DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.73058#0050
Bartolozzi and his Works.
CHAPTER IV.
Bartolozzi's Improvements and Alterations
in Copying.
rnoixB^ess Bartolozzi exposed himself to the charge of
Lira altering—and altering very largely—some of the
works whicli it was his task to reproduce. But if he altered, he always
improved ; and many amateur daubers and indifferent artists were indebted to him for
the addition of beauties in the engraved reproduction of their works which it may be
charitably supposed existed in the imagination of the draftsmen, the skill of transferring
to paper or canvas being unfortunately wanting. A somewhat ludicrous example of
Bartolozzi's adherence to his own particular treatment, which he sometimes either would
not, or could not, abandon, may be found in one of the folio illustrations to Captain Cook's
voyages, "A Young Woman of Otaheite bringing a Present." A semi-nude Otaheitan
damsel appears as a savage with the head of a beautiful Bacchante; and while, as a picture,
the plate is by far the most pleasing in the book, it is certainly the most incorrect.
Sherwin, who probably worked for Bartolozzi at this time, falls into precisely the same
error, while the other engravers exhibit the natives in their natural repulsiveness—a feat
apparently beyond Bartolozzi, who at times appeared to think that he was nothing if
not pleasing. And yet his portraits—witness especially that of Lord Thurlow, a mixture
of chalk and etching—are not only splendidly executed, but were admittedly faithful and
favourable likenesses.
His determination to produce beauty was a quality which, in the matter of portraits at
least, gave far more satisfaction than offence. It is now a matter of impossibility to identify
the numerous portraits in his classical and fancy prints, but it is known that both he and
Cipriani were in the habit of laying their female friends—it may be supposed the prettier
ones—under embargo; and many of the beautiful and titled women of the day were
perhaps only too well pleased to know that they would be thus gracefully handed down to
posterity, with the certainty that any little blemishes would be hidden and forgotten, and
32 their
CHAPTER IV.
Bartolozzi's Improvements and Alterations
in Copying.
rnoixB^ess Bartolozzi exposed himself to the charge of
Lira altering—and altering very largely—some of the
works whicli it was his task to reproduce. But if he altered, he always
improved ; and many amateur daubers and indifferent artists were indebted to him for
the addition of beauties in the engraved reproduction of their works which it may be
charitably supposed existed in the imagination of the draftsmen, the skill of transferring
to paper or canvas being unfortunately wanting. A somewhat ludicrous example of
Bartolozzi's adherence to his own particular treatment, which he sometimes either would
not, or could not, abandon, may be found in one of the folio illustrations to Captain Cook's
voyages, "A Young Woman of Otaheite bringing a Present." A semi-nude Otaheitan
damsel appears as a savage with the head of a beautiful Bacchante; and while, as a picture,
the plate is by far the most pleasing in the book, it is certainly the most incorrect.
Sherwin, who probably worked for Bartolozzi at this time, falls into precisely the same
error, while the other engravers exhibit the natives in their natural repulsiveness—a feat
apparently beyond Bartolozzi, who at times appeared to think that he was nothing if
not pleasing. And yet his portraits—witness especially that of Lord Thurlow, a mixture
of chalk and etching—are not only splendidly executed, but were admittedly faithful and
favourable likenesses.
His determination to produce beauty was a quality which, in the matter of portraits at
least, gave far more satisfaction than offence. It is now a matter of impossibility to identify
the numerous portraits in his classical and fancy prints, but it is known that both he and
Cipriani were in the habit of laying their female friends—it may be supposed the prettier
ones—under embargo; and many of the beautiful and titled women of the day were
perhaps only too well pleased to know that they would be thus gracefully handed down to
posterity, with the certainty that any little blemishes would be hidden and forgotten, and
32 their