this beautiful art, and the munificent encouragement of sovereigns, and of the great, have multiplied French artists in point of numbers, they have not at the same time been able to overcome the influence which the national character, as light and inconstant as it is full of fire and genius, seems to exercise on its painters. Hence those grand and ingenious compositions, which are not without interest, but which yet have always about them something to except to; hence that design and those expressions, which, while they are neither correct nor strictly true, are yet not without considerable merit; hence that execution, which, without being perfect, is yet by no means to be despised in short, after the great number of pictures of this school which I have seen, I feel warranted in saying that if, with the exception of Le Sueur, it has produced no painter that is eminent, it has at any rate produced none that can be called absolutely bad.

The astonishingly sudden fall of the German school, which in its infancy promised so much, is owing altogether to the introduction of Lutheranism, which disturbed that country, and banished the Catholic religion from it, at the very time when Albert Durer had attained the height of his fame. The city of Nuremburg, where he lived, adopted the reformed religion in the year 1525, as likewise did that of Basle, where Hans Holbein resided, and the kingdom of Saxony, in which Luca Cranach had his residence. Thus these three artists, who

exhibited a preference for the historical walk, saw but a poor prospect in store for their school, in the expulsion from the convents of the monks, whose zealous devotion afforded the principal resource to painters in that class. The small number of pictures which the religious reformers left in the churches reserved for their own use, and the long and cruel wars which followed the introduction of Lutheranism into Germany, served to complete the discouragement of artists, and decided the fall of that school; which probably might have attained a degree of fame equal to any of the others, if, in place of having set up his easel at Nuremburg, Albert Durer had been fortunate enough to do it at Vienna, the chief seat of Papacy in Germany. The peace which that city enjoyed during the long religious wars in other parts of the empire, would probably have ensured to painting the success to which the soil and climate, the genius and temperament of the nation, and the nature of the government, seem to entitle it. We are authorised to conclude thus much from the brilliant success of many painters, who have sprung up singly in Germany since the fall of the school; amongst whom Dietrici, and John Henry Roos, hold the first place, and have obtained universal approbation for the excellence of their works.

CHAPTER IX.

OF THE CLASSIFICATION OF PICTURES

ACCORDING TO THEIR SUBJECT, WITH REMARKS ON THE NATURAL AND IDEAL CLASSES.

PICTURES are divided into classes according to the nature of their subject. The different classes may be stated as follows:

The Historical Class, which includes the sacred, the profane, the allegorical, and the fabulous.

Portraits.

Conversations.

Interiors and Household subjects.

Pot-houses.

Battles.

Landscapes.

Sea pieces.

Architectural subjects.

Still Life.

High-finished Pictures.

The latter, which are confined almost exclusively to the works of some of the best Dutch masters, ought not, properly speaking, to form a class by themselves. But the high prices which they bring have given them an importance with amateurs, and made them be talked of as a class, and as

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distinguished from the multitude of other pictures by the superiority of their touch and empasto.

A small number of artists, such as Rubens, Benedetto Castiglione, Teniers, and John Baptist Weenix, have been equally distinguished in all the classes. Others have applied themselves only to some of them, and a very great number have confined themselves to but one. In the same manner, the general schools, although they may have furnished some examples in each class, have yet generally shown a marked predilection for some one of them in particular. Thus the Florentine, the Roman, and the Lombard schools attached themselves more particularly to history; the Venetian, French, and German, tỏ history and portrait; the Dutch to all the classes, although but little to the historical. The Flemish alone seems to have succeeded equally in every class.

The classes which beyond all comparison have employed the greatest number of painters are those of history and portrait; notwithstanding of which the number of good historical pictures is very small. Perhaps this may be because of their large size, and of the time required for them, or perhaps because the best Italian artists were more devoted to fresco; but it is chiefly, I think, owing to this, that the historical class presents greater difficulties than any of the others.

With respect to portrait, although incomparably more easy, yet in collections one sees few of that class, which is not in request unless they are by

the hands of the most celebrated masters, and of a truth that is magical and astonishing.

The class in which the smallest number of artists have succeeded is, without doubt, that of sea pieces; for after the class of high-finish, this is the one in which it is most difficult to meet with pictures of the required quality.

The reader will find in Chapter XI. further details concerning these classes. The art of painting extends over the whole of them; but the division of it into classes has become necessary, because, embracing as it does the whole round of nature, the field is too vast for any man to entertain any reasonable hope of succeeding in the whole. Each artist has therefore selected that department which appeared to him the most in accordance with his genius and taste. Nay, many, finding that it was beyond their powers to succeed in the whole of even one class, have had the prudence to confine themselves to a part of it only, in which part they have thereby generally attained the more complete success. Thus, in landscape, several painters, such as Wynants, Decker, Hackaert, and Waterloo, refrain from figures and animals, seeking for these the aid of another pencil. Some, as Van Goyen, Camphuysen, Van der Neer, Cuyp, and Hobbima, have confined themselves to flat scenes. Some, like Berchem, Pynacker, and Both, have preferred mountainous views; others have selected confined spots; and others again have exhibited extensive prospects.