but a fingle lhip in front o f the piece, which covers and hides all
the others.
Mr. Lewis Belanger, firft painter to the king o f Sweden. After
refiding feveral years in Italy, where he applied himfelf to the
ftudy o f architecture, he went to and continued fome time in
England ; where there is ftill to be feen a number o f prints taken
from his pictures in body colours. He is a landfcape painter o f
no fmall merit: his touch is light, and produces a pleafing e ffe ct:
he has a good imagination, and makes an excellent ufe o f body
colours. There is no artift in Sweden that excels him in his line
o f painting. He is now engaged in a very interefting work,
namely, a piSlitreJque Tour through Sweden, which is engraved
under his own direction, and o f which fome plates have already
appeared at Stockholm, by . an engraver whom he carried with
him thither, o f the name o f Cordier. On his arrival in S weden
and prefentation to the king; he was honoured with the title o f
firft painter in his majefty’s fervice; and, I believe, he has obtained
permiffion to make drawings o f all the ports in Sweden ;
-which will form a very curious collection, efpecially as they are
done by the hand o f fo excellent an artift. His diftinguifhed
merit, foon after his arrival, excited envy and railed him a number
o f enemies.
Mr. Weftmiiller. There was nothing o f this painter in the exhibition
o f the year mentioned (Feb, 1800) ; but there had been
an Ariadne by him in that o f the preceding year., which was much
talked of, and confirmed the reputation he had already acquired.
He
He is the beft portrait painter in Sweden after Breda, and in the
minuter parts o f execution he fometimes furpaffes him. T h e beft
o f his portraits that I have feen, is that o f Governor Uglafs. A lthough
the figure be ftiff, as indeed all his piftures are, it poffeffes
much animation and expreffion. The hands are done with the
pencil o f a mafter ; and the velvet drapery is worthy o f the fatin
o f the Chevalier Vanderwerf. His Ariadne o f 1799 was unnatural,
ill defigned, and finifhed in a flovenly and taftelefs manner.
T he nakednefs o f the figure was the only circumftance that flattered
the eye, and drew the applaufe o f the fpectators.
FORE IGN MEMBERS .
T he works o f foreign members do not, ftrictly fpeaking, enter
into an account o f the ftate o f the arts in Sweden ; but as they
appeared at the exhibition, and as fome o f thofe members are
refident in Sweden, I cannot well avoid faying fomething o f their
productions.
Mr. Inel, director o f the royal academy o f arts at Copenhagen.
This painter makes a noife in the North that is incredible : he is
looked upon as a prodigy. O f portrait painters he is eonfidered
as the ne plus ultra, and his pictures are regarded as models o f
the art. The encomiums bellowed on this man appeared to me
fo exceffive and dilgufting, that I cannot help introducing in this
place the remarks that were made on him by a great Italian con-
noiffeur, who had feen many o f his productions, and was ‘perfectly
acquainted with his manner. “ Inel,” obferved he, “ is
“ in