while the branches, weeds, and brambles, springing or depending from the fissures in the rocks, compose, with the broken trees, a rich and various fore-ground, where a certain portion of cool brown, and grey, tints, are introduced with correct local references, and an excellent apposition to the warm, clear splendour which enlightens the distant landscape; where all seems as if the genial spirit of happiness were spreading her ample wings of pervasion, over the early terrestrial scene, and Nature were sending up her orisons to the throne of grace before sin entered the world. Milton had passed this way* before he wrote of Paradise, and such scenes must have been in his recollection when he sung

"Ye mists and exhalations that now rise
From hill or steaming lake, dusky or gray
Till the sun paints your fleecy skirts with gold!
In honour to the world's great Author, rise;
Whether to deck with clouds th' uncolour'd sky,
Or wet the thirsty earth with falling show'rs,
Rising or falling, still advance his praise.

Wave your tops, ye pines;

With ev'ry plant-in sign of worship, wave.
Fountains, and ye that warble as ye flow

Melodious murmurs- —warbling tune his praise."

The cattle and figures-as is constantly the case in Both's landscapes-are introduced with masterly relevance, being attired in the local costume of Northern Italy, and placed precisely where such breadths of light, shade, and colour, conduce most efficiently to the general result, or totality of the composition. A brilliant light catches on the baggage carried by a sumpter horse, which precedes the rest of the proces

* Milton returned from Italy by this route, according to his editor and biographer, Dr. Newton.

sion, and connects itself, with the happiest effect, with that on a bold fragment of fore-ground rock, fringed with ornamental shrubs. A woman dressed in a dark boddice and bright kerchief, and placed just where they are wanted to impart clear air tint to the distance-riding on an ass; and a muleteer leading onward his beasts laden with commercial packages, receive subordinate portions of this brightest light in the picture.

Upon reading over what we have written of this picture, and revisiting the Gallery, we think that our colouring may be a little too warm: the Beaumont Both being, in truth, the most sober-toned work of this artist that is perhaps anywhere extant.

GROUP OF THREE PORTRAITS.

SIR ANTHONY VANDYCK.

CONCERNING the present group-which would consist of three half-length figures, but for the interposition of a portion of an ornamented slab, or cabinet -our readers will readily infer, that the principal figure is that of an artist, or gentleman of condition, from his air of unassumed superiority, and from the manner in which he is introduced as conversing with one of his companions; the other, who is producing a small statue, seems--as we shall more particularly notice below-a little too much like an interruption of their colloquy.

But that this principal personage is (as has been supposed) the veritable portrait of Sir Peter Paul Rubens-such persons as may have seen-and who

has not?—the portraits of that justly celebrated painter, from the pencil of Rubens himself (which are by no means uncommon) will probably be led to entertain some doubt, if not to disbelieve.

Among the infidels, or sceptics, are ourselves. It is not easy to suppose that the pupil can have differed so much from his master, with regard to the portraiture of that master, as the present picture differs from that often-repeated portrait of Rubens, with the round hat, and gracefully curled moustaches, which is so well known to be from his own admired pencil; which is decidedly more dignified and sedate in physiognomy than the present, and of which there are so many repetitions in the royal and noble galleries of this kingdom (and one in the collection of Mr. Strutt, of Groton Place, Suffolk.) In short, few portraits have been so multiplied as this of the great painter of Antwerp.

There are beside, several engravings of this remarkable picture, which the public may easily compare with the Vandyck of which we are here discoursing; or the visiter of the National Gallery, may, if he should so please, by moving a few steps, endeavour to identify this countenance with those of the Mars of Rubens' Allegory, or the St. George of his sacred group which we have just dismissed; both of which are well-known portraits of the artist himself-a little modified, so as to adapt them to the several occasions. These are far more noble and elevated in character than the present, and are without the prominent cheek-bones and upper lip, which contribute so materially to confer peculiarity on the physiognomy of this portrait from the pencil of Vandyck; which,

T

however, is a work of great merit. The hands as well as the face of the principal figure, are delicately, though firmly, drawn; and the whole composition, as well as execution, of the work, is fraught with the peculiar taste, the simplicity, the mellowness, the mildly pensive, gentlemanly, intelligence, which confer sentiment and superiority on the best portraits of Vandyck, and may justify to its full extent the commendatory anecdote related of itthat at the conclusion of the sale of Sir Joshua Reynolds's pictures, Edmund Burke congratulated Mr. Angerstein, who had purchased this performance, upon possessing, what he said the late president esteemed his favourite picture. We cannot ourselves, by any means, profess to regard it as one of Vandyck's master-pieces; and the price at which Mr. Angerstein purchased this picture (one hundred and forty guineas) does not appear to mark that it stood very high in the general estimation.

If we are not mistaken, the work before us is, what might be styled a biographical picture that is to say, it relates to some local domestic event which really happened, where the persons represented (which all appear to be portraits) were the actors, and where a certain statue was produced by one of the parties. This idea, however, may have suggested itself to the mind of Vandyck, or have been "hit upon" (as the colloquial phrase is) as an eligible vehicle of portraiture, and adopted as being characteristic of an opulent and tasteful amateur, who was distinguished for his collection of valuable works of

art.

In this latter case, we are presented with a painted

indecorum, or slight breach of good manners: to use a common adage, "Here are more talkers than hearers."

The look, the parted lips, and the action of the right hand, of the principal figure, plainly indicate that he is vocally addressing the attentive figure in profile. Heedless of this fact, the swart-complexioned man in the back-ground is also speaking, and seemingly concerning a small statue which he introduces, and toward which he is earnestly pointing: now in this there is apparent indecorum. It is disrespectful to the principal personage, be he who he may, that another, who seems to be an attendant, or inferior, should be interrupting him by speaking at the same time. It is not improbable, however, that a knowledge of the local anecdote which is above supposed to have given birth to the picture—such as the unexpected finding and sudden reproduction of a long lost rarity, which might fully warrant interruptionwould have explained and reconciled us to this seeming indecorum; for, that the most decorous of portrait painters, should have run or slipped into real indecorum, who but would be extremely backward to believe?

Vandyck was, and still is, among portrait painters, what Aristippus-who excelled in local propriety of thought, word, and action, sustained by admirable presence of mind-was, among the philosophers of old. He in these respects was singular and superlative, and therefore celebrated. Though modest, Aristippus was assured, and might dare to do and say any thing, because he always said and did every thing in the proper way, and at the proper time;

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