DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18734#0248
I 50 ]
tails of nature, or whilft talking, though with the per*
fons for whom he was working, and about their own
bufinefs, he conftantly laid .down the glafs, to prevent
the faad from running. Neverthelefs, all his great in-
duilrv, of which his numerous works bear fufficient
teftiroohy, could not procure him a fufficient mainte-
nance ; for he was fo extremely poor and diftreffed, that
the bailiffs were in his lodgings to feize for rent, when
he was dying- Senfible of his approaching end, he ear-
nc(lly befought their forbearance only for an hour or
two, faying, that they might then take the only piece of
furniture he had, the bed on which he was laying, as he
fhould have no further occafion for it.
As many of the works of this artift are by no means
uncommon, it may be needlefs to inform the reader,
that, generally fpeakiug, they are etchings performed
almoff entirely with the point. They poffefs great
fpirif, with allonifhing freedom and lightnefs, efpecially
when we confider how highly he has fmifhed fome of
- ihem. His views of abbies, churches, ruins, &c. with
his fhells, muffs, and every fpecies of dill life, are ad-
mirable ; his landfcapes frequently have great merit;
and his diftant views of towns and cities are not only
executed in a very accurate, but a very pleafing manner,
In drawing the human figure he was mofi defective;
bis outlines are ft iff and incorre£t, and the extremities-
marked without the Ieaft degree of knowledge. In
fome few inftances, he has attempted to execute his
plates with the graver only; but here he has failed
prodigioufly. [We think we have heard it obferveti
tjiat he worked entirely with his left hand.]
tails of nature, or whilft talking, though with the per*
fons for whom he was working, and about their own
bufinefs, he conftantly laid .down the glafs, to prevent
the faad from running. Neverthelefs, all his great in-
duilrv, of which his numerous works bear fufficient
teftiroohy, could not procure him a fufficient mainte-
nance ; for he was fo extremely poor and diftreffed, that
the bailiffs were in his lodgings to feize for rent, when
he was dying- Senfible of his approaching end, he ear-
nc(lly befought their forbearance only for an hour or
two, faying, that they might then take the only piece of
furniture he had, the bed on which he was laying, as he
fhould have no further occafion for it.
As many of the works of this artift are by no means
uncommon, it may be needlefs to inform the reader,
that, generally fpeakiug, they are etchings performed
almoff entirely with the point. They poffefs great
fpirif, with allonifhing freedom and lightnefs, efpecially
when we confider how highly he has fmifhed fome of
- ihem. His views of abbies, churches, ruins, &c. with
his fhells, muffs, and every fpecies of dill life, are ad-
mirable ; his landfcapes frequently have great merit;
and his diftant views of towns and cities are not only
executed in a very accurate, but a very pleafing manner,
In drawing the human figure he was mofi defective;
bis outlines are ft iff and incorre£t, and the extremities-
marked without the Ieaft degree of knowledge. In
fome few inftances, he has attempted to execute his
plates with the graver only; but here he has failed
prodigioufly. [We think we have heard it obferveti
tjiat he worked entirely with his left hand.]