Reign of Henry III.-Henry VI.-Recent sculptors.

in 1242. The sculpture, consisting both of statues and relievi, embraces subjects from the Holy Scriptures; the Creation; Acts of the Apostles; Life of our Saviour, &c., all executed in a style of surprising skill and truth, considering the disadvantages and the ignorance of the times. It is more than probable, that most of the artists employed on this noble building were English, because the tombs of Edward the Confessor and Henry III. executed by Italian artists, are different both in style and architecture. The reign of Edward III. introduced a new species of monument, the Norman Cross, of beautiful Gothic architecture, richly decorated with sculpture, and first raised in honour of his queen, Eleanor, who accompanied him to the Holy Land.

The reign of Henry VI. produced many monumental statues of great interest: for instance, the monument of Richard Beauchamp, earl of Warwick, in St. Mary's church, Warwick; which, in Flaxman's opinion, is excelled by nothing in Italy, of the same kind, at that period, (1439,) though Donatello and Ghiberti were then living. The Lady Chapel of Henry VII., is adorned with no less than three thousand statues.

During the long interval which succeeded the fall of the Gothic sculpture-extending nearly to the middle of the eighteenth century-sculpture in England, with the subordinate departments in wood and stone, was almost exclusively exercised by foreigners. The English native school, commencing with GRINLING, GIBBONS, and WILTON, has produced BANKS, NEWTON, BACON, NOLLEKENS, FLAXMAN, WESTMACOTt, Chantrey, BAILY, WYATT, GIBSON, and other eminent artists. To the genius, fine taste, and classical conceptions of Flaxman, England chiefly owes the regeneration of sculpture.

"Within the last twenty years," says Cleghorn, a taste for eulpture has been rapidly increasing in Scotland: several young

Scotch sculptors.-Native school.-Self-taught artists.

artists of high promise having enthusiastically devoted themselves to the profession; most of whom have finished their studies at Rome-Messrs. CAMPBELL, LAWRENCE, MACDONALD, SCOWLER, STEEL, CALDER MARSHALL, SIMSON, HANDYSIDE, RITCHIE, PARK, &c. Besides busts and whole figures, they have produced monumental and poetical works of great merit.

Scotland may now boast of having a native school of sculpture, imbued with an ardent love of the art; and a generous emulation, in spite of every discouragement, to reach excellence in the elevated branches. Sculpture, indeed, seems congenial to Scottish genius. Even the works of untutored and self-taught artists, such as THOм and FORREST, show both genius and originality. The seed is now sown. Whether the public will continue to foster the tender plant, and enable it to take root in the soil, remains to be decided. It is a bitter mockery to patronize academies and institutions for the advancement of Scottish art, if no scope or opportunity be afforded to artists for the exercise of their powers. It is not the modelling of a few busts, to be stuck up in an exhibition-room, that will enable the art to flourish. Unless encouragement be afforded, both by government and public bodies, it must again relapse into its former degradation. A taste for the fine arts is no plant of the desert, that will spring up unheeded, and spread its blossoms where there are none to enjoy its fragrance; nor a sturdy weed, that can struggle into vigour through rubbish and neglect; it is a plant whose seeds will remain inert until called into life by culture, and will spread into luxuriance exactly in proportion to the care taken of it.”

Nollekens. Studies abroad.-Success.-Hundred busts.

NOLLEKENS.

Joseph Nollekens was born in London, in the year 1757. At the age of 23 he made his way to Italy. After ten years' profitable study at Rome, he returned to London, and resolved to commence on his own account. His long residence among the great works of art prepared many to expect much from him; the busts of Sterne and Garrick had reached his country before him; and he no sooner opened his doors than orders came in abundance. His chief strength lay in bust sculpture, and in this he was successful beyond all his predecessors. His studio became a kind of fashionable lounge for those who thought their heads of importance, either to their friends or their country.

The claims of Nollekens to distinction are three-fold: bust sculpture, monumental sculpture, and poetic sculpture. He attained to eminence in all-and to lasting fame, perhaps, only in the first. The chief attraction about his hundred busts-for that number and more he made, besides many duplicates-was ease and simplicity; the chief defect is, want of dignity and sentiment. The monumental sculptures of Nollekens are in number upwards of seventy varying in magnificence according to the wealth or taste of the employers. There are among them single statues, such as those of Pitt and Rockingham, which merit notice, because of the persons whom they represent; and there are monuments, such as that of Mrs. Howard, which dwell in our hearts from their nature and pathos. This is a work of great beauty both in design and execution. Such a touching work in a church has the effect of a sermon. The cold serene loveliness of the mother, the natural beauty of the hapless child, and the allegori

Statues and groups. Fine workmanship.-Flaxman.

cal monitress, Religion, pointing to the abode of the blessed, appeal to every heart, and touch the meanest understanding.

Nollekens produced some twenty statues and groups, five Venuses, two Junos, Cupid and Psyche, &c., &c. On these he founded his chief hopes of future fame, and he considered them with the care, and wrought upon them with the diligence, of one resolved to trust to no hasty effort in a matter concerning futurity. But his utter ignorance of classic lore could not fail to injure his works of this order. He saw, for example, but half, and less, when he saw only the Venus de Medicis-he ought to have seen the goddess breathing of Olympus, with her inspiring cestus on, soothing Helen to love, when Paris was at hand; or bearing Eneas, her beloved son, wounded and bleeding, from the tumult of battle, when assaulted by Diomed. He saw none of those glorious sights-he wanted that high genius which can render marble a diviner thing than what is present in models and fragments; he could fashion a form coldly and mechanically correct, but he was unable to make it breathe of rapture and of heaven. Of all his works, he himself preferred the Venus anointing her hair. But a beautiful form will not do alone-it must have the help of higher qualities. The Queen of Love is dropping incense upon her tresses, and looking aside; every one perceives that the action requires the assistance of the eye, and the mistake mars the beauty of the whole statue; the workmanship, however, is very fine. Nollekens reached the age of eighty-six, and died in 1823.

JOHN FLAXMAN.

This excellent man, and admirable artist, was born in 1755, in the city of York, where his father at that time resided, but which

Achievements in childhood.-Prizes.-Early productions.

he quitted while his son was yet an infant. He very soon gave indications of that observation and love for the works of art, which distinguished him in maturer life. One of the first instances was shown on the coronation day of his Majesty George the Third. His father was going to see the procession, and the child begged earnestly that he would bring him one of the medals which were thrown to the populace; he was not so fortunate as to get one; but on his way home, happening to find a plated button bearing the stamp of a horse and jockey, rather than wholly disappoint the child, who was then in a very precarious state of health, he ventured, though unwillingly, to deceive him, and gave him the button. The young virtuoso took it and was thankful, but remarked, it was a very odd device for a coronation medal. He was then five years old; at this age he was fond of examining the seals of every watch he saw, and always kept a piece of soft wax ready to take an impression of any which pleased him

While yet a child, he made a great number of small models, in plaster, wax, and clay; some of which are still preserved, and have considerable merit. At the age of eleven years and five months, he gained his first prize from the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, which was the silver palette. At thirteen he had another, and the following year was admitted a student at the Royal Academy, then newly established, and the same year received their silver medal.

One of his most admired works, previous to his going to Italy, was a beautiful group of Venus and Cupid, which was executed for Mr. Knight, of Portland-place; another was a monument in Gloucester cathedral, to the memory of Mrs. Morley, who, with her infant, died at sea; the mother and child are rising from the waves, and are received by descending angels. It is an exquisite