bar. But the Athenian judges transformed into wasps, with the mantles and staves, pursuing Bdelycleon (son of Philocleon) across the stage at the prick of a needle-the frogs forming a choir-the beetle flying and a hundred other things are extravagant absurdities which would not be tolerated in our day. The Greek poet, moreover, in the two last acts entirely abandons his subject. Philocleon is persuaded by his son, that the life of a judge is but a miserable occupation: and, in order to quit it, he gets drunk, and the fifth act is made up of all the ridiculous excesses of an intoxicated old man. Still, I repeat, a comic vein pervades this piece, which shows that the author could have accomplished better things, if he had been born in other times and with a different character; for the disposition has a great influence upon the genius of a man, and we are taught to write comedies by malice, hatred, and jealousy. (To be continued.) THE FINE ARTS.-FOR THE PORT FOLIO. Their various uses meaner toils commend, And Commerce finds in every want a friend; Like plants of bold and vigorous growth, they bear LIFE OF LESUEUR. Eustachius Lesueur was born in Paris in the year 1617. His father was a sculptor and placed him at a very early age under the care of a celebrated French painter by the name of Simon Vouet. This artist was eminent for fine forms and graceful turns of the body, but was culpably deficient in colouring. Fascinated with antique, he held all other properties of the pencil in light esteem-his carnations were cold and livid and he imparted a death like character to all his forms by adopting statuary for a model. Under such tuition it may easily be conjectured that those opinions which Lesueur had imbibed from contemplating the specimens of his father's skill, would be fostered and invigorated. The amiable and flexile character of Lesueur tended still more to the confirmation of these early impressions. Unfortunately this excellent youth never knew his own strength; and paradoxical as it may seem, less modesty and docility would have corrected all the errors of his pencil. Traces of Vouet were visible in all his subsequent works. The limbs of his figures were modelled with the most exquisite elegance; symmetry and beauty were visible in all his forms; the foldings of his draperies were light and graceful; yet the statue was still stamped upon the canvass and a character of coldness pervaded all his works. His taste was peculiarly delicate and his fancy though bold was still chastened and correct when he had once overcome his native modesty so far as to allow it indulgence. This is beautifully illustrated in his piece intitled the presentation of Cupid to Jupiter. Venus appears in all her charms and graces, and presents her beautiful infant to the synod of the gods. The boy clings to his mother alarmed by the dignity and commanding character of the illustrious personage to whom he is presented. Diana contemplates the child with a melancholy countenance foreseeing what ravages he was destined to make in her empire. In his martyrdom of St. Stephen he may be said to have the honour of breaking a lance with Titian, and as this will furnish in some measure an evidence of the strength of the respective artists, we will endeavour to explain the character of their works. No comparison can be made in point of colouring, for there Titian was pre-eminent; Lesueur censurably defective. The design is therefore the only point in which we can form a proper estimate of their powers. The story is this, that St. Laurence, archdeacon of Rome, employed the revenues of the church in relieving the necessities of the poor, and when ordered by the emperor to remit the money to Rome, presented the indigent people to whom he had been so bountiful, and said, in the persons of these poor men behold the treasures you require. The Laurence to Titian repre emperor irritated by these words condemned St. die upon a gridiron under a slow consuming fire. sents the saint upon the instrument of torture. One of the attendants is employed in bringing faggots, another in stirring the coals, and a third by the act of plunging a fork into the body augments the sufferings of the victim. What is peculiarly admirable is, that the piece is darkened by the smoke of the torments. A light faintly breaks from the flames which brings to view the mild, patient, and resigned countenance of the expiring saint strongly contrasted with the distorted and ferocious features of his savage executioners enjoying the torments. Lesueur presents the scene in the following manner: Two executioners are employed in extending the saint upon the instrument of torture and a third in stripping him of his raiment. The spectators are in various degrees touched with compassion in which all the executioners appear to join but one, who grasps the saint by the hair and manifests a ferocious promptitude in complying with his command, and preparing the limbs of the sufferer for the tortures. The features of St. Laurence are mild and forgiving and appear to increase the resentment of the sanguinary tyrant, who, surrounded by his lictors and seated in his chair of state, frowns upon us in the back ground, and directs the awful ceremony. Titian contented himself by raising one powerful emotion of horror for the fate of his victim! the milder genius of Lesueur interests all our sympathies. But the most celebrated paintings of this admirable artist are comprehended in a series entitled the life of St. Bruno, intended for the decoration of the cloister of Chartreux. These are founded on the following fact. A monk by the name of Raymond, pretending to the gift of prophecy veiled his hypocrisy under the garb of the most sanctimonious austerity. After his death he was consigned to the sepulchre with all the solemn rituals of the Romish church, when the body arising from the coffin pronounced these awful words, Justo Dei judicio appellatus sum, Justo Dei judicio judicatus sum, justo Dei judicio condemnatus sum. St. Bruno who was a spectator of this miracle formed the immediate determination of dedicating the remainder of his existence to the most austere and secluded piety. He immediately retired to his dwelling, distributed all his wealth amongst the poor, conformed to the most rigid discipline of monastic life and founded the order of the Chartreux. The series opens with the piece representing the conversion of St. Bruno. The saint alarmed by the horrid spectacle he had lately witnessed, throws himself on his knees before the crucifix, in the act of making the vow. At a distance the dead body of Raymond is discovered, flung carelessly into the earth, without the common decencies of sepulture. The extreme simplicity of the design constitutes its principal merit. The painter did not neglect the favourable opportunity afforded by the miracle abovementioned to give a strong character to his works. The body of Raymond appears rising from the coffin and with a face of inexpressible horror announcing his condemnation. From the nature of the subject as words are incapable of visible representation, the story remains incomplete, and Lesueur was reduced to the awkward expedient of inscribing them upon the pall. The priest and spectators are variously and in different degrees affected by the miracle., The defect abovementioned is still more glaring in another picture of this series entitled the confirmation of the order of the Chartreux by pope Victor the 3d. We see the pontiff surFounded by his cardinals and his secretary in the act of reading the decree; but there is nothing, there can be nothing, to distinguish this on canvass from other pontifical decretals. It is a piece of quiet history, that when attempted to be delineated must be destitute of identity. The artist was far more fortunate in another painting of this series in which he attempted to delineate the following fact.. Roger, count of Sicily, while hunting, was accidentally separated from his companions and wandered near the cell of the saint, when engaged in his devotions. He was so struck with the piety of the monk and of his companions, that he presented them with two churches and appropriated the revenue to their subsistence. The saint appears on his knees before the crucifix. The count who has just dismounted kneels respectfully at a humble distance with his arms extended towards heaven in the attitude of supplication. His dogs breathless and fatigued inform us that he has just arrived from the chase. In perspective the rest of the train appear in full pursuit. Now these facts speak a visible language. Notwithstanding, we may not know that the monk is St. Bruno, or the stranger Count Roger; yet we know that the latter has been separated from his companions in the chace, that he has intruded on the quietude of monastic devotion, and that he is struck with reverence and admiration at this spectacle of piety. Nor was the artist less fortunate in another picture of the same series, representing St. Bruno refusing a mitre. The pontiff, surrounded by his cardinals, points to the emblem of archiepiscopal dignity lying upon a table and entreats his acceptance. The saint reverently kneels and with a countenance of the profoundest humility turns his head aside; with one hand upon his breast and with the other extended in the attitude of rejection. This series of paintings amounted to twenty-two, a work which cost the artist three whole years to accomplish. All these were originally done in fresco, and as the traces of Lesueur have been much impaired by time the Parisian artists undertook their restoration. By their frequent touchings and retouchings they have essentially impaired the original character of the paintings, and Fuseli remarks with his accustomed naivete that they have suffered martyrdom more than once. We are sorry to say that this amiable and excellent artist impaired his constitution by his professional assiduity, and in the full flower of his fame, and after having acquired the chayear of racter of the French Raphael, died in 1675 in the 38th his age. EXHIBITION OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY, 1812. A public exhibition of works of art, may be considered as presenting an object to the reflection of the philosopher, and to the judgment of the connoisseur. Under the first of these descriptions, is inquired what is the predominant turn of thought VOL. I. |