pencil sketches; MIGUEL SEIRA, when not more than seventeen, painted an altar-piece at Marseilles which established his reputation: it is due to his memory to add that the wealth, which also accompanied the reputation, was expended in relieving the necessities of the poorer citizens of Marseilles during the plague of 1721, and that his means were utterly exhausted by his benevolence.

GIOVANNI BATTISTA MONTI, the son of a mendicant at Genoa, while a mere boy, displayed so much power in the sketches he used to make upon the houses as to attract the attention of a Genoese nobleman, who placed him in the way of obtaining instruction in the art. MATTHEW ELIAS, employed, like Giotto, in watching a herd, was observed by an artist, tracing objects on the ground, and was indebted to that circumstance for the opportunity of gratifying the evident bent of his inclinations. JOHN VAN ACH'S artistic predilections were shown while at school by sketches of his companions' countenances; and a drawing which he made of an illustrious lady who passed through Cologne, while the young draughtsman was only ten years of age, astonished the artists of that city, and determined his own career. VAN LEYDEN produced some clever engravings before he was nine years old, and executed a picture of considerable merit at twelve.. ERCOLE SARTI, a deaf and dumb artist, taking advantage of the occurrence of a festival, exhibited, while only fifteen years of age, on

AERTS, GAMBARA, DE SOLIS, ETC.

17

the front of his father's house, a painting of the Adoration of the Magi, which was looked upon as little short of a miracle. RICHARD AERTS, the son of a poor Dutch fisherman, meeting with an accident in his boyhood, which necessitated the amputation of one of his legs, beguiled his tedious confinement by sketching the objects around him with a piece of chalk; and these sketches displayed so much character and vigour, that he was placed under the tuition of an artist, and became a painter of considerable repute. GAMBARA, the son of a tailor, compelled at an early age to assist his father in the business, provoked the chastisement of his matter-of-fact parent by giving up every leisure moment to sketching. Fortunately for the boy, the cause of these family jars came under the notice of an artist who discerned some traits of genius in Gambara's drawings, and took him into his own school, for study. At the age of eighteen FRANCISCO DE SOLIS painted a picture of such great merit, as to attract the particular attention of Philip IV. of Spain, by whom he was thenceforward warmly patronised.

ALBANI gave intimations of his genius before he was twelve years of age; CAVEDONE was not much older when the freedom and beauty of his pen-andink sketches excited the admiration of Annibale Caracci. It was also in the service of this artist and his brothers, that the boy SPADA was employed as a

colour-grinder, and manifested so much ability in design as to lead to his reception in the school of the great Bolognese artists. CESARE D'ARPINO at the age of thirteen obtained a similarly menial employment in the Vatican; and, in the absence of the painters, one day sketched some figures on the wall in so meritorious a style, that the pope took him under his protection, and placed him in one of the schools.

GIROLAMO DA LIBRI, the Veronese artist, painted an altar-piece at sixteen years of age, which excited no less wonder than eulogium. ANDREA MANTEGNA, the son of a herdsman, of whom the same story is told as of Giotto and Elias, produced an altar-piece at seventeen. MICHAEL ANGELO DA CARAVAGGIO was inspired with the ambition of becoming an artist when employed, as a boy, in the preparation of plaster for the fresco-painters at Milan. GERARD LAIRESSE was in repute as a portrait painter at sixteen. PIERINO DEL VAGA, whose antecedents were so remarkable, manifested a predilection for art in very early childhood; so also did TINTORetto, who, at an equally early period of his existence, covered the walls of his father's house with designs indicative of the genius which was germinating in his mind. BUONOVICINO painted an altar-piece at sixteen; JUAN RIBALTA, when not more than eighteen, gave proof of extraordinary ability in a painting of the Crucifixion; and the Spanish artist, FERNANDEZ ARIAS, executed the great altar

CHAMBERS, KER PORTER, ROBSON.

19

piece of the Carmelites, at Toledo, when only fourteen.

GEORGE CHAMBERS, the marine painter, gave evidence of the talent for which he was subsequently distinguished, while serving his apprenticeship to the master of a brig, trading in the Mediterranean and Baltic seas. ROBERT KER PORTER, whose boyhood was passed in Scotland, and who enjoyed the acquaintance of Flora Macdonald, was inspired at the age of nine or ten, with the determination of becoming a painter of battles, by Flora's spirited explanations of a battle piece in her possession, representing one of the scenes in '45.

"ROBSON's taste for drawing," says Mr. Stanley, "displayed itself at a very early age, and Bewick's Book of Quadrupeds, then lately published, became, after nature, the favourite object of his notice. It seems that he never received any regular instruction in the rules of his art, but that all his knowledge of it was derived from observing the proceedings of artists who came down to Durham for the purpose of sketching the beautiful scenery in its vicinity. When one of these made his appearance, he was sure to find himself attended by a ruddy-faced boy, who hung upon his path, and, before he had made much progress, the little fellow was creeping up to his side with a look of intense interest to observe the magical effect of his pencil. By degrees he mustered courage to show his own attempts to these

mighty magicians, and being kindly received by several, the effect of their advice was soon visible."

FRANCISCO ZURBARAN, the son of a husbandman, was released from the plough, and permitted to receive the training for art, towards which he had shown a decided inclination before he had escaped from boyhood. FRANCISCO VIERIA, the elder, must have put forth his powers in early life, for, before he was sixteen, he had carried off the first prize in the Academy of St. Luke, at Rome, and had been commissioned by the King of Portugal to paint a large picture of the Mysteries of the Eucharist, which the artist executed in six days. TADDEO ZUCCHERO was a painter before he was fourteen, and at that age accepted the menial office of a colour-grinder that he might enjoy the necessary opportunities of study, spending his nights-so great was the poor boy's poverty-in the loggie of the Palazzo Chigi, at Rome. HEYMAN DULLAERT betrayed his propensity towards art at a very early age, covering the walls of his father's house with sketches of all kinds; and we are reminded, while writing these words, of having seen some spirited drawings of dogs and other animals, executed by Sir EDWIN LANDSEER, when not more than seven years of age. JOHN VERKOLIE's inclination towards art was shown during a three years' confinement to his bed, resulting from an accident which occurred to him when about twelve years of age; and the