The universal and unwearied delight with which the works of Hogarth have ever been contemplated speak the most decided eulogy that could be bestowed upon them. Few painters have produced works so abundant in a rich store of intellectual food, which, like a good play, never palls upon the appetite, however frequently represented. Hogarth's merit was not confined to comedy alone, for he succeeded equally well in representing such scenes as are calculated to rouse the feelings of compassion and horror, and to act as impressive warnings of the fatal consequences arising from unbridled passions,—that species of low tra gedy which, under such masterly management as that of Hogan)), strikes its warnings more surely home than in a loftier strain, moving in a sphere with which the generality of the world experience less sympathy Instances of such abound in his works, but we refrain from entering into any details, where the inexhaustibly varied expositions of the frailties of human nature would lead us far beyond our limits.
When we extol the works of Hogarth as original, we do not mean to overlook the inimitable production of an earlier painter. «The Dance of Death," by Hans Hol ten), which presents so admirable a satire on mankind, in which the vicissitudes of human life are ingeniously and humorously portrayed, but in a style very different from Hogarth That species of painting called grotesque was practised, to a certain extent, in almost every age, both ancient and modern. Annibal Caracci left his Arti di Bologna ; even Raphael amused himself with caricature ; and the dignity of Leonardo da Vinci condescended some times to employ his pencil in frolic.
In the same class of composition, but more approaching to the style of caricature, are the performances of another English artist, Bunbury. Though without aspiring to the more elevated and instructive themes of Hogarth's moral Bunbury's works arc replete with amusing and humorous expositions of the absurdities of character.
He was followed in the same vein, and with some success, by Rowlandsen.
This particular branch of art, though we have examples of its practice among the Greeks and Romans, seems, in modern Europe, to be nearly, if not altogether, peculiar to England. Private animosities, and the bickerings of party, which, in the continental countries of Europe ge nerally armed its adversaries with the stiletto, and sought vent in assassination, appear to be quite unsuitable to the genius and tone of British feeling. No event could be sup posed more calculated to call forth all the bitterness of party spirit than the change of dynasty which took place upon the expulsion of the royal family of Stuart, and the estab lishment of another and a foreign family on the throne ; yet, how creditable is it to the character of the nation, to find these ranklings, which, with our neighbours, would have stirred up the demon of private revenge, subsiding, as they did in this country, after the fair and open appeal to arms had settled the event To find the hostility to the house of Hanover evaporating in political sarcasms of every kind, in which ridicule was the prevailing weapon ; a contest of wit and humour, in which the pencil was summoned to assist the pen ; for it is from this xra, chiefly, that we have to deduce the origin of caricature painting in Britain. The system has proved to be a pow
erful engine, either as expressive of public opinion, or as a sort of fire-ship sent forth to inflame the public mind, by exposing the conduct of the leading characters of the day, and the foibles of all ; but always attended with this good effect, that, whether it laughs at or censures, it must of necessity be in good humour, and admits of no effectual retort, except by similar weapons of wit and fun. A lampoon of this kind may be ever so cutting and severe; if it excites laughter and amusement, the sting is dis armed of its poison ; it becomes a sort of safety valve. by which the effervescence of party rancour is dissipated, and escapes as a harmless vapour. It may, at times, level the shafts of ridicule against the innocent, and even against characters deserving of the highest reverence and ho nour; but while good feeling is so pre-eminent in the British character, such misdirected shafts will fall short of their mark. The late revered monarch of these realms was not exempt from the freedom of such licensed jokers ; but, so far from being offensive, these familiarities, in the humour of which his own good sense led him to be the first to join, only tended to endear hint the more to his subjects ; who were ever as ready to join in a joke with their beloved old king, as to defend his honour at the can non's mouth.
Strangers express much surprise at the liberties taken by caricaturists in this country, the impunity attending their attacks, and the toleration they enjoy ; but what on the Continent broods in conspiracies, party rancour, pri vate hatred and revenge, is all above board in Britain,— and long may it be so ! Modern Rome has been much in debted to the good humoured jokes of Paquin and Mar forio, but the window of a caricature shop answers the purpose more effectually ; in so far as hilarity is more likely to be excited, and must accompany every satire, as gravity is quite incompatible with this particular mode of administering correction. It is quite surprising that a nation so remarkable for vivacity as the French, and so full of that species of wit peculiarly adapted to good hu moured satire, should have utterly failed in all their at tempts at the production of caricature. Not ling ca.' be more tame and vapid than tt.eir pet formances of this amd. We have never seen a French caricature that was even tolerable ; and so lame are their attempts at humorous drawings, that they are either burlesque extravagancies, with a total failure in seizing character, or indecent re presentations, without any humour to recommend them. At the same time we must allow the playful humour of an English caricature to be as little congruous with the sedate and haughty deportment of the nation, as the invin cible hilarity of a Frenchman is with the clumsy failure of their pencil in the department of satirical painting.