Memoirs of William Hazlitt
Ch. VI 1792-1803
William Hazlitt to William Hazlitt sen.; 20 October 1802
“Paris, at the Hôtel Coq Heron, Rue Coq Heron,
“Thursday, October 20th, 1802.
“My dear Father,
“I have begun to copy one of Titian’s portraits. . . . . I made a very complete sketch
of the head in about three hours, and have been working upon it longer this
morning; I hope to finish it next week. To-morrow and Saturday I can do nothing
to it;
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| 88 | LETTERS FROM THE LOUVRE. | |
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there are only four days in
the week in which one is allowed to, or at least able to, do anything. Friday
is allotted to sweeping the rooms, and Saturday and Sunday are usually visiting
days. There are great numbers of people in the rooms (most of them English) every day, and I was afraid at first that this
would confuse and hinder me; but I found on beginning to copy that I was too
occupied in my work to attend much to, or to care at all about what was passing
around me; or if this had any effect upon me indirectly, it was to make me more
attentive to what I was about. In order that I and my copy might not fall into
contempt, I intend to employ the vacant days of the week in making duplicates
of the copies which I do here, and in doing a picture of myself, in the same
view as that of Hippolito de Medici, by
Titian, which I intend to begin upon tomorrow. This,
it is true, will occasion an increase in the expense, but I shall do them
better here, at least the duplicates, than I could at home, and it will be
necessary for me to have them as models to keep by me. The pictures I wish to
copy are the following:—1st. Portrait of a young man in black, and very dark
complexion, by Titian.* This is the one I am doing. 2nd.
Another portrait, by Titian. 3rd. The portrait by
Titian of Hippolito de Medicis.†
4th. Portrait of a lady, by Vandyke.
5th. Portrait of the Cardinal
Bentivoglio, by Vandyke also. 6th. Leo X., by Raphael. If I cannot get them removed into the room, either
* Which he did. It is still in the possession »f the
family, † The same observation applies to this. |
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| | LETTERS FROM THE LOUVRE. | 89 |
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through the influence of
Mr. Merrimee or by bribing the
keepers, I shall substitute either Titian’s
Mistress, or a head of a Sibyl, by Guercino, a very good painter, or two landscapes in the room.
The finest picture in the collection is the Transfiguration, by Raphael. This is without
any exception the finest picture I ever saw; I mean the human part of it,
because the figure of Christ, and the angels, or whatever they are, that are
flying to meet him in the air, are to the last degree contemptible. The picture
of the Taking down from the Cross, by Rubens, which I have heard John describe, is here. It is a very fine one.
One of the pictures is Reynolds’
picture of the Marquis of Granby.
Mr. Merrimee came to look at the [young man in] black
and the old woman, which he liked very much, though they are contrary to the
French style; on the other hand, without vanity be it spoken, they are very
much in the style of the Flemish and Italian painters. I like them better,
instead of worse, from comparing them with the pictures that are here. The
modern French pictures are many of them excellent in many particulars, though
not in the most material. I find myself very comfortable here.
“With my love to my mother, John, and Peggy, I am your affectionate son,
“I saw Bonaparte.”
Guido Bentivoglio (1579-1644)
Italian cardinal (1621), diplomat, and historian; his portrait was painted by Anthony
Vandyke.
Guercino (1591-1666)
Italian baroque painter influenced by Caravaggio and Lodovico Carracci.
John Hazlitt (1767-1837)
Miniaturist and portrait painter who studied under Joshua Reynolds, the elder brother of
the essayist. A radical and alcoholic, the
Gentleman's Magazine
reported that he “was, like his brother, of an irritable temperament.”
Margaret Hazlitt [Peggy] (1770-1841)
The daughter of William Hazlitt (1737–1820) and elder sister of the critic; her journal
was published in 1967.
Jean François Léonor Mérimée (1757-1836)
French painter and secretary of l'Ecole royale des beaux-arts; he was the father of
Prosper Mérimée.
Raphael (1483-1520)
Of Urbino; Italian painter patronized by Leo X.
Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792)
English portrait-painter and writer on art; he was the first president of the Royal
Academy (1768).
Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)
Flemish baroque painter and diplomat notable for his allegorical depictions of the life
of Marie de Medici.
Titian (1487 c.-1576)
Venetian painter celebrated for his portraits.
Sir Anthony Van Dyke (1599-1641)
Flemish painter who studied under Rubens and spent the last decade of his life as a court
painter to Charles I.
