PORTRAIT OF THE EARL OF MACCLESFIELD,

(A Vice-President)

BY WILSON.

Of whom an account has already been given.

PORTRAIT OF DR. MEAD,

(A very active Governor)

BY ALLAN RAMSAY.

Mr. Ramsay was the son of Allan Ramsay, author

of the pastoral drama, called,

"The Gentle Shep

herd," he was born in Edinburgh.

As an artist, he is said to have been rather selftaught, but went early in life to Italy, where he rereived some instructions from Solimene, and also from Imperiale, two artists of much celebrity in that country. After his return, he practised for some time in Edinburgh, but chiefly in London, and acquired a considerable degree of reputation in his profession.

By the interest of Lord Bute, he was introduced to George III. when Prince of Wales, whose portrait he painted, both at whole-length and also in profile. Beside these, there are several mezzotinto prints, after pictures which he painted, of some of the principal personages among his countrymen. Though he did not acquire the highest degree of

rank in his profession, yet he practised with considerable success for many years, and at the death of Mr. Shackleton, which was in March, 1767, he was appointed principal painter to the Crown, a situation which he retained till his death, though he retired from practise about eight years after his appoint

ment.

Although Ramsay, as a painter, did not acquire that vigour of execution and brilliancy of colouring which distinguished the works of Sir Joshua Reynolds, yet his portraits possess a calm representation of nature, that much exceeds the mannered affectation of squareness which prevailed among his cotemporary artists; and it may be justly allowed, that he was among the first of those who contributed to improve the degenerated style of portraitpainting. That he possessed a considerable degree of public notice, may be presumed from the following observation of Walpole, who says, that "Reynolds and Ramsay have wanted subjects, not genius;" but the truth is, that if the latter possessed equal genius with the former, he still wanted that affection to his art, which, added to his natural taste, were the constant stimuli to Sir Joshua's exertions, and the cause of his great superiority above his brother artists.

Dr. Mead was an early and a very zealous Governor of the Hospital. He was the most eminent physician of his time, and was born at Stepney, 11th August, 1673. In 1702 he published a work called

"Mechanical Account of Poisons," and subsequently other valuable treatises. He was one of the members of the Royal Society when Sir Isaac Newton was the president, and was physician to St. Thomas's Hospital. He died at his house in Great Ormond Street, in 1754.

PORTRAITS OF THEODORE JACOBSEN, Esq.,

(The Architect of the Hospital)

AND JOHN MILNER, Esq.,

(A Governor)

BY THOMAS HUDSON.

Hudson, who was the pupil and son-in-law of Richardson, enjoyed for many years the chief business of portrait-painting in the capital, after the favourite artists, his master and Jervas, were gone off the stage, though Vanloo first, and Liotard afterwards, for a few years, diverted the torrent of fashion from the established profession. Still the country gentlemen were faithful to their compatriot, and were content with his honest similitudes, and with the fair tied wigs, blue velvet coats, and white satin waistcoats, which he bestowed liberally on his customers. The better taste introducing Sir Joshua Reynolds (who was his pupil for two years), put an end to Hudson's reign, who had the good sense to resign the throne soon after finishing his capital