It is no mean compliment to the talent of Cozens, to know that Turner and Girtin have admitted, that the contemplation, and the copying indeed, of some of his best works, opened to their minds that intelligence of effect in representing distant scenery, which they adopted, and subsequently excelled in to so much greater a degree than their ingenious prototype.

Cozens certainly was the first of the school of water-colour painting who exhibited a right feeling for Art. His effects were washed in, from the scenery which he beheld, at once upon the spot. Hence, though his drawings, for the want of that knowledge of the power of the pigments used with gum-water, which all were then deficient in, were comparatively weak; yet by his mode of practice they were more natural and effective, and consequently more approved of by the eye of taste, than any of the most laboured works of his predecessors.

The process with which this artist wrought may be quoted as the foundation on which Girtin and Turner placed the lofty superstructure. Varley, indeed, is entitled to share with these distinguished artists in the honours of the achievement; for many of his landscape compositions, descriptive of the mountain regions of Cumberland, Westmoreland and North Wales, produced about the same period, were rendered with that truth and simplicity of pure aërial tone united with more vigour of effect, which, derived originally from the same source, expanded into a greater style of art, by applying the theory to his intelligent and sedulous practice from Nature.

Cozens compounded his cloud tints, and those for his distant mountains, of Indian red, a small portion of lake, indigo, and yellow ochre : in the middle distance he blended a tint of black; and his fore-grounds were principally of black and burnt umber. His distant trees were tinted with the warm washes used for the sky; and those of the nearer than middle distance with yellow ochre and indigo, enriched with burnt sienna; the immediate fore-ground trees and shrubs with the same, rendered one or two degrees stronger. Girtin retained more of his manner and touch than either Turner or Varley; but in the early works of each, in scenery of the aforenamed character, much of the style and feeling of John Cozens* is observable.

Of Cozens's works generally it may be observed, that his process amounted in effect to little more than tinted chiar'-oscuro. The same

The father of this artist, Alexander Cozens, a native of Russia, practised in England, and was for years a celebrated teacher of landscape-drawing. He was Professor of drawing at Eton College, and had the honour of giving private lessons to our late sovereign when Prince of Wales.

may be said, advanced a step further, of the early mountain landscape of his imitators; for that splendour of effect which they ultimately attained was the result of much subsequent ardent study and reflection.

Mr. Beckford, who had known this intelligent artist in Italy, became one of his most liberal patrons. This gentleman possessed at Cozens's death nearly one hundred of his finest drawings. Sir Joshua Reynolds and Mr. West were great admirers of his talent; and so indeed were all the most eminent painters in oil contemporary with Mr. Cozens.

For several years subsequent to his death this ingenious artist was afflicted with mental derangement, during which his friend, the now venerable Dr. Munro, ministered to the alleviation of his awful bereavement with that disinterested constancy and benevolence which did credit to his professional skill, and honour to his heart. The Doctor, one of the most enlightened amateur artists of the last age, was one of Cozens's most liberal patrons, and possessed some of his choicest works. It was from his collection that the distinguished artists whom we have named, under the auspices of Dr. Munro, imbibed the first rudiments of that knowledge, derived from the works of Cozens, Hearne, Gainsborough, Wilson and others, the most eminent of the British School, which, duly applied, in a very few years established their reputation for Art, and led to their ultimate renown.

If amateur practitioners of landscape feel becomingly emulous of excelling in that delightful department of Art, they should imitate their mode of practice. Turner, Girtin and Varley, whilst under the guidance of their able preceptor Dr. Munro, copied the examples set before them with the most scrupulous fidelity. Between the two first there subsisted that generous competition which stimulated each to exertion by a desire to obtain each other's approbation. It happened, by a fortunate coincidence, that their talents were so nearly equal, that it was difficult to determine in the balance, though held by the hand of Minerva herself, which way would incline the beam.

Nothing can be more idle than the too common complaint amongst youthful amateurs,-that of not being able to find subjects in Nature wherefrom to copy. One wishes he had wings to take his flight to the region where Poussin and Salvator found their romantic rocks and roaring cataracts, or the serene classic amenities of the landscape of Claude:another delights in rural sylvan scenes, and revels in imagination with the shade of Gainsborough in rambling midst the green copses and bridle-lanes of Suffolk :—whilst a third is bewitched with impatience to be transported where the topographer finds houses whose over-hanging stories, hoary with age, bend almost to the touching of their gables for

mutual support. But vain and futile are these murmurings. He that is determined to become a painter will find ample subject in the localities of the spot, wherever he may be. It is not in the subject, but in the manner of treating it, that the man of true genius shows his capacity, be he painter or poet. The most captivating pictures of the Flemish and Dutch old masters are not unfrequently nothing more, as to subject, than the simple bassecour behind their own domicile.

Girtin was a Londoner; so was Turner: Varley was of the same great smoky town. These, deeply imbued with the love of Art, and knowing that the real objects of nature and art were the proper subjects for their imitation, wandered not far from home in search of the picturesque ;-no, they used their eyes, and exploring the shores of the Thames between Blackwall and Battersea, found subjects enough, worthy of being painted, to supply material for new subjects, with all their multifold, yea, exhaustless combinations, ever changing as they are, to last, if the things themselves were durable, for a thousand years.

A fastidious young painter of portraits, whose parents provided him with more money to purchase canvasses and paints than nature had supplied him with talent to use them, calling with his father on Sir Joshua Reynolds, who was his countryman and friend,-the good gentleman, on submitting a specimen of his son's work, a bust likeness, was astounded at the great man's not thinking quite so highly of it as himself. The tyro, who was not wanting in self-conceit, expecting praise rather than advice, pertly observed, "You, Sir Joshua, can command your subject; whilst a young man like myself must paint from what I can get." "No, Sir," mildly replied Sir Joshua, "I cannot command: you have had Nature for your prototype, I suppose, and I always found that enough. It is neither your business nor mine to be fastidious;-imitate what you find in your model, and the fault will be yours, and not your prototype's, if you do not produce a good picture."

It

To assert that one subject may not be very preferable to another, as to its general characteristics for a picture, would be nonsensical. may however be safely asserted, that taste and judgment, without which neither painter nor poet will ever do credit to his craft, will lead to the development of qualities in almost every object in Nature, sufficient, if well applied, to constitute, not only a picture, but a picture "delectable to behold." It is not with pigments, oils and varnishes alone that a picture is wrought. Reynolds, Titian, Rembrandt and Wilson, mixed their colours with genius; and painted, not only with their brushes, but with mind.

In one of our picturesque rambles some thirty years ago, our little

coterie met to dine at the Fleur-de-lis, a rural inn in the midst of Windsor Forest. Each had been all the former part of the day in the pursuit of his own particular object, and all were anxious to look at the sketches of his neighbour;—the congregate of studies would have supplied amateurs with a beneficial example.

Christal had employed his pencil in sketching groups of beech, of which the Forest supplied many of the largest, the most ancient, and consequently the most picturesque. These groups this intelligent artist was accustomed to select for their general contour as to form, taking his station at various distances, as perhaps one, two, or three hundred yards; and from thence, with a black lead pencil, delineate with almost perfection of feeling, the effect which they assumed upon the vision, as seen through that space of atmosphere. Nothing can be conceived more enchanting than some of these pencilled groups, which were thus wrought, for the useful purpose of studying fitness, with all its properties, as exhibited in the middle distances of his elegant pastoral compositions ;-many of these choice studies form pictures of themselves.

By this mode of practice, all the minor details of these forest trees. are absorbed in the breadth and simple grandeur which they assume, even when viewed at the least of the aforenamed distances. Hence, the main body of the trees with their great leading branches are alone definable; and then only sufficiently to mark their direction, so as to trace as it were the beauty and fitness of the skeleton and muscles, which Nature had formed to clothe with verdant leafage. It is, when thus viewed, that the eye becomes acquainted with the charm of light and shadow, as each with breadth and harmony exhibits their separate masses, or, as they melt into each other, with that enchanting richness which constitutes the veritable chiar'-oscuro.

These grand forest trees are rarely brought forward in a composition, as even one, indeed, would occupy too much of the surface of a picture; but when thus judiciously represented in masses, as by this incomparable artist, they mainly contribute to adorn the landscape. The amateur student, then, who wishes to excel in this delightful species of art, should imitate this mode of practice. If his avocations, however, prevent his absence from London, Hyde-park and Kensington-gardens will supply numerous richly pictorial groups for the exercise of his pencil.

Ward, -we speak of the celebrated animal painter and R.A.—was one of this sketching coterie. The morning operation of his intelligent pencil produced a masterly study of the homestead of our little inn, the worthy landlord being a farmer as well as an innkeeper. It was from

this study, that gem of the British School, the cabinet picture in the possession of the senior Mr. Morant, was painted.

It

ぐ may be useful to the tyro to know, that after Mr. Ward had composed his general arrangement for this composition of the homestead, he made separate studies of certain parts, particularly of a group of willows, which were wrought by his pencil with exquisite truth and mastery; these form the chief beauty of the back-ground of the picture, and are painted with a perfection of touch, almost vying with nature.

Hills, too, was of the party; who after rambling in his accustomed haunts amongst the King's stags at Swinley, sedulously watching their habits, as he was wont, returned with a collection of studies of red deer, which for characteristic truth and beauty of execution rivalled the finest doings of the old masters.

Havell, then in the zenith of his graphic powers, came to headquarters at the appointed hour, and opening his pictorial budget, exhibited a coloured scrap, observing-"This is all I have done in my day's ramble." It would have appeared not much indeed to those who suppose that the hand is the organ of intelligence, and not the eye; for the whole labour of several hours had been bestowed on the delineation of a portion of an old crazy brick wall, overgrown with ivy,-a sort of coloured vignette; but,-it was such a study as might have almost tempted the wise, the good Minerva herself secretly to purloin it from his portfolio, to place in her own album.

There were a few more highly-gifted wights assembled at the rural inn pending this congenially delightful trip, whose exploits shall not long remain unrecorded. Meanwhile, we have, it may be presumed, already said enough to show to those who ramble in search of the picturesque, that if their object be to study this department of art, as artists do,they must set about the business, as the Etonians say, "in right earnest !"

THOUGHTS ON LANDSCAPE-PAINTING.

To the generality of mankind, landscape is the most pleasing and agreeable department of painting. Speaking generally, the human mind receives a greater satisfaction and delight from the contemplation of the scenery and diversified objects of Nature, than from anything else whatever in creation.

Histories and figures, in which are developed the passions and feelings