Michael Dahl was a Swede, and a mighty portrait painter. He was Kneller's rival, and yet they must have been friends, for Sir Godfrey painted his portrait. He was a great pet of Prince George of Denmark, and was also patronised by the Queen.
Any account of the artists of this reign would be sadly incomplete without mention of Boit, the enameller, who was certainly the best, up to that time, after Petitot or Zincke. He got large sums for his miniatures. Several now exist, and one, especially good, of Queen Anne sitting, and Prince George standing beside her, is at Kensington Palace. The most important work on which he was engaged during his stay in England was a large plate, about 24 in. by 18, for which Laguerre painted the design in oil. It represented the Queen, Prince George, and the principal members of the Court, with Victory introducing the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene; France and Bavaria were prostrate, and there were the usual military accompaniment of standards and trophies of arms. He got an advance of £1,000, and spent £700 or £800 of it in erecting furnaces able to fire so large a plate; and, when he began to lay on colour, he got another advance of £700. Then came the memorable disgrace of Marlborough, and he was ordered to change Marlborough into Ormonde, and Victory into Peace. Prince Eugene would not sit, and no further progress was ever made with the picture. Boit ran away, on the Queen's death, much in debt, and got to France, where they were only too glad to receive him. There he died in 1726.
Those were not, as now, golden days for artists, who never dreamed of living in luxuriously furnished mansions of their own building. There were no exhibitions of art, nor did the middle class indulge much in oil paintings, which were principally confined to originals, or copies, of the Italian or Dutch and Flemish schools. Of course every gentleman who made the 'grand tour' brought some home with him, if only to show his taste in such matters; and, through the fluctuations of fortune, there was generally a good supply of them in the market. The following extract from Swift's Journal to Stella will give some idea of the price of a copy, for it is scarcely likely to have been an original. '6 Mar. 1713. I was to day at an auction of pictures with Pratt, and laid out two pounds five Shillings for a picture of Titian, and if it were a Titian it would be worth twice as many pounds. If I am cheated, I'll part with it to Lord Masham; if it be a bargain, I'll keep it to myself. That's my conscience.'
To give an idea of the range of art which these pictures occupied, let us take the names of the masters, with their spellings, as they appear in the advertisements. Italian. Giorgione-da Castle Franco, Titian, Palma, Tintoret, Bassan, Cavalieri, Gioseppi d'Arpino, Paulo Faranati, Camillo Procacino, Spaniolette, Bartolemeo, Pordenone, Andrea del Sarto, Leonardo da Vinci, Paulo Veronese, Gaspar Poussin, Julio Romano, Pollydore, Parmigiano, Baptista Franca, Corregio, Primaticcio, Schiavone, Claud Lorain, Fran, Bolognese, Mola, the Borgognon, Luca Jordano, Bourdon, Perosini, Scacciati, Daudini, Tempesto, and Guido Guavini.
Among the Dutch and Flemish Masters were: Van Dyke, Quentin Messias, Ostervelt, Vander Werff, Van de Velde, Cornelius Johnson, Vander Meer, Brayuinx, Griffiere, Backhuysen, De Wit, Brawer, Wyck, Ostade, Hondecoeter, Saftleven, Boc, Percellus, Ryzeberg, Blœmœrt, Youngfranc, Bramer, Varelst, Palamedus, Levintz, Ruysdail, Hemskirk, Breughel, Holben, Rubens, Berchem, and Teniers.
And we have one advertisement where 'Among them are Portraits a half length of the Queen of England[493] by Ryly: Sir Tho More; Lord Cicil in Queen Elizabeth's time, and the Lord Francis Bacon.'
People who could not afford oil paintings might buy water colours, and the following gives us the names of two famous artists: 'A choice collection of Limnings, by Mr. Cooper and old Mr. Hoskins now in the possession of his Son John Hoskins of Chelsea, will be sold by Auction. Likewise several Boxes of Limning Colours,' etc. These were, in all probability, miniatures.
Drawings, both in crayon and black lead, line engravings, and etchings were within the compass of most people's purses, and here is an advertisement which would create some interest even now at Christie's. 'At the Eagle and Child in Bedford Street, Covent Garden, &c. will be continued the Sale by Auction of a collection of Paintings, Drawings, and Prints, by the most famous Italian, and other great Masters. The Drawings are of the most celebrated Masters of the several Schools of Italy. A great number of them in Frames and Glasses. The Prints are in great perfection, a great many Etcht by the Masters themselves, others graved by the most eminent Gravers. There are a great many extraordinary rare Wood Cuts, they have been collecting these 30 Years with great industry and expense, most out of the chiefest Auctions in England, and others bought in Holland and France, by Mr. William Gibson,[494] Limner.'
We know the engravings of that time were very good: they were also very cheap, and of good subjects. 'You may have the Right Originals after the greatest Masters, as Raphael, Michael Angelo, Ruben, Julij Romana, all well graven, and 30 sorts of Altarpieces and Prints ready framed;' or one might buy 'A complea. Sett of the Prints of the Royal Palaces and Noblemen's Seats in England, neatly bound up together, or sold Singly for 1s. apiece; and likewise a curious Collection of Italian and French prints, particularly the Original Battles of Alexander; the Galleries of Luxemburgh; Poussin's Landskips, and many others.' Good English Engravers were then very scarce: nearly all the illustrations to books were engraved by foreigners, and very frequently in Holland.
Take the following for example—engraved in England, but by a foreigner: The Seven Cartons of Raphael d'Urbin drawn and engraved from the Originals in the Gallery at Hampton Court by S. Gribelin, are sold by C. Mather near Temple Bar in Fleet Street &c.—price 15s.' There was another set of these engraved in 1711 and 1712, by Michael Dorigny, who offered eight plates 19 in. by 25 to 30 for four guineas. Steele gives this venture a kindly puff in Spectator 226.