Page:An Elementary History of Art.djvu/670

 <0 Painting painters of historic subjects in England, formed his style from a three years' study in the galleries of Rome. The three pictures in the National Gallery, the Disgrace of Lord Clarendon ; the South Sea Bubble ; and James II receiving the news of the landing of the Prince of Orange, are sufficient to show the character of his work. He was a most indus- trious artist, and has left many paintings, several of which have been engraved. As portrait painters of the British school who attained to eminence in the present century, we may name John Jackson (1778—1831), John Watson Gordon (1790—1864), Sir William Allan (1782 — 1850), all of whom are repre- sented in the National Gallery, and the late President of the Royal Academy, Sir Francis Grant (1803—1878), who painted many excellent portraits of the nobility. James Ward (1769 — 1859) was a very successful animal painter, well known by his Council of Horses and Gordale Scar, both in the National Gallery, and numerous fine groups of animals, in the South Kensington Museum and elsewhere. The fame of Ward, however, has been entirely eclipsed by that of Sir Edwin Landseer (1802 — 1873), who was so long at the head of the animal painters of this country. He stands alone as an interpreter of the thoughts and feelings of the dumb creatures, and his compositions are chiefly characterized by masterly drawing, delicacy of execution, poetic feeling, and dramatic force. He had a rare power of rendering textures ; his subtle and rapid execution seemed equal to depicting with perfect ease and perfect fidelity, fur, feathers, hair, horn — in short, perhaps every texture, except human flesh. In the expression of animal life he was absolutely unrivalled, though he did not