Etchings.

35. The same Subject. The fireworks in this piece appear to have burst the tower, and exposed an equestrian statue of the King of the Romans.

36. A Square Tower, flanked with bastions, surmounted by figures, wearing royal crowns. This tower supports five others, the middle one of which is decked with the imperial eagle, and the others are adorned with winged dragons.

37. An Equestrian Statue of the King of the Romans, erected in one of the public places in Rome, the pedestal of which is flanked with four towers.

38. A View of one of the Public Places at Rome, in which is erected an equestrian statue of the King of the Romans. The windows of the surrounding buildings are filled with spectators; the trumpets are sounding, the troops marching, and the people are crowding to witness some ceremony.

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SKETCHES.

39. A Travaller assailed by two Robbers.

40. The two Landscapes. In the one on the left are an old dry tree lying on the ground, and a fine flourishing one growing near it. The other, which is a trifle larger, offers on the left a wood, into which two persons are about to enter.

41. A Woman seated, seen in a front view, with her attention directed to the left. This is a free study, surrounded by various essays of the aqua-fortis.

42. A Mask of a Man's Head, in a front view, with some foliage ornaments sketched under it, supporting a vase, containing flowers and fruit.

SCHOLARS AND IMITATORS

OF

CLAUDE LORRAINE.

THE protection, which, to a certain extent, this artist gave to his works, against copyists and imitators, by retaining memoranda of their several compositions, and the names of the persons for whom they were painted, has been attended with beneficial effect, even to the present time; but as this system was adopted late, and is therefore only partial in its application, ample room has been left for imposition, and many painters and dealers have not scrupled to avail themselves of it, by imposing copies of his pictures, and imitations of his style, as genuine works, upon the inexperienced and credulous amateur. Those, therefore, who are desirous of possessing a true picture by Claude, and are willing to pay a price commensurate to its quality, will do well in requiring some history of the picture, for if it be one of importance, it will be singular indeed if it cannot be traced to some important collection; but in the absence of this, the opinion of some one of known judgment in works of art should be taken.

Angeluccio was the only scholar Claude ever had, and the promise he gave of becoming a worthy successor of so great a master, was destroyed by an early death. Paseolo mentions a picture by his hand, in high terms of commendation.

GIOVANNI DOMENICO. He was originally colour grinder to Claude, in whose service, as such, he is reputed to have been

SCHOLARS AND IMITATORS OF CLAUDE LORRAINE. 395

nearly thirty years. It is highly probable that during those years he may have acquired a perfect knowledge of the system employed by his master in painting, so as to copy almost to deception his works; he may have also imitated his style, by borrowing freely from his compositions, and by these means, succeeded in producing many pictures, which he and others have sold under the name of Claude.

He died in 1684.

HERMAN SWANEVELDT. This very clever artist was born at Woerden in Holland, in 1620, and acquired a knowledge of painting from Gerard Dow, after which he travelled to Rome; here he first saw some pictures by Claude, which so enchanted him, that he entirely relinquished the style of Dow, and sought only how to accomplish himself in landscape scenery. Impelled by this desire, he is said to have procured admittance into the atelier of Claude, and to have received instructions from that great master; be this as it may, he evidently aimed at an imitation of his works, and like him was a constant attendant at the shrine of nature, frequently commencing his studies at the dawn of day, and continuing till the close of evening. His fondness for wandering among the ruins of temples, and in sequestered groves, in pursuit of his art, procured for him the appellation of "the Hermit of Italy." His application was attended with the success it merited, and although he was in every way inferior to his prototype, yet his pictures have occasionally approached so near to Claude, as to pass under that master's name.

He died at Rome in 1690.

JACQUES COURTOIS. Several pictures by this artist, representing seaports and other views, in which are introduced magnificent edifices, have come under the Writer's notice, and in many respects they approximate so nearly to the style and effect of Claude's works, as to leave little doubt; but their

396 SCHOLARS AND IMITATORS OF CLAUDE LORRAINE.

author made them his study, and attempted their imitation. This opinion is further strengthened by the statement of biographers, that he occasionally introduced the figures into Lorraine's pictures, and in the performance of this, his eye would naturally have become, in a measure, familiarised with the sweetness and harmony, as well as the manner, of the execution of that great painter's productions.

There were three artists bearing the name of Courtois; of these, in the absence of better proof, the Writer is induced to attribute the merit of these imitations to the above named, who is better known under the appellation of Bourguignon, or, as he was styled in Italy, Giacomo Cortése Borgognone, so celebrated for battle-pieces.

One of the very best of the imitations of Claude, representing a seaport, inscribed with his name, is in a small collection at Bremen.

He was born in Franche Comté, in 1621, and died at Rome, in 1676.

PIERRE PATEL. The works of this clever French painter have sufficient merit to entitle their author to a place among the imitators of Claude, whose pictures he evidently made his models, and, like the prototype, his style of composition evinces a cultivated taste and judgment, as well in the grouping and forms of his trees, as in the choice and general arrangement of the scenery; the architectural embellishinents also, are strictly in accordance with the surrounding landscape, and are executed with great skill, combined with much classical feeling; thus far this painter merits commendation, but when the eye is directed to the colouring and gradations, even of his best productions, there is a sad deficiency in both, and these, together with many other defects, place him at an immeasurable distance from Claude Lorraine.

Pierre Patel was born in 1654.