was Mr. afterwards Doctor Munro. This gentleman was painted in the dress of a tennis-player, and in the attitude of striking the ball.

In his easel pictures Paye's style was careful without being elaborate, and his chiar'-oscuro was at all times considered of the highest quality : in effect, as well as in character of execution, there was something of the Flemish, but nature in all was the criterion of his excellence.

Of one, at this time so little known, it is fortunate that there are now examples which may be referred to, and which will bear out our eulogium of his talents and his merits in an equal degree with our remarks on his devotedness to the profession. One of these is in the possession of his early friend and patron Archdeacon Potts: the subject is 'A Boy in a Barn, with a candle in his hand, suffering under the terrors of alarm from an owl that is flying above his head.' The effect as well as the expression in this performance is admirable, and would do credit to any artist in any age or of any school in the same class of art. Another, painted about the same period, is now in the possession of Joseph Neeld, Esq., M.P., and recently purchased as a painting by Wright of Derby, but from unquestionable authority turns out to be that of our artist: the subject An Interior, and also a Candle-light. The artist, a portrait of himself, is at work on a copper-plate engraving, we believe from a painting, by N. Dance, of the late Percival Potts, father to the before-mentioned Archdeacon Potts. The effect of this painting is characterized by the same truth and feeling which distinguishes the rest of this artist's works, and does credit to the taste of the gentleman who has given it a place in his collection of the English school of art.

It is no small credit to the talents of an artist when his pictures are taken for those of some of the great masters as they are called, which happened in one of Paye's, 'An Apartment, with an Old Woman at work.' This performance came to the hammer; and, from what circumstance we know not, was sold for a painting of the Flemish school; and, recently, we know another picture of his which was sold as the work of Velasquez.

The contrivance in this instance was to send the painting out of the country, after which it returned with the foreign mark on its canvas, and was purchased at a price that would have gratified the painter in his life-time to the utmost of his wishes. This undoubted picture, as it was called, was for some time exhibited at the shop of Mr. Tiffin in the Haymarket, where it attracted the attention and divided the opinion of some of our first artists, who, without distinctly agreeing as to the master, all gave it a foreign origin, till it was by accident recognised

by one well acquainted with Paye and his family, as also with the subject and his style of painting: it was from Scripture history, The Miraculous Increase of the Widow's Oil,' in which the artist had introduced his wife and some of his children as personages in the sacred story. So much for the fallibility of judgment in foreign art; and so much for the contrivance and tricks of dealers, of which more hereafter.

An increase of employment and of connection enabled Paye to remove from his lodgings in Swallow-street to a house in Broad-street, Carnaby Market. At this time he became acquainted with Doctor Walcot, the celebrated satirist, who, under the name of Peter Pindar, scattered his shafts of ridicule and humour equally on the sovereign and the subject and as his satire made him formidable to most, his attention and good-will became a matter of importance to those whom he honoured with his notice. His introduction of Opie into the painting world may perhaps serve as some set-off for his other vices of temper and disposition.

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In an evil hour, from an acquaintance and friend the Doctor became an inmate with Paye, and all at first went smoothly and pleasantly; the Doctor was pleased with being under the roof of an artist, whose pencil he imagined would be under his own controul, and whose subjects would emanate from his own choice and dictation. It was at this time (but whether recommended by the Doctor is not known) that Paye produced his Sulky Boy'; a picture eminently calculated to strengthen the good opinion entertained of his talents, as well as to increase his future fame. In style and character this painting much resembled the works of Murillo. There is a print after this picture, engraved in mezzotint by J. Young, which, as a further illustration of Paye's talents, was purchased as from the work of Gainsborough, it being cut close to the engraving, so that neither name nor title could be seen. This painting of the Sulky Boy' was purchased also by Archdeacon Potts, and presented by him (not unaptly) to the late Lord Thurlow. The boy who served as a model for the above painting was said to be a natural son of Doctor Walcot, and which appears probable, as he was brought into the house by him, and to be at Paye's disposal as errand-boy, or in any way in which he might be found useful.

This introduction proved in the end a source of contention; but it must be confessed the Doctor displayed great forbearance on many occasions, and submitted to much of what might be termed indirect abuse. The lad was loutish and stupid, and his blunders and his faults were detailed in no very measured terms to the Doctor, till at length silence and submission broke out in rancour and hostility; abuse followed expostulation

on the part of the Doctor; and on that of the artist a graphic satire, in which Walcot was seen seated at his easel in the shape of a bear with the wig of the Doctor on his head, and such accessories as denoted his habits and employments;-sketches and scraps, called imitations of Wilson,- -a pail of Thames mud, (with which the Doctor in his fits of economy would back his fire,) his violin, his odes and other incidental objects made up the composition. In the end Doctor Walcot and his protégé quitted the house, and Paye was left to the full exercise of his fancy and the choice of his subjects; released from the trammels of a dictator, who sometimes told him he would paint himself into a gaol by finishing his pictures too much, at others would find fault with the choice of his subjects, which, as he expressed himself, "required such a quantity of expression."

It has been observed that Paye's principal excellence lay in his management of chiar'-oscuro and the composition of his pictures. Latterly his eye for colouring was not so good, and he fell into what may be termed a woolly manner and a careless kind of pencilling. One cause of this might be his reserved and distant manner towards contemporary artists; for though some sacrifice might be required to their jealousies and jarring interests, yet the advantage would have been found had he more frequently seen and compared his own with the works of others.

Soon after his breach with Peter Pindar, as he was called, Paye removed to London-street, Fitzroy-square; and here his falling fortune began to appear, and the demons of poverty and neglect, whose checks and influence he had but partially felt, made more frequent and longer visits. Embarrassed in his circumstances, the wheels of his practice, or rather of employment, dragged heavily on ; yet the love of Art sustained him through all; neither privations nor disappointment could check the ardour of his enthusiasm, nor could sickness in its most appalling shape quench the powers of genius.

A rheumatic fever was followed by a paralytic stroke, which affected his right side, and took away the use of his right hand. While labour. ing under this affection, he desired his implements to be brought, and, being propped up in his bed, made an admirable design for a monument on the Death of Nelson. Recovered from his fever, but not to the use of his right hand, he was after some short practice able to paint with his left. He exhibited a portrait thus painted at the British Gallery; on which occasion he was kindly aided by the recommendation of the late Mr. Young, who had engraved after many of his pictures, and was then Keeper to the British Institution in Pall Mall. He was also greatly

befriended from the Artists' Benevolent Fund, of which Mr. Young was one of the principal and most zealous promoters.

It does not appear that Paye died in actual want, but certainly in obscurity, so much so that little was known of him after his leaving London-street; and notwithstanding considerable inquiry, we have not been able to ascertain the date of his death. But the calamities and disappointments of genius are of such frequent occurrence, that, like storms or shipwrecks, they cease to be matters of surprise, or in any way to act as a warning to others.

DUPES AND DEALERS. No. I.

THOSE who have been instructed in a knowledge of the Fine Arts, and from this knowledge have acquired a love and taste for them, well know the value which is set upon originality either in paintings or drawings, and equally so on the scarcity of prints. The dealer knows this also, and is ready with his undoubted originals and early impressions of scarce prints to supply the collector. His commodities may be had to any extent, suited to the eye of the most scrupulous connoisseur as well as to that of the would-be amateur; and galleries and collections are accordingly filled with copied originals and modern antiques. Innumerable instances might be adduced in which both the artist and amateur have been equally the dupes of the skill and craft practised in the mystery of picture dealing; so that after all there is no disgrace in being thus duped, as much of the tact thought necessary to a judgment in these matters exists but in imagination: yet men who have been detected in errors of this sort, often feel more than those who have been detected in the fraud of the imposition.

It is a prevalent feeling with some men to give a preference (at least for a time) to what they possess: their horses, their dogs, or their other possessions must be admired as pre-eminently excellent, or you lose their favour. No wonder then if the treasures of art should be watched with jealousy, and obtain a more than common regard in the eyes of their votaries.

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There is one thing, however, which a man skilled in the knowledge and principles of painting will have, that is, the power of discerning what is good, even though it should not be either original or unique. Neither will it be any impeachment to his judgment or understanding, that he is

often deceived by the skill of a superior genius;-as in the instance of M. Angelo, who after executing a figure of Bacchus, contrived to have it buried and afterwards dug up, on which occasion it passed for a genuine antique in the opinion of the connoisseurs of his day.

This is an old story: but our own times will equally furnish proofs of skill in the management of the deceptive in art; and the impositions successfully played off on an eminent painter recently deceased will be fresh in the memory of every one who saw his collection.

It is well known that artists have always been in the habit of copying the works of their predecessors; that it is part of the education of a painter to make himself acquainted with the style and character of such masters as were to become the objects of his imitation. In the course of this practice it must frequently happen that works of considerable merit as copies have fallen into different hands, and have become the means of deception, either wilfully or accidentally: but to show that it is not for want of judgment that the spurious have been received as the legitimate work, many cases might be brought to prove.

Desenfans, well known as a collector and dealer with every advantage of consulting and comparing, was himself the dupe of an artist's skill in imitating the works of a celebrated painter. The discovery was made by the artist himself in rather a curious way. M. De Loutherbourg took an opportunity of introducing Ibbetson (a very clever artist,) to the notice of Mr. Desenfans: on this introduction, and while at breakfast, the collector pointed out to the attention of the young artist several esteemed and valuable pictures, among them a highly finished Teniers; when, to the utter confusion of the possessor, Ibbetson declared himself to be the painter of the much-esteemed Teniers.

It was an awkward business, and it may be supposed the parties did not sit very easy on their chairs after this confession, which policy in many would have suppressed; but it belonged to more forbearance than Ibbetson possessed, to withstand the praises which had been lavished on the performance, or to forego the opportunity of proclaiming his own talents, and, as he might imagine, of removing the prejudice which has ever prevailed in favour of foreign names and old masters. But prejudice will prevail; and the manufacture, whether of pictures or of china, will continue to be preferred, if foreign, to the same articles if the produce of our own country.

The prejudice in favour of French china and its painting has long existed and still continues; but the following circumstance which took place but a few years back ought to remove some of this predilection for foreign manufacture of art.