A portrait of Samuel Martin, esq. the antagonist of Mr. Wilkes, which Mr. Hogarth had painted for his own use, he gave as a legacy to Mr. Martin.
Mrs. Baynes, of Kneeton-Hall, near Richmond, Yorkshire, has an original picture by Hogarth, four feet two inches long, by two feet four inches wide. It is a landscape, with several figures; a man driving sheep; a boat upon a piece of water, and a distant view of a town. This picture was bought in London, by her father, many years ago.
At Lord Essex's sale, in January 1777, Mr. Garrick bought a picture by Hogarth, being the examination of the recruits before the justices Shallow and Silence. For this, it was said in the news-papers, he gave 350 guineas. I have since been told, that remove the figure 3, and the true price paid by the purchaser remains. In private he allowed that he never gave the former of these sums, though in the public prints he did not think such a confession necessary. It was in reality an indifferent performance, as those of Hogarth commonly were, when he strove to paint up to the ideas of others.
Mr. Browning, of King's College, Cambridge, has a small picture by Hogarth, representing Clare-Market. It seems to have been one of our artist's early performances.
There are three large pictures by Hogarth, over the altar in the church of St. Mary Redcliff at Bristol; the sealing of the sacred Sepulchre, the Ascension, and the three Maries, &c. A sum of money was left to defray the expence of these ornaments, and it found its way into Hogarth's pocket. The original sketches in oil for these performances, are now at Mrs. Hogarth's house in Leicester-fields.
In Lord Grosvenor's house, at Milbank, Westminster, is a small painting by our artist on the following subject. A boy's paper-kite in falling become entangled with furze: the boy arrives just as a crow is tearing it in pieces. The expression in his face is worthy of Hogarth.
Hogarth was also supposed to have had some hand in the exhibition of signs,[83] projected above 20 years ago by Bonnel Thornton, of festive memory; but I am informed, that he contributed no otherwise towards this display, than by a few touches of chalk. Among the heads of distinguished personages, finding those of the King of Prussia and the Empress of Hungary, he changed the cast of their eyes so as to make them leer significantly at each other. This is related on the authority of Mr. Colman.
Mr. Richardson ("now," as Dr. Johnson says, "better known by his books than his pictures," though his colouring is allowed to be masterly) having accounted for some classical quotations in his notes on Milton, unlearned as he was, by his son's assisting him as a telescope does the eye in astronomy; Hogarth shewed him with a telescope looking through his son (in no very decent attitude) at a Virgil aloft on a shelf; but afterwards destroyed the plate, and recalled the prints. Qu. if any remain, and what date?—I much question whether this subject was ever thrown upon copper, or meant for the public eye.
In the "Nouveau Dictionnaire Historique, Caen, 1783," our artist is thus characterized: "Ses compositions sont mal dessinées & foiblement colories; mais ce sont des tableaux parlans de diverses scènes comiques ou morales de la vie. Il avoit négligé le méchanisme de son art, c'est à-dire, les traits du pinceau, le rapport des parties entr'elles, l'effèt du clare obscure, l'harmonie du coloris, &c. pour s'élever jusqu'à la perfection de ce méchanisme, c'est à-dire, au poétique & au moral de la peinture. 'Je reconnois,' disoit-il, 'tout le monde pour juge compétent de mes tableaux, excepté les connoisseurs de profession.' Un seul exemple prouvera combien réussit. Il avoit fait graver une estampe, dans laquelle il avoit exprimé avec énergie les différens tourmens qu'on fait éprouver aux animaux. Un charrier fouettoit un jour ses chevaux avec beaucoup de dureté; un bon homme, touché de pitié, lui dit, 'Miserable! tu n'as donc pas vu l'estampe d'Hogarth?' Il n'étoit pas seulement peintre, il fut écrivain. Il publia en 1750 un traité en Anglois, intitulé, 'Analyse de la Beauté.' L'auteur pretend que les formes arrondies constituent la beauté du corps: principe vrai à certains égards, faux a plusieurs autres. Voy. sur cet artiste, la sécond volume du 'Mercure de France,' Janvier, 1770."
Mr. Peter Dupont, a merchant, had the drawing of Paul before Felix, which he purchased for 20 guineas, and bound up with a set of Hogarth's prints. The whole set was afterwards sold by auction, at Baker's, for 17 l. to Mr. Ballard of Little Britain, in whose catalogue it stood some time marked at 25 l. and was parted with for less than that sum.