Magdalen, and other Saints, male and female. Under the character of St. George, it is supposed, is Rubens's own portrait; and Mary Magdalen and the Saint near her, are said to be the portraits of his two wives. For effect of colours this yields to none of Rubens's works, and the characters have more beauty than is common with him.

To a painter who wishes to become a colourist, or learn the art of producing a brilliant effect, this picture is as well worth the studying as any in Antwerp; it is as bright as if the sun shone on it.-There are two prints of this picture, one by P. Pontius, and the other by Rem. Eynhovedts; the last has more of the effect of the picture.

VAN HEEMSEN.-The Last Judgment by Van Heemsen. It has no effect, from the figures not being disposed in groups, and from the light being equally dispersed over the picture. On the doors are portraits; on one side the father with four sons, on the other the mother with ten daughters, and a tall figure with a sword, probably St. Catharine. The old woman looks pleased, and is a very natural countenance; all of them are handsome, and admirably drawn: but the manner is very dry, like that of Holbein. The old Gothic school succeeds much better in portraits than history; the reason is plain; imitating exactly what we see in nature, makes but a poor historical picture, but an admirable portrait.

The Academy of Painters.

RUBENS.-We found here an Holy Family, by Rubens, which is far from being one of his best pictures; it is that in which there is a parrot on the pedestal of a pillar, biting vine tendrils. By what accident this. picture came here I never heard: it is scarce worthy

to be considered as a pattern for imitation, though it must be acknowledged to be as well as many others of Rubens, which are dispersed about the world: its merit consists solely in being well coloured. It is not by such pictures Rubens acquired his reputation.—A print by Bolswert.

VANDYCK.-F. FLORIS.-QUINTIN MATSYS.-OTHO VENIUS.-JORDAENS.-SCHUT.-Here is a good portrait of a priest, by Vandyck, and the portraits of Francis Floris, and Quintin Matsys, by themselves. There are likewise some ordinary pictures of Otho Venius, Jordaens, Schut, and other less considerable painters: the Academy, therefore, is scarce worth seeing for any excellency in works of art. Here is shown Rubens's chair, with his name on it.

The Cabinets make but a very inconsiderable figure in Antwerp, in comparison of what is to be found in the churches. Those of M. Peters and M. Dasch are

two of the most considerable.

The Cabinet of M. Peters.

RUBENS. A Roman Charity by Rubens, in his very best manner: the woman who is suckling her father is one of his most beautiful heads, and it has likewise great expression.

The inside of a stable by Rubens, in which he has introduced the Prodigal Son feeding with hogs: the whole has too much of a monotony; there wants variety of colours.

The unbelieving Priest, and another figure, attending at the altar, by Rubens; it is about half-life; of great harmony of colouring.

A Chancellor of Brabant, and another half-length, by Rubens.

VANDYCK.-Three whole lengths, by Vandyck.

A half-length portrait, by Vandyck, of a lady gathering flowers; she is turning her back, and looking over her shoulder, with a very genteel air.

MOLA.-St. John preaching in the wilderness, by

Mola.

The Cabinet of M. Dasch.

RUBENS.-At M. Dasch's is an admirable picture of Rubens; the story of Seleucus and Stratonice. The languishing air of the son, who is lying on a bed, is eminently beautiful: the whole is well composed.

A woman with a black veil, and a gentleman, by Rubens; both fine portraits, especially the woman. REMBRANDT.-' -Two Rembrandts, but not in his best

style.

VANDYCK.-Opposite to the Rubens, is a Jupiter and Antiope, by Vandyck (his first manner), in perfect preservation. I think it is impossible for colours to exceed this picture in brilliancy.

Cabinet of M. Van Haveren.

RUBENS.-M. Van Haveren has an admirable portrait by Rubens, known by the name of Chapeau de Paile, from her having on her head a hat and feather, airily put on; it has a wonderful transparency of colour, as if seen in the open air: it is upon the whole a very striking portrait; but her breasts are as ill drawn as they are finely coloured.

VANDYCK. Its companion, though equally well painted, from not having the same advantage of dress, receives no attention.

Mr. Stevens's Cabinet.

RUBENS.-We must not forget a fine portrait of a gen

tleman by Rubens which we saw at the house of Mr. Stevens. And at the house of

M. Le Chanoine Van Parys.

A portrait of Helena Forman (Kitcat), by Rubens ; it is beautifully coloured, but a painter would say tamely painted, from the long-continued lines of the eyes and mouth: this, however, appears only on a close inspection; for at a distance it seems perfectly well drawn, and an animated countenance; the hands are across, or rather one over the other, finely coloured and drawn; the ends of the fingers a little too thick for a fine hand: she is dressed in black, with slashed sleeves.

The Cabinet of M. Dirxens.

VANDYCK.-Judas betraying Christ, by Vandyck: it is in his first manner, but not equal to others which I have seen of that age: the colouring is disagreeable, from being too red.

At Madam Boschaerts.

RUBENS. The Rape of the Sabines, by Rubens, is finely coloured and well composed. This picture is to be sold, if any body chooses to give for it 22,000 guilders, about two thousand two hundred pounds.

Taking leave of Flanders, we bade adieu at the same time to History Painting. Pictures are no longer the ornament of churches, and perhaps for that reason no longer the ornament of private houses. We naturally acquire a taste for what we have frequently before our eyes. No great historical picture is put up, which excites the curiosity of the town to see, and tempts the opulent to procure as an ornament to his own house nothing of this kind being seen, historical paintings are not thought of, and go out of fashion;

and the genius of the country, which, if room were given it, would expand itself, is exercised in small curious high-finished cabinet pictures.

It is a circumstance to be regretted, by painters at least, that the Protestant countries have thought proper to exclude pictures from their churches: how far this circumstance may be the cause that no Protestant country has ever produced a history-painter, may be worthy of consideration.

The

When we separated from the Church of Rome, many customs, indifferent in themselves, were considered as wrong, for no other reason, perhaps, but because they were adopted by the Communion from which we separated. Among the excesses which this sentiment produced, may be reckoned the impolitic exclusion of all ornaments from our churches. violence and acrimony with which the separation was made, being now at an end, it is high time to assume that reason of which our zeal seemed to have bereaved us. Why religion should not appear pleasing and amiable in its appendages; why the house of God should not appear as well ornamented, and as costly as any private house made for man, no good reason I believe can be assigned. This truth is acknowledged, in regard to the external building, in Protestant as well as in Roman Catholic countries: churches are always the most magnificent edifices in every city: and why the inside should not correspond with its exterior, in this and every other Protestant country, it would be difficult for Protestants to state any reasonable cause.

Many other causes have been assigned, why history painting has never flourished in this country; but with such a reason at hand we need not look farther. Let there be buyers, who are the true Mæcenases, and we shall soon see sellers, vying with each other in the