Smith, John: A catalogue raisonné of the works of the most eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French painters: in which is included a short biographical notice of the artists, with a copious description of their principal pictures : a statement of the prices at which such pictures have been sold at public sales on the continent and in England; a reference the the galleries and private collections in which a large portion are at present; and the names of the artists by whom they have been engraved; to which is added, a brief notice of the scholars & imitators of the great masters of the above schools (Part 7) (London: Smith and Son, 1836)

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THE LIFE OF

painting, and that he skilfully turned some of their
productions to account, for otherwise it would be diffi-
cult to reconcile such a statement.
Either portraiture, or some pursuit other than the
palette, engaged his attention during the year 1635 and
1636 ; this is evident, from the paucity of his historical
productions : but whether it was attendance on his
pupils, or, as is supposed by some writers, a journey
to Venice, which occupied his time, cannot now be
ascertained; for all that is known of this supposed
journey, is taken from three prints of Oriental heads,
on which are inscribed “ Rembrandt, Venitiis,” and one
of them has the date 1635 ; these inscriptions may,
after all, have been a mere caprice of the master.
The only work of the pencil bearing date 1636, is a
picture of Samson and Delilah ; and his etchings of this
year consist of the Ecce Homo, Christ among the
Doctors, the Return of the Prodigal, portraits of him-
self and wife, a ditto of Manassah Ben Israel, six
heads on one sheet, and a landscape with a peasant
driving a flock of sheep.
In 1637, he again appeared with increased splendour,
and gave to the world an exquisitely wrought picture
of The Lord of the V ineyard paying his Labourers ;
another of The Angel departing from the Family of
Tobit; and a capital portrait of a Burgomaster. He
also etched Abraham sending away Hagar and Ish-
mael ; a young Man seated at table; a bust of an old
Man, and three heads of Women on one sheet. The
two following years, 1638 and 1639, are not distin-
guished by any very important work, which a correct