SKETCH of the LIFE and CHARACTER OF ANTHONY RAPHAEL MENGS. [From the First Volume of the Works of that Painter, translated from the Italian publifhed by the Chevalier DoN JOSEPH NICHOLAS D'AZARA, Spanish Minifter at Rome.] HE forefathers of Mengs Bohemia, the 12th of March 1728, Twere of Llafatia, ofis grands and to whom were given the 1720s father was established at Hamburgh, and from thence went to Copenhagen, where the father of Mengs was born. This being his twentieth child, according to the account of his brothers, he knew not what name to give him, and on opening the Bible, the first name which prefented itself was Ifmael, which he made choice of. He had for godfather a painter of no fuperior abilities, but this was a fufficient motive for applying the boy's talents to painting. From this inferior school Ifmael was foon removed to that of Mr. Cofre, a Frenchman, and the beft painter at that court, and procuring fome productions of Vandyke from a friend, he acquired by copying him the art of colouring; for which perfection he was remarkable during his life. His mafter had a niece, of whom Ifinael become enamoured; but this affected lady, not being able to fuffer the smell of oil, the good If. mael, in obedience to her will, dedicated himself alone to miniature painting; and with fuch application and fuccefs, that in a fhort time he arrived to great perfection in the art, and then was united to this beautiful, though capricious lady. On account of a contagious diftemper, he foon after abandoned that country, and travelled to various courts of Germany, where he acquired the difficult art of painting in enamel, for which he was ever after very famous. "From this alliance our Mengs was born, in the city of Aufig, in of Anthony and Raphael, in memory of the two great painters, Raphael d'Urbino, and Anthony Allegri da Correggio, of whom his father was a paffionate admirer. Thus deftined for a painter, even from his cradle, nothing was ever given to him for his amufement, but implements of this nature, fuch as pencils, paper, &c. and before he had attained his fixth year, he was placed to the ftudy of drawing. The first rudiments which his father taught him, were the most fimple ftraight lines, as the vertical, the horizontal, and the oblique, which he practifed till he was quite perfect; and from this he proceeded, with the fame care, to the most fimple geometrical figures, but always without rule and compass, in order to accuftom his eye to exactnefs. After that, he proceeded to delineate the contours of the different parts of the human body, and was obliged to reduce them, as well as he was able, to geometrical rule; from thence he arrived to join and arrange thofe parts, and at laft to give them their neceffary grace and perfection. Then he proceeded to take sketches; and, according to the manuscripts left by Ifmael, mentioning this particular, it was very difficult to constrain the vivacity of his fon, who was not willing to fubject himself to a certain neatnefs and cleanlinefs, for which reafon he obliged him to draw with Indian ink, which took from him every poffibility of continuing the fame error. B 3 "In "In this study he continued for two years, after which he began to paint in oil. His father then feeing the great talent which he difplayed, fought every means ftrongly to imprefs in him the first principles of the art, and made him return again with the greatest attention and prolixity, to the ftudy of drawing. "At the fame time he taught him chemistry, in which he was the moft intelligent in Europe; and to paint in enamel and miniature. This, however, did not interrupt his ftudy of drawing, fince not a day paffed in which he did not delineate two entire figures of Raphael, or of Caracci; and not to lofe a moment of time, he ftudied likewife perfpective, and the most neceffary parts of anatomy. Although at Drefden, where he was at that time, yet he did not think it neceffary to ftudy this fcience upon dead bodies, but contented himfelf to learn it from books, and from the dry bones of skeletons. "After this study he began to draw antique figures by parts, the fame fize of the originals, which his father had brought from Rome; and by night copied by artificial light, modeis in miniature of the fame ftatues. By this method he put in practice that which he had learnt from perfpective and anatomy, fuch as the degradation and diminution of the members, and the variation of form of the mufcles when in action. He ftill improved himself in ftudying the effect of light, of its degradation, upon fhade, and of reflection, the which things he diftinguifhed better by artificial light, than by that of the fun, and thus repeating the fame operation in different places, he comprehended better the force of the light and hade. In this manner he employ ed his time to. the age of twelve years. "His father then feeing that he ftudied with reflection, and that it was time to form in him a juft tafte, which was not to be obtained out of Italy, he resolved to conduct him to Rome, which he did in the year 1741. The young Mengs remained aftonished at fight of fuch beauful objects which that capital afforded of the arts, and wished to embrace the whole, but was restrained by his father, who made him ftudy the moft perfect although the moft difficult, fuch as the Laocoon, the Torfo of Belvidere, and the works of Michael Angelo in the chapel Siftina. After having made him ftudy thefe in the different modes, he removed him to the chambers of Raphael to practice the most beautiful heads, and dreff. ed figures, in order to learn the tafte of drapery, for which Raphael is fo excellent. Ifmael was at that time painter to Auguftus III. king of Poland; and being very defirous to fend him fome effay of the abilities of his fon, he made him copy in miniature, two pieces of Raphael, which were in the Novitiate, and in the Profeffion Houfe, then belonging to the Jefuits; and with: ing, at the fame time, to fend to his majefty a painting in enamel, fufficiently large of the fame kind, he ordered his fon to begin a drawing of his own invention, which the father executed to a certain point, and then left it to his fon to give it the finishing hand. Never did a work of that kind receive more admiration, as Ifmael was the best painter in enamel ever known, even to this day, and his works have been ever confidered as invaluable for his beautiful colouring, and practice in the art. His only misfortune was, not having had in his youth a better a better school for painting, which he was fenfible of, and for that reafon he urged his fon fo much to the ftudy of the first principles, Till now we behold Ifmael directing the ftudies of his fon, and giv. ing him that education which has contributed fo much to his progrefs in the arts, and conduct through life; we shall then proceed to treat likewife of his character. A man more fevere and rigid to his children never was known. He exacted from them the most indefatigable labour, without ever allowing the leaft mo. ment of recreation. They were at this time grown up, and had never had any intercourfe with the world, or fcarcely spoken with familiarity to any perfons except their family; fo much fo, that many people with whom Ifmael was in the habits of intimacy, were quite ignorant of his having a family. His paffion for mufic only could foften him fo as to admit to his houfe a certain gentleman of the name of Annibale, well known and juftly esteemed at the court, and who by a fingular contrivance (as we fhall fee) made known to the king of Poland the merits of the young Mengs. When he went from home, he always left his children fut up in the houfe, and on his return ftrictly examined if they had performed the task impofed on them to execute during his abfence. His chaftifement was more like a fevere mafter than a father. He was a perfect tyrant in his houfe. In Rome he continued the fame conduct. Having conducted our young Anthony to the Vatican, he would there order him what he was to accomplish in that day; and with a flafk of water, and a little bread, would leave him embroiled with the fatiguing task he had to ftudy. After which Ifmael would return to reconduct him to the houfe, where he made him render account of what he had done, and one might well fuppofe the examination was fufficiently rigid. This fort of study rendered him fo reflective, that he could form a hiftory of all the thoughts of Raphael. To hear him defcribe the beauties of the different paintings in the aforefaid chamber, one would fuppofe it was Raphael himself who' was giving the defeription. From the ftyle in which one part was painted, he demonftrated that from which the author had founded his original idea; and from thence he difcovered his firft defign. Then following that which was executed in another ftyle, he pointed out the motives the painter neceffarily must have had in making thofe changes. "Hemarked the changes and corrections from which he drew thofe reflections, and finishing to review the picture, one had the perfect hiftory of what ideas occupied the mind of Raphael in the execution of that work. Mengs explained the whole with reafons and obfervations, fo clear and evident, that the understanding was compelled to render him the credit of geometrical demonftration. "This education, fo favourable for the arts, was fo difadvantageous' to the perfon of our young ftudent,' that it implanted in him; fuch air habitual careleffnefs for his appearance, that those who knew him not would have taken him for a clown.' A perfect ignorance of the world rendered him almoft deftitute of common civility in his behaviour; a certain confined manner, which appeared a kind of diffidence, and lastly, a negligence of his own inte-' refts, were the cause of his own infelicity, and that of his family," whilft he lived. After three years thus fpent in idea of the painter, and granted him licence with the greatest good will. "He returned therefore to Reme with his father, and his two fifters, and took a house near the Vatican, in order to have the greateft ac. commodation for pursuing his ancient ftudies. He drew from paintings and ftatues; frequented the academies and lectures on anatomy in the hofpital of the holy ghoft. He drew at the fame time fome miniatures at the request of his father. study at Rome, he returned to Drefden, where he applied himself to painting in crayons, and there painted his own portrait in two different ftyles of painting, and that of the aforefaid fignor Annibale, by whofe means he was made known to that fovereign. His majefty being in doubt that a boy of his age could have arrived to fuch perfection in the arts, ordered that in prefence of an Italian paintrefs, a difciple of the celebrated Rofalba Cariera, he fhould take the likeness of her husband, which being done, the king remained furprised at fuch ability, and immediately wifhed him to paint his portrait, in which Mengs expreffed the most perfectly, he met with very great applaufe. refemblance of that noblenefs which was the characteristic of this prince, and for which he merited the greatest esteem. "In the year 1745, the king retired to Poland, on account of the war, and after the peace, returning again to Dresden, he defired to have the portraits of all the family of Mengs, and wifhed for Anthony to take that of his father; and that his eldest fifter, who likewife painted very eminently, fhould take his. All were therefore placed in the cabinet of Crayons. Anthony was then chofen cabinet painter, with a penfion of fix hundred talleri, and a place of habitation, without any other restraint or obligation, than to give the king the preference of thofe works he might make choice of, for which he would pay fuch price as Anthony himself thould fix upon them. Anthony did not accept this good fortune without the permiffion to return again to Rome, a pretenfion which afforded fome fcandal to the count de Bruhl, the moft powerful minifter that king ever had. He, however, in place of being offended, approved the "In this exercise he continued four years, after which time he dedicated himself to compofition. From one piece of the Holy Fami The firft perfonages of the city came to admire it, which rendered our Anthony very famous in Rome, and fo much efteemed, that he was requested by the first people to fettle there, offering to obtain permiffion of his fovereign, by affigning him a certain number of his works. This offer was gratefully received by Mengs, being thus able to purfue his ftudies in prefence of fuch marvellous productions of the arts as are to be found at Rome; but his father prized greater the advantage of establishing him in Saxony, which he accordingly did. However, before parting, Anthony married a young lady fufficiently beautiful and refpectable, called Margarita Guazzi, which he happened to meet when feeking a model for the head of the Madonna, referred to in the aforefaid picture. "The family, thus augmented, left Rome at the end of the year 1749, and arrived at Dresden at Christmas. The fevere cold of that climate in winter, and various domeftic difturbances, occafioned a great melancholy in our Mengs. His father, in continuation of his cruel cruel difpofition, feized on the whole property which was in the house of his fon, even to the laft penny; after which he turned him out in the street, without either goods or money. Some friends, and particularly his good friend Annibale (who to the end of his days proved his faithful friend), affifted him by their generofity; but, above all, the king, and his fon the electorate prince, confoled him by affigning him a comfortable habitation and a carriage. He applied likewife for the title of first painter to the king, which was granted to him very gracioufly in place of Mr. Silveftre, who retired to Paris; and the king increased his penfion to one thoufand talleri without any obligation. From that time numerous were the privileges and honours which that fovereign and the royal family beftowed upon Mengs; and to prove his goodness of heart, he never after would fpeak of that court but in expreffions of the highest fenfe of gratitude. The king Auguftus having at that time built a church of tolerable size in the palace, which was confecrated in the year 1751, wifhed Mengs to paint a piece for the high altar, and for the other two at the fides. He executed the two laft at Dresden; but for that of the high altar, he asked permiffion to go to Rome to finish it there, as much from the motive of re-establishing his health, which was much impaired by this rigid climate, as for the perfection of this work, which he was better able to execute in that country fo congenial to the arts. His majefty well understood the difference of the countries, and being inftructed in the history of painters, knew what advantages were to be found in Italy for perfecting their works; therefore inftantly granted him the licence he required. "In the fpring of 1752, Mengs returned again to Rome with his wife, and a daughter born at Drefden; the which is at prefent wife to Don Manuel Carmona, a celebrated engraver at Madrid. The climate of Rome foon re-establish.ed his health, and the fatisfaction of finding himself again in the centre of the arts, furnished him with fpirits equal to the task of the most arduous undertaking. "The first work which he finished was a copy of the great painting of Raphael, called the School of Athens, for lord Northumberland. He accepted this commiffion only to reflect on, and study as much as poffible that invaluable painter. In fact, he has fince confeffed that he then found how very imperfectly he had known Raphael before that time. "This copy being finished, he began the painting for the altar of Drefden with the greateft application and delight. In the mean time arrived the unfortunate intelligence, that the war between the emprefs and the king of Pruffia, occafioned the invafion of Saxony, and the flight of the king from his ftates, which proved the interruption of the ftipend allowed to Mengs. By this news, reduced to the greatest mifery, he was obliged to accept of the works offered him by different individuals, in order to maintain his family, which every year increased. He therefore thought of making himself better known to the public by means of fome work, which he could exhibit in public, and for this reafon embraced an opportunity which offered of painting a piece in frefco, which the fathers Celeftini wished for the cieling of the church of Saint Eusebius. "The father abbot del Guidice, defiring, what his fect could not |