Page:Anecdotes of painters, engravers, sculptors and architects, and curiosities of art (IA anecdotesofpaint01spoo).pdf/229

 Last Supper. After describing the picture, he proceeds:—

"There is a circumstance belonging to the altar-*piece, which may be worth relating, as it shows Rubens' manner of proceeding in large works. The person who bespoke this picture, a citizen of Mechlin, desired, to avoid the danger of carriage, that it might be painted at Mechlin; to this the painter easily consented, as it was very near his country-seat at Steen. Rubens, having finished his sketch in colors, gave it as usual to one of his scholars, (Van Egmont) and sent him to Mechlin to dead-color from it the great picture. The gentleman, seeing this proceeding, complained that he bespoke a picture of the hand of the master, not of the scholar, and stopped the pupil in his progress. However, Rubens satisfied him that this was always his method of proceeding, and that this piece would be as completely his work as if he had done the whole from the beginning. The citizen was satisfied, and Rubens proceeded with the picture, which appears to me to have no indications of neglect in any part; on the contrary, I think it has been one of his best pictures, though those who know this circumstance pretend to see Van Egmont's inferior genius transpire through Rubens' touches."

REYNOLDS' SKILL IN COMPLIMENTS.

When he painted the portrait of Mrs. Siddons as the Tragic Muse, he wrought his name on the