter 7,painted by ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 and ,engraved by ,william ,sharp47 ,sidenote3 ,sharp4 ,one other name will close this catalogue4 ,it is that of ,william ,sharp1 who was born at ,london in #agdf1 and died there in #ahbd4 ,though last in order1 this engraver may claim kindred with the best4 ,his first essays were the embellishment of pewter pots1 from which he ascended to the heights of art1 showing a power rarely equalled4 ,without any instance of peculiar beauty1 his works are constant in character and expression1 with every possible excellence of execution2 face1 form1 drapery--all are as in nature4 ,his splendid qualities appear in the ,,doctors ,,of ,,the ,,church1 which has taken its place as the first of ,english engravings4 ,it is after the picture of ,guido1 once belonging to the ,houghton gallery1 which in an evil hour for ,english taste was allowed to enrich the collection of the ,hermitage at ,st4 ,petersburgh2 and ,i remember well that this engraving by ,sharp was one of the few ornaments in the drawing-room of ,macaulay when ,i last saw him1 shortly before his lamented death4 ,next to the ,doctors of the ,church is his ,,lear ,,in ,,the ,,storm1 after the picture by ,west1 now in the ,boston ,athenaeum1 and his ,,sortie ,,from ,,gibraltar1 after the picture by ,trumbull1 also in the ,boston ,athenaeum4 ,thus1 through at least two of his masterpieces whose originals are among us1 is our country associated with this great artist4 ,it is of portraits especially that ,i write1 and here ,sharp is truly eminent4 ,all that he did was well done2 but two were models2 that of ,,mr4 ,,boulton1 a strong1 well-developed country gentleman1 admirably executed1 and of ,,john ,,hunter1 the eminent surgeon1 after the painting by ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 in the ,london ,college of ,surgeons1 unquestionably the foremost portrait in ,english art1 and the coequal companion of the great portraits in the past2 but here the engraver united his rare gifts with those of the painter4 ,sidenote3 ,mandel4 ,in closing these sketches ,i would have it observed that this is no attempt to treat of engraving generally1 or of prints in their mass or types4 ,the present subject is simply of portraits1 and ,i stop now just as we arrive at contemporary examples1 abroad and at home1 with the gentle genius of ,mandel beginning to ascend the sky1 and our own engravers appearing on the horizon4 ,there is also a new and kindred art1 infinite in value1 where the sun himself becomes artist1 with works which mark an epoch4 ,,charles ,,sumner4 ,,washington1 #aa,,th ,,dec41 #ahga4 ,illustration ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #a3 ,discourses before the ,royal ,academy1 ,no4 ,,iv4 ,footnote #b3 ,de ,groote ,schonburgh der ,nederlantsche ,konctschilders en ,schilderessen4 ,footnote #c3 ,this rare volume is in the ,congressional ,library1 among the books which belonged originally to ,hon4 ,george ,p4 ,marsh1 our excellent and most scholarly minister in ,italy4 ,i asked for it in vain at the ,paris ,cabinet of ,engravings1 and also at the ,imperial ,library4 ,never translated into ,french or ,english2 there is a ,german translation of it by ,carl ,barth4 ,footnote #d3 ,les ,hommes ,illustres1 par ,perrault1 ,tome ii41 p4 #ig4 ,the excellent copy of this work in the ,congressional ,library belonged to ,mr4 ,marsh4 ,the prints are early impressions4 ,footnote #e3 ,panegyrique ,funebre de ,messire ,pompone de ,bellievre1 ,premier ,president au ,parlement1 pronounce a l',hostel-,dieu de ,paris1 le #ag ,avril1 #afeg1 par un ,chanoine regulier de la ,congregation de ,france4 ,the dedication shows this to have been the work of ,f4 ,lallemant of ,st4 ,genevieve4 ,footnote #f3 ,la ,calcografia1 p4 #agf4 ,footnote #g3 ,la ,calcografia1 pp4 #afe1 #dah4 ,footnote #h3 ,les ,arts au ,moyen ,age et a l',epoque de la ,renaissance1 par ,paul ,lacroix1 p4 #aih4 ,footnote #i3 ,longhi1 ,la ,calcografia1 p4 #aii4