Among the great leaders in the reaction, and the masters to whom the present position of French painting is mainly attributable, it must suffice to mention Jean Louis Gericault, Leopold Robert, Ary Scheirer, and Paul Delaroche, who have passed away ; but Delacroix, Ingres, Horace Vernet, and others, who still survive, have an equal title to rank among the pioneers of contemporary French art.
English School.—We have ample evidence that the English were among the earliest and warmest patrons of the art of the medieval miniature painter ;and manuscripts like the famous Durham Book' in the British Museum show that even in the Sth century British miniatori were at least equal to their brethren on the continent. In the 10th century English manuscripts were eagerly sought for abroad, and their mode of ornamentation was known as " English Work," (Opus Anglicanum) : of this style and time is the beautiful Benedictioual of St. Ethelwold, in the possession of the Duke of Devonshire. In the succeeding centuries the same excellence was maintained, and those who have devoted special attention to this branch of art remark that English miniatures are purer and richer in style, and freer from Byzantine characteristics than continental manuscripts of the same date. The art gradually passed out of use, but it is noteworthy that in the form of miniature portrait-painting which succeeded the decora tion of missals and service books, English artists for some time maintained a decided superiority.
But of painting proper, though there is reason to believe that the paintings in medieval churches and on the walls of palaces were frequently the work of native hands, there was no school founded in England till long after every other great European country. Henry VII. employed John Mabuse, Henry VIII. for many years retained Holbeiu, and after his death Sir Antony Moro as his court painter; and as we have already seen, succeeding monarchs usually had one or more distinguished foreign portrait-painters in their service. But it was long before an English painter was found to enter into com petition with any of them even iu this comparatively facile and always lucrative branch of art. In the reign of Elizabeth, two Englishmen, Nicholas Hilliard, and his pupil Isaac Oliver, acquired distinction as miniature painters. Hilliard imitated the manner of Holbein, but Oliver was more original, and was admitted to be, in his own line, one of the very best artists of his age. His son, Peter Oliver, was also a skilful miniature-painter.
Charles I. was an eager and an intelligent collector of pictures, and he invited to England Rubens, Vandyck, Honthcrst, Gerbier, and many other painters of contemporary celebrity. His example was followed by his wealthier courtiers, and English as well as foreign painters soon became recipients of their patronage. The foreign painters represented every branch of the profession ; but the English men confined themselves almost exclusively to portraiture : Francis Barlow, an animal painter, being one of the few exceptions. But in portraiture English painters were strong.. Robert Walker, who was patronised by Cromwell, painted a head nearly as well as Vandyck ; while William Dobeon (b. 1610, d. 1646) who was distinguished as " the English Tintoret," and succeeded Vandyck as sergeant-painter to the king, is in some of his best portraits little inferior to either of the great painters named in conjunction with him : his portraits are com paratively numerous. Other English portrait-painters were Nicholas Stone the younger (but best known by the cognomen of Old Stone), who studied in Italy, and was celebrated as a colourist ; George Jameson, "the Scottish Vandyek," Richard Gibson the Dwarf, and Samuel Cooper (b. 1609, d. 1672) one of the greatest miniature painters of any time.
Several of these lived to practise their art under Charles II., hut neither in the reign of that monarch, nor in that of his successors did English painting find patronage, or indeed seek it. England was not wanting in painters, hut among them not a single English name of eminence occurs till that of Hogarth. Lely and Verrio were the court painters to Charles II. and his brother ; and to Lely succeeded Sir Godfrey Kneller ,as the royal and fashionable portrait-painter, while Lagucrre followed Verrio as the manufacturer of those monstrous allegories with which it was the fashion to disfigure the staircases and ceilings of palaces. To these indeed Englishmen were the successors, but Jervaa, Thornhill, and Hudson only served to carry a step lower the degradation of painting. Yet though painting in England was in a course of steady decline from the Restoration to the reign of George II., there were numerous English painters, some of whom it may be proper to mention. One of these was John Riley (b. 1646, d.
1691) court painter to William and Mary : he was perhaps the best imitator of the manner of Lely. Henry Cooke (b. 1642, d. 1700) is said to have studied under Salvator Rosa; be painted the chapel of ,Is'ew College, Oxford, and " restored" for William the cartoons of Raffaelle, without doing them much injury. Jonathan Richardson (b. 1665, d. 1745), who married the niece of Riley, and acquired that painter's traditions, was a respectable and prosperous portrait-painter ; a great admirer of the works of the old roasters, and of choice engravings, of which ho formed an excellent collection; and the author of some very istelligeest mays on the Theory of Painting, which are said to have oostributed largely towards making Sir Joshua Reynolds • painter, and may still is mad with pectin. Charles Jamas, so extravagantly praised by Pope, was the leading portrait-painter of his day, but is now only noteworthy as a striking example of the int/mace of fashion. tor James Thornhill wax the Snot Englishman who met with extols aia• Patronage in any other branch of painting than portraiture, and It was long befare the example was followed. It will be enough to refer to Thorn/tin printings in the hall of Greenwich llospital, and on the donor of aSt. Paul's as illustrations of his Myles. Thomas Hudson is only memorable as the neuter of Sir Joshua Revnokla The true regenerator of English art, and the iirst really great English painter, was IVillauss Hogartb lb. 1697, d. 1761), in his chosen line of moral entire one of the most original painter* who ever lived. In Hogerth's day, and almost till the present time, It was usual to speak of tains In the words of Walpole, as having " but slender merit as a painter." lint LIN teehnicalanerita are better appreciettel now, while a.. a husnonrist, a shrewd observer of contemporary life, aril a master of ludicrous expression in face and form, he is acknowledged to be without equaL [Ilooalirit, Witte's', in BIOG. Dlr.] The actual bead of the British school of painting, however, wan Sir Joshua Reynold, (b. 1723, d. 1792), the ablest and most intellectual portrait painter and the greatest colourist this country has produced, and not unworthy to rank with the beat portrait painters and of any country ; it is only to be regretted that, owing to his imperfect technical training, so many of his works are already decayed or deeming. Ilia historical paintings are only valuable as examples of colour and facile handling. Sir Joshua was the first t of the Royal Academy (founded in 1768), and in that capacity delivered the' Discourses,' which have scarcely exerted a less powerful influence on English art than the productions of his pencil. [Itteraotns, SIR JOSHUA, in 1HOG. Dry.) Thomas Gainsborough (b. 1727, d. /78S) was inferior to Reynolds as a painter of male portraits, but in expressing the lighter graces of the female face and form he wan at least his equaL But his great original power lay in painting English cottage-doors, woodland landscapes, watering places, and similar simple rustic seenee-tho poetry of homely English scenery-in which lie is without a rival. His handling is, however, very loose, his sense of form deficient, and his drawing often indifferent ; but he was an admirable colourist, and threw around almost everything be touched an indescribable charm. Richard Wilson (b. 1713, d. 1782) learned landscape painting in Italy, and aimed at a more "classic' stile. He wanted many of the qualities which are required in the painter of landscapes of the clam to which his belong, but he had a true painter's feeling, and produced many admirable works. George Romney (b. 1734, d. 1802) was the avowed rival of Reynolds in portrait,and he painted some historical pictures. Benjamin West (b. 1738, d. 1820), who succeeded Reynolds as president of the Royal Academy, was • native of Philadelphia, then a British colony, but, after studying some time in Italy, settled while still young in England, and enjoyed until the Regency the post of painter in ordinary to the king. West's was a fair representative of the cold academic style of historical painting then current ; and, though there was moro of vigour in the hutoriml pictures of James Barry (b. 1741, 4. 1806), there was no more real truth or greatness. Henry Fuseli (b. 1741, d. 1825) was by birth a Swiss, but resided in this country tho larger part of his life, and was prof. sear of painting in the ltoyal Academy ; hie mannerism and strance extravagance of conception and expression are notorious. John Opse (b. 1767,d 1807), James laorthcote (b. 1746, tl. 1631), and John Singleton Copley (b. 1737, d. 1815), were among the other most prominent contemporary painters.