P. 500, c. 2.—“St. Bees.” A college in the village of Cumberland. St.
Bees was so called from a nunnery founded here in 650, and dedicated to
the Irish saint, Bega.
“Ship Court.” A part of the district known as Old Bailey, near Ludgate
Hill, in London. The house in which Hogarth was born was torn down in
1862.
P. 501, c. 1.—“Hudibras.” See page 306 of THE CHAUTAUQUAN, note on Samuel
Butler.
“Thornhill.” (1676-1734.) He was a historical painter of some celebrity.
His chief productions are the cupola of St. Paul’s cathedral, which
Queen Anne commissioned him to paint, and the decoration of several
palaces. He was the first English artist to be knighted, and he sat in
Parliament several years. No doubt his greatest honor was to be Hogarth’s
father-in-law.
“Watteau,” vätˌtōˈ. (1684-1721.) A French painter of much original power,
who holds about the same place in the French schools as Hogarth in the
English. His subjects were usually landscapes, with gay court scenes,
balls, masquerades, and the like, in the foreground. The brilliancy of
his coloring and the grace of his figures are particularly fine.
“Chardin,” sharˈdănˌ. (1701-1779.) An eminent French painter. His
pictures were mainly domestic scenes, executed with beauty and truth.
“Walpole,” Horace. (1717-1797.) A famous literary gossip and wit of
Hogarth’s time. Although highly educated and given an opportunity for
a political career, he preferred his pictures, books, and curiosities.
Among his many works were “A Catalogue of Royal and Noble Authors,” and
“Anecdotes of Painting in England.” Walpole was no admirer of Hogarth,
for he says of him: “As a painter he has slender merit.”
“Churchill.” Called “The Great Churchill.” (1731-1764.) A popular English
poet and satirist. In youth he was fitted for a curate’s place, but after
ordination and two years of the profession he abandoned his position
and began his career as a writer, producing several popular poems and
satires. He was accused of profligacy, but Macaulay says: “His vices were
not so great as his virtues.”
“Wilkes,” John. (1727-1797) A friend of the former, and a celebrated
English politician. Well educated, clever, bold and unscrupulous. In his
second term in Parliament he was obliged to resign from his indiscreet
attack on Lord Bute, in a journal which he had founded. The next year
he accused the king of an “infamous fallacy,” which so enraged the
administration that Wilkes was finally outlawed. Returning to England
he was elected to Parliament, but arrested. He was repeatedly expelled
from the House, a persecution which secured the favor of the people. In
1774 he was made lord mayor of London, and was afterward a member of
Parliament for many years.
“Sigismunda.” Daughter of Tancred, prince of Salerno. She fell in love
with a page, to whom she was secretly married. Tancred discovering this
put Guiscardo, the husband, to death, and sent his heart in a golden cup
to his daughter.
“Pinegas,” pinˈe-gas.
“Zuccarelli,” dzook-ä-rĕlˈee. (1702-1788.) An eminent landscape painter
of Tuscany. His scenery is pleasing and pictures well finished. He
visited England in 1752, where he was very popular, being one of the
original members of the Royal Academy. It is said that all his pictures
are marked with a pumpkin growing on a vine or stuck with a stick on
a rustic’s shoulder as the rebus of his name, which means in Italian
_little pumpkin_.
P. 501, c. 2.—“Royal Academy.” The most influential and oldest
institution in London connected with painting and sculpture. It was
founded in 1768. It consists of 40 academicians, 18 associates, 6
associate engravers, and 3 or 4 honorary members. It holds annual
exhibitions of modern and ancient art, and has organized classes for art
instruction.
“Llanberis,” llanˈbe-ris.
“Carnarvon.” A northwest county of Wales, bordering on Menai Straits,
famous for its slate.
“Avernus.” A lake of Italy, near Naples, which fills the crater of an
extinct volcano. Near its banks was the cave of the Cumæan Sybil, through
which Æneas descended to the lower world.
“Barry.” (1741-1806.) A British historical painter. He was a pupil of
West. His best pictures are a series in the Adelphi theater, London.
“Richardson.” (1665?-1745.) An English portrait painter and writer
on art. His reputation is founded on his “Essay on the whole Art of
Criticism as it relates to Painting.”
P. 502, c. 1.—“Ramsay.” (1713-1784.) Son of the poet, Allan Ramsay. He
was one of the best portrait painters of his time. Walpole praises highly
some of his portraits. He was also a man of literary tastes and of great
accomplishments.
“Giorgione,” jor-joˈnā. (1477-1511.) The founder of the Venetian school
of painting. A pupil of Bellini, and a rival of Titian. Before him, it is
said that no one possessed so rich a coloring and so free a touch. His
pictures are rare.
“Correggio,” kor-ĕdˈjo. (1494-1534.) An illustrious Italian painter.
His real name was Antoine Allegri, his popular name being taken from
his birthplace—Correggio. The chief charms of his pictures were their
exquisite harmony and grace. His principal work is the great fresco
painting in the cupola of the Cathedral at Parma.
“Tintoretto,” Il, ēl tin-to-rĕtˈo. (1512-1594.) His real name was Giacomo
Robusti. The name of Tintoretto, by which he is generally known, was
derived from the fact that he was the son of a dyer. A pupil of Titian,
who was said to have been so jealous of him that he turned him from his
studio. He conceived the idea of forming a new school of art, which
should unite the beauties of Titian’s style with the dignity of Michael
Angelo’s. His plan was never carried out fully because of his lack of
patience. The “Martyrdom” at Venice is one of his best known paintings.
“Gainsborough,” gānzˈb’ro.
“Gravelot,” grävˈloˌ. (1699-1773.)
“Hayman.” (1708-1776.) An English artist who acquired considerable
reputation as a landscape painter. He was one of the first members of the
Royal Academy.
“Kew.” A pleasant village of Surrey, about 7 miles from London,
distinguished for its botanical gardens, said to be the richest in the
world. They extend over 75 acres, are beautifully laid out, and contain
many rare and exotic plants and trees.
P. 502, c. 2.—“Girtin.” (1773-1802.) He had found a friend in Dr. Monro,
who helped him in many ways. Girtin is said to have revolutionized
the technical practice of his forerunners. Most of his pictures were
landscapes. A panorama of London was one of his most admired works.
“Somerset House.” Now occupied as public offices. The present building
was erected in 1786, on the site of the palace of the protector Somerset.
Nine hundred officials are employed in the various public offices in the
building.
“Lambeth.” Lambeth palace, the London residence of the archbishops of
Canterbury, is on the Surrey bank of the Thames. It has been in the
possession of the archbishops since 1197. Several portions of the palace
are of historical interest.
“Ramsgate,” ramsˈgate; “Margate,” marˈgate. Seaports of Kent, England, on
the island of Thanet. Both are fashionable watering places.
“A. R. A.” Associate of the Royal Academy.
“Liber Studiorum.” Book of studies. A series of prints or drawings issued
by Turner, and which became very popular.
“School of Water-color Painting.” That school of painting in which thin
and delicate colors are applied to paper, on which a drawing of the
picture has been made. It is a style carried to a greater perfection in
England than any other country.
“Charterhouse.” Formerly a Carthusian monastery. In 1611 it was turned
into a school for forty boys, and an “asylum for eighty indigent and
deserving gentlemen.” In 1872 this school was removed into the country.
P. 503, c. 1.—“Dentatus.” A favorite hero of the Roman republic, living
in the third century, and celebrated for his valor and virtue.
“Anno Santo.” In the sacred year.
“New Palace of Westminster.” Was finished in 1867 for the Houses of
Parliament. It cost £3,000,000, and was built on the site of the old
palace burned in 1835. The palace covers about eight acres.
“Shee.” (1769-1850.) An eminent British portrait painter, a pupil of
West. It was customary for the honor of knighthood to be conferred on the
party elected to the presidency of the Academy.
“Kugler,” kōogˈler. (1808-1858.) An eminent German critic and writer on
art.
“St. Gothard,” gotˈhard. The central group of all the Alpine chains.
“Haydon.” (1786-1846.) An English historical painter who painted without
success in his lifetime, and died broken-hearted. He is now considered to
have been an artist of ability.
“Chevy Chase.” The hunting of Chevy Chase is the account of a raid which
Percy of Northumberland made on the territory of his rival Douglas,
vowing to hunt there three days without asking leave. Chevy Chase means
the hunt or chase among the Cheviot Hills.
P. 503, c. 2.—“Sheepshanks Collection.” A large collection of the
pictures of British artists made by John Sheepshanks, a collector of
books and pictures, and presented by him to the English nation in 1857.