Johamr Ziyi;rny, born in Frankfort in 1735, of an old Bohemian family, is also a member of the English school. He ran away from home at the age of thirteen and went to Rome, where he studied art until 1758, when he repaired to London. At first he met with great difficulties, acting as assistant for engravers and painters until public attention was called to him by a character-portrait of Garrick. He was introduced to the royal family by Lord Bute, and his fortune was made. The career of Zoffany was far more varied than usually falls to the lot of the artist, owing in part to his roving disposition. Elected to the Academy in 1769, and having just completed a group of the royal family, he was at the high tide of success, when an opportunity was offered him to accompany Captain Cook in his voyage around the world as the artist of the expedition. Disgusted, however, with the quarters assigned him, he abandoned the enterprise, and thus gave offence to sonic of his most powerful patrons, already dis pleased by the fact that in accepting the offer lie had thrown up many important engagements. Under these circumstances Zoffany suddenly decided to return to Italy. He was absent seven years, receiving during that time commissions from many influential quarters, including an order from Maria Theresa to paint the ducal family—a work which he executed with so much credit that be was created a baron of the Austrian empire.
Returning to England, Zoffany met with his usual good success. He remained in England until 1783, when he took the whim to go to India, anticipating, as a fellow-academican said, that he "would roll in gold." He seems to have partially realized this auriferous dream, for he received many commissions to paint the portraits of native princes. He tarried several years at Lucknow, where he painted a number of large and import ant works, including The and The Embassy of Hyder Beg, the latter containing no less than one hundred life-size portraits. In 1790 he returned with a large fortune to England, and thenceforward resided there uninterruptedly until his death in 181o. The early works of Zoffany were hard and dry, but the style of his maturer years was characterized by deep, glowing, harmonious color, and his portraits were distinguished for their grasp of the subtle traits of character. His large compositions were exceedingly dramatic.
Henry Fuseli, although of foreign birth, holds an important position in British art. He was born at Zurich in 1741 and died in 1825. He was intended for the Church. He preached his first sermon in 1761, and might have remained a religious teacher but for an incident which led eventually to his becoming one of the most influential teachers of art that England has seen. Having detected the mayor of his native place in some peculation, that officer made it so warm for Fuseli that he was obliged to flee. Going to Berlin, his literary acquirements, and especially his Shakespearian studies, attracted the attention of the British minister and led that official to persuade him to visit London. Up to this time,
with the exception of some book-illustrations, Fuseli's efforts and aspira tions had been purely literary. Sir Joshua Reynolds, however, having seen the illustrations just alluded to, advised the young student to devote himself to art. He had no knowledge even of the rudiments of the pro fession, and therefore proceeded in 1770 to Italy, where he applied him self earnestly to a study of the antique, at that time considered the prime essential to the equipment of an artist for his profession. At present we go directly to nature, as did the ancients, whom later artists have studied in preference to nature.
On his return to England, nine years later, Fuseli exhibited his _1%; ht mare, which was popularized by engravings. At the same time the artist was pursuing literature as well, editing Lavater's work on " Physiognomy" and contributing papers to the reviews. Soon after, he painted eight coin positions for Boydell's " Shakespeare Gallery," and under great diffi culties executed the forty-seven illustrations for his " Milton Gallery," which proved a pecuniary failure.
While only partially successful with these grandiose efforts in painting and composition, Fuseli was thoroughly so in a department in which he was able to combine his art-knowledge and his literary ability. Elected to the Academy in 1790, be was in 1799 appointed to the post of lec Curer on painting. The course included twelve lectures on the history and methods of art. The lectures were delivered with much effect, owing to tluir fervid style, the knowledge they exhibited, and the earnest elo quence with which they were delivered. They were afterward published, and are to be found in every important art-library.
In 'So.}, Fuseli was appointed keeper of the Royal Academy; and by a special vote the by-laws were suspended in his favor so as to permit him to hold the office of keeper and that of lecturer on painting at the same time. lie prepared an edition of Pilkington's " Dictionary of Painters" and part of a biography of Michelangelo; he was learned in the Greek, Latin, French, English, German, Dutch, Danish, and Spanish languages. Fuseli as an artist was essentially imaginative. Although lie seems to have given abundant time to the practical study of art, yet he had not the faculty of accuracy in drawing, nor can his methods of applying color be accepted as correct; but his conceptions were full of originality, power, and fire, and were closely allied to genius. As an instructor in the principles of painting Fuseli seems to have found his true vocation, and as such he must be considered one of the most influential factors in the progress of English art in the eighteenth century.