Age of Louis XIV.—Reign of Louis Philippe.

French Scalpture.

Or the sepulchral and ornamental sculptures in France in the middle ages, including that of the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries, France possessed many splendid and interesting specimens, a great proportion of which fell a sacrifice to the demoniacal fury of the revolution. Under the long reign of Louis XIV. the fine arts, in common with literature, received munificent encouragement. During this Augustan age of French art, including the commencement of the eighteenth century, many sculptors of eminence may be enumerated; GERARDON, SARACIN PUGET, GUILLAIN LE GROS, the two COUSTONS, &c. And it is but justice to admit, that, however corrupt when compared with purer models, they surpassed their degraded cotemporaries of Italy. Louis XVI. showed a disposition to patronize them, had he not been overwhelmed by the troubles of the revolution. The only sculptors of this period worthy of being recorded, are BOUCHARDON and PIGAL. Napoleon, both as first consul and emperor, was a vigorous and liberal patron of the fine arts.

The reign of Louis Philippe was an era in French art. No sooner was he established on the throne, than art, in all its branches received a powerful impulse, from his munificent encouragement and enlightened taste.

If French sculpture, therefore, has not improved, it is not for want of national and extensive encouragement. That it has, however, made considerable advancement within the last ten years, cannot be denied, in spite of the severe and often unjust censure of many of their own journals.

German sculpture within the last thirty years.

German Scalptare.

WITHIN the last thirty years, sculpture in Germany, under the enlightened patronage of the kings of Bavaria and Prussia, has been pursued with enthusiasm and success.

The most distinguished sculptors are DANNECKER, of Stuttgart RAUCH and TIECK of Berlin, SCHWANTHALER, EBERHARDT, BANDEL, KIRKMAYER, MAYER of Munich, RATCHEL of Dresden, and IMHOFF of Cologne. Dannecker's principal works are his Ariadne and Panther, his Cupid and Psyche, his celebrated statue of Christ, and his Mausoleum of Zeppeline. He is much celebrated for his busts. Rauch was the first German sculptor, who, after a lapse of two hundred and fifty years, attempted to revive the taste of the middle ages, as manifested in the works of Albert Durer. Following neither the antique, nor the style of Canova, nor Thorwaldsen, he has revived the old German style of Fischer, improving and adapting it to the present state and intellectual progress of society. He executed a statue of the late queen of Prussia, two colossal busts of Blucher, in bronze, besides many busts and monumental statues to field-marshals, generals, &c. In all of which, he distinguished himself. Tieck's productions are very numerous, both in monumental works and busts. He has been engaged for many years on the new theatre, at Berlin; including a colossal Apollo, a Pegasus, colossal Muses, &c. The sitting statue of Iffland the great actor, is reckoned his chefd'œuvre. Schwanthaler in some of his works, has followed in the footsteps of the great Prussian sculptor. Though influenced more or less by Thorwaldsen and the antique, he is far from being a slavish imitator.

He has executed a large portion of the

British sculpture.-Britons.-Saxons.-Normans.

sculptural decorations of Munich, including those of the Walhalla. Every public edifice in the German capitals is enriched with sculpture; hence, a more extended encouragement, a more ample scope is given for its productions.

British Sculpture.

DURING the occupation of Britain by the Romans, their numerous temples, baths, and other public buildings, which overspread the southern part of the island, were decorated with a profusion of statues, both in marble and bronze. There is every reason to believe, that the Britons were early initiated into the practice of these arts, which they retained for nearly a century after the final departure of their Roman masters. The Saxons, like all idolatrous nations, were in the custom of carving images of their gods in wood, and probably in stone, in a rude and barbarous manner. When converted to Christianity, in the seventh century, they destroyed their idols and abandoned the art as impious. But no sooner were images of saints introduced from the continent, than the increased demand gradually brought about a revival of the art.

Sepulchral sculpture was first introduced at the Norman conquest; the figures of the deceased being generally cut in low relief, on the tombstones. The reign of Henry III. is remarkable for the improvement of architectural sculpture. One of the most interesting examples is the cathedral of Wells, rebuilt by Bishop Joceline, in the beginning of the thirteenth century, and finished

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 sculpture 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.”