The artists repository and drawing magazine: exhibiting the principles of the polite arts in their various branches (4.1790)

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vince the world how much it had been irapofed upon.
For this purpofe he imitated the etchings and engravings
of various matters, and called the collection the innocent
impojlors. But they fufficiently prove his want of abili-
ties to execute the work in fuch a manner, as to deceive
an experienced judge. The two following engravings
are all I fhall take notice of. The firft is a Venus and
Cupid, copied from a drawing by Raphael, in the King
of France's cabinet. This drawing was engraved by
Marc Antonio. The fecond is a Bacchanal, from a
drawing by the fame mafter, in the fame cabinet; and
it was firft engraved by Agoftino de Mufis, the Vene-
tian, who was the fcholar of Marc Antonio. Having
difcovered the original drawings, he gravely tells us, that
he thought he could produce fomething better, than
what had excited fo long the admiration of the curious ;
and with this laudable refolution he fet to work, and
appears to have been well fatisfied with the productions
of his graver. But can the voice of candour fay he
has been fuccefsful? I apprehend not. I have not, it is
true, feen the original drawings, from which the prints
are engraved ; but if they are faithful tranfcripts of thofe
drawings, I fhould not hefitate to declare, that Raphael
learned the art of defign in the French academy; and,
what is more extraordinary, drew in the very ftylc
adopted by Picart himfelf. It appears to me, that
Picart, like his countryman Nicholas Dorigny, has fo
much frenchified the Italian painter, that he would find
it a difficult tafk at firft fight to know his own compo-
fition,

Picart