LETTERS 
 
 UPON 
 
 MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
X(u co-iLLcja io uecall Llic uicnioi'v ol' her moTlicr 
 by imitation of ber Anrtues , slic also delights to 
 multiply her^imadc }>ya display of Ke.r talents’. 
 
LETTERS 
 
 UPON THE ART 
 
 “ Vous qui pleurez I’amour, I’amiti^, la nature. 
 
 Sans doute, un Dieu pour vous a la peinture.” 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 PUBLISHED BY R. ACKERMANN, 101, STRAND, 
 
 AND MAY BE HAD OF MR. MAYAUD, 
 
 NO. 35 , GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET; 
 
 AT PARIS, 
 
 BY L. JANET, RUE ST. JACQUES, NO. 59. 
 
 AND MAY BE HAD OF THE AUTHOR, RUE 
 DES fosse's, MONTMARTRE, NO. 10. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 LETTER I, 
 
 From the Author to Mr. Mayaud. 
 
 Page 
 
 Explanatory of this correspondence and of the mo- 
 tives which determined its publication .... 1 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Miss Howard to Mr. Deville. 
 
 Expressing regret at not having profited by her 
 residence in Paris to learn to paint, and her desire 
 of being guided by his advice in the study of minia- 
 ture-painting 7 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Howard. 
 
 His acquiescence in this proposal ; the conditions he 
 makes ; some idea oif the plan which he intends 
 following 12 
 
vi CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Miss Howard to Mr. Deville. 
 
 A brief narration of the journey from Paris to Tou- 
 raine ; protestations of the most scrupulous obe- 
 dience to the precepts she solicits ; demands the 
 necessary materials lb 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Howard. 
 
 The difficulties to be surmounted in order to make 
 a proper use of colours in miniature-painting. 
 Notice of having sent all the necessary materials, 
 to which is joined the sketch of an old man’s head. 
 
 The manner of whitening, polishing, and poun- 
 cing the ivory. Use of the pencils for sketching. 22 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Howard. 
 
 Answer to the narrative of the journey. Descrip- 
 tion of the different pencils, and their use. Man- 
 ner of sketching. Use of the scratcher allowed 
 in few cases. Description of the colours em- 
 ployed in the sketch of an old man’s head ... 29 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 Miss Howard to Mr. Deville. 
 
 The opinion formed of her first attempt, which she 
 sends to her master 36 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 VU 
 
 Page 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Hotvard. 
 
 His observations upon wbat has been sent to him ; 
 sends a woman’s head. Indication of the colours 
 to be used for the flesh, the hair, the linen, and 
 a back-ground in transparent colour. He ob- 
 serves that these rules relate only to the model 
 sent ; that she ought to avoid a systematic style 
 of colouring. Second observations upon the first 
 sketch 39 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 3Ir. Deville to Miss Hoivard. 
 
 Use and advantage of body-colour. Manner of cut- 
 ting and pasting the ivory. The distance, in a 
 picture, at which the head should be from the 
 frame. Application of these principles in the exe- 
 cution of the portrait of a man, in which the dra- 
 pery and back-ground are painted with body-co- 
 lours. Use of the scratcher for body-colour. 
 Manner of doing the hair, and touching the lights 
 with body-colour 47 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 3liss Howard to Mr. Deville. 
 
 Acquaintance made between her father and Monsieur 
 de Saint Remi, who is in possession of miniatures 
 by different masters. Sends some of her painting. 57 
 
via 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Pack 
 
 LETTER XL 
 
 Mr. Deville, to Mis& Howard. 
 
 The danger of too highly polishing her work, and 
 the advantage of painting boldly. Inconvenience 
 of using too much water in the body-colours. 
 Announces having sent a letter of introduction 
 to Monsieur de Saint Reini to her father. Advan- 
 tage to be derived from copying from Isabey ; 
 manner of Augustin, and that of Saint .... 60 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Howard. 
 
 Use of the magnifying glass, and of gum arable. 
 Manner of executing light hair, and of represent- 
 ing certain draperies, such as velvet and satins of 
 different colours. Manner of doing ffilding in 
 body-colours and in dotting. New instructions 
 for the execution of linen, lace, and gauze. Me- 
 thod of representing pearls upon the flesh, hair, 
 or upon drapery in body-colour, &c 66 
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 
 Mtss Hoiimrd to Mr. Deville. 
 
 Confession of the evil consequences of having been 
 too precipitate ; requests Mr Deville’s opinion of 
 the style of painting in England. Expresses a 
 wish to attempt painting in aquarelle . ... 76 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 IX 
 
 Page 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Howard. 
 
 The danger of blindly adopting the manner of any 
 particular painter. Principles of painting in aqua- 
 relle. Some observations on English painters . 81 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Howard. 
 
 Principal painters in France, both ancient and mo- 
 dern, who distinguished themselves as portrait 
 painters in oils. The Italian and Flemish schools. 
 German and Spanish painters 1 
 
 LETTER XVI. 
 
 Miss Howard to Mr. Deville. 
 
 Description of the picture-gallery ; and the country 
 surrounding the chatean de Monsieur de Saint 
 
 LETTER XVII. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Hoivard. 
 
 Preliminary observations upon painting from nature. 
 Origin of the distinction of portrait from historical 
 painters. Upon character and quickness of ex- 
 pression. Manner of lighting, placing, and sketch- 
 ing the model 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 
 LETTER XVIII. 
 
 Miss Howard to Mr. Deville. 
 
 Sends a miniature other mother, ct.pied from a por- 
 trait in oils 13, ^ 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Howard. 
 
 Sketch of a portrait from nature. Description of the 
 colours which ought to be employed. Adjustment 
 of the drapery. Execution of the back-ground. 
 Historical pictures. Composition of groups. Ne- 
 cessity of knowing perspective, in order to find 
 the proper places for all the accessories. Precau- 
 tions to be taken before executing a composition. 138 
 
 LETTER XX. 
 
 Miss Howard to Mr. Deville. 
 
 Arrival of Monsieur de Saint Remi at the Chateau 
 de la Bourdaisi^re . . . • 157 
 
 LETTER XXL 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Howard. 
 
 Primitive colours, and their combinations. Use 
 which the ancients made of them. Discovery of 
 new substances made by modern painters. Ad- 
 vantage of a palette, but little complicated. Man- 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 xi 
 Page 
 
 ncr of laying the colour upon the flesh palette, 
 and that of body-colour. The different substances 
 which may be used for painting in miniature. 
 Choice of the ivory and brushes . ... 163 
 
 LETTER XXII. 
 
 Monsieur de Saint Remi to Mr. Deville. 
 
 Account of the success of a portrait from nature, 
 painted by Miss Howard, and announces her in- 
 tended return to Paris 
 
 178 
 
LETTERS 
 
 UPON 
 
 THE ART OF 
 
 MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 From, the Author to his Friend. 
 
 Paris, 1st October, 1822. 
 
 It is to you, ray dear Mayaud, that I owe 
 tlie inestimable advantage of knowing Ma- 
 dame de S — R. The amiability of her man- 
 ners, and the noble frankness of her respect- 
 able father, charmed me at first sight; and 
 notwithstanding the repugnance with which 
 I ever form new acquaintances, 1 felt instantly 
 attracted by the kind attentions they shewed 
 me. I should therefore have only thanks to 
 return you, if in this circumstance you had 
 
 B 
 
•2 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 consulted my true interests more than vour 
 iriendship tor me, which has induced you to 
 describe me to this family as a man of su- 
 perior merit, and to say, that I added to a 
 perfect knowledge of my profession, an incal- 
 culable number of other qualities Avhich nature 
 has been very far from bestowing upon me. 
 Until now I had ever considered your talent for 
 likenesses as unrivalled ; but, without offence, 
 my good friend, the picture you have drawn of 
 me has totally failed. To make amends, I grant 
 that you are persuasive, for I have vainly said, 
 and unfortunately proved, that I was undeser- 
 ving the place which you had procured me in 
 the good opinion of these agreeable foreigners; 
 they were determined not to alter it, at least 
 apparently, and whether I would or not, I be- 
 came the master of the daughter, the adviser, 
 what do I say? the oracle of the father on many 
 subjects with which I am totally unacquainted; 
 and what is still worse, they went into the 
 country, and I was forced to correspond with 
 them. 
 
 You know by experience, my dear Mayaud, 
 that I find it easier to express and prove my 
 
 - <v 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 S 
 
 aitachinent, than to write it; but what is not 
 possible to a fascinating woman"? Her sweet 
 influence is extended over all hearts, as well as 
 over all professions : she encourages genius, 
 adds grace to wit, strengthens thought, and, in 
 the words of a modern author, who from study- 
 ing them unceasingly, can best appreciate them, 
 
 Eviter de la femme et le clianne et I'empire, 
 
 C’est vouloir renoncer a I’air que Ton respire 
 
 1 have corresponded regularly for fifteen 
 months ; they are now returned to Paris as good, 
 as obliging, and happier than ever. It is to them 
 tiiat I am indebted for the realization of a pro- 
 ject which otherwise I should never have had 
 the time or courage to execute. 
 
 Influenced by events unnecessary to mention 
 here, to turn your thoughts seriously to an art, 
 which till then you had considered merely as an 
 object of amusement, you have frequently ex* 
 pressed your regret at not having lo put into 
 the hands of your pupils a simple but com- 
 prehensive method, which might, during the 
 absence of the master, direct them in the study 
 of miniature-painting: how useful this might 
 B 2 
 
4 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 prove, I feel equally convinced with your- 
 self. This art has arrived at such a state of 
 perfection, possesses so many attractions for all, 
 particularly females, who appear generally so 
 much inclined to cultivate it, when after the sea- 
 son of more turbulent pleasures, they, like the 
 flowers of spring, embellish the country by their 
 presence ; that, to an artist more accustomed 
 than I am to merit their approbation, would 
 have insured a continuation of their favour. A 
 conviction of my own inability, added to the 
 hope of seeing our intentions accomplished by a 
 hand more in the habit of writing and giving 
 precepts, has ever rendered me unwilling to pub- 
 lish mine. However, the success I have hap- 
 pily met with in forming some excellent pupils, 
 the indulgence which has been shewn to my 
 humble productions, and the astonishing pro- 
 gress which Madame de S — R. has made un- 
 der my instructions, determined me to request 
 her permission to publish our correspondence; 
 to which she has consented, on condition that 
 her name should remain unknown to the public. 
 I have therefore seized this opportunity to be- 
 stow upon a certain Mr. Deville many honourable 
 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 5 
 
 and flattering compliments offered in this col- 
 lection, but which I acknowledge myself totally 
 incapable of justifying. With this single cau- 
 tion, I give these letters to the printer, ambitious 
 only of the utility of which, I trust, they may 
 be productive. The incidents foreign to my 
 subject occupying but little room, have not 
 been suppressed; from the impossibility of doing 
 so without new-modelling the whole corre- 
 spondence — an undertaking incompatible with 
 the variety of my daily occupations. I have 
 confined myself merely to the instruction of a 
 young person already acquainted with drawing, 
 in the easiest and shortest method of painting 
 in miniature. This work, therefore, can only be 
 useful to those who have made some progress 
 in drawing. Neither must it be expected, that 
 it should prove a treatise upon painting in 
 general : there are already sufficient works of 
 merit published upon this art, from the time of 
 Lionardo da Vinci down to the present day. 
 There is no doubt but, that like many others, 
 with the assistance of compilations, I might in 
 an introductory discourse have repeated those 
 general rules and precepts, known to all, fol- 
 
LETTERS UPON 
 
 6 
 
 lowed by so few. This display of erudition 
 might have dazzled some, wearied others, but 
 would have been useful to none. 
 
 My only ambition is to render service to young 
 artists, and to answer, to the extent of my 
 ability, the many applications which have been 
 made to me by the amateurs both of Paris and 
 London : on this account I have had this col- 
 lection translated into English, in order that it 
 may appear at the same period in both cities. 
 
 The high and well-merited reputation which 
 you have acquired in England, makes me par- 
 ticularly desirous of obtaining your approbation ; 
 and the friendship that unites us has induced 
 me to dedicate to you a work, written without 
 design, published without pretension, and to 
 which, without having foreseen it, I find I have 
 produced something resembling a preface. 
 
MINIATURE painting. 
 
 7 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Miss E. Howard to Mr. Deville at Paris. 
 
 Chateau de Beaui’egard, near Tours, 
 5th May, 1821. 
 
 I FEAR, my dear Mr. Deville, that you have 
 more than once accused me of negligence, per- 
 haps^ of ingratitude : that I may to you have 
 appeared guilty of the first fault is possible; 
 but the heart of Ellen could not support a sus- 
 picion of the second. 
 
 The difficulty of expressing myself in a foreign 
 language, the many amusements and occupations 
 which a residence in Paris offers to a stranger, 
 have not allowed me to become well known to 
 you ; still, amidst the numberless acquaint- 
 ances which my situation in society presents 
 to me, there is not one which I have appreciated 
 so highly as yours, of w'hich I flatter myself the 
 future will convince you. Your attentions, and 
 

 LETTERS UPON 
 
 the particular kindness of which you have given 
 me so many proofs, can never be effaced from 
 my memory. How often have 1 regretted the 
 not having been earlier known to you! How 
 great must have been the advantages derived 
 from precepts such as yours, dictated by the 
 zeal, the clearness, and the information which 
 characterises your heart and understanding ! I 
 cannot express the charm which 1 found in lis- 
 tening to your discussions with my father ; the 
 justness of your reasoning, the truth of your 
 demonstrations, and, above all, the quick and 
 persuasive power by which you bring over to 
 your opinions those who at first appear most 
 strongly opposed to them, struck me with ad- 
 miration and delight. 
 
 “ Ce qui se congoit bien s’enonce clairement, 
 
 Et les mots pourle dire arrivent ais^ment.” 
 
 You will pardon me this well-known quotation, 
 never so well applied. These two verses are 
 the only obligation that I am willing to owe to 
 this cruel satirist, whom I have just been per- 
 suaded to read a second time, without much 
 increasing my enthusiasm for him : he only ad- 
 dresses himself to the understanding. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 9 
 
 But to return to you, my dear Mr. Deville, 
 whose language and ideas are ever in unison 
 with my feelings : I will confess that I have de- 
 layed writing to you till now, because, more 
 habituated to speak my sentiments, I have not 
 as yet been able to arrange my thoughts suffi- 
 ciently to submit them to you ; although the 
 sedentary and retired manner in which we are 
 living here, ought to have assisted me in classing 
 them. But amidst recollections of the past and 
 plans for the future, which alternately strike 
 my imagination, I am at a loss how to employ 
 the present ! I feel the necessity of an occu- 
 pation, a pursuit — in short, I am ambitious of 
 success in something ; but alone, without a 
 guide, without emulation, how can I expect the 
 accomplishment of my wishes? 
 
 Born with an ardent imagination, I have pas. 
 sionately loved the arts from niy earliest years. 
 An intuitive taste has frequently caused me to 
 neglect the amusements natural to my age, that I 
 might admire the productions of genius. Music 
 transported me ; painting, sculpture, interested 
 me to such an excess, that I often tormented 
 my governess with questions which she was 
 B 5 
 
10 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 greatly embarrassed to answer: this j>oor Mrs, 
 Andrews was endowed with more goodness than 
 genius; she, therefore, greatly preferred listen- 
 ing patiently while I exercised my fingers on the 
 piano, than to conduct me through my father’s 
 picture-gallery. In consequence of this, I 
 could at twelve years old play all Cramer’s most 
 difficult pieces, and accompany myself with 
 some degree of taste. My parents, enchanted 
 with my success, flattered my vanity, and I was 
 looked upon by all their intimate friends as a 
 little virtuoso. The wandering life which we 
 have led since the peace has not allowed me to 
 j)erfect my execution : my taste is formed, 
 but my voice has lost its power, having been 
 forced too early. The result of this is, that I 
 love good music too well to take delight in inv 
 own ; besides, the admiration obtained by the 
 execution of a brilliant lesson is too dearly pur- 
 chased at the expense of practising it every 
 day for six weeks together to possess any 
 charms for me ; while, on the contrary, I feel 
 all the ardour necessary to induce me to follow', 
 how ever distantly, in your steps. I w'ill again take 
 uj> my pencils, possess myself of a brush, w hich 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. IL 
 
 in niY lonely situation your instructions can 
 atone enable me to employ. Have then the 
 kind indulgence, dear Mr. Deville, to aid me 
 with your advice, and trace for me the path 
 which I must pursue. The miniature, the kind; 
 of painting in which you excel, has been that 
 which most attracted me. I have often heard 
 you hold a different language, but your produc- 
 tions, while charming my sight, obtained the 
 victory over your reasoning. I trust then, that 
 you will put aside your Raphaels, your Michel 
 Angelos, your Rembrandts, your Vandykes ; 
 and tell me what the Isabeys, the Augustins, 
 and the Guerins have done to arrive at the 
 height of perfection in drawing, taste, and co- 
 louring, which distinguish their works. I would 
 willingly, in giving you such a task, insure the 
 success of your endeavours, but I can only assure 
 you of the sincere gratitude of her who will 
 ever consider herself honoured by the title of 
 
 Your respectful pupil, 
 
 Ellen Howard. 
 
\-2 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Hoivard. 
 
 Paris, 11th May, 1821. 
 
 You will tell me, amiable Ellen, that my 
 character is much changed since your departure ; 
 no matter, since you are desirous of receiving 
 my lessons, I must begin by finding fault, not 
 on account of your not writing sooner — that 
 was scarcely possible, but for not giving me the 
 slightestdetail respectingyourjourney, or naming 
 the place of your abode : you had an extensive 
 subject on which to exercise your imagination. 
 
 The borders of the Loire abound in picturesque 
 views and gothic monuments, which bring to 
 mind interesting recollections : you loie paint- 
 ing, therefore must learn to paint with your pen, 
 if you expect me to teach you to paint with a 
 pencil. You but slightly mention your father ; 
 indeed, were I not acquainted with the goodness 
 of your heart, and your attachment to hitn, I 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 13 
 
 should be inclined to accuse you, if not of in- 
 difference, certainly of negligence towards him. 
 
 1 will not, however, run the risk of being ac- 
 cused of the same fault, therefore should you in 
 your letters forget to name him, in reading mine 
 he will at least hav'e the proof (hat I sometimes 
 think of him. I am quite assured that you 
 ' make no mystery to him of our correspondence ; 
 my grey hairs in the one case, amj your good 
 principles in the other, are my reasons for think- 
 ing so, and preclude the possibility of its being 
 otherwise. Before I begin my subject or answer 
 the scientific part of your letter, I must have 
 another quarrel with you ; it is the only resource 
 of persons of my age with those of your’s, un- 
 til they have had the courage to sacrifice all 
 pretensions ; for if they attempt not to please, 
 they are glad, at least, to interest ; they there- 
 fore render their approbation more difficult of 
 attainment, in the hope of increasing its value. 
 You will not now be surprised at my blaming 
 your manner of expressing yourself on the sub- 
 ject of music ; that art, always enchanting, is 
 a thousand times more attractive when culti- 
 vated by a woman ! If you really love painting 
 
II 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 yon must love music, as they arc two sisters 
 who equally receive their greatest charm from 
 harmony. It is doubtless possible that you may 
 be destined to attain a higher degree of perfec- 
 tion in the one art than in the other, and, if I did 
 not fear to derogate from my character of cen- 
 sor, I should say that unless you could succeed 
 in painting like Albane or Corregio, it were bet- 
 ter to content yourself by remaining a second 
 St. Cecilia. 
 
 But enough of complimefits and of old mas- 
 ters : you will tell me that the first are unbe- 
 coming at my age, and the second uninteresting 
 to you. Permit me, however, sweet young 
 friend, to remind you sometimes of the latter, 
 as it is from them (following the example of the 
 modern masters whom you so justly admire,) 
 that we must imbibe the lessons which enabled 
 them to rise to perfection in their art. We must 
 always look beyond our aim to insure success. 
 If the present>age possess some advantage over 
 former ones, it is to the labours, the researches, 
 and the heroic perseverance of those who pre- 
 ceded us in the career of arts, to whom we are 
 indebted ; and as we are every where surrounded 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 15 
 
 by tlie monuments and master-pieces which 
 evince their taste and genius, let us learn to ad- 
 mire them, that we may be worthy of imitating 
 them. 
 
 However far removed these general conside- 
 rations may be from the sphere to which you ap- 
 pear desirous to confine yourself, you cannot be 
 too strongly impressed with the necessity of 
 choosing a good road, however short the pro- 
 gress you may possibly make in it. 1 am igno- 
 rant of the length of the career which you may 
 be destined to pursue, but I will do all in my 
 power to prevent your ever being obliged to re- 
 trograde. Your success in draw'ing, and the taste 
 which I have discovered in the copies you have 
 made of the models 1 put into your hands, afford 
 me the strongest hopes of you : I shall, how- 
 ever, expect greater proofs of docility at this 
 distance, than when w'e were nearer to each 
 other. 
 
 I will confess that I have sometimes on pur- 
 pose left you to stray, in order to find out 
 whether you could by yourself discover your 
 faults: this plan succeeded, and you have 
 learned to distrust that dangerous facility 
 
I 
 
 10 LETTERS UPON 
 
 against which you cannot be too much upon your 
 guard, when not overlooked by some one capa- 
 ble of cautioning you . in time. The period will 
 come when I shall be able to allow more lati- 
 tude to your imagination ; but till then, you must 
 submit to follow the exact rules I am at present 
 under the necessity of prescribing to you. 1 
 shall even be forced to enter into details which 
 at first you will consider dry and insignificant, 
 but of which you will one day feel the impor- 
 tance. Whatever be the elegance or magnifi- 
 cence of an edifice, for its construction the 
 stone must be sought for in the same quarry, 
 the wood in the same forest, which would pro- 
 duce the like materials to build the humblest 
 cottage. Do not be astonished then, amiable 
 Miss Howard, if I employ your pretty hands in 
 preparing the dull colours as well as the brighter 
 tints; if I arm you with a sharp instrument, not 
 to wound or kill, but to polish the ivory ; with a 
 file not intended to wrench a lock, but which 
 will assist you in giving your picture the form 
 you wish. Neither must you always paint 
 Cupids; on the contrary, I shall advise you to 
 attempt with firm strokes to express the strong 
 
 I 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING, 17 
 
 features which characterize a man in the decline 
 of life, in order to suppress the propensity 
 natural to young persons of your sex to sacri- 
 fice the form and vigour of expression to grace 
 and colouring. 
 
 Before we enter into any farther detail, I am 
 desirous of knowing whether you have every 
 thing necessary for painting, as you do not say 
 any thing upon the subject ; I shall, therefore, 
 wait your answer to send whatever you may re- 
 quire, and explain the manner of making use of 
 it. If I am obliged to defer this important 
 matter until my next letter, I will no longer de- 
 lay expressing the satisfaction which, upon the 
 whole, yours afforded me, and of the pleasure 
 with which I shall enter into the most minute 
 explanations. Be assured of my sincerity, and 
 convinced of the esteem — dare I say the friend- 
 ship ? of your most humble servant. 
 
18 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Miss Ellen to Mr. Deville. 
 
 Chateau de Beauregard, 
 May22d, J821. 
 
 It is ill vain that you aft’ect to be cross, my 
 dear Mr. Deville, the amiability of your cha- 
 racter still shines through the covering under 
 which you would willingly hide it. I rather 
 suspect that the interest you so kindly take in 
 me, induces you to put on an appearance oT 
 severity, in order to enforce my docility. Be 
 more just to poor Ellen, and in knowing her 
 better be assured that your precepts will prove 
 oracles to her. 
 
 To commence by showing my obedience, I 
 hasten to inform you, that my father’s health 
 improved on the journey, notwithstanding a sin- 
 gular occurrence which was very near disturbing 
 the usual sweetness and equality of his temper 
 towards me. For the first time in my life, I 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 allowed myself to think that he could be in the 
 wrong ; although as a dutiful daughter, I sub- 
 mitted to his will, and promised to be more 
 ])nident in future. It was, however, an affair of 
 little importance, as you shall judge by the 
 sequel. 
 
 We had quitted Paris four days, but had gone 
 no farther than Blois, by which you will perceive 
 that we travel slowly. My father w'ent out to 
 visit the old castle ; when, impatient for his 
 return, and desirous of seeing something of the 
 towm, I prevailed upon Mrs. Andrews to accom- 
 pany me in a little walk to meet him. In passing 
 through the adjacent streets, the hesitation of 
 our manner, and our travelling dresses, betrayed 
 to the inhabitants of Blois, the country of which 
 we are natives ; insensibly we became sur- 
 rounded, and, but for the prompt and actii’e 
 assistance of a young man of a most engaging 
 exterior, whose presence seemed to check the 
 curious observers who molestetl us, we should 
 have had much difficulty in returning to the hotel, 
 without meeting with some disagreeable adven- 
 ture. Our unknown protector discreetly retired 
 the moment we arrived there, notwithstanding 
 
20 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 our efforts to detain him. My father came in 
 soon after, when I frankly related all that had 
 passed. I know not whether his pride was 
 offended at being under an obligation to a 
 stranger, or that he really blamed my conduct; 
 it is certain that he openly reproved it : I cried 
 the whole evening, which was very natural. 
 The next morning he was kinder than ever; did 
 not mention the adventure of tlie day before, 
 but showed me a thousand delicate attentions. 
 I should have been extremely wrong had I ap- 
 peared to remember it, when he was thinking 
 only of me, and by the most tender solicitude 
 insuring my gratitude. He has chosen for our 
 residence a delightful habitation very near 
 the pretty city of Tours. He fears my being 
 dull here, but this kind father is greatly mis- 
 taken, for where he is, Ellen must ever be the 
 happiest of daughters. He is much pleased at 
 the idea of employing my leisure hours in paint- 
 ing ; and much regrets that I did not commence 
 this study during my stay in Paris. He desires me 
 to offer you his sincere thanks for your kindness 
 in promising to assist me with your advice: as 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. . 
 
 21 
 
 for myself, I cannot sufficiently express niy grati- 
 tude, or my impatience to make a first attempt. 
 
 Send me then, I entreat you, by the first 
 conveyance, every thing necessary, as I have 
 nothing here but pencils : in the mean time I 
 will reflect upon your letter, the morality and 
 the sentiments of which I greatly admire ; and 
 have, even by way of making reparation to 
 music, played “ God save tkc King" several 
 times to Mrs. Andrews ; still you must lose no 
 time in enabling me to commence painting, for 
 I dream only of brushes, colours, palettes, &c. 
 
 Adieu, my dear Mr. Deville ; I will have no 
 humble servants at the conclusion of your 
 letters ; do not be afraid of honouring by your 
 friendship, her, w'ho is too happy to add to the 
 title of pupil that of your friend 
 
 Ellen. 
 
2-2 
 
 LETTERS L.PON 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss l^llen. 
 
 Paris, May 27th, 1821. 
 
 To comply with your wish of acquii ing in- 
 struction, charming Ellen, I will in this letter 
 immediately enter upon the subject that seems 
 to interest you so much, and tell you that some 
 persons, who only judge of the merit and dif- 
 ficulty of a picture by its size, pronounce, 
 without hesitation, miniature-painting to be 
 easier than any other. I am far from being 
 of that opinion : on the contrary, I maintain 
 that a miniature-painter, who wishes to arrive 
 at perfection, has more difficulties to overcome 
 than a painter in oil who confines himself to 
 portrait-painting. The same knowledge of 
 drawing and colouring is required for each, but 
 the colours for miniature-painting being more 
 difficult to use, certain effects are often pro- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 23 
 
 fluced at once in oil by one stroke of the pencil, 
 which in miniature can be brought out only by 
 care and labour. This will prove to you, dear 
 Miss Ellen, how essential it is to be well ac- 
 quainted w'ith what we undertake, so as not to 
 employ colour indiscriminately in the hope of 
 being favoured by Fortune, who so often laughs 
 at the efforts of man ! If a miniature-painter 
 were to trust the success of his work to her, he 
 would be nearly as mad as one, who, shaking 
 together a great number of printing-letters, 
 shoidd hope, solely by that means, to become 
 one day the author of a treatise upon philoso- 
 phy or jurisprudence. With respect to us, we 
 will follow a different method, directing our 
 attention to become well acquainted with the 
 necessary materials. We will make use of them 
 at first with diffidence, and when by habit and 
 experience w'e shall have acquired more confi- 
 dence, we will not be afraid to work more boldly, 
 without however losing sight of moderation. 
 You will find in the package I sent you by yester- 
 day’s coach, every thing requisite for painting : 
 I have added to it the outline of a head, and on 
 another sheet the rough sketch of the same 
 
24 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 head. Before you begin, yon must know how to 
 prepare the ivory, which is never sold in a state 
 sufficiently polished or white. The process of 
 whitening must be done by placing it on a 
 moderately-heated oven, or in the sun, which 
 will warp one side ; turn it then on the other, 
 and w'hen it has the degree of whiteness you 
 require, take it out, that it may not become too 
 dry; for in that case it loses its transparency, 
 and is apt to split when cut. This operation 
 finished, you must proceed to one of more con- 
 sequence and difficulty, and which requires 
 practice: it is the polishing. Some painters use 
 a large scratcher ; others, an instrument with a 
 blade three or four inches long, and of a tri- 
 angular shape. To either of these I prefer the 
 use of a razor : to benefit completely by it, you 
 must be sure it have not the smallest notch in it, 
 or that it be not too sharp. Open it so that the 
 back part of the blade touches the handle ; in 
 that way you will use it easily to scrape your 
 ivory from angle to angle. When you have thus 
 polished the whole, begin again from the con- 
 trary angles, to be quite assured there remains 
 no traces of the saw upon the side you wish to 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 25 
 
 paint. 1 think I see you, good Ellen, in all the 
 trouble of this process, of which I have no doubt 
 you will acquit yourself with address and skill, 
 although with a little impatience. 
 
 You say to yourself, might not this be pur- 
 chased ready prepared, or done so to order ? 
 yes ; often, but not always : besides, to be able 
 to judge whether a thing be well done, you must 
 know how to do it yourself. Continue therefore 
 with courage your little undertakings, sweet 
 Ellen, taking from out of that chest the band- 
 box, which does not contain ribands, although 
 resembling one for that use ; open it ; what you 
 see there is pounce-stone, pulverized and passed 
 through a silk sieve. Place your ivory in the 
 middle of the bottom of the box, holding it 
 firm with one hand, while with the other you 
 take that small bit of paper in the corner of the 
 same box : use it to rub the pounce on the side 
 of the ivory you have polished ; being always 
 careful to do it with a circular movement. 
 
 If your ivory be now of a dead white, ami 
 have lost the shine given to it by the razor, take 
 it out of the box, holding it so that your fingers 
 do not touch the surface, so troublesome to pre- 
 c 
 
26 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 pare, and brush olF lightly with a painting brush 
 any grits that may have adhered to it ; for this 
 purpose, take one of the largest hair pencils I 
 have sent you : it may be serviceable to remove 
 in the same way any specks or dust while you 
 are painting. For inasmuch as these preliminary 
 operations are disagreeable and even fatiguing, 
 so much more comparatively will what remains 
 to be done require neatness, attention, and care. 
 To prove this to you, I will not scruple to repeat, 
 so important is it, never to suffer your fingers to 
 touch the ivory ; hold it always at the extremities, 
 for the colour w'ill not settle in a place touched 
 even by your fair and delicate hands. If, how- 
 ever, such an accident were to happen, as there 
 is no evil w ithout its remedy, be not quite driven 
 to despair, but have recourse to the pumice-pow- 
 der, and with a paper stump, rather pointed, 
 gently rub the place where the sad misfortune 
 has occurred. But, to avoid as much as pos- 
 sible a recurrence of such accidents, you must, 
 when at work, take a sheet of paper to rest your 
 hand upon, and when you shall use body-colour, 
 have a piece of wood or pasteboard made (for 
 the same purpose) in such a way that it touch 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 27 
 
 not the miniature ; for in consequence of the 
 gum which is in the colours, the heat of the hand 
 might cause the paper to stick to the painting. 
 Your ivory at last prepared, and ail accidents 
 cautioned against, begin your work by placing 
 this same ivory on your desk, in the middle, 
 with a sheet of paper under it, and the sketch I 
 sent you above. 
 
 By enumerating the names and properties of 
 the different colours chiefly employed in miniature 
 painting, I could still keep you in suspense, and 
 further exercise your patience ; but you shall 
 lose nothing by a postponement, as I do not in- 
 tend to spare you when more at leisure. In the 
 mean time use the palette ready prepared with 
 colours I send you, and study the plate annexed 
 to this letter, in order to become acquainted with 
 the names of the colours I have marked thereon* 
 From amongst your sable hair pencils, choose 
 one with a firm and sharp point, yet pliable, so 
 as to enable you to produce with it clear deci- 
 ded lines ; use it to make the outline of the 
 head, and be careful not to load your pencil with 
 more water than, necessary to dilute a very small 
 quantity of colour; take some carmine lake for 
 c 2 
 
2U 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 that purpose ; and if you wish to efface an in- 
 correct stroke, do it with the point of a hair 
 pencil, dipped in water only. 
 
 I postpone, until to-morrow, the directions 
 you will require for the first shades ; endeavour, 
 at all events, to let your outline be as correct as 
 possible. 
 
 My anxiety to promote your wishes, by en- 
 abling- you to begin immediately, has induced 
 me to suppress a number of hints, which I shall 
 have occasion to mention hereafter, and the late- 
 ness of the hour obliges me to defer answering 
 other parts of your letter. But in bidding you 
 farewell, amiable Ellen, I promise to resume the 
 subject very soon. 
 
MINIATURE ^^AINTING. 
 
 29 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss E. Howard. 
 
 Paris, 2d June, 1821. 
 
 Thanks to a sitting {jostponed, and to the 
 cool reception I was forced to give an old friend 
 much disposed for conversation, 1 have again 
 the pleasure of devoting an hour to my interest- 
 ing pupil. You see, Ellen, that there is no want 
 of zeal on my part; let me find the same on 
 yours, and I will undertake to render you ca- 
 pable of becoming a competitor with the first 
 artists. However, I do not choose directly to 
 begin upon the subject of painting. 
 
 You were so obliging as to enter into some 
 details, in your last letter, very interesting to me, 
 but which cause me somfc degree of anxiety : 
 the first and the strongest is, that the delightful 
 residence you have fixed upon may possibly 
 detain you some time at a distance from Paris. 
 
30 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 The second arises from the necessity I am under 
 of differing with you in opinion relative to the 
 adventure you met with at Blois. You confess 
 that Mr. Howard had some foundation for his 
 anger. I am too well acquainted with the good- 
 ness of your disposition to suppose you would 
 have preferred his shewing this to Mrs. Andrews. 
 
 Conscientiously he could not be offended wdth 
 your champion, nor you either, I believe, who 
 found his exterior so engaging. You would per- 
 haps have preferred seeing this good father 
 vent his resentment upon the crowd, and ha- 
 rangue them from the balcony : I grant it 
 possible, that the inhabitants of Blois, affected 
 by the pathos of his discourse, might on their 
 knees, with uplifted hands, have offered satis- 
 faction : what would have been the result? You 
 quitted Blois the next day, never perhaps to 
 return thither. Let me then warn you for the 
 future, young and pretty as you are, that it 
 would be always improper to walk out in any 
 city in the world with no other escort than Mrs. 
 Andrews, who, notwithstanding the esteem I 
 feel for her, is much too old and too singular in 
 her dress and appearance to inspire respect. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 31 
 
 Although loving you tenderly, your father ex- 
 pressed his feelings : you acknowledged your 
 fault — nothing more proper: you wept — this was 
 unnecessary : the next day you found him more 
 affectionate than ever, shewing you a thousand 
 little attentions, and appearing to forget what 
 had passed — all this w as quite right, and I differ 
 with him only, when he fears your being dull 
 and weary in your present retreat : where under- 
 standing and information are joined to the desire 
 of instruction, we must in every place find t n- 
 ployment and resources against weariness. Let 
 us prove this by taking up our pencils. Amongst 
 those which I have sent, you will find three dif- 
 ferent kinds ; those which have their points 
 square are intended for body-colour ; the second, 
 which are made of squirrel’s or camel’s hair, 
 serve for sketching the flesh, the ground-work, 
 and the draperies executed in ti’ansparent co- 
 lours. The third, which are of sable hair, are 
 used to polish the painting, and give the finish- 
 ing touches. Before you begin to sketch, I ad- 
 vise you to study your model with great atten- 
 tion, and to make yourself perfectly acquainted 
 with the colours which I have made use of in it. 
 
32 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 I have taken care to make this sketch upon a 
 large scale, in order to enable you to distinguish 
 them easily. Begin by attacking the strongest 
 shades of the head : it is only when you are per- 
 fectly sure of the form of your four features 
 that you may try to express the exterior shape 
 of the head, and the wave of the hair. Endea- 
 vour, w hile indicating carefully the form, not to 
 render the lines too hard. If, when painting 
 the eyes, you mark the lid by too strong an out- 
 line, you will find it very difficult to soften it 
 afterwards. The same may be observed relative 
 to the eye-lashes, and the shade of the nose and 
 chin : begin by sketching them lightly ; observe 
 if they are exactly of the same colour and shape 
 as those of your model ; you must then go over 
 tliem several times till they have acquired the 
 necessary strength. The sketch which you have 
 before you is done after the head of an old man 
 painted by Greuse. 
 
 This painter added to much expression a very 
 pleasing style of colouring : he is a very excel- 
 lent study for miniature painters, and I shall 
 advise you hereafter to make some copies from 
 him. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 33 
 
 In order to succeed in that upon which you 
 are now employed, take care at first to make use 
 only of warm colours, and do not till afterwards 
 enaploy those grey tints which you perceive at 
 the edge of the middle tints towards the side 
 approaching the light, otherwise your shades 
 would not be sufficiently transparent. You must 
 be very careful to preserve your lights, parti- 
 cularly those which are placed upon the upper 
 part of the cheeks, the extremity of the nose, 
 and the forehead. 
 
 There are some painters who make use, with 
 success, of a pen-knife, to scratch out the colour, 
 but it requires skill, and you must employ only 
 the edge of the blade, avoiding to touch with 
 the point : — it is better to proceed carefully, to be 
 obliged to add colour rather than to take it off. 
 Work by etching ; endeavour to place them at 
 equal distances the one from the other, that 
 they may as nearly as possible denote the forms 
 of the flesh, and the motions of the muscles. If, 
 notwithstanding these precautions, you find the 
 colour too thick in some parts, or in consequence 
 of taking too much water in your brush you 
 perceive some blotted strokes, you must make 
 
 c 5 
 
34 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 use of the point of the brush, dipped in water, 
 tinged with the slightest quantity of colour, in 
 order to dissolve it, without entirely taking it 
 away. It is essential, also, to avoid working too 
 long upon the same spot, for fear of disturbing 
 the colours already put on. 
 
 Desirous of facilitating your first attempts, 
 if you are not already weary of listening to my 
 tedious explanations, I will describe by their 
 names all the colours which you are going to 
 make use of to-day. 
 
 The principal shades of the head are made 
 with bistre mixed with burnt sienna, and in souie 
 places with precipite, or a mixture of lake and 
 lamp-black. The middle tints are made with 
 yellow ochre, ultramarine, and very little pre- 
 cipite. The flesh tints are made with red-brown, 
 upon which you may touch with a small quan- 
 tity of orange-lake.* The green tints, which 
 you find near the mouth and the neck, are 
 
 * The orange-lake is not mentioned upon the flesh pa- 
 lette, because it is in reality the lake itself mixed with 
 yellow or burnt sienna, more or less deep, according to 
 the effect desired to be obtained. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 35 
 
 made with yellow ochre, ultramarine, and a lit- 
 tle lake. The grey hairs of this old man are pre- 
 pared in the shades with tints of bistre and 
 black ; in the middle tints, with ultramarine, to 
 which you may add some precipit^. The eye- 
 balls are made with burnt sienna and bistre ; 
 you would do well to make use of indigo for 
 their outlines. In the white of the eyes there 
 are ultramarine, black, and lake ; you will make 
 the mouth with brown-red mixed with lake and 
 ultramarine. For the mouth of a woman, or 
 young man, one may employ with good effect a 
 little vermilion in the under lip, as it usually is 
 of a higher colour. In that which you are doing 
 at present, it will be sufficient to touch the cor- 
 ners with burnt sienna and lake. 
 
 I will only now add to these instructions the 
 intreaty that you will not hesitate to explain 
 most fully every difficulty which may occur, and 
 which I may not have foreseen. — I shall read 
 them with attention, and shall endeavour to be 
 equally clear in my explanations, as I am sincere 
 in assuring you of the interest and attachment 
 of your faithful friend. 
 
3G 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 Miss Ellen to Mr. Deville. 
 
 Castle Beauregard, 
 
 15th June, 1821, 
 
 Mrs. Andrews declares that I am a prodigy ; 
 my father, that w'hat I do is w'onderful ; and I, 
 that it is intolerably bad : you, my dear Mr. 
 Deville, the only umpire in this case, what will 
 your opinion be ? Hasten to give it me, and by 
 pointing out where I have failed, assist me to do 
 better. I succeeded pretty well with the sketch, 
 but when I attempted to colour, lost entirely the 
 outline, and departed more and more from the 
 expression of the original. What is this owing 
 to, my good friend ? I am far from being dis- 
 couraged, but I feel more strongly than ever the 
 necessity of your kind instructions ; direct me, 
 then, I pray, at every step, without fearing to - 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 37 
 
 tire, as you venture to hint in your letter. You 
 have probably perceived ere now that I was 
 spoiled in my childhood, but are not perhaps 
 aware how much I begin to feel the disadvantage 
 of it. I exonerate from all blame my dear fa- 
 ther, who, retracing in me the loved resemblance 
 of a dear wife (lost to him in the prime of her 
 youth), was willing to endow me too soon w'ith 
 the qualities and virtues of that departed an- 
 gel- of goodness: her death left me the undi- 
 vided affection of the best of fathers, and my 
 utmost endeavours shall be to deserve it. I feel 
 I have much to do yet before I really become 
 worthy that most valuable legacy ; but if I do 
 not succeed, I shall at least say with the good 
 La Fontaine: 
 
 J’aurai clu moins Thonneur de Tavoir entrepris. 
 
 I make no doubt yoii will kindly assist me. 
 Your sincerity inspires me with the greatest con- 
 fidence, and you have ever brought me to your 
 opinion when it has pleased you to speak plain ; 
 but that is not always the case, my dear master, 
 and your imagination sometimes soars above 
 mine ; — for instance, I saw without vexation that 
 
38 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 you had been merry at our expense respecting 
 the adventure at Blois, but do not understand 
 why you underlined some words quoted from 
 the letter in which I mention it. Explain your- 
 self on this point, I pray. Send me something 
 to go on with ; tell me what you think of the 
 specimens I send you, and accept a renewed 
 assurance of my grateful acknowledgments. 
 
 Ellen. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 39 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Ellen. 
 
 Paris, June 27th, 1821. 
 
 You have already made some progress in 
 science, amiable and modest Ellen, for you have 
 discovered that you know nothing; those who 
 are easily satisfied with their own talents sel- 
 dom attain perfection. I can readily conceive 
 the enthusiasm of your friends, and without en- 
 tirely partaking of it, can assure you that I am 
 much pleased with your attempt, because it 
 surpasses my expectations. It is necessary to 
 have acquired much habit in sketching, to be 
 able to paint as large, and with the firmness with 
 which the head I sent you is executed. By fi- 
 nishing more highly you would, I am certain, 
 have given more of the character, but you were 
 right to stop where you did, as it will be better 
 to do the same subject a second time, and to 
 
40 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 endeavour, if possible, strictly to follow the 
 rules I laid down for you in my last letter ; after 
 which, you will be more likely to succeed in the 
 copy I send to day ; it is a woman’s head, rather 
 finished, but not difficult. You must be careful 
 to put scarcely any bistre in the shades, but 
 make them with the same colours as those I 
 named for the middle tints of the old man, 
 namely ochre, ultramarine, and precipite ; the 
 local shades of the flesh are made with orange- 
 lake, which you must enliven in the parts most 
 highly coloured with pure lake, and even a little 
 vermilion. You must make the middle tints 
 with a slight mixture of lake,, ochre, and ultra- 
 marine. You must sketch the mouth with lake 
 and vermilion, and retouch the upper lip with a 
 little red-brown, ultramarine, and precipite ; 
 you may also put a small quantity of ultrama- 
 rine in the cast shadow of the upper lip, and 
 you would do well slightly to heighten the cor- 
 ners of the mouth with a light touch of yellow 
 ochre, or burnt sienna, mixed with lake. In 
 painting the neck and the breast, endeavour not 
 to lose sight of the local tint of the flesh, which 
 must be done with orange-lake; let your shading 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 41 
 
 be very transparent ; wash in well the contours ; 
 try to round them in placing the etching nearer 
 to each other towards the edge, being careful, 
 however, in doing so not to lose the original 
 form. This woman’s hair is of a bright chesnut ; 
 in order to give this colour, you must ^etch it 
 with bistre, mixed with a little black ; you may 
 also put some precipite in the strongest shades, 
 and after having carefully preserved the lights, 
 you may go over them with water coloured with 
 very little ochre. There is nothing in nature 
 lighter, more transparent, or more uncertain 
 than hair; you must therefore endeavour to 
 study and express it accordingly. Make the 
 extremities harmonize with the back ground, 
 and do not begin the latter till your head be in 
 some degree of forwardness. You must sketch it 
 boldly, but with light tints, and work upon them 
 as equally as possible. The blue parts are 
 made with ultramarine, then add, in those that 
 are grey, some black and a little precipite. You 
 will work it over with tints of burnt sienna in 
 the auburn parts, then harmonize the whole w'ith 
 one single tint to finish it ; that is to say, if the 
 general effect be too blue, you must employ for 
 
42 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 that purpose black; if too black, use blue ; and 
 if it be too cold, you must add some yellow. 
 As to the dress, which is muslin, you must em- 
 ploy lake mixed with yellow ochre and ultra- 
 marine. Put some glazing of Indian yellow in 
 the reflected lights, and shade with sienna pre- 
 cipite, and a little black. 
 
 I will not attempt to disguise the difficulty of 
 painting linen, but advise you to pay ev^ery at- 
 tention to it. I will send to-morrow a palette 
 where you will find some white, with which you 
 may give some touches to the light parts of 
 your dress. I will add to this some instructions 
 respecting body-colour, which you will find in- 
 dispensable for the subjects which I intend 
 giving you to copy ; but before I proceed, I 
 ought to explain, that the colours which I have 
 named for the flesh and the drapery relate solely 
 to the model which is now before your eyes. I 
 do not intend giving rules which you are always 
 to follow. When you shall have made copies 
 from diflerent masters ; above all, when you shall 
 have painted from nature, you will know that at 
 every painting it is essential to study the model 
 before you, in order to judge of the colours ne- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 43 
 
 cessary to produce the effect. There are many 
 different ways of doing well : besides, the same 
 object in nature presents itself under so many 
 different aspects, that it would be the height of 
 folly to attempt giving a pupil rules for painting 
 the flesh, others for painting linen, &c. This 
 system is unfortunately too frequently employed 
 by masters, and contributes to mislead all those 
 who follow it. Instead of consulting nature, and 
 endeavouring to paint her under the appearance 
 which she presents to our eye, they attempt only 
 a servile imitation of their master — what is the 
 result? Their productions are systematic and 
 ridiculous, and appear to me like palettes in 
 frames, rather than representations of nature. 
 As long as you shall be obliged to copy, endea- 
 vour to discover the style of the master before 
 YOU — it is on this account that I now explain it : 
 some time hence, your own observations and 
 the facility acquired by copying will assist you 
 in viewing nature in a truer light, and will ren- 
 der your imitation of her more exact. You 
 must be extremely careful never to sacrifice cor- 
 rectness to the desire of producing an eflfect 
 which does not exist. 
 
44 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 I have still some remarks to make respecting 
 the sketch which you have sent me. I observe 
 that you take too much water in your pencil ; 
 this is a fault common to all beginners, and gives 
 a poor and disagreeable effect to the work. You 
 must contrive to wet your colour no more than is 
 absolutely necessary to spread it on the ivory, 
 and you will give a softer effect. Do not place 
 your etchings too near to each other, but re- 
 serve distances to be filled up afterwards. Make 
 your colours purer, particularly in sketching. 
 When I tell you to employ in such or such places 
 two or three colours which I describe, I do not 
 mean you to mix them before you paint with 
 them ; it is only in finishing a picture, that it is 
 right to make use of mixed colours, in order to 
 harmonize the whole, and to unite the middle 
 tints with the lights. I willingly employ a slight 
 mixture of lake, ochre, and ultramarine, which 
 you will compose according to what is required 
 for the part you are doing ; that is to say, if it 
 want brightness, you must use more lake ; if it 
 be too cold, add ochre or sienna ; if it rise too 
 much, and that you find it necessary to diminish 
 the effect, you may employ a little black mixed 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 45 
 
 with ultramarine. You may also in certain cases 
 make use of what I call glazing: this is done by 
 giving one bold wash of water, lightly coloured, 
 over a work sufficiently smooth, but the colour 
 of which requires heightening. That this may 
 be done with success, the painting underneath 
 ought to be very dry, and you must take care 
 never to go over the same parts twice, otherwise 
 the whole will come off. You will better feel 
 the necessity of having recourse to these ex- 
 pedients, when you shall copy higher finished 
 miniatures ; but we are not yet arrived at that 
 point, and I am too desirous of making you 
 well acquainted wdth the mechanical part of the 
 art, as yet to place before you a painting which 
 from being much w'orked, would prevent vour 
 perceiving the course pursued by the artist, to 
 obtain the desired effect. 
 
 I must now notice the last paragraph in your 
 letter, and frankly confess that I have delayed 
 answering it, because I knew not what to say 
 upon the subject. It is not the first time that a 
 pleasing woman has embarrassed a man, w'ho 
 the moment before felt perfectly sure of his 
 superiority. Upon reflection, how'ever, I know 
 
46 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 not on what account I hesitate to answer you. 
 You ask me why I underlined two words in my 
 letter : they were yours, young lady ! and it 
 is usual for those who have any delicacy, either 
 to mark under, or distinguish by cedillas what- 
 ever is quoted from another. 
 
 Many authors in our day dispense with this 
 custom, probably from a motive equally praise- 
 worthy ; they are willing, I suppose, to diminish 
 the expense of their compositions to their prin- 
 ter and to themselves. Am I intelligible now, 
 you little caviller? No, you will say. Well, then, 
 wait until to-morrow, when I shall be more expli- 
 cit, for I shall then write upon painting. When- 
 ever a man attempts to speak upon matters fo- 
 reign to his profession, he no longer knows what 
 he says : it is so different with women, who 
 always express themselves with grace and pro- 
 priety upon every subject they please to discuss, 
 and with whom we begin to hesitate the moment 
 they make us feel that they differ w ith us in 
 opinion. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 47 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 Mr. Devilh to Miss Ellen, 
 
 Paris, 10th July, 1821. 
 
 I SEND you some palettes, and a list of 
 colours, which will furnish you with new occu- 
 pation, but, at the same time, with new diffi- 
 culties. The use of body-colours is totally 
 difterent from that which I have explained to 
 you for carnations, and more nearly resembles 
 the manner of painting in oils. It has been 
 successfully employed by landscape-painters 
 m France: even in Italy there are some 
 painters who make groups in body-colours, 
 which productions are not without merit. The 
 use of these colours is absolutely necessary in 
 painting in miniature for those who are desirous 
 of producing much effect. It would be nearly 
 impossible to make a good copy of a painting 
 in oil, without employing them ; besides which. 
 
48 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 for those who are become masters of the use 
 of them, they possess the great advantage of 
 enabling them to paint faster. To miniature- 
 painters they present one great difficulty, with 
 which I cannot too soon make you acquainted, 
 that you may pay every attention to the means 
 I am going to point out, in order to surmount 
 it. When I explained the manner of colouring 
 flesh, you must have perceived that the lights 
 were only obtained by the assistance of the 
 transparency of the colours, and the natural 
 w'hiteness of the ivory ; with body-colours, on 
 the contrary, it is entirely covered, and the relief 
 can only be produced by the use of colours more 
 or less luminous. From two systems so oppo- 
 site, yet at the same time nearly approaching 
 to each other, on the small space w'hich a minia- 
 ture naturally contains, arises the great difficulty 
 of giving the harmonious eflfect so indispensable 
 to the charm of the painting, and to a perfect 
 imitation of Nature. 
 
 Before you make use of these colours, it is 
 necessary to know them, on which account I 
 send a list of those which I advise you to em- 
 ploy. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 49 
 
 French Colours. 
 
 English Colours. 
 
 Blanc leger .... 
 
 Light white. 
 
 Ocrejaune .... 
 
 Yellow ochre. 
 
 Ocre de rut .... 
 
 Roman ochre. 
 
 Orpin jaune .... 
 
 Yellow orpiment. 
 
 Orpin rouge . . 
 
 Red ditto. 
 
 Terre de Sienne brulee 
 
 Burnt sienna. 
 
 Brun rouge .... 
 
 Light or Indian red. 
 
 Vermilion . . . . 
 
 Vermilion. 
 
 Laque 
 
 Lake. 
 
 Carniin 
 
 Carmine. 
 
 Indigo 
 
 Indigo. 
 
 Bleu de Prusse . . . 
 
 Prussian blue. 
 
 Bistre 
 
 Bistre. 
 
 Terre de Cologne . . 
 
 Cologne earth. 
 
 Noir de bougie . . , 
 
 Lamp-black. 
 
 Gomme-gutte . . . 
 
 Gamboge. 
 
 Verd de vessie . . 
 
 Mixture of sap green with Ac- 
 kermann’s permanent green. 
 
 Precipite violet . . .J 
 
 Mixture of carmin laque 
 with indigo. 
 
 \ou would do w'ell, also, to cut your ivory ac- 
 cording to the form you desire for your picture 
 before you begin to paint with body-colours ; 
 for this purpose make use of scissars, and take 
 
 D 
 
50 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 care always to direct the points towards the cen- 
 tre from whichever side you are cutting, in order 
 to prevent the ivory from splitting ; then paste 
 it upon a sheet of very white pasteboard, of a 
 thickness proportioned to the size of your mi- 
 niature. 
 
 For this purpose make use of paste exti’emely 
 white, such as is made with starch ; you must 
 then leave it under a press for some hours. 
 Some painters make use of sheets of silver, 
 which they place between the ivory and the 
 pasteboard, to give brilliancy to the painting ; 
 but the effect produced by this is very trifling, 
 and frequently turns out iu the end very bad and 
 very apparent, as this metal is subject to become 
 stained. When you shall have a back-ground, 
 or a drapery to paint in body-colours, you must 
 begin by making a mixture upon your palette 
 approaching as nearly as possible to the general 
 tint of the object you wish to represent ; ob- 
 serving, however, that it is better to sketch with 
 rather too dark tlran with too light a tint, for 
 this reason, that it is always easier to add to the 
 lightness than to the darkness of a body-colour. 
 You ought also to remember in this style of 
 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 51 
 
 painting, the rule which I gave you for painting 
 flesh ; which is, to avoid wetting your pencil more 
 than is absolutely necessary for spreading the co- 
 lour. You will find it, perhaps, better to use a 
 little more water in making the mixture than for 
 spreading it upon the ivory, but be very careful 
 not to begin painting till you have let it evapo- 
 rate a moment, as your painting will be better 
 and quicker done if the colour you are employ- 
 ing be sufficiently dry. 
 
 We must now leave these general rules, in 
 order to attend to the application of them ; and 
 for this purpose I send you the picture of a man 
 boldly drawn, but at the same time finished. I 
 have made choice of a dark man, because black 
 hair is more easily expressed upon a back- 
 ground done with body-colour. I would ad- 
 vise you before-hand to procure a glass of 
 the same size as your model, if you wish to 
 preserve your copy ; and when you shall have 
 finished your sketch, you may make use of the 
 same glass to trace the form of your picture 
 upon the ivory, with the assistance of a leaden 
 pencil. Be very careful to trace it in such a 
 manner, as that the head may be in every direc- 
 D 2 
 
LETTERS UPON 
 
 52 
 
 tion at the same distance from the oval, as it is 
 in your model. In painting from nature, you 
 will perceive the importance of placing the head 
 in its proper place, in order to give grace to the 
 picture. It should approach more or less to the 
 border at the top, according to the height of the 
 person, but in no case should it ever touch, and 
 there should always be at least the distance of 
 two parts, equivalent, as you know, to the half 
 the head. 
 
 You will now carefully sketch your head, at- 
 tentively examining the model, to know what 
 colours you must use ; but, while endeavouring 
 to render your work neat and even, you must 
 not put your etchings too close, or be in too 
 great a hurry to finish. In finishing too soon, 
 you are frequently obliged to go again over your 
 painting with large touches, in order to give it 
 strength ; the colour in consequence becomes 
 heavy, and the shades are rarely transparent. 
 You must sketch the hair with black, mixed 
 with bistre, then touch it in certain parts with 
 pure black; and, in finishing, spread some gla- 
 zings of precipitfe and burnt sienna, w'ith a great 
 deal of gum. For the back-ground, take a 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 53 
 
 large pencil, with which you must make a mix- 
 ture on your palette of body-colours with white, 
 black, ochre, and Cologne earth, to which add a 
 slight quantity of indigo. You will then com- 
 pare the efl'ect of this mixture with the back- 
 ground of your model, and if you find it the 
 same, take a pencil of squirrel’s hair, with not 
 too large a point, and with that spread care- 
 fully round the head and shoulders the colour of 
 the back-ground. You must endeavour as little 
 as possible to alter the masses of hair, or the 
 contour of the shoulders ; however, do not de- 
 spair, if in making use of these, colours for the 
 first time, you do not employ them with so much 
 adroitness as you could wish to do. There is a 
 remedy for all evils (particularly in miniature- 
 painting), for those who possess zeal and pa- 
 tience. But let us continue our operation. You 
 may now use a larger pencil for the purpose of 
 spreading your colour with wide short etchings 
 placed one beside the other. 
 
 When this first work shall have become per- 
 fectly dry, you may go over it in the same man- 
 ner, but without ever passing twice over the 
 same spot, for fear of taking it off. You may 
 
54 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 continue doing this until the ivory no longer 
 appears in any part. If you then perceive some 
 unevenness or thickness, caused perhaps by dust 
 fallen upon your colours, or the inequality of 
 your work, you may (as soon as your back- 
 ground shall be perfectly dry) make use of the 
 flat side of the blade of a scratcher, in order to 
 smooth it. To imitate the variety of colours 
 which you find in your model, bring forward 
 your head, and give transparency and vagueness 
 to the back-ground ; make a greyish tint with 
 white, black, and a small degree of ochre ; take 
 a very little of this in a large pencil, being ^care- 
 ful to pass this same pencil over a piece of 
 paper, or upon the corners of your ivory, that 
 there may not remain too much colour ; then 
 touch with confidence, but lightly, the parts of 
 the back-ground which approach to the head. 
 
 In consulting your model you will discover if 
 it be necessary to go over it again. You must 
 touch the other parts with glazings of ochre or 
 burnt sienna, always mixed with a little white, 
 to enable you to manage them. These last 
 strokes must he given boldly, making use of 
 scarcely any thing but water coloured, remeni- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 55 
 
 bering, as I have before told you, to keep as near 
 as possible to the tint ; or if there is the least 
 difference, that it may not be in putting too 
 much white. To make the coat, which is blue, 
 use indigo lake, and a little white for the local 
 tint; for the shades, black and indigo, with a 
 little gum. You must add to the local tint ra- 
 ther more white, and touch the lights with it ; 
 and use for that purpose a smaller pencil. To 
 prevent the outline of the coat from appearing 
 too hard upon the back-ground, you must touch 
 the edges with slight glazings made with the co- 
 lours employed for both. Endeavour to avoid, 
 particularly in pictures of women, letting the 
 back-ground of body-colour touch the extre- 
 mities of the flesh, but fill up this space with 
 etchings, made with the colour of the back- 
 ground a little lightened — it is the only method 
 of harmonizing the carnations with body-colour. 
 In order to finish the hair, of which I have ex- 
 plained the preparation, and the lights of which 
 are of bodj -colour, you must make a mixture 
 composed of white, indigo, red-brown, and 
 ochre ; then touch with it the locks of hair, 
 where you have reserved lights, very lightly, and 
 
50 - 
 
 letters UPON 
 
 with a pencil nearly dry : add then a little white 
 to the same mixture, and make use of it to give 
 another touch to the masses that rise the most. 
 To represent the small locks which are made 
 upon the back-ground, and give lightness, em- 
 ploy a colour rather paler than that of the hair, 
 otherwise it will appear much too dark upon 
 the body-colour, and will want the transparency 
 which is always found in nature. 
 
 This long letter, my amiable pupil, has wea- 
 ried you, I have no doubt, although you will 
 frequently be obliged to return to it. I am very 
 impatient to hear from you, and to be able to 
 judge of the progress you have made. Excuse 
 the insipidity of my style, and the monotony of 
 my instructions ; they prove, at least, that I am 
 more anxious to be useful than to render myself 
 agreeable to you. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 57 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 Miss Elien Howard to Mr, Decille. 
 
 Au Chateau de Beauregard^ 
 
 23 July, 1821. 
 
 I SEE that you think me very giddy, and very 
 capricious in my pursuits, dear Mr. Deville, to 
 suppose it necessary to excuse yourself for the 
 zeal with which you are so good as to bestow 
 instruction upon me ; while, on the contrary, it 
 is I who ought to feel the utmost gratitude 
 towards you for all your kindness : how shall I 
 ever repay it ? or make amends for your devoting 
 to m^ that time, so precious, and which you steal 
 from your daily avocations and the society of 
 your friends. I am likewise perfectly aware how 
 tedious it is to an artist, to repeat instructions 
 and precepts he has so often explained. I hear 
 them for the first time, have the advantage to 
 receive them from a friend, and long to benefit 
 by them ; judge then, in this case, which of us 
 should apologize. Do not fear, therefore, my 
 D 5 
 
58 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 dear master, to instruct, and to scold me when 
 I am not doing right : I may often want ability, 
 but never good will. Already several persons, 
 made acquainted by my father with my daily 
 occupations, have testified a desire to see speci- 
 mens of my work : I have not acceded to their 
 wishes, being quite sure that, deservedly or not, 
 I should receive compliments, and I require 
 none : however, there is a Monsieur de Saint- 
 Reini, whom my father has met at one of the most 
 respectable houses in a neighbouring town, who 
 has offered him some originals both in oil and 
 miniature. My father thanked him for his ob- 
 liging offer, and told him you w'ere so good as 
 to procure them for me. As soon as he heard 
 your name mentioned, he claimed acquaintance 
 with you, and dwelled, in a manner that showed 
 his taste, as much upon your personal merit 
 as upon that of your professional talents and 
 method of instructing. No more was necessary 
 to prepossess me in favour of his good sense and 
 judgment, and 1 shall not be sorry should the op- 
 portunity occur of hearing him discuss painting, 
 and of seeing his collection. It is said that he 
 has in his possession some beautiful miniatures 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING, 
 
 oO 
 
 (lone by some masters whom I have heard you 
 often praise. I send you my performance : do 
 not spare me I beg; it will be the strongest 
 proof of the interest you bear towards one who 
 remains, my dear Sir, &c. 
 
60 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 LETTER XL 
 
 Mr, Deville to Miss Howard. 
 
 Paris, 14th August, 1821. 
 
 Your miniatures, sweet Ellen, produce a 
 pleasing effect, but your work is too poor ; 
 once more, put less water in your pencil ; do not 
 be in such haste to finish : by doing so, you have 
 endeavoured in vain to produce the effect of your 
 models, which are less finished than the copies 
 you have sent me. The charm which you find in 
 the first is caused only by the evenness of the 
 work, the purity of the colours, and the delicacy 
 of fhe forms. Never lose sight of the outline ; 
 endeavouring always to preserve the forms, with- 
 out letting your strokes be too hard. Your shad- 
 ing is not sufficiently strong, nor your middle 
 tints transparent enough ; the lights want viva- 
 city, because they are not exactly in the right 
 place, and are generally too much spread. In 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 61 
 
 order to give a pleasing effect to a picture, par- 
 ticularly that of a woman, it is necessary that 
 the greater part of the head should be covered 
 with a light middle tint, and that the lights and 
 shades should be very short. 
 
 The same rule is applicable to draperies, and, 
 generally speaking, to every thing we wish to 
 express in painting. I think I can perceive that 
 you are inclined to employ too much body- 
 colour at once ; endeavour to put less, and you 
 will find that they harmonize more easily with 
 the flesh. 
 
 1 have written to Mr. de Saint-Remi to-day, 
 to congratulate him upon the fortunate chance 
 which has brought him acquainted with Mr. 
 Howard ; and I so highly appreciate this young 
 man’s character, that I have not hesitated to 
 send him at the same time a letter of introduc- 
 tion, which he will, I am sure, hasten to present 
 according to its address ; for which I flatter my- 
 self your father will feel obliged to me. Mr. 
 St. Remi joins to the manners and habits of a 
 perfect gentleman, all the advantages which na- 
 tural understanding and early talent may derive 
 from an excellent education. His taste and for- 
 
62 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 tune have enabled him to travel with success, 
 and to possess himself of many pictures by an- 
 cient masters which he occasionally met with : 
 he has a choice collection of the productions of 
 the modern school. I had supposed that he was 
 now in Italy, otherwise I should not have failed 
 recommending him to your notice, upon hearing 
 that you had fixed your residence in Tourraine. 
 We must have recourse to him when you begin 
 painting in oils; for the present, I have re- 
 quested him to lend you his miniatures, which 
 are all done by the best masters. 
 
 You will easily distinguish those of Isabey : 
 the purity of the drawing, the harmony of the 
 colouring, the variety and gracefulness of the 
 positions, the exquisite taste of the draperies, the 
 ordinance of the back-ground and the acces- 
 sories, leave nothing to be desired, and attest 
 the undeniable superiority of a man who unites 
 to a perfect knowledge of his profession a 
 power of conception and colouring, which is 
 only equalled by the grace and facility of his 
 execution. This artist, to whom I am indebted 
 for the little I know, has every possible right to 
 the admiration I feel for him ; and no otic has 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 6.3 
 
 had greater opportunities than myself of judg- 
 ing of the extent of his talent. He has re- 
 ceived from nature that happy organization 
 which enables him to succeed in every thing 
 w'hich he attempts; but had he not added to 
 this advantage an indefatigable activity — had 
 he not, from the example of the Davids, the 
 Gerards, &c. sought a knowledge of his art 
 from the first sources, he would never have 
 acquired that celebrity, which, with the inge- 
 nious compositions he has produced, have 
 gained him an honourable station among the 
 historical painters. 
 
 If it did not keep me too long from my sub- 
 ject, I could write largely upon his productions 
 in many different styles, for he has painted land- 
 scapes, marines, and interiors, with success ; 
 we will return to him when we discuss aquarelle, 
 which is a kind of painting with water-colours 
 upon paper. 
 
 Painting in miniature, however, in which he 
 has acquired such eminence, but with which he 
 is at this time little occupied, is indebted to him 
 in a great measure for the progress it has made 
 in France during the last thirty years ; as it is 
 
64 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 by him that many artists have been formed, 
 amongst others, Mr. Aubry, who is himself at 
 the head of a school which has produced Mr. 
 Saint, Millet, &c. &c. I have no doubt that in 
 viewing the miniatures of Augustin you have 
 been much struck with the high finish which 
 distinguishes his works. This merit, which no 
 one has possessed to the same extent, never in 
 him destroys the brilliancy of his colours, or the 
 strength and transparency of his shading ; his 
 accessories are successfully performed, and are 
 by no means inferior in their execution to that 
 of his carnations. He may justly be called the 
 Gerard Dow' of miniature-painting, and has al- 
 ways appeared to me extremely difficult to copy ; 
 however, Mademoiselle Lizinka, his pupil, whose 
 productions have recently obtained such de- 
 served approbation, proves that it is possible to 
 come near him in some respects, and perhaps 
 to surpass him in others. 
 
 You will find Saint easier to copy; his manner 
 is bold and strong, his colouring pure and bril- 
 liant, his heads perfectly drawn and full of 
 expression. He is master of the use of body^ 
 colours, his draperies are nobly executed, and 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 65 
 
 he is generally remarkerl for the warmth and 
 brightness of his tints. 
 
 The success which you have hitherto obtained 
 under my directions, induces me to allow you to 
 choose from Mr. de St. Remi’s collection which- 
 ever miniature pleases you the most. In order 
 to facilitate the copying of these paintings, I 
 will give you, in my next letter, some indispen- 
 sable instructions on the manner of representing 
 the effect of some silk draperies, feathers, gild- 
 ing, gauzes, lace, &c. Adieu, charming Ellen ; 
 you are already in a good road, and, with cou- 
 rage and patience, cannot fail to see your efforts 
 speedily crowned with success. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 67 
 
 to have recourse to it only when your naked 
 eye perceives nothing more to be done. You will 
 also take from the box, which contains these ar- 
 ticles, a little bottle of gum arabic dissolved in 
 water, with a quantity of sugar candied equi- 
 valent to a fourth part of the gum : this pre- 
 paration is of the utmost necessity to mix the 
 colours before you put them on the palette, for 
 it will happen that in painting, and above all in 
 using body-colour, you will require it for some 
 particular touches. 
 
 I have not yet had occasion to mention to you 
 the manner of preparing and finishing light 
 hair ; before I proceed to draperies, I will for a 
 short time dwell upon the subject. To be suc- 
 cessful in painting that kind of hair, you must 
 draw the mass as correctly as possible, covering 
 it over with a general tint, without, however, 
 losing the contours. You will make this tint 
 with a little yellow ochre, black, and a small 
 quantity of lake ; prepare the shades with 
 black, ultramarine, and bistre, dot them with 
 tinged water, preserving always your lights, and 
 finish them as much as possible; retaining, how- 
 ever, their transparency : were you to cover the 
 
68 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 light parts too much, they would become heavy 
 when touching them with body-colour. When 
 the hair shall be in'a state of forwardness, that 
 is to say, when by finishing it is become very 
 transparent and very silky, then take a short 
 camel hair pencil, and make a mixture of yellow 
 ochre and white, with which you may touch 
 gently the light you have left undone. You will 
 add a little more white to this same mixture in 
 order to do the stronger lights ; you will then 
 touch the chief shades with bistre, precipite, 
 and a great deal of gum. 
 
 Now let us proceed to draperies, and try to 
 make a black velvet. To succeed, first cover 
 your ivory w'ith a local tint made of lamp-black, 
 with very little gum, and as smooth as possible ; 
 you w'ill denote your shades with black mixed 
 with indigo and a little more gum ; make your 
 lights W'ith a mixture of black and blue with 
 half the quantity of gum, to which you w'ill add 
 a little brow'n-red and yellow ochre. Be very 
 careful, with the assistance of a mixed tint, to 
 blend your darker with your lighter shades ; 
 you will then add a little white to this same tint, 
 and touch your lights w'ith it as freely as pos- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 69 
 
 sible : to finish, you must do over the shades 
 with mixed black, indigo, precipite, and as 
 much gum as possible, then pass over smoothly 
 the reflected lights with lake, Vandyke brown, or 
 burnt sienna. 
 
 It’ you are desirous to paint violet velvet, 
 take some indigo and some carmine to cover 
 your ivory as equally as possible, avoiding with 
 care to make thicknesses ; you will draw your 
 shades over it with some black, carmine, and 
 more gum than in the local tints ; for the last 
 touches, make use of carmine and white, with 
 half the quantity of gum mixed with a little 
 Prussian blue, add to this mixture a little white 
 and carmine, to touch the lights ; then harmo- 
 nize the shades with a little violet precipite with 
 a great deal of gum : if you find the lights too 
 raw, smooth them over with a little carmine and 
 lake, with much gum. 
 
 Green velvet is made with a preparation of 
 Prussian blue and red orpiment, well and 
 smoothly laid on; the shades are drawn with 
 black and precipite, then some white Prussian 
 blue, with a little gum, is used to mark the 
 lights ; the whole is then touched with the finest 
 
70 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 sap green. The strong lights may again be 
 touched with a mixture of white, ultramarine, 
 and done over a second time, but very slightly, 
 with sap green. 
 
 If you have red velvet to make, mix a local 
 tint of carmine with a little red-brown ; you will 
 use this mixture with great care, only doing it 
 over again when thoroughly dry — that colour 
 being very difficult to use as body-colour; indi- 
 cate the shades with precipite and much gum : 
 for the strongest parts you will mark the lights 
 with pure carmine, and afterwards touch those 
 most brilliant with pure white, then again glaze 
 them lightly with carmine. 
 
 The models that you copy will shew you suf- 
 ficiently the manner in which to place the light 
 on the velvets; yet it will be useful to point out 
 to you that this drapery is only brilliant in the 
 reflected lights, and that it is different in its 
 effect from all others. 
 
 It is very difficult to produce the effect of 
 white satin with body-colour ; it would be better 
 attained by dotting the shades, the middle tints, 
 and touching the lights with a little white. To 
 obtain the desired effect, it is necessary at first 
 to indicate with exactness the folds of the dra- 
 
miniature painting. 
 
 71 
 
 pery ; to make the silvery middle tints that are 
 seen in it, take a little ultramarine, very little 
 lake, and a touch of yellow ochre : for the strong- 
 est parts use Indian yellow, black, and ultra- 
 marine. You must be particular in making the 
 shades of the satin partake of the tints of the 
 objects round it. When you have thus sketched 
 it, prepare the lights with some white and a 
 little gum, which you will smooth as much as 
 possible ; finish the middle tints with the same 
 colour used to begin them, only adding a little 
 ultramarine, and the most brilliant lights with 
 white without gum, the shades with' bistre, 
 ultramarine and precipite. Coloured satins, as 
 well as many other silk draperies, may be done 
 with body-colour. 
 
 The experience you will acquire by copying 
 nature, which you will afterwards study, will 
 guide you as to the combinations of your co- 
 lours and of your w'ork. The rules I give you 
 (as I have before said of carnations) are not 
 invariable ; they have no other aim in view than 
 to direct your first attempts, and to facilitate an 
 acquaintance with the models under your eyes. 
 It is for this purpose solely that I shall, before 
 the conclusion of this letter, give you some fur- 
 
72 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 ther instructions how to make other accessories 
 which occur in the composition of a picture. 
 
 To paint white feathers, you must outline the 
 shape and the wave of them with care, then 
 sketch them in with ultramarine, ochre, and a 
 touch of lake ; you must dot them lightly over, 
 without attending at tirst to the minutiae ; after 
 which you must mark out the more massy 
 shades, by the addition of a little black to your 
 first tint: then, with care, begin to put in the white, 
 and lightly indicate the little particles of the 
 feather which hang over the back-ground or 
 the drapery ; and with the point of a stronger 
 pencil mark out the lines of the body of the 
 feather, being careful to avoid roughness ; you 
 will touch the strongest shades with precipite, 
 and do the lights with white without gum. 
 
 When you shall have an embroidery or some 
 other gilding to do over a drapery or body- 
 coloured ground, draw the outline of it with 
 Roman ochre, and sketch with the same tint; 
 do the middle tints with bistre and burnt sienna, 
 the lights with yellow ochre and white; then 
 you will dot the shades with precipite and a 
 little bistre — in these last touches there should 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 73 
 
 be a great deal of gum. The more powerful 
 lights are done w'ith white mixed with a little 
 gamboge. 
 
 To make the same gilding with dots, confine 
 yourself to preparing them with a simple w'ash of 
 pure burnt sienna, and do it over in the manner 
 above-mentioned. 
 
 I have already had occasion, in sending you 
 a sketch, to mention the way in which it is con- 
 venient to prepare linen. I will add to what 
 has already been said, some remarks that w'ill 
 be useful to you in the execution of it. 
 
 The shades of white draperies always partake 
 of the colour of the ground and surrounding 
 objects; white not being considered as a colour, 
 it would follow that the shades would be all 
 black, were they not to be reflected by other ob- 
 jects from which they borrow their colouring. 
 Muslin, because of its transparency, partakes 
 much of the colour of the flesh which it is near, 
 and more particularly when it covers it: this 
 drapery requiring little light, the shades of it 
 consequently should be very soft. 
 
 Laces, blond, and gauzes are made over the 
 objects they are to decorate ; the lights are 
 E 
 
74 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 dotted with brilliant white, and the under 
 colours are used for the shades ; it should border 
 on the yellow, that being the predominant 
 colour of these draperies. For instance, if you 
 wish to make a lace or blond trimming over a 
 violet-coloured gown, and that the folds of this 
 trimming approach the flesh, the tint in that 
 case should be of a. red grey — when over the 
 dress, of a violet grey; because then the tint 
 becomes mixed and partakes of the colour of 
 the flesh, the gown, and the blond, the shades 
 of which are grey. If you have a pearl necklace 
 to make, draw the outline of each pearl with ultra- 
 marine, then make the shade with a little burnt 
 sienna and ultra-marine, the reflected lights with 
 ochre, the cast-shadow upon the flesh with burnt 
 sienna, softening the extremities with some 
 ultra-marine ; the middle tint on the side of the 
 light is made with ultra-marine, and the light is 
 touched with white. You will be careful to 
 proportion the strength of the shading to the 
 size of the pearl. When pearls are to be made 
 either upon the hair, above the back-ground, or 
 upon draperies, where the pearl is to be placed, 
 you will first, with a wet pencil, take the under 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 ir> 
 
 colour off, until the ivory, which answers the 
 purpose of local tint, appear ; then make the 
 pearls with the tints above-mentioned, being- 
 careful, however, particularly if they be rather 
 large, to make them partake in the reflected 
 parts of the objects which surround them. 
 
 You possess more courage and patience than 
 I do, my dear pupil, if you are not terribly wea- 
 ried with this long letter. I am quite exhausted, 
 and shall not write again until you favour me 
 with further intelligence : when you do so, pray 
 remember to send me some more of your per- 
 formances that I may have the pleasure to scold 
 you. 
 
76 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 
 Miss Howard to Mr. Deville. 
 
 Chateau de Beauregard, 
 Oct. 3, 1821. 
 
 You are goodness itself, my dear Mr. Deville; 
 and although I may probably tire you by a re- 
 petition of the same sentiments, I cannot resist 
 again expressing the excess of my gratitude for 
 the disinterested kindness with which you de- 
 vote to my instruction time so precious as yours 
 must be. Above all, I admire the judicious 
 manner you employ in directing my studies, and 
 the farther I advance the more strongly I feel 
 the importance of strictly follow'ing your pre- 
 cepts. Sometimes, led on by my impatience, 
 I have ventured to shorten my w'ork, and have 
 made use of colours which you have not recom- 
 mended, in the hope of sooner producing the 
 effect I perceived ; but I have ever been pu- 
 nished for ray disobedience ^ ever forced to 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 77 
 
 scratch, wash, in short, undo all that I had done, 
 and begin the whole a second time. An acknow- 
 ledged fault is half forgiven, therefore you will 
 excuse it, I hope, and not desert me at the mo- 
 ment I have most need of your advice, and feel 
 inclined most scrupulously to follow it. 
 
 My father is delighted with M. de Saint 
 Remi, and desires me to thank you particularly 
 for giving him an opportunity of becoming 
 known to him. I was from home, spending a 
 few days with a friend, at the time he introduced 
 himself : if I may believe my father, he is a 
 highly accomplished man, his knowledge in 
 painting undeniable, his manners and appear- 
 ance unequalled. But to explain at once the 
 enthusiasm he has inspired, you will hear that 
 they shewed him my sketches and that he was 
 charmed with them, which was quite sufficient 
 to enchant my father ; as for me, I am secured 
 from this danger, as this fascinating man is 
 now far from us. Family affairs obliged him to 
 depart most suddenly for the South of France, 
 in consequence he was forced to take leave in 
 paying his first visit. He had been so good as 
 to give such orders at his house, as would have 
 
78 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 insured to us free access to his picture-gallery, 
 as well as to the whole of his domains, which I 
 am told are delightful ; and even farther, for, 
 upon hearing that we were seeking a house, he 
 requested us, as a gratification to himself, that, 
 during his absence, my father would make use of 
 his castle, bringing forward as reasons the impos- 
 sibility of our immediately finding an abode to 
 suit us, and the benefit that would accrue to my 
 studies from having his picture-gallery at my 
 daily command. My father at last acquiesced 
 upon his reiterated entreaties, and besides in- 
 fluenced by motives he did not tell me, promised 
 to establish himself there conditionally. To say 
 the truth, I am convinced that my health and 
 gratification were the strongest inducements 
 with that ever kind father; accordingly, we are 
 going to settle there in a few days, and I confess 
 I expect to derive great pleasure and advantage 
 from such a residence. Since his departure, I 
 have received a parcel containing his whole col- 
 lection of miniatures, accompanied by a most 
 obliging letter, of which I forgive the extreme 
 complimentary style, in consideration of the 
 justice which it renders to you. I take ad- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 79 
 
 vantage of this opportunity of sending it, in 
 order to prove to you that I am not the only 
 person (to make use of your own expression) 
 bewitched with your merit. Amongst the mini- 
 atures sent by M. de Saint Remi, I have found 
 two charming acquarelles, by Isabey, and a very 
 pretty picture of a woman painted in England : 
 the artist s name is not upon it, it has a pleasing 
 effect, and has made me desirous of knowing 
 your opinion of our English painters. 
 
 I am so well acquainted with the general im- 
 partiality of your judgment, that, notwithstand- 
 ing the slight degree of national prejudice 
 which I am proud of retaining, I have no fear of 
 requesting you to give me your sentiments upon 
 this subject. 
 
 I am so highly pleased with the acquarelles 
 as to wish much to copy them ; but as you have 
 promised to give me some preliminary instruc- 
 tions upon this style of painting, I will wait 
 patiently for them before beginning this under- 
 taking ; besides which, I made my selection at 
 first sight of a picture of which the pleasing 
 expression, the elegant adjustment, and the 
 fresh and transparent colouring have singularly 
 
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 struck me. It is done by a master of the fir.st 
 merit, but who, it appears, has not the gift of 
 pleasing you, as you have never mentioned him 
 to me. I intend, however, (be not offended, my 
 dear master,) to adopt his manner as nearly as 1 
 possibly can. No one, in my opinion, has 
 ■painted a picture which gives more complete 
 satisfaction: the hair is so light, so transparent; 
 the back ground, the draperies are done to a 
 perfection which surpasses all praise, without, 
 in the slightest degree, injuring the effect of the 
 carnations. This painter, with respect to whom 
 you have been so unjust as not to secure for him 
 a place in my good opinion, has however occu- 
 pied the first there for some time past; he is 
 good and amiable, possesses talent and modesty, 
 and, in a word, is called Mr. Deville. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 81 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Howard. 
 
 Paris, 23d October, 1821. 
 
 Notwithstanding the flattery contained 
 in the last paragraph of your letter, amiable 
 Ellen, I cannot help observing to you how great- 
 ly it wounded my self-love. You will say that 
 I see things in a wrong light, but look into your 
 own heart, and tell me candidly whether a little 
 self-interest was not the sentiment which induced 
 you to lavish such exaggerated praises? Were 
 you not rather fearful that my zeal was diminish- 
 ing? Some weeks had certainly elapsed since 
 my last letter ; I was, however, far from forgetting 
 you ; but I thought it would be of more service 
 to you, to allow you the time to reflect upon 
 and put some of my precepts into practice. 
 You confess in your last letter, that in conse- 
 quence of having neglected my advice, you had 
 E 5 
 
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 erred several times : the experience which you 
 have by this means acquired, will render you 
 more prudent in future, and w'ill enable me to 
 bring you rather forwarder. I shall be much 
 more flattered by finding that you feel the im- 
 portance of adhering strictly to the rules I give 
 you, than upon the exclusive admiration which 
 vou bestow upon my humble talents. Besides, 
 I cannot too soon impress upon your mind the 
 impropriety of adopting, without reserve, the 
 manner of any one particular painter. The 
 person who shall have studied only Raphael du- 
 ring his whole life, would be much at a loss if 
 he were to be obliged to paiut from nature, or 
 even to copy from any other master. You must 
 be very careful in painting never to attempt to 
 follow such or such a master, but endeavour to 
 do well. You are surrounded by good masters, 
 study and copy them with attention and exact- 
 ness ; but when you shall paint fi’om nature, 
 try to represent her as she appears to your 
 sight, and not as you have found her in the pic- 
 tures of others. You will afterwards compare 
 your productions with those of the masters, and 
 endeavour by them to perfect your manner of 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 83 
 
 expressing the effect which you have seen. A 
 blind partiality on the part of a beginner for 
 one particular painter, frequently retards his 
 reaching that point of perfection which nature 
 had determined him to attain, had he taken her 
 for his guide. Another motive, still less excu- 
 sable, but which can never have any inOuence 
 over you, misleads many young artists : if a 
 painter happen to be successful, many young 
 persons, in the hope of acquiring a fortune, 
 servilely imitate him, and while painting from 
 nature, copy him more than the object before 
 them. It is not by these means that they will 
 acquire talent, or gain a solid reputation; they 
 forget, I am sorry to say, that he who is con- 
 tent to follow, is condemned at the same time 
 ever to remain behind. 
 
 The copies which I advise you to make are 
 only intended to form your taste, to facilitate 
 the use of the colours while giving you a know- 
 ledge of their effect and power. I know no 
 works more likely to contribute to this than 
 those of Isabey : copy his aquarelles, since they 
 have pleased you — by admiring them you share 
 the opinion of all persons of taste. The grace 
 
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 and ease with which he executes, the soft, and 
 at the same time, striking effect of the light 
 which he obtains, have made him unrivalled in 
 this style. Some of his pupils, however, come 
 near to him, moxe or less ; but many others, 
 although ambitious of painting in the style of 
 Isabey, prove by their productions that they 
 resemble him in no one respect, but in that of 
 having by chance purchased their paper and 
 colours at the same shop. 
 
 This kind of painting is very like that of 
 miniature, with the exception of body-colours, 
 which are not employed. Isabey makes use of 
 very fine paper spread upon a sheet of tin, 
 which he takes care to cover before-hand with 
 one coat of oil-colour, to avoid rust ; he then 
 polishes the paper with an agate stone. You 
 may, however, make use of any other paper, 
 provided the grain be extremely fine ; for in- 
 stance, that of Bristol, of which the texture is 
 acknowledged to be superior to any other, and 
 of which the thickness prevents the necessity of 
 stretching it. 
 
 Before you begin painting, make the outline 
 with a leaden pencil (not too hard), as lightly 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 85 
 
 traced as possible ; then pass over it with Indian 
 rubber in such a manner as to leave a line only 
 sufficient to distinguish the form. Do not fear to 
 sketch boldly, nor to mark the strongest shades 
 with confidence, because paper absorbs colour 
 much more than ivory ; and it is very essential 
 to avoid going too frequently over the same 
 place, from the fear of destroying the polish of 
 the surface. It will be better to make use of 
 short squirrel’s hair pencils, and employ those 
 of sable merely for finishing. 
 
 The use of a scratcher, which I do not greatly 
 approve in miniature-painting, is totally pro- 
 hibited in the aquarelle ; you must be, therefore, , 
 particularly careful not to soil the lights, as 
 there is no remedy for this. In the most highly 
 coloured places, it is possible to take olF with a 
 wet pencil ; it is even difficult to dispense with 
 it in order to give light to the masses of hair. 
 
 This kind of painting is pleasing, and at first 
 appears quick ; but if you be desirous of ob- 
 taining that degree of finish which it is 
 capable of receiving, it requires quite as much 
 time as painting in miniature, to which it is 
 always inferior in vigour, and never approaches 
 
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 LETTERS UPON 
 
 as nearly to nature in the colouring. I ought 
 also to warn you that it is dangerous for any 
 person who wishes to learn miniature-painting, 
 to practise too much in the aquarelle, for this 
 reason, that a good painter in miniature will 
 always be able to make a good aquarelle, while 
 an artist who has never painted but upon paper 
 would be equally embarrassed in the manage- 
 ment of colours upon ivory. 
 
 I am sorry that you cannot learn the name of 
 the author of the miniature-painting which you 
 have now in your possession, as that might as-, 
 sist me in forming an opinion of his merit. The 
 variety of my occupations has not yet permit- 
 ted me to realize the project I had long since 
 formed of visiting England, I can therefore only 
 give you my sentiments respecting those whose 
 productions have fallen by chance into my hands. 
 
 You have too frequently heard me render 
 justice to the talents and amiability of our mu- 
 tual friend, Mr. Mayaud, to make it necessary 
 that I should repeat here how very highly I 
 think of him. The well-merited success which 
 he has obtained in your country, renders me 
 extremely fearful that he will probably remain a 
 
miniature painting. 
 
 87 
 
 long time absent from France, while I have to 
 regret equally the loss of the society of an ex- 
 cellent friend, and that of an artist whose taste 
 and acquirements I particularly admire. Another 
 excellent painter. Monsieur Dubois, from the 
 French School, has resided in your country for 
 some years, and has become known there by 
 many productions of undeniable merit. 
 
 I have seen miniatures painted by M. Cha- 
 lon, in the possession of some of your country- 
 men, which appeared to me well drawn, adjusted 
 with taste, and painted with great facility. 
 
 Mr. Robertson draws with grace and delicacy, 
 has brilliant colouring, and gives a striking 
 expression to his countenances. 
 
 I have alsio been shewn pictures of men done 
 by Mr. Newton, which I thought very good. 
 Mr. Fischer, a German miniature-painter, is re- 
 markable for his high finish and fine colour- 
 ing. Among your female artists, Mrs. Mee, 
 pupil of the celebrated Cosway, is distinguished 
 for the pleasing expression of her miniatures. 
 I highly appreciate the talents of Mrs. Green, 
 who paints with taste, colours with intelligence, 
 and draws gracefully. 
 
LETTERS UPON 
 
 m 
 
 In general, portraits are well done in England; 
 however, I think they would gain much by being 
 surrounded by more finished accessories : it is 
 not the greater or lesser finish in the drapery 
 and back-ground which injures the effect of the 
 head. The general effect depends entirely upon 
 the just distribution of the lights; and to give 
 a perfect imitation of nature, it is necessary to 
 represent her with the same exactness under 
 every aspect which she presents to our eyes. 
 We shall never find in any one of the old mas- 
 ters that negligence of execution, which the 
 modern masters are guilty of. In studying their 
 compositions, it will be found that they only 
 sought 'to produce effect by the assistance of 
 contrast and of light: their draperies, nobly 
 thrown, give lightness to their heads, and how- 
 ever obscure they may be, it should be ob- 
 served that they are always carefully done. 
 Linen, spotted with black and white, is never to 
 be found in their productions ; on the contrary, 
 they, in that case, decrease gradually the light 
 with an art and a care which renders more justly 
 the true effect of nature. But men are the 
 same everywhere : in England, as well as in 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. . 89 
 
 France, many artists hope to obtain the talent 
 and reputation of a great genius, by imitating it 
 in the liberties which are only bearable in a man 
 of superior merit. Bad poets imitate good ones 
 only in the licences which they allow themselves ; 
 and courtiers fancy themselves great men when 
 they have acquired the habit of copying the 
 gestures, or even the imperfections of the hero 
 to whose throne they are attached. Sir Thomas 
 Lawrence, whose admirable talent is well known 
 in every part of Europe, is solely indebted to a 
 profound study of the greatest masters, joined 
 to that of nature, for the wonderful reputation 
 which he has long enjoyed. In consequence of 
 the impossibility of gratifying the impatience of 
 those who are desirous of possessing his pro- 
 ductions, which frequently occurs, he has been 
 often forced to withhold that care and per- 
 fection of execution which he is so capable of 
 bestowing : notwithstanding this, there is always 
 to be discovered in them the bold and tasteful 
 touch of a great master, while his uninformed 
 imitators prove their insufficiency and want of 
 judgment at every stroke. It is not the same 
 with Messrs. Phillips, Jackson, and many others 
 
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 who have endeavoured to imitate him: they, like 
 him, have studied much, possess a style of their 
 own, and deserve an honourable place by the 
 side of the modern Vandyke. 
 
 I have been much interested in reading Mon- 
 sieur de Saint Remi’s letter to you, and regret 
 that you did not see him ; but he appears too 
 much delighted with the agreeable acquaintance 
 I have procured him to be likely to remain very 
 long absent. 
 
 I advise you to pay, as soon as possible, a visit 
 to his picture-gallery, and in order to enable 
 you to profit by it, I will give you some in- 
 formation in my next letter respecting the paint- 
 ers in oil, both ancient and modern, which you 
 will find great utility in studying. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 &1 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Howard. 
 
 Paris, 6tli November, 1822. 
 
 You will have visited Monsieur de Saint Re- 
 mi’s picture-gallery, I conclude, amiable Ellen, 
 before the arrival of this letter, and the recol- 
 lections which the sight of it has inspired will 
 assist me in the subject which I propose treating 
 of to-day. The object that I have in view will 
 not allow me to discuss the merits of all the 
 pictures in his possession ; besides, a taste for 
 the tine arts being hereditary in his family, he 
 has only added to the considerable collection 
 he received from his ancestors, and with which 
 I am not entirely acquainted. 
 
 An admirer of painting tor itself, and highly 
 capable of appreciating merit wherever it was 
 to be found, he has taken pleasure in encou- 
 raging the painters of the present day ; his taste 
 
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 LETTERS LPON 
 
 and knowledge have enabled him to make an 
 excellent choice, and without injuring his for- 
 tune, he has had the means of multiplying his 
 enjoyments. It is thus that the enlightened 
 amateur, without waiting till public opinion has 
 decided the value of a picture, may dispense 
 with the tribute imposed upon ignorance, and 
 acquire a juster claim to the gratitude of those 
 whom his taste and judgment have given him 
 the power of distinguishing. 
 
 You have' not, I am sure, passed before this 
 amateur’s collection of enamels without looking 
 at them with interest : he possesses several of 
 Petitot’s, and many other very good ones copied 
 from him. This painter, who was loaded with 
 the favours of Louis XIV. and admired by Van- 
 dyke himself, deserves at least our attention for 
 a moment. He has more than any other the 
 right of interesting w'omen, for he has painted 
 them to perfection : in his style he was as pure 
 as Raphael, as brilliant as Vandyke, and like 
 them is still unrivalled. The hair of his pic- 
 tures, admirable for its finish and transparency, 
 is generally done by Bordier, his brother-in-law, 
 who was associated with him in his w'orks. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 93 
 
 You must also have seen some old miniatures 
 painted upon vellum, others upon ivory, done by 
 Chatillon, Hall, Dumont; and drawings in cray- 
 ons done by Duraontier. It is well to examine 
 these productions, for, notwithstanding the ra- 
 vages of time, and the progress made in this art, 
 there is much merit to be found in them. 
 
 Although the French school may at this pe- 
 riod be richer than ever in historical and por- 
 trait painters, we must not turn our attention 
 to them, until we have done homage to some of 
 their predecessors. 
 
 On the portraits of Rigaud, you will admire 
 the beauty of his carnations, the grandeur of 
 his heads ; and you cannot fail to remark the 
 superiority of talent requisite to give them an 
 effect so striking, notwithstanding the richness 
 and brilliancy of the dress of that day, which 
 he represented with the utmost care. Largil- 
 liere, who was his rival, without ceasing to be 
 his friend, studied long in the Flemish school, 
 where he acquired an excellent style of colour- 
 ing ; his talent and merit obtained for him the 
 esteem and friendship of the celebrated Le 
 Brun. He painted some historical pictures, and 
 
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 excellent portraits, possessing in a high degree 
 the talent for likenesses ; his hands were perfect, 
 and he showed superior taste in the arrangement 
 of his draperies. 
 
 Mignard will enchant you by the admirable 
 colouring, the delicacy of expression, and the 
 high tinish which characterize his productions. 
 Greuse, who comes nearer to our day, and of 
 whom I have already had occasion to speak, is 
 never seen without producing on the mind that 
 strong sensation, excited by the just expression 
 of his heads and the general charm of his com- 
 positions. 
 
 If you wish to become acquainted with 
 the names of all the artists of the French 
 school who have painted good portraits, I must 
 mention David, Gerard, Giraudet, Guerin, Gros, 
 and many others, to whose glory I can add little 
 more, when I say that they have completely suc- 
 ceeded in this style. 
 
 Of all those whom 1 have named, it is Gerard 
 who has practised it most, and it is his school 
 which has furnished the best portrait-painters. 
 It is only by great study, and by frequently 
 copying from him, that painters in miniature 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 95 
 
 can hope to attain the perfection of their art. 
 He completely combines in his pictures every 
 species of merit. After having given free scope 
 to his genius in the vast compositions which he 
 has produced, he remains still master of himself, 
 and with a confident hand restrains his magic 
 pencil to the representation of nature, with 
 the exactness of form and truth of colouring 
 which command the admiration of the most in- 
 experienced eye, and win the approbation of 
 his most determined antagonists. After having, 
 may 1 say, stolen nature from herself, he takes 
 pleasure in embellishing her by noble and grace- 
 ful positions. Not content with painting her 
 under her most brilliant aspect, he still height- 
 ens her effect by draperies, of which the folds 
 and colours, classically combined, proclaim the 
 power of his talent, even in his simplest pro- 
 ductions. If obliged to curb his imagination 
 by the caprices of fashion, taste and fancy de- 
 corate his adjustments ; and the vainest beauties 
 are eager to bestow upon him that palm which, 
 without being the most glorious, is not perhaps 
 the least difficult of attainment. Notwithstand- 
 ing the dazzling lustre shed around the talent of 
 
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 Gerard, I am not afraid of diminishing your 
 enthusiasm in speaking of the chefs-d’oeuvre 
 executed by the hand of Gros. This respect- 
 able head of a numerous school has every pos- 
 sible claim to the admiration of his age, and the 
 gratitude of his pupils. In his historical pic- 
 tures and portraits, he has left to posterity the 
 most undeniable proofs of the extent of his 
 knowledge, the superiority of his conceptions, 
 and the strength of his execution ; in a word, 
 according to the opinion of many enlightened 
 judges, he approaches Rubens in colouring and 
 surpasses hinq in drawing. 
 
 There is another painter whose ingenious 
 compositions and brilliant colours attest, at the 
 same time, the striking effects of painting, and 
 the most seducing images of poetry. Prudon, 
 the author of these delightful works, is not less 
 admirable in his portraits. He possesses the 
 talent of likenesses to the highest degree, and 
 his heads are full of life and expression. 1 ad- 
 vise you not to neglect copying from him at the 
 first opportunity which presents itself. 
 
 Robert le Fevre has long enjoyed a well- 
 merited reputation ; he has studied the manner 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. {)7 
 
 qf the ancient masters with success, and fre- 
 quently approaches nearly to them. The por- 
 trait he has painted of himself, and another of 
 Charles Vernet, will, I have no fear in saying it, 
 prove the truth of this assertion. Hersent is 
 also an excellent master to study ; he displays 
 that elevation of style, that boldness of execu- 
 tion, and that truth of colouring, which leave 
 nothing to be desired. Paulin Guerin has been 
 remarked for a facility in painting and a justness 
 of tints, that enable him to seize quickly the 
 different expressions of the countenances, and 
 to represent them correctly. Many other artists, 
 such as Abbel, Condere, Mozais, &c. Mes- 
 dames Godefroid, Boutellier, Du Vidal, Hersent, 
 possess the art of portrait-painting to an emi- 
 nent degree. The limits of this letter will not 
 allow me to enlarge npon their different merits, 
 but in speaking of the old masters, I am going 
 to furnish you with terms of comparison, which 
 will assist you in forming a judgment of the 
 modern productions which I cannot now discuss. 
 We will first pass in review the most ancient of 
 all — the Italian School, which is subdivided, as no 
 doubt you know, into those of Florence, Rome, 
 
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 Lombardy, and Venice. You will not forget 
 that I only mention the great painters, the studv 
 of whom is particularly useful for artists who 
 practise portrait-painting; otherwise we should 
 have too wide a field to explore, and it would 
 far exceed my powers and knowledge to endea- 
 vour to give you a just idea of the transcend- 
 ent merit of the innumerable productions, which 
 during several ages appeared in this privileged 
 country. 
 
 I will not cite the pictures of Lionardo da 
 Vinci for the colouring, but you will admire in 
 them the correctness of drawing, joined to the 
 delicacy of expression, which eminently charac- 
 terize his works. The arts are indebted to him 
 for a treatise upon painting, which, during the 
 three hundred years that it has existed, has di- 
 rected the studies of our greatest artists. Titian 
 is the model of perfection, and the first of all 
 portrait-painters: he cannot be studied too 
 much, as he offers the most perfect combination 
 of every thing to be wished for in this style of 
 painting. His colouring is strikingly true, his 
 drawing correct and firm, his positions are no- 
 ble and dignified, and his hands scientifically 
 
' MINIATURE PAINTING. (19 
 
 modelled. He particularly excelled in portraits 
 of women and children, and appeared to require 
 only the will to have instantly the power of 
 producing upon canvass, whatever is most diffi- 
 cult to express in nature. 
 
 Raphael, that heaven-endowed being, who 
 dazzled the world by the light of his genius 
 during the short space of time allowed for his 
 residence amongst mortals — that favoured of 
 the Divinity, to whom alone it was reserved to 
 represent its truest image, did not however dis- 
 dain to leave us also that of some great men. 
 The heads of his Virgins command our admi- 
 ration by an expression of candour and grace, 
 which, far from injuring the noble effect for 
 which they are so remarkable, heightens their 
 charm without lessening their sublimity. He 
 has known how to blend simplicity with mind in 
 the same features, and has given dignity even 
 to the playful attitudes of infancy. Notwith- 
 standing the beauty of all his pictures, it is 
 impossible to form a just idea of his wonderful 
 talent without having been in Italy. There is 
 nothing more classic, or richer in composition, 
 than his school of Athens, and many other sub- 
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 jects with which he has ornamented the Vatican, 
 His picture of the Transfiguration is acknow- 
 ledged to be the chef-d’oeuvre in painting. How- 
 ever discouraging for other painters may be the 
 perfection to which he attained, they should not 
 fear attempting to imitate him. It is possible 
 to do well, although at a very great distance 
 from him. 
 
 The example of a woman, celebrated for her 
 talent in painting upon china, ought to encourage 
 you. Madame Jacquetot, in presenting a copy 
 of one of Raphael’s pictures, had the pleasure 
 of hearing from the mouth of a monarch, that 
 to his eye she had made this great painter live 
 again. Do not despair then, amiable Ellen, 
 but imitate Corregio, who, in recovering from 
 the ecstacy of admiration caused by the first 
 sight of the works of Raphael, exclaimed with 
 a tone of enthusiasm, AncK io son Pittore. 
 
 This great painter, who had no other guide 
 than inspiration and natural genius, attained to 
 a degree of perfection, which enabled him to 
 execute many vast compositions with the great- 
 est success. He is remarkable for a most pleas- 
 ing colouring, a broad and mellow touch, and 
 
MlNfATURE PAINTING. 
 
 lOL 
 
 appears to have received his pencil from the 
 hand of the Graces. You, Ellen, in the opinion 
 of the world, are under their immediate protec- 
 tion ; make use, therefore, with confidence of 
 what is your own, and be assured that you will 
 find them more than ever disposed to favour you. 
 It is to the study of them, and of poetry, that 
 Albane was indebted for the attractive charm 
 ot his works. His compositions abound in inge- 
 nious and smiling ideas : he painted Cupids, 
 Venus, and her nymphs, under the most grace- 
 ful forms : his colouring is always brilliant, and 
 his landscapes always picturesque. Guido, who 
 assisted him in the developement of his talent, 
 was himself remarkable for a facility nearly 
 magical. His touch is graceful and lively, and 
 his carnations so clear, that they seem to show 
 through them the circulation of the blood. His 
 heads are admirable, his draperies thrown with 
 taste, while his compositions in general produce 
 an assemblage of richness and majesty. 
 
 Tintoretto and Paul Veronese practised por- 
 trait-painting ; but the last particularly is re- 
 marked for the brightness of his colours, the 
 noble style of his draperies, and his prolific 
 
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 imagination, which caused him to excel in what 
 is called, in the terms of composition, grandes 
 machines. To succeed in these, it is necessary 
 to join a lively and exalted conception to a very 
 extensive knowledge, aided by great facility of 
 execution. These qualifications are indispen- 
 sable for historical painters, and eminently dis- 
 tinguish the productions of the Italian School. 
 If they be less necessary for portrait-painters, 
 they ought in return to apply themselves with 
 scrupulous attention to the representation of 
 nature in all her different effects. 
 
 The Flemish and the Dutch, inferior to the 
 Italians in grand compositions, have sometimes 
 rivalled them for exactness of form, and are su- 
 perior to them in colouring. Vandyke, he who 
 has merited the appellation of the king of por- 
 trait-painters, drew with exactness, and was 
 admirable for the delicacy and the transparency 
 of his tints ; he enriched your country more 
 than any other by his masterly productions. No 
 one possessed to an equal degree the art of 
 seizing the most favourable expression of a 
 countenance ; he is also incomparable in his 
 manner of doing hands ; and, while following 
 the fashion of the day, he excelled in dressing 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 103 
 
 his women tastefully, and his men nobly. To 
 the wonderful facility of his talent, he owed the 
 rare advantage of catching, in pictures of chil- 
 dren, the same striking resemblance that dis- 
 tinguished his more characterized heads. It 
 was from the school of Rubens that he drew his 
 principles of colouring. 
 
 This last illustrious painter, whose creative 
 genius and impatient pencil can, in some respects, 
 be compared for boldness to the gigantic talent 
 of the famous Michael Angelo, was like him, 
 although in a very different style, the prodigy 
 of his age. If the latter, gloomy and ter- 
 rible, strikes with awe and horror in his vast 
 compositions, the other, equally prolific and 
 sure of his powers, employed them to fill 
 with astonishment and admiration. Each of 
 them was endowed with the most ardent imagi^ 
 nation. If the Italian painter is superior for the 
 sublimity of his conceptions, Rubens surpasses 
 him by the magic of his colours and the won- 
 derful variety of his works. He painted in every 
 style, history, landscape, architecture, fruits, 
 flowers, and, above all, excelled in portraits. 
 You cannot study a painter who will be more 
 useful to you for colouring, as he is as superior 
 
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 to all others in that particular merits as Ra- 
 phael is for correctness of drawing. 
 
 Rembrandt, in his style, was not less astonish- 
 ing than the painters of whom we have been 
 speaking. He had, to an eminent degree, the 
 intelligence of what is called the chiaro-uscuro. 
 In looking closely at his pictures they appear 
 rough and coarse, but at a certain distance their 
 eftect is wonderful. His manner is smooth, his 
 colours perfectly harmonized, and all his figures 
 are executed with an extraordinary relief. His 
 compositions produce a striking effect, and his 
 old men’s heads are amazingly expressive. He 
 had the power of giving a character of life and 
 truth to every different part of the face, which 
 you cannot admire too much. 
 
 Wanderwerff, Gerard Dow, Mieris, Metzu, 
 and many others, are remarkable for the finish 
 of their pictures, the distribution of the lights, 
 and the transparency of their colours. They 
 practised portrait-painting but little, still their 
 figures, although of small dimensions, are so 
 highly finished, that they may be easily copied 
 in miniature, and be productive, of much utility. 
 
 Spain has given birth to few great painters. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. lOo 
 
 therefore we ought to admire those whose su- 
 perior genius has gained them the honour of 
 being placed beside the artists of Italy. At their 
 head, surrounded by the most brilliant com- 
 positions, is to be seen the sublime Murillo. 
 His works are admired for their rich colouring, 
 their firm touch, and that free manner of using 
 the colour, which ensures their long duration in 
 all their original splendour. He could vary his 
 colouring according to the subjects he was de- 
 sirous of representing, and following nature 
 step by step, remained ever true to her. 
 
 Velasquez studied portrait-painting more 
 than this last, and had great success in that 
 style. Ribera, better known by the name of 
 Spagnoletto, produced some portraits and many 
 historical pictures, which obtained him a cele- 
 brated reputation. He was an enthusiast for 
 the style of Michael Angelo, and endeavoured 
 to imitate him. 
 
 The School of Germany olfers but few paint- 
 ers whom I can distinguish. Albert Durer, born 
 in the fifteenth century, ac(juired much repu- 
 tation ; but his manner of drawing is stitF 
 F 5 
 
lOG 
 
 LETTERS UPO^ 
 
 and ungraceful, and his colouring heavy and not 
 sufficiently transparent. 
 
 Holbein, born at Basle nearly at the same 
 period, has been deservedly celebrated to the 
 present day. There are many of his portraits 
 in England, where he finished his career ; but 
 the comparison is not to their advantage by the 
 side of those of Rubens, Vandyke, and Rem- 
 brandt. 
 
 . You will not be offended, my interesting pu- 
 pil, if, after so long a letter, I leave you time to 
 study and make copies from the masters of 
 whom I have been speaking, and which you may 
 have before your eyes. In my next, I will give 
 you some rules upon painting from nature. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 107 
 
 LETTER XVI. 
 
 Miss Hoicard to Mr. Deville. 
 
 Chateau de la Bourdaisiere, 
 27th November, 1821. 
 
 Impressed with the strongest sentiments of 
 gratitude, my dear and kind instructor, I return 
 you my sincere thanks for the valuable precepts, 
 the encoui'aging advice, and the clear and deli- 
 cate observations contained in your last letter. 
 I unceasingly read and reflect upon it : it is a 
 compass which would warn from rocks the most 
 unskilful and imprudent mariner : it is the light 
 and salutary path which will conduct your pu- 
 pil to perfection in the art she cultivates. 
 
 You have insensibly led me to that point, 
 where I feel uncertain in which character you 
 excite my strongest admiration, whether as the 
 enlightened artist who charms by his beautiful 
 productions, or as the learned professor, who. 
 
J08 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 while guiding me by the easiest road, has the 
 address to clear it of every obstacle. 
 
 You enable me to perceive in the distance, 
 the brilliant spark, the creative dame of true 
 talent, which appears to approach me by de- 
 grees ; and already you enable me to measure 
 back, with equal surprise as delight, the course 
 which I have unconsciously pursued. I must 
 also tell you, that I do not look at the rich col- 
 lection contained in the picture-gallery of the 
 enchanting residence I at present inhabit, with- 
 out saying to myself, my excellent master has 
 taught me to admire such or such a perfection 
 of the art, has enabled me to discover such or 
 such a fault escaped from the pencil of a great 
 master ; so true is it, that genius itself has its 
 moments of error. I see you near me ob- 
 serving and overlooking, I hear you impartially 
 judging, and ably appreciating the great models. 
 You draw me from the sight of that, which by 
 seducing might lead me from the right road 
 by which you conduct me. You fix my eyes on 
 objects which at first strike them faintly, but 
 where I afterw'ards discover a thousand per- 
 fections, which I copy with enthusiasm, and of 
 
miniature painting. 
 
 109 
 
 which the indelible impression guides, enchants, 
 and encourages me to an imitation at first ini-* 
 perfect, but which repeated, gives me a force 
 and a confidence of which I did not believe 
 myself susceptible. 
 
 1 have in reality found all the productions of 
 the art, mentioned by you, in Monsieur de Saint 
 Remi’s valuable gallery ; which appears to me 
 like a vast garden, ornamented with the most 
 beautiful flowers. I am at first desirous of 
 gathering and possessing the whole, afterwards 
 I decide upon making a selection, which becomes 
 difficult, as the extreme beauty of each object 
 seems to deserve the preference, and leaves me 
 in a state of hesitation, which obliges me to ad- 
 mire each separately, and gives a just idea of 
 the richness and variety of the innumerable 
 productions of nature. 
 
 How would it be possible in my place to resist 
 the admiration inspired by all the objects sur- 
 rounding me ? The delightful chateau which 1 in- 
 habit is situated in one of the finest views in the 
 garden of France. On the right, and through 
 the richest valleys, the eye follows the beautiful 
 course of the Loire ; on the left, at the extremity 
 
110 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 of the forest of Amboise, gently flows the 
 Cher, whose romantic borders appear to be the 
 asylum of the inhabitants of Elysium. These 
 two rivers, which in imitation of each other seem 
 to roll their fertilizing waters through the Eden of 
 France, form, from the place where I reside, and 
 the rich gallery where I write, two parallel lines, 
 established by the Creator to give a perfect 
 idea of all the riches which he has found plea- 
 sure in bestowing upon mankind. 
 
 I am no longer surprised at the ancient and 
 affecting records so abundant in this beautiful 
 country : its residence must have fascinated he- 
 roes and beauties, conquered the hardest and 
 attracted the softest hearts. Two miles distant 
 from this place is the fine Chateau d^Amboise, 
 where the ferocious Louis the Eleventh instituted 
 the order of the Knights of St. Michael ; and, 
 while paying this tribute to the arts, forgot for 
 a time to shed the blood with which he sullied 
 his crown. From the terrace of this chateau 
 are to be seen fourteen cities, and the eye rests 
 upon an horizon of thirty leagues. It was in 
 the fertile plain situated at the foot of this 
 fortress, that Charles the Seventh first saw 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 Ill 
 
 Agnes Sorel, whose heroic love so eminently 
 contributed to the glory of France. It was 
 there also that, in more modern days, the Duke 
 de Penthieve appeared by his beneficence to 
 realize those dreams of happiness, which, in his 
 society, the amiable Florian described with so 
 much sweetness in his interesting productions. 
 
 At about the same distance is situated the 
 Chateau de Chenonceaux, where the residence 
 of the beautiful Diana of Poitiers has made so 
 strong an impression : a truly enchanting palace, 
 which ought to have been built by fairies for 
 the gratification of the nymphs of the forest of 
 Amboise, and for that of the naiads of the lim- 
 pid river Cher. Very near also is to be seen, 
 preserved with the greatest care, the humble 
 cottage where the tender La Valliere first saw 
 the light : her mother had only time to find 
 shelter there, before she gave birth to her, who, 
 born under a thatch, was one day destined to 
 become successively the ornament of the court 
 of Louis the Fourteenth, a model of attachment 
 and devotion, and one of the many victims of 
 the caprices of kings. 
 
112 
 
 LETTERS tPON 
 
 I should never finish, ray dear master, were I 
 to enter into a detail of all the recollections 
 which are presented to my sight, and meet me 
 in every path : they are of a nature to awaken 
 reflection, to create the gentlest feelings, and 
 in this delightful country one cannot help re- 
 peating, after an author who devoted his writings 
 to the education and happiness of women, 
 these verses, inspired by the beautiful country 
 in which he was born ; — 
 
 “ Bords charmans de la Loire 
 Celui qui vous verra. 
 
 Jamais de sa memoire, 
 
 Ne vous effacera.” 
 
 It is the conclusion of a new ballad which I 
 am fond of singing, and which is at present 
 much sung and admired throughout Tourraine. 
 May it inspire you with an inclination to visit 
 it ! You will find here the most enchanting 
 views for your pencil ; female faces, of which 
 the modest beauty will create the desire of 
 painting them, and above all those engaging 
 manners, whose old-fashioned frankness and in- 
 teresting sweetness remind us of the golden age. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 113 
 
 Be not surprised, I beseech you, at hearing 
 me thus praise the charming banks of the Loire. 
 Gratitude guides my pen as well as admiration ; 
 for every where, and at every instant, I encounter 
 the most pleasing and gratifying proofs of hos- 
 pitality in this chateau : one would say, that 
 Monsieur de Saint Remi, being himself pre- 
 vented from doing the honours of his house, 
 was desirous to become present to my sight by 
 a thousand graceful attentions and increasing 
 anticipations of my slightest wish. 
 
 Every morning I find upon the table, where I 
 study, vases filled with the freshest and most 
 beautiful flowers. If my occupations make me 
 forget the hours, one of the gardener’s daughters 
 brings me a basket of the choicest and finest 
 fruits. Upon a slab stands a musical clock, 
 which, amongst different airs, repeats that of 
 Rule Britannia, whose patriotic notes excite my 
 national feelings, and, amidst the delightful gar- 
 den of France, transport me back to my native 
 country. In short, opposite to the desk where I 
 paint, I find every thing calculated to keep alive 
 my fondest illusions. I cannot raise my eye« 
 
114 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 without perceiving a very fine copy of Vandy ke's 
 admirable portrait of Charles the First, and near 
 it is placed that of the amiable companion of 
 this unfortunate monarch — that of Henrietta of 
 France, so great in misfortune, painted by Van- 
 derwerff ; also, by the same painter, a picture of 
 the beloved daughter of this august and faithful 
 couple, whom death only could divide. This 
 charming Henrietta of England, who appeared at 
 the court of France in the bloom of her youth and 
 beauty, soon after became Duchess of Orleans, 
 and died so suddenly as to give rise to a suspi- 
 cion that her life had been shortened by some 
 atrocious means. It appears to me as if this 
 unfortunate family looked upon me with interest, 
 and encouraged my studies by saying, “ Happy 
 the young artist, who far from the jarring pas> 
 sions of crowds and the troubles of civil war, 
 peacefully cultivates the art which attracts her, 
 embellishes her life by the charms of study, and 
 is contented with the approving smile of a 
 father, and the praises of a master or a friend.” 
 Why are you not near me ? You would direct 
 my pencil, of which the touch becomes every 
 day more firm and more harmonious, but which 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 115 
 
 is, however, incapable of copying every thing 
 that interests and charms me. Its progress 
 must indeed be evident and constant, or I should 
 not dare to make this acknowledgment ; do not, 
 therefore think it presumption, my dear master, 
 but rather the homage of the candour and of 
 the gratitude I owe you. Your letters are so 
 enlightened, they enter into so many valuable 
 details, they offer instructions so clear and gra- 
 dual, that I am certain any lover of painting, 
 obliged to reside at a distance from Paris or 
 any capital city, would be enabled, by daily 
 reading them, and with the help of models, to 
 acquire a degree of talent in this beautiful art, 
 which would scarcely be believed to be the fruit 
 of retirement and meditation. My father is un- 
 ceasingly expressing the surprise caused by my 
 rapid progress ; and I hope that I shall not 
 quit this charming residence, and the fine gallery 
 where I pass such delightful moments, without 
 leaving in it a slight mark of my gratitude. I 
 am desirous that when Monsieur de Saint Remi 
 returns to his beautiful retreat, he may find 
 modestly placed under the smallest pictures in 
 his rich collection, the representation of a 
 
IIG 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 young Scotch girl painting; before her, two 
 vases of flowers, and a basket of the finest 
 fruit; near her desk will be seen several letters 
 which the young artist consults at every stroke 
 of her pencil. Her countenance shall express 
 that internal satisfaction, that enthusiasm which 
 insures success, whatever may be the occupation 
 chosen ; and in order that this picture may be, 
 if possible, striking for its resemblance, I shall 
 endeavour to express in the features and coun- 
 tenance, the veryinatural desire of becoming 
 acquainted wdth that friend to the arts, wliose 
 hospitality has procured her so much utility and 
 pleasure. 
 
 I know' by experience, my dear master, that 
 he who contributes to our happiness, to our 
 perfection, appears by his absence to double 
 the rights he has acquired in our hearts. In- 
 voluntarily the imagination is occupied in fol- 
 lowing his steps, and tracing his actions; w'e 
 are desirous that he should w'itness the progress 
 made, that he should partake of the satisfaction 
 enjoyed ; in short, I know not w'hat is the 
 charm attached to his person. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. H7 
 
 It is on this account, my amiable monitor, my 
 worthy friend, that I am ever desirous, whether 
 near or at a distance, of conversing with you, 
 and reiterating the proofs of my sincere attach- 
 ment and unalterable gratitude. 
 
U8 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 LETTER XVII. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Howard. 
 
 Paris, 10th December, 1621. 
 
 I FIND that I have lost nothing by waiting, 
 my dear pupil, for you have admirably fulfilled 
 the desire which I some time since expressed, 
 to receive a description of the charming coun- 
 try where you reside. It appears to me, that 
 the surrounding objects have become more in- 
 teresting to you since your last cliange of re- 
 sidence : such is the never-failing effect pro- 
 duced by works of genius upon a lively imagi- 
 nation. This irresistible ascendant of the arts, 
 joined to the brilliant aspect of nature, by en- 
 larging our ideas, developes at the same time 
 faculties of the heart and mind till then un- 
 known. 
 
 The productions of great men create a noble 
 emulation : the beneficence and the riches be- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 119 
 
 stowed by the Author of nature, raise in our 
 hearts a sentiment of sensibility and gratitude, 
 which we find pleasure in communicating to 
 others. The happiness I have enjoyed, and 
 which I every day more highly appreciate — that 
 of possessing your confidence and friendship, 
 entitled me to receive from you the sweet and 
 innocent expressions of all the different sen- 
 sations which have assailed you at the same 
 time. You were addressing a painter, and have 
 therefore made use of lively and transparent 
 colours. I will confess that I have taken ad- 
 vantage of them, to read far into your heart: 
 do not, however, be uneasy, I am very discreet, 
 and shall not mention my discoveries to any 
 one, not even to you, dear Ellen. With this de- 
 termination, I hasten to resume my bonnet de 
 docteur, and to continue my grave lessons, by 
 saying, that, with intelligence and natural dis- 
 position, we may execute with more or less 
 ability every thing that I have already explained 
 to you. But when we are on the point of un- 
 dertaking to paint from nature, the merit of 
 that which is well done is more highly appre- 
 ciated ; and on many occasions we are forced 
 
120 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 to regret the not having practised drawing suf- 
 ficiently, particularly after the round bosse. 
 Colours are so attractive when we begin to 
 make use of them, that they generally cause 
 us to neglect drawing. 
 
 No painter should ever pass a day without 
 drawing. It requires such a length of time 
 to paint a head, that if you be not in the habit 
 of making many pencil sketches, you will never 
 obtain the facility so essential to portrait-paint- 
 ers. This kind of painting, to be carried to 
 perfection, demands an exact knowledge of the 
 forms of the human body, which differ greatly 
 according to the age and sex of the person 
 that you wish to represent. We may execute 
 in miniature, as well as in oils, full length por- 
 traits, or even groups of two or three figures. 
 In order to avoid any absurdity in this kind of 
 undertaking, it is necessary to have a knowledge 
 of composition, and of linear and aerial per- 
 spective, and to join to that, practice and 
 taste, which are only to be obtained by studying 
 the great masters. 
 
 Formerly, historical painters were not dis- 
 tinguished as they are now from portrait- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 121 
 
 painters. 1 he great men who have served us 
 for models in this last style, were, as you have 
 seen, Raphael, Titian, Paul Veronese, Holbein, 
 Vandyke, and Rubens : these same painters 
 were also the most celebrated historical painters. 
 They viewed nature in a manner as great in por- 
 traits as in history; they treated it with the same 
 width of pencil ; they gave the same grandeur, 
 the same style to the folds of the drapery, and 
 neither more nor less value to the accessories. 
 In short, if they made the least difference, it 
 consisted only in expressing in the heads the in- 
 dividual details which constituted the resem- 
 blance. But when the greater part of the his- 
 torical painters appeared to renounce precision 
 in drawing ; when they no longer considered na- 
 ture but in that vague manner which deprived 
 them of all justness of sight; when once they 
 boasted, no longer to denote the forms of na- 
 ture with exactness ; when they agreed to indi- 
 cate rather than to express them ; when they 
 generalized them to such a point, as to make 
 them degenerate into systematical forms ; w'hen 
 even in painting from nature, or from the antique, 
 they saw only in the antique or in nature a 
 
 G 
 
122 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 manner which they made for themselves ; then 
 were they found incapable of representing the 
 individual character of any model whatever, and 
 consequently of painting portraits, which can 
 only succeed according to the just manner in 
 which this character is seized and represented. 
 There then arose a particular class of artists, 
 who, devoting themselves to expressing the 
 forms of nature with an exact precision — of 
 varying them every time that they changed their 
 model, in representing rather individual than 
 general nature, took possession of a part of the 
 art which historical painters had abandoned. 
 
 But to succeed in this style of painting, it is 
 necessary to be acquainted with the other t in 
 proportion as a painter is learned, the less will 
 he be uncertain of what he sees. A profound 
 knowledge of the resources of his art will as- 
 sist him in painting with care and firmness that 
 which nature presents to him ; he quickly pro- 
 duces the effect which he desires, and it is only 
 when he has obtained this, that he proceeds to 
 the details which he thinks necessary ; w hile, on 
 the contrary, artists who do not possess the 
 knowledge which is essential, begin the de- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 1*2 0 
 
 tails, and fail almost always in the general effect, 
 which they are incapable of obtaining by these 
 means. Their studies are confined to the drawing 
 coldly a head, endeavouring only to present the 
 individual difference ; and they believe that they 
 have succeeded in their attempt, when, by re- 
 presenting this difference, they have been able 
 to execute a head which bears but an insig- 
 nificant resemblance to that of their model. 
 They never suspect that they are deficient in 
 the most essential parts of the art — character 
 and expression; and in consequence of not pos- 
 sessing these two parts, they fall into a fault 
 which is of all others the most prejudicial to a 
 resemblance ; for, while executing works which 
 ought to imitate living heads, they produce 
 heads in which there is no life. Character con- 
 sists in denoting with firmness and science the 
 principal parts — an indication very necessary in 
 portrait-painting ; for every man has the prin- 
 cipal and characteristic forms of the human 
 head modified by individual difference, and these 
 first forms ought to be more boldly expressed 
 than their modification. Every living coun- 
 tenance expresses', if not a passion, at least a 
 G ‘2 
 
124 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 disposition, a character; that which does not 
 express any thing, does not even express the 
 presence of life. 
 
 The most difficult expressions to be caught, 
 and which require the greatest talent on the part 
 of the artist, are not those of the violent passions, 
 which cause a very sensible alteration in the 
 physiognomy ; but those of the softer passions, 
 which approach the nearest to calmness of 
 mind. The person who sits to be painted ap- 
 pears to the artist in this state of calmness : he 
 experiences at that moment only temperate feel- 
 ings, and ofiers to the artist, with regard to 
 expression, the most difficult task to be accom- 
 plished. 
 
 It appears, therefore, that a portrait-painter, 
 in this respect, has one difficulty more than the 
 historical painter. Constrained by the same 
 duty to represent the expression and the prin- 
 cipal forms, he is obliged to indicate the indi- 
 vidual difference with more exactness. While 
 he is labouring to seize it, the model becomes 
 fatigued of a position which is always the same ; 
 weariness overpowers him, his muscles relax, 
 and instead of representing calmness and life. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 125 
 
 he only offers an inanimate countenance to the 
 eye of the artist. It is, therefore, necessary 
 that a painter should have sufficient resources 
 in his own understanding to animate his models, 
 in some degree, by his powers of conversation, 
 or that he should wait until another sitting, in 
 order to give life to his work. 
 
 Promptness, an indifferent quality in other 
 kinds of painting, is highly useful to a portrait- 
 painter, because it saves him from the incon- 
 venience of fatiguing his model : it is at least 
 very important, that in a last sitting he should 
 return with refreshed eye to his model, who him- 
 self recovered from weariness, and newly ani- 
 mated, will afford him the opportunity of giving, 
 by easy and spirited touches, life and expression 
 to his painting. 
 
 The general observations which I have just 
 transmitted to you, are mostly drawn from the 
 best works upon the subject of painting, and 
 are confirmed by experience. They will assist 
 the remarks which I have already had occasion 
 to make, and will add weight to the precepts 
 which still remain to be communicated to you. 
 
126 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 and upon which I cannot too forcibly fix your 
 attention. 
 
 I have not yet explained to you the species of 
 light required in painting from nature ; but it 
 becomes indispensable to inform you how' 
 greatly the choice and dispositions of the light 
 have influence on the effect of yoirr work. That 
 coming from the north is preferable, because it 
 is not exposed to the varieties produced by the 
 sun, consequently it is always equal. 
 
 This formidable inconvenience to all painters, 
 is still greater to those who paint portraits. 
 You ma\, however, when it is impossible to 
 procure a north aspect, remedy this evil by mo- 
 derating the rays of the sun with the assistance 
 of a slight frame of wood, upon which you may 
 spread the thinnest and most transparent paper 
 w'hich you can possibly procure. Fix this pre- 
 paration to the window near which you are 
 painting : you will still be able to see suttiei- 
 ently, and your model will not be inconvenienced 
 by the sun. It is essential to have but one light 
 in the apartment where you paint. The hang- 
 ing of the room ought not to be too dark : it is 
 true that this will produce a very brilliant effect 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 127 
 
 upon the head, but it will at the same time ren- 
 der the shades too strong ; instead of which, a 
 back-ground of a lighter colour than that of 
 the shades, yet darker than that of the middle 
 tints, reflects upon the model and renders it 
 more harmonious. You cannot aim too much at 
 this effect, particularly in painting women and 
 children. 
 
 Besides being careful to have but one light 
 coming from the proper quarter, it is also ne- 
 cessary that it should be so disposed as to show 
 advantageously the head of the person you wish 
 to paint. 
 
 If the light were too low, you would perceive 
 your model lightened from beneath ; the light 
 points then, instead of falling upon the forehead, 
 and upon the most projected parts of the head, 
 would in consequence appear in such a manner, 
 as to make it impossible to represent them without 
 destroying the effect and expression, which w'e 
 ought particularly to attend to in portraits. 
 
 A light too high and too confined will produce 
 a very striking effect, but will render the transi- 
 tion from shade to light too sudden, and destroy 
 the power of the middle tints, which, studied 
 
12B 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 with care and successfully represented, afford 
 many resources to a painter who colours well, 
 and give an infinite charm to the expression. 
 
 In order to avoid these two evils, you must 
 shade the window near which you paint from 
 the bottom, to about the height of from four to 
 five feet; for this purpose you should make use 
 of a thick curtain, without the least transparen- 
 cy. It is indifferent whether you are placed in 
 such a manner as to have the light on the right 
 or on the left hand ; however, the last position 
 has the advantage, by preventing the shade of 
 your hand and pencil from being thrown upon 
 your work; on which account the greater num- 
 ber of painters choose it in preference. 
 
 The distance which ought to separate the ar- 
 tist from his model is generally measured at 
 three times the height of the model, in the posi- 
 tion in which he is placed. This space is rather 
 long for a miniature-painter: you may therefore 
 diminish it more or less according to the length 
 of your sight; but do not forget that in approach- 
 ing too near the model, the eye would not be 
 able to seize the whole at once, and that it would 
 therefore become difficult to represent the ge- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 129 
 
 ncral eifect, or to give a just proportion to the 
 details. 
 
 We will now, if you please, attend to the 
 position of the model ; but all I can say upon 
 this subject, my graceful pupil, will only tend 
 to confirm what you already feel, and have so 
 well executed in the different copies you have 
 sent me. It rarely happens that a man finds it 
 necessary to give lessons of grace to a woman. 
 Nature has found pleasure in grafting this en- 
 chanting sex with a tact so delicate and dis- 
 criminating, with forms so lovely, and movements 
 so graceful, that it will be you, charming Ellen, 
 who shall become my model when teaching you 
 how' to place yours. 
 
 Ihe artist who wishes to find grace and beauty 
 should always endeavour to place his model in the 
 most natural position. If he be not at his ease, 
 if the position chosen be not familiar to him, he 
 would not have that simplicity of motion which 
 constitutes true grace: it would not appear a fi- 
 gure in action, but one that counterfeited action : 
 it would be formal and studied, even were the ar- 
 tist to represent it with that precision, which 
 is farthest removed from systematic manner. 
 
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130 LETTERS UPON 
 
 It is also certain, that it would want beauty, 
 which nature itself only preserves, by facility 
 in motion, and which it loses the moment it is 
 forced to make the slightest eflFort. In the ac- 
 tion given to the figure by the ancient masters, 
 they were particularly careful to seek the least 
 motion, which could enable them to execute it : 
 by this means they gave nobleness to their fi- 
 gures, without diminishing the expression which 
 belong to them, and obtained grace by avoid- 
 ing affectation. The true intention of the art 
 is to imitate nature in its most familiar positions, 
 and in the developement of its various beauties. 
 
 The study after the round bosse has already 
 proved to you the necessity of drawing the forms 
 correctly before you begin to shade or to 
 colour. Never, then, commence to paint until 
 your outline be correct', or until you find in the 
 wholesome degree of resemblance, at least in form 
 and distances. The rules of practical perspective, 
 which I gave you in drawing, will be applicable 
 in the most simple portrait. In a three-quar- 
 tered head you have a receding side ; unless 
 you pay great attention to this, it will be always 
 too large. Two eyes for example, which would 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 131 
 
 be exactly the same in a full face, change their 
 form in every other position ; the eye on the 
 smallest side appears always shorter, and more 
 open ; the eye-brows, the nose, the mouth above 
 all, the chin, the muscles, and the exterior con- 
 tour, offer a very different aspect on the reced- 
 ing side, which requires to be studied with care, 
 and expressed with correctness. If this be so 
 apparent in the head, what will it be in the 
 shoulders, the body, and the motion of the 
 arms. In nature you will frequently meet with 
 a want of proportion, irregularities — which you 
 have not remarked in the antiques you have 
 copied, but which are expressed with a scrupu- 
 lous exactness in the portraits of the great mas- 
 ters now before you. These defects ought, ne- 
 cessarily, to be at least indicated, as they contri- 
 bute to the resemblance, and characterise the phy 
 siognomy. The choice of the most favourable ex- 
 pression, the use of the colours, the distribution 
 of the light, the care to work in and soften the 
 contours, the becoming arrangement of the hair, 
 the adjustment and choice of the accessories, 
 the intelligence of the back-ground, united to a 
 graceful and natural position, will furnish suf- 
 
132 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 ficient resources to make an agreeable portrait 
 from an indifferent model ; and you will be once 
 more forced to acknowledge that this Boileau, 
 whom you do not like, has been right, however, 
 in saying : 
 
 “ II n’est point de serpent ni de monstre odieux, 
 
 “ Qui par J'art imite, ne puisse plaire aux yeux, 
 
 “ D’un pinceau delicat 1’ artifice agr^able, 
 
 “ Du plus afFreux objet fait un objet aimable.” 
 
 The increase of occupation which I experience 
 at this time will not allow me to send you the 
 rest of my instructions before the end of the 
 year. I know not the reason, but I have a pre- 
 sentiment that the one which we are going to 
 commence will be the most interesting in your 
 life. 
 
 Your taste for the fine arts, the success which 
 accompanies it, and that which you have ob- 
 tained in every thing else, give me the assurance 
 that the fervent wishes I formed for your hap- 
 piness will soon be realized. 
 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 133 
 
 LETTER XVIII. 
 
 Miss Howard to Mr. Deville. 
 
 Chateau de la Bourdaisi^re, 
 Dec. 23rd, 1821. 
 
 Is it possible to be happier than I am, ray good 
 Mr. Deville ; is there any thing wanting to com- 
 plete my felicity ? My excellent father antici- 
 pates my wishes, and appears himself perfectly 
 satisfied with the tranquillity of his present ex- 
 istence. The peaceful and delightful residence 
 which we inhabit affords me a thousand oppor- 
 tunities of employing my time usefully and agree- 
 ably. My only ambition, in endeavouring to ac- 
 quire talents and cultivate my mind, is caused 
 by the desire of enlivening the solitude of the 
 best of men : hitherto I have had the happiness 
 to succeed ; and I am induced to believe that 
 he never regrets the brilliant existence, although 
 ever accompanied by care and anxiety, which 
 he formerly led. His indulgence and paternal 
 
134 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 love render him blind with respect to me, but 
 I cannot hide from myself how greatly I need 
 experience and instruction, in order to become 
 worthy to be the depository of the enlightened 
 ideas, the philosophical observations, which his 
 transcendent talents and informed understand- 
 ing have enabled him to make during the long 
 and honourable career which he has pursued. 
 You form wishes for my future happiness, my 
 worthy friend ; well then, know that you can 
 realize the only one I am entitled to make. We 
 have never seen you but amidst the noise and 
 dissipation of Paris, and it was only for short 
 intervals that we could enjoy the pleasure of 
 your society. I have frequently heard you eu- 
 logise the charms of a residence in the coun- 
 try ; if our habitation have some right to interest 
 you, if the ardent desire of my father, and my 
 earnest supplication may prevail, make us at 
 least the sacrifice of a few days. Competent 
 appreciator of the beauties of nature, by your 
 presence you will augment the enthusiasm in- 
 spired by the scenes, certainly less brilliant at 
 this season, but always admirable, which she 
 everywhere exhibits to my view ; and I shall re- 
 
miniature painting. 
 
 136 
 
 peat with the amiable author oi'^IJhomme des 
 Champs 
 
 “ Dans sa triste ignorance, 
 
 “ Le vulgaire voit tout avec indifference, 
 
 Des desseins du Grand Etre atteignant la hauteur 
 “ 11 ne sait point monter de I’ouvrage a 1’ Auteur. 
 
 “ Le sage seul instruit des lois de I’univers, 
 
 “ Sait gouter dans les champs une volupte pure : 
 
 “ C'est pour I’ami des arts qu’existe la Nature.” 
 
 The sky, almost always clear in this charming 
 climate, will still allow of long and interesting 
 excursions. How great will be the pleasure I 
 shall enjoy upon returning from our walks, in do- 
 ing the honours of the noble mansion of your in- 
 teresting friend ! I shall have the satisfaction of 
 hearing my father (who will be happier than ever 
 while possessing your society,) discuss at his ease 
 those learned questions, which were frequently 
 the subject of your conversations, and which 
 were only too often interrupted by the crowd of 
 importunate visitors, so tormenting in Paris. 
 
 As I am unwilling to be accused of personal 
 interest, I will not mention the progress I shall 
 be able to make while painting under your eye; 
 but I will content myself with sending you to-day 
 
136 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 some copies which I have made from oil-paint- 
 ings, one of which has procured me the most 
 flattering success that I can possibly obtain. 
 My father, having the intention to settle in 
 France, sent to England for an admirable por- 
 trait of my mother, painted by Sir William 
 Beechey: desirous of endeavouring, in secret, 
 to procure him the precious gratification of never 
 being obliged to part from the cherished image 
 of a beloved wife, 1 fortunately profited by his 
 absence, at different times, to take a miniature 
 from it. Inspired by the subject, assisted by 
 memory, I had succeeded better than I could 
 have expected : the desire of perfecting my work, 
 and of expressing that union of sense, sweet- 
 ness, and amiability, so ably represented in the 
 original, had made me forget the hour, when, 
 surprised by a slight noise, I at the same mo- 
 ment heard ray father exclaim, with an accent 
 of the tenderest emotion, “Not content to recall 
 the memory of her mother by an imitation of 
 her virtues, she also delights to multiply her 
 image by a display of her talents ! ” How 
 shall I describe to you all the affecting sen- 
 sations I experienced in the scene which fol- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 137 
 
 lowed this exclamation ! He opened his arms, 
 I precipitated myself on his bosom, and united 
 my tears with his ; it is you alone whose pro- 
 found sensibility could appreciate the inexpres- 
 I sible charm I enjoyed in this sudden and unex- 
 
 i pected overflow of paternal tenderness. He 
 
 I only recovered from his emotion to load me with 
 
 I praises, and express the gratitude inspired by 
 
 I your zealous kindness, in promoting my im- 
 
 provement. He will, in a letter from himself, 
 join his entreaties to mine; and, in order to 
 enforce them, he consents to part for some days 
 I from this last production, for whose success I 
 
 j am entirely indebted to your goodness, in the 
 
 j hope that it may determine you to gratify our 
 
 ; wishes, by bringing it back yourself. Then, 
 
 indeed, will your presentiments be realized ; for, 
 
 : surrounded by those I love most, I shall then 
 
 I commence the most interesting year in my life. 
 
 Be convinced of this, and believe equally in the 
 sincerity and the extent of the wishes which I 
 form for the happiness of him, who creates so 
 strong a sentiment of admiration and attachment 
 in the heart of the most fortunate of pupils. 
 
 1 
 
138 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Howard. 
 
 Paris, 11th February, 1822. 
 
 Not having the power, sweet Ellen, of con- 
 tending against the persuasive eloquence with 
 which nature has gifted you, I felt that the 
 motives which deprived me of the pleasure of 
 accepting the obliging invitation of yourself and 
 your father, would have more weight in the mind 
 of the latter ; on this account I preferred ma- 
 king him acquainted with them. The same 
 reasons have prevented rny sending sooner the 
 instructions which I have still to address to you, 
 upon painting from nature. I experience yet 
 greater satisfaction in continuing them to-day, 
 as I have now before me the most convincing 
 proofs of the rapid progress you have made, 
 particularly since your residence in the chateau 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 139 
 
 of Monsieur tie Saint Rerai, whose impatience 
 to become known to you, and to enjoy your fa- 
 ther’s society, has, as I expected would be the 
 case, induced him to accelerate the period of 
 his return. He has no doubt already commu- 
 nicated, by letter, to Mr. Howard his intention 
 of occupying during the rest of the winter a 
 small but pretty property belonging to the 
 Bourdaisiere, and situated at about two leagues 
 from that chateau. His taste for study, insepa- 
 rable from a love of retirement, has now made 
 him prefer this habitation to the residence of 
 his ancestors, which has never possessed the 
 same charms in his eyes since death deprived 
 him of every thing most dear to him in life.* 
 Without hoping to efface his regrets, but to ob- 
 tain sometimes the right of dissipating them, 
 you w'ill not, I am sure, fear to participate in 
 his sorrows, in recalling to mind these affecting 
 
 ♦ An assassination, committed in a foreign country, and 
 of which the atrocious circumstances are not of a nature 
 to be detailed, deprived Monsieur de Saint Remi in one 
 day of a father, a mother, and a sister, whom he adored. 
 
140 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 lines of the feeling and amiable poet you are so 
 fond of reading : 
 
 “ Des que le desespoir pent trouver des larmes, 
 
 “ A la melancliolie il vient les confier, 
 
 “ Pour adoucir sa peine, et non pour I’oublier.” 
 
 Some years have elapsed since the loss of 
 beings so beloved, but their memory is still pre- 
 sent to his imagination : his heart profoundly- 
 wounded, and naturally afteetionate, has sought 
 consolation only in the society of a very small 
 number of friends. He is perhaps better ac- 
 quainted with you than you have any idea of — 
 he knows how to appreciate you ; and no one is 
 more likely than yourself, gentle and amia.ble 
 Ellen, to recall to existence, to nature, to society 
 which claims him, a man in every respect calcu- 
 lated to become its ornament. Perform, then, 
 this honourable task, my kind pupil, while I en- 
 deavour, either well or ill, to execute the one I 
 have undertaken. 
 
 In my last letter I left you at the moment of 
 beginning to sketch a portrait from nature. The 
 facility you have shown in seizing the dift’erent 
 carnations of the subjects which you have co- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 141 
 
 pied, leads me to hope that you will easily dis- 
 cern in nature the various colours which she 
 presents, and the local tints which distinguish 
 each object. In order to facilitate your first 
 attempts, I think it may be as well to give you 
 some rules upon the properties and the em- 
 ployment of the colours, advising you at the 
 same time not to make the application of them 
 until you feel convinced that nature indicates it. 
 I do not, either, fear to repeat, that you must 
 sketch boldly ; place the etchings as much as 
 possible at equal distances from each other, and 
 make them in such a manner as to show the 
 movement of the muscles, and the form of the 
 features. In the shades, you will use with ad- 
 vantage some bistre and burnt sienna, mixed 
 with a little precipit6. The grey tints are done 
 with ultramarine and precipite : the green tints 
 with yellow ochre, ultramarine, mixed more or 
 less with lake, to heighten them and make them 
 brighter. The local tints of the flesh must al- 
 ways be chosen from the model before you, and 
 serve in a greater or less degree to modify all 
 the others. You will observe in painting the 
 eyes, that the ball being transparent, and the 
 
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 light passing through it, ought to be rather less 
 dark on the opposite side to the white speck. 
 However, endeavour not to commit the fault so 
 common to all beginners in painting from na- 
 ture — that of never giving sufficient vigour to the 
 eve-balls. You must have remarked in Vandyke, 
 particularly in his portraits of women and chil- 
 dren, that the colour of the eye-balls is much 
 stronger than any of the shades of the head : 
 this is one of the means employed with success 
 to give at the same time expression and softness 
 to the physiognomy. To make the pupil, or 
 black spot, make use of black and a little pte- 
 cipite. The edge of the eyelid is made with 
 bistre mixed with red precipite. If the person 
 you are painting has a florid complexion, you 
 must in this case replace the bistre by yellow 
 ochre mixed with lake. 
 
 The white of the eye is made with ultramarine, 
 pure near the ball ; in the corners you may add 
 a little ochre and lake : in men’s heads, employ 
 on the shaded side of it a small quantity of 
 bistre, black, and precipite, which is height- 
 ened, if necessary, with a glazing of burnt 
 sienna. You will observe, that the setting of 
 the eyes towards the extremities of the lids. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 143 
 
 and the lid itself, is generally of a violet 
 tint, which must, however, be heightened with 
 a little yellow ochre, and to which you will 
 give vigour, in certain heads, by a touch of 
 bistre mixed with precipite. The lower part of 
 the face is almost always of a greenish shade, 
 mixed with lake. The shadow cast by the head 
 upon the neck is nearly of the same tint, al- 
 though stronger and warmer in certain parts, 
 which you will discover by consulting your 
 model. 
 
 The chin in women is nearly of the same 
 tint as the cheeks in the parts most highly 
 coloured. It is the same thing in men, with 
 this exception, that it is of a stronger tint, 
 and that you must add to it, as well as to all 
 the lower part of the face, a greater f[uantity 
 of ultramarine, to indicate the rising of the 
 beard. The mouth is the greatest difficulty for 
 all beginners, not so much for the colouring as 
 for the form and expression. They generally 
 place it too far from the nose, in consequence of 
 the serious and wearied expression frequently to 
 be found in the countenance of the model while 
 sitting. In endeavouring to remedy this evil, 
 they raise the corners, and believe by this means 
 
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 that they produce a smile, which is never natural 
 but when the eyes, the nose, and all the muscles 
 of the face partake of this expression. The 
 upper lip ought always to be of a stronger tint, 
 but of a less brilliant colour than the under one. 
 They are generally both of them of a very lively 
 colour, and modelled in young persons in a deter- 
 mined manner, while, in old men, the relaxation of 
 their forms, and the loss of their original colour, 
 scarcely allows them to be distinguished from 
 the local tint of the flesh. The corners of the 
 mouth are made with a mixture of carmine, 
 lake, ultramarine, and brown number 4, or raw 
 sienna. The cast shadow of the under lip 
 is made with nearly the same tint, adding to it 
 a slight touch of bistre. Observe that the re- 
 flect of the chin is of a brighter and warmer 
 tint than that of the top of the cheek, par- 
 ticularly where the bosom is uncovered. It 
 ought, in every other instance, without losing the 
 tint of the flesh, to partake more or less of that 
 of the drapery which surrounds it. When you 
 begin the hair, you will remark that its shade 
 upon the flesh has always a warmer tint with a 
 blueish edge. There is also a greyish tint at 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 145 
 
 the rise of the hair upon the forehead, which 
 must be indicated, otherwise the flesh will ap- 
 pear too abruptly cut. It is the same with the 
 eye-brows, which you will notice appear at the 
 extremity of the temple of a pinker colour, and 
 must be blended with the flesh at the opposite 
 extremity by a greyish tint. Many painters use 
 too much lake in the extremity of the nose ; it 
 produces a disagreeable effect to the sight, and 
 destroys the charm of the portrait. To avoid 
 this, yon must sketch this part lightly with the 
 local tint which nature presents to you, and mo- 
 del it with tints more or less grey. In portraits 
 of women, the middle tints on the side of the 
 light, which you will perceive upon the bosom 
 and arms, are made with a slight mixture of 
 ochre, ultramarine, and lake : on the shaded 
 side you must add yellow ochre, sometimes red 
 precipite and bistre, in particular where the 
 back-ground is deeply coloured. The local tint 
 of the hands ought to be the same as that of 
 the flesh ; the nails are rather more violet ; the 
 ends of the fingers pink. The shadow cast by 
 the hand upon the flesh is made with brow'n 
 
 H 
 
146 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 number 4, mixed with ultramarine and pre- 
 cipitfe. You will perceive that the cast sha- 
 dow is always stronger than the shade of the 
 fingers or the hand that occasions it, and that 
 it must always be separated from it by a re- 
 flected light. Generally speaking, the reflected 
 parts ought to have more strength than the mid- 
 dle tints, but less than the shades. 
 
 However insufficient these notions may be for 
 one who has never painted, they will at all 
 events remind you of what I may have already 
 said in my preceding letters, and will confirm 
 you, in a great degree, in what you may have 
 remarked in the models I have given you to copy. 
 In consulting these often you will be able, in 
 painting from nature, to apply the principles 
 which they give you. 
 
 We will now proceed to the accessories of a 
 portrait : these you know consist of the drapery, 
 the back-ground, and many objects which may 
 be introduced and infinitely varied according to 
 the subject represented. The first rule I have 
 to give you on this article is, that they should 
 be subordinate in colour, light, and eftect, to the 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. J47 
 
 head, which must, in preserving the same 
 energy and the same truth, unceasingly attract 
 the sight and observation. 
 
 The manner of adjusting the drapery contri- 
 butes more than is generally believed by portrait- 
 painters, to give animation and character, and 
 even expression, to their figures. The variety 
 and inconstancy of fashion, frequently also the 
 caprice of those who are being painted, will not 
 always allow' painters to make application of the 
 rules of the art in this respect ; they ought not, 
 however, to be unacquainted with them, and 
 they should endeavour to conform to them as 
 much as possible. Raphael, the model of per- 
 fection in every style, has taught us that the 
 draperies are intended to cover, but not to hide, 
 the forms. The large folds ought always to be 
 placed on the largest parts of the body. If the 
 nature of the drapery requires small folds, you 
 must give them but little relief, in order that 
 they may yield in effect to those which indicate 
 the principal parts. You should denote the 
 curved folds at the bending of the joints, and 
 it should be the form underneath which deter- 
 mibes those of the drapery. You must also 
 H 2 
 
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 place larger folds upon the projecting parts 
 than upon the receding ones, and be careful 
 never to indicate two folds of the same size and 
 form beside each other. 
 
 All the great masters, particularly the one I 
 have just mentioned, succeeded in expressing 
 by the drapery, not only the exact form of their 
 models at the moment taken, but even discovered 
 by their scientific execution the position in which 
 they were placed the instant before. In order to 
 produce this effect you must study it in nature ; 
 never begin a dress until you have drawn the 
 principal lines of it from the person who is sit- 
 ting to you ; afterwards you may adjust it upon 
 a lay figure, the immobility of which will allow 
 you more easily to represent the effect. This 
 machine, successfully made use of by almost 
 all painters, resembles a skeleton in its construc- 
 tion ; it even expresses the movements with the 
 assistance of balls placed in the joints : it is 
 stuffed with horse-hair, covered with knitting, 
 and is made in imitation of the exterior forms 
 of the human figure. When you have dressed 
 it in the drapery you wish to copy, you must 
 place it exactly in the same situation and the 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 149 
 
 same attitude as those of your model. Then 
 attentively examine if the folds it offers resemble 
 those which nature presents to you. If this be 
 not the case, you must remedy it as much as 
 possible by making this figure perform some 
 movements of the body and arms, and then 
 (lightly with the finger) arranging the folds into 
 which the drapery falls in the most natural 
 manner, and following as far as possible the 
 rules I have just given you. The execution of 
 the draperies has great influence on the harmony 
 of a portrait, not only from the colour and va- 
 riety of tints, but also from the becoming 
 arrangement of the folds, the distribution of the 
 light, and the blending of the light with the 
 shade. There are colours that agree together, 
 others that are injurious to each other ; in ge- 
 neral, strong contrasts produced by opposing 
 colours, or bright lights and strong shades 
 abruptly brought together, offend the sight, and 
 are contrary to the laws of harmony. A portrait- 
 painter, notwithstanding the very little latitude 
 usually allowed him, ought, however, to en- 
 deavour to follow these laws as nearly as he 
 possibly can, and for this purpose avail himself 
 the advantage which he can obtain by the 
 
150 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 arrangement of the folds, the chiaro oscttro, and 
 the expression of the reflected lights. 
 
 With all the zeal inspired by my ardent desire 
 for your improvement, my amiable pupil, I can- 
 not enter into an infinite number of details and 
 examples, which would add weight to these 
 precepts ; and I am again obliged to refer you 
 to the productions of the ancient masters, and 
 modern artists who have imitated them, for the 
 just execution of all the accessories which may 
 be admitted into a portrait. You will be able 
 to follow them more nearly in the composition of 
 the back-ground, for the arrangement of which 
 the opinion of the artist is usually of much im- 
 portance in the mind of the person painted. 
 The colours you employ in this will offer you 
 many resources for giving effect to your head 
 and drapery, and to correct the general aspect 
 of them, when that is necessary. If your por- 
 trait require colour and relief, and you dare not 
 increase the vigour of it for fear of destroy- 
 ing the resemblance, you must then make n 
 bright back-ground, of a greyish tint mixed 
 with blue: this will contribute to bring it for- 
 ward, and to make it appear more animated. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 151 
 
 If, on the contrary, your head be of too high 
 a colour, you may, by the assistance of a warm 
 and deep-coloured back-ground, give it an as- 
 pect more resembling that of nature. However 
 simple may be the back-ground you think it 
 right to adopt, it must on no account be of 
 an equal shade throughout, and it is highly es- 
 sential, by the variety of the primitive tints and 
 glazings by which they are covered, to produce 
 some difference in the tints, particularly around 
 the head. This will give space and uncer- 
 tainty, will detach the head, and give it round- 
 ness. 
 
 An historical portrait is so called, when we 
 introduce into its composition one or several 
 persons represented with the dress and at- 
 tributes taken from history or fable, or even 
 peculiar to the rank and situation that these 
 persons occupy in society. 
 
 It is sufficient to express, in the representa- 
 tion of a single individual, an action which 
 gives him interest and motion, tp bestow upon 
 this picture the qualification of an historical 
 portrait ; and it is to productions of this latter 
 
152 
 
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 kind, that it is prudent to confine miniature 
 painting. 
 
 It is, however, I know, very difficult to resist 
 the entreaties of a fond mother desirous of being 
 painted with her child in her arms. I know no- 
 thing more likely to inspire you with a refined 
 and elevated taste for this sort of composition, 
 than the Holy Families of Raphael. If you wish 
 to represent several children in the same minia- 
 ture, consult Albane, Titian, and Vandyke; 
 carefully observe their manner of placing the 
 figures and the reflection that their flesh pro- 
 fliicps one upon the other. 
 
 I cannot conceal from you that a portrait- 
 painter has much more diflSculty than an his- 
 torical painter to confine himself strictly to 
 the rules of the art for this style of composition. 
 There are certain positions of the head in 
 which it is difficult, often even quite impossible, 
 to obtain a resemblance ; there is also much 
 less latitude for the arrangement of his group ; 
 besides which, he is not always master of the 
 number that will compose it, and yet a graceful 
 effect is only to be obtained by an uneven num- 
 ber. The figures ought to be united by tlie ac- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. J53 
 
 tion, and the whole ought to present a pyrami- 
 dical form. Be careful to prevent the extre- 
 mities from causing by their positions either a 
 strait, horizontal, perpendicular, or an oblique 
 line ; no head can meet another head horizon- 
 tally or perpendicularly. There ought never 
 to be an equal distance between two limbs ; 
 the two arms or the two legs of the same figure 
 ought also never to be represented in the same 
 fore-shortening ; finally, there ought never to 
 be any repetition in the disposition of the 
 limbs, and you should always endeavour to 
 bring forward the most beautiful parts of the 
 body. 
 
 You see, my dear pupil, that it is necessary 
 to consult your powers before you attempt such 
 enterprises; but whatever may be the difficulty, 
 with taste, patience, and practice, it is possible 
 to acquire the knowledge requisite to execute 
 them. A study, more or less profound, of the 
 rules of perspective will become indispensable 
 to you. Many authors, such as Albert Durer, 
 George Reich, Salomon de Caus, Marolais, 
 Pietra Acolti, Sirigati, Guido Ubaldi P. Nice- 
 ron, F. Dubrueil, Curabele, Le Clerc, Jaurat, 
 
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154 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 &c. have given upon this science, which is a 
 part of mathematics, excellent, but rather too 
 abstruse precepts. I more particularly advise 
 your reading “ Elements of Perspective for the 
 use of Artists,” by P.H. Vaylenciennes. What- 
 ever sight-precision you may have acquired in 
 drawing, you would be wrong to depend upon it 
 when you shall be obliged to place in perspective 
 all the accessories required in the style of com- 
 position which 1 have been speaking of. We 
 too often see many pictures very pretty in every 
 other respect, but in which we regret to find the 
 grossest faults’ against linear perspective. 
 
 These faults are the less excusable, since, being 
 well grounded in the principles of that science, 
 one may make the application of them to the 
 art of painting by the most simple, and at the 
 same time the most infallible, means. The aerial 
 perspective is not so confined as the linear to 
 principles that can be rigorously demonstrated ; 
 it teaches the degree of light which objects re- 
 flect upon the spectator in consequence of 
 their distance ; it informs us, that these objects 
 are diminished in tint in proportion to the inter- 
 mediate air which separates them from the eye 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 155 
 
 looking upon them. It is chiefly fi^in obser- 
 vation that you will become acquainted with the 
 rules for this part of the science. 
 
 You will perceive that by diminishing the 
 tint it renders the contours more undecided, 
 that it effaces the angles, and indicates only the 
 forms that terminate the objects, at the same 
 time rendering them more vague and unde- 
 termined. This knowledge once acquired, 
 joined to that of drawing and of colouring 
 which you already possess, will facilitate the 
 imitation of other kinds of painting, and you 
 will be able to vary your productions by or- 
 namenting the back-ground of your portraits 
 with draperies, architecture, indications of in- 
 terior, or landscape. You will at the same time 
 have gained the facility of placing in their re- 
 spective situations all other objects of still life 
 which you may be desirous of introducing in 
 your composition. But I cannot warn you too 
 much, that by thus extending your sphere you 
 will multiply the difficulties to be conquered, 
 and give.farther scope to criticism. I therefore 
 advise you, as a friend, after having scrupulously 
 consulted nature for the heads, the position of 
 
156 
 
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 the figures, and their adjustments, to make the 
 other accessories after good models in oil-paint- 
 ing ; in every case, that you search materials 
 for your compositions from the great masters, 
 or from nature : being obliged to reduce your 
 work to a smaller scale, you should always, 
 before you decide upon an idea, make a sketch 
 in pencil, in order to judge of the general effect, 
 and submit it, if possible, to the observation of 
 a well-judging person, even if he have less ta- 
 lent than yourself, his advice may still be 
 profitable. 
 
 At his return. Monsieur de Saint Remi may 
 be of the greatest use to you in this respect. 
 And I need not repeat here, that every time 
 you send me any new production, I shall have 
 great pleasure in candidly expressing my opinion 
 of it, and the sincere attachment you have 
 inspired for life to your, &c. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 157 
 
 LETTER XX. 
 
 Miss Howard to Mr. Deville. 
 
 Chateau de la Bourdaisiere, 
 7th March, 1822. 
 
 How much I have to relate to you, my dear 
 Mr. Deville ! I would, however, willingly begin 
 by scolding you, but that my father, who loves 
 his friends for themselves, has forbidden me to 
 do so : otherwise I should not find the reasons 
 which you say prevent your quitting your hate- 
 ful city of Paris sufficiently satisfactory, not to 
 have some objections to make to them ; but 
 hush ! I have already said more than I am per- 
 mitted. There is also another subject respect- 
 ing which I am desirous of quarrelling with you, 
 I will, however, wait a little to become a better 
 judge how far you deserve my anger; for the 
 present I will be satisfied with telling you that 
 I suspect you of much duplicity towards me, 
 and that I am induced to believe that I am not 
 
15B 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 the only person who derives great advantage 
 from your correspondence ; yet, however guilty 
 you may possibly appear in my eyes, I feel that 
 it will be very difficult to cease loving you, or 
 to cease making you the depository of my feel- 
 ings. Were you even to plot against me, I am 
 confident that you would have the generosity 
 not to make use of the arms which my inge- 
 nuousness might afford you. 
 
 You must know, then, that some days since, 
 1 went out about three o’clock to take my usual 
 walk in the extensive park, which is crossed in 
 its length by a wide avenue of trees that leads 
 from the chateau to the border of the forest of 
 Amboise. The splendour of a beautiful day re- 
 animated all nature, and the modest violet here 
 and there announced the return of spring. I was 
 occupied in tying some of these flowers together, 
 when I perceived a furious bull which had escaped 
 from its stall ; probably attracted by the striking 
 colour of a part of my dress, he directed his 
 course towards me. My precipitate flight did 
 not allow me to retain a scarlet shawl which I 
 wore ; its fall for a moment fixed the attention 
 of the terrible animal, but he was again over- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 159 
 
 taking me, when a gentleman on horseback gal- 
 loped towards him and forced him to take an 
 opposite direction ; at the same moment my de- 
 liverer alighting from his horse, approached 
 to offer me assistance. My terrified eyes re- 
 tained no other faculty than that of fixing the 
 object of my alarm, which was pursued in its 
 course by the horse, who instinctively seemed 
 to promote his master’s wishes in drawing the 
 danger from me and making the terrible beast re- 
 turn to the place it had quitted. But what was 
 my surprise, when, recovering from my terror, I 
 discovered in the person who was lavishing his 
 attentions upon me the same individual whose 
 presence had already been so serviceable during 
 our journey through Blois last year. We were 
 soon surrounded by the servants of the chateau, 
 when I perceived from the respectful but at the 
 same time delighted reception which they gave 
 him, that he was no stranger in this abode. 
 His graceful and obedient horse, who of its own 
 accord gave itself up into the hands of the 
 grooms, received many caresses and congratu- 
 lations from them. The whole chateau was in 
 motion ; every countenance beamed with plea- 
 
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 LETTERS UPON 
 
 sure ; my father appeared, and my astonish- 
 ment was at its height, when hearing him ex- 
 press his gratitude in the most affecting manner 
 on my account, I discovered that it was to Mon- 
 sieur de Saint Remi himself to whom he was 
 speaking. 
 
 The danger which 1 had escaped, the surprise 
 I experienced, scarcely allowed me to stammer 
 out a few words, and I was obliged to retire to 
 my apartment. The attentions of Mrs. Andrews, 
 and two hours’ repose, restored me to my usual 
 state of health : upon descending to the draw- 
 ing room soon after, I was joined by my father 
 and Monsieur de Saint Remi. The great merit 
 and rare qualities which he is so generally al- 
 lowed to possess had led me to imagine him 
 much older than he really is. He does not at 
 most appear more than thirty years of age ; in 
 every other respect his conversation and man- 
 ner perfectly agree with the description which 
 you have given me of them. He gracefully ac- 
 cepted an impromptu dinner we offered him, 
 during which his conversation so much delighted 
 us that we regretted to find he had ordered his 
 carriage as early as seven. Upon taking leave. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 161 
 
 niy father told him he should do himself the 
 pleasure of calling upon him the next day ; he 
 then left us to return to the pavilion of Bellevue, 
 where he had arrived from his journey that 
 morning. You will readily imagine how many 
 questions I had to ask my father; he was so 
 good as to answer candidly all those I had the 
 courage to address to him, and took this op- 
 portunity to mention a project which till then 
 he had only hinted at. It seems he is desirous 
 of purchasing a considerable property situated 
 at a very short distance from our present ha- 
 bitation. I have always liked whatever could 
 give him pleasure : I know how well a residence 
 in the country accords with his taste and agrees 
 with his health, I therefore rejoice in seeing 
 him conclude a purchase which, in his opinion, 
 is also extremely advantageous. I have learned 
 from him, that Monsieur de Saint Remi had 
 seen me in Paris, and that my father had since 
 been informed by you, my dear master, that it 
 was not entirely to chance, as I believed it, 
 that we owed our meeting last year. 
 
 This avowal on the part of my father has 
 given rise to many reflections on mine ; and I 
 
162 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 shall be infinitely obliged to you, if, in appeal- 
 ing to your honour, you would realize in your 
 next letter the protestations of attachment, and 
 above all, of candour, with which you terminate 
 your last. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 163 
 
 LETTER XXL 
 
 Mr. Deville to Miss Howard. 
 
 Paris, 4th April, 1822. 
 
 Yes, my dear pupil, I am going to write can- 
 didly to-day, and I must say that after having 
 sent you a letter of twenty pages upon painting, 
 I find it rather extraordinary that you do not 
 say one word that relates to that art ; and that 
 you appear to have no recollection of my letter, 
 excepting the last phrase. But I see that my 
 part is changed, and that it is you, Ellen, who 
 unconsciously shew me how to paint from na- 
 ture. The time for concealment is at an end ; 
 you know more upon this subject than I do; 
 and since I have nothing farther to teach, I 
 wish at least to prove that, if I be no longer 
 your master, I have never ceased to be your 
 friend. 
 
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 Monsieur de Saint Renii, of whom you tell 
 me a great deal, but with whom you have been 
 personally acquainted scarcely one month, had 
 already remarked you in one of the most bril- 
 liant circles of the Capital, where ceremony 
 obliged him to appear for one instant. This 
 moment was sufficient to enable him to dis- 
 tinguish you from all the beauties who orna- 
 mented this assembly. You sang an air of 
 Rossini’s, and the soft accents of your voice 
 (which every one but yourself thinks delightful) 
 affected him to such a degree, that he did 
 not attempt disguising from me the next day, 
 the new but sweet impression which his heart 
 had received. The interest which he had in- 
 spired induced me to avail myself of this oppor- 
 tunity to create in him the hope of consolation 
 and happiness. He appeared to listen to me a 
 moment with pleasure; soon after, calculating 
 the difference of age, perhaps also that of tastes, 
 which he supposed might exist between you 
 and him, he said, at the same time sighing, “ No, 
 I cannot — I ought not to endeavour to associate 
 to my melancholy existence a being so happily 
 gifted with all the charms of nature, and des- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 165 
 
 tilled by her talents and amiability to occupy 
 a station much more agreeable than that which 
 I should be able to afford her. “No! ” said he, 
 with an accent of the most profound despair, 
 “ I will see her no more,” I am going to quit 
 Paris immediately, to spend my gloomy days 
 in the country.” Learning, however, soon after 
 your intention of inhabiting Tourraine, J ven- 
 tured to make him acquainted with it : he ap- 
 peared struck by this information, and told me 
 that he was very desirous of rendering himself 
 serviceable to you in that country : he has proved 
 this, I think. You will, however, be astonished 
 to hear, that he refused to be introduced to you, 
 and informed me at the same time that he in- 
 tended making a very short stay in his own 
 country, but should pass the winter in Italy. 
 The meeting at Blois, his quick return to you, 
 prove that he was not so sure of the latter part 
 of his assertion. I am ignorant at present how' 
 far he has deviated from the plan of conduct 
 which he had proposed to follow ; most probably 
 you can also, in this case, inform me of many 
 occurrences with which I am unacquainted. He 
 cannot, however, have been more successful 
 
1(56 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 than I desire, were he even to become, thanks 
 to you, the happiest man in the world. But I 
 find that I am going too far, and that I am 
 telling you much more than you asked. I will, 
 then, leave a subject which it no longer becomes 
 me to discuss, and proceed to one upon which I 
 cannot as easily as you lose the habit of speaking. 
 
 When you first began painting, I sent you all 
 the necessary materials, and it is a precaution 
 which a master ought always to take ; it is only 
 by the help of experience that we learn to 
 choose, or to ameliorate (where there is oc- 
 casion,) the different articles wanted for paint- 
 ing in miniature; for they are not always 
 equally well prepared. Some shops sell colours 
 in powders, others in pastilles wrapped in 
 paper ; in England they are generally sold in 
 cakes. Besides which they do not always bear 
 the same name in every place. It is only by 
 the force of habit that you will be able to judge 
 whether such or such a colour, presented to you 
 under a different name, can replace in the use 
 that which you require. Autheaume and Cos- 
 sard of Paris, Ackermann and Newman in Lon- 
 don, have a great celebrity for this kind of com- 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 107 
 
 merce ; I will not, however, point out one shop 
 as preferable to another, because it frequently 
 happens that you may find the same colours 
 very well prepared elsewhere. What is es- 
 sential, is to know how to remedy the incon- 
 veniences which do occasionally arise from the 
 negligence of those who sell them. 
 
 I have confined myself to indicating twelve 
 combinations of the principal colours for the 
 flesh, and in reality we might confine ourselves 
 to four ; for with black, blue, red, yellow, and 
 reserving the lights upon the ivory, we might 
 succeed in making all the mixtures necessary 
 for miniature-painting. 
 
 The history of the fine arts teaches us that the 
 eminent masters executed for a length of time 
 with only red, blue, and yellow, which are the 
 three primitive colours, black being only an ab- 
 straction from light, and white the light itself. A 
 learned German, named Mayer, has calculated 
 that with the three primitive colours, modified 
 more or less with black and white, we might pro- 
 duce by their diflFerent combinations eight hun- 
 dred and nineteen tints. We have, then, reason 
 to believe that the Greeks, who have left us such 
 
168 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 beautiful master-pieces in sculpture, bad reached 
 an equal degree of perfection in painting, and 
 that Apelles or Protogenes may have excelled 
 ill the art of colouring, as did Phidias, Myron, 
 Lysippus, &c., in the art of sculpture. 
 
 Modern painters having discovered in nature 
 substances which presented, ready prepared, 
 the same mixtures that the ancients were obliged 
 to seek for upon their palettes, have increased 
 the number of materials for painting, and have 
 furnished artists with newer and speedier means 
 of acquiring perfection in their art. 
 
 There have, however, been painters who, 
 since these discoveries, have thought they might 
 dispense with making use of them : they cite 
 Santerre, a French artist, who was still living 
 at the commencement of the last century. He 
 voluntarily confined himself to the five colours 
 used by the ancients : notwithstanding this, his 
 productions were remarked for their soft and 
 pleasing style of colouring ; the only substances 
 he employed were ultramarine, massicot, red 
 brown, French white, and Polish black. This 
 example, which it might perhaps be dangerous 
 to follow, is, however, well to mention, as it 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 169 
 
 proves, that it is not the great variety of tints 
 upon the palette which produces fine colouring, 
 but the manner of employing them. 
 
 But let us now return to miniature painting. 
 When you are desirous of renewing the colours 
 upon your palette or of putting on fresh, you 
 must remember that ochres, raw sienna, brown 
 No. 4. bistre, black, vermillion, and ultra- 
 marine, require to be ground again, and to have 
 gum : habit, and the use which you have hither- 
 to made of the colours I have sent you, can 
 alone give you a just idea of the degree ne- 
 cessary. Lake, carmine lake, and precipit^, are 
 generally sold with gum — experience will teach 
 you whether in sufficient quantity, but there is 
 no harm in grinding them as much as possible. 
 
 It is extremely useful to have tw o flesh palettes, 
 one with rather less gum than the other. The 
 first serves to sketch the portrait and to forward 
 it as much as you can ; the second may be use- 
 ful in the end to polish and give it more depth*. 
 Some painters, particularly in England, rarely 
 employ body-colours, but preserve through the 
 colour the transparency of the ivory, even in 
 the most obscure back-grounds and draperies. 
 
 I 
 
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 LETTERS UPON 
 
 This manner of painting may be harmonious, 
 but it does not bring out the head sufficiently, 
 nor produce much effect, neither does it re- 
 sist the ravages of time. In order to avoid 
 as much as possible this great inconvenience, 
 vou must sketch the accessories you wish to 
 execute in this style in the following man- 
 ner : wash them over with a large pencil, 
 w'ith a tint equivalent in strength to two-thirds 
 of that of the colour you are desirous of ob- 
 taining : when ’this preparation is dry, unite it 
 by dotting upon it with the local tint, indicating 
 the shades with a darker tint. You may pick 
 out the stronger lights, skilfully taking off 
 the colour with the point of a damp pencil; 
 then re-glaze them lightly with a faint mixture 
 of white, the local tint, and a great deal of 
 gum. 
 
 You will observe, that in laying the body- 
 colours on the palette you must put a large 
 quantity of each, and let there be only three 
 or four at most on one side of the palette, in 
 such a manner as to leave room for the com- 
 position of the mixtures. Do not fear to exer- 
 cise your patience, or that of the person em- 
 ployed in the tiresome occupation of grinding 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 171 
 
 them as much as possible : you must add to 
 them a moderate quantity of gum. We only 
 make use of light white for miniature-painting, 
 the white of lead being subject to become black 
 from the effect of the air. You should put 
 some of this same white in two different places; 
 one of these quantities, with much less gum, 
 will serve to go a second time over the lights 
 which you will have prepared with the other, 
 in order to render them more brilliant. Some 
 painters, who wish to give more solidity to the 
 back-ground and draperies in body-colour, put 
 more gum in the first sketch : this precau- 
 tion is unnecessary, when the ivory is properly 
 prepared ; but remember, that in order to suc- 
 ceed in painting in body-colours, they must 
 not have too much gum. When you have 
 finished, and have been able to express all that 
 you were desirous of executing with the as- 
 sistance of glazings of a warm tint, you may 
 make that grey and earthy aspect, which it so 
 often presents, disappear. 
 
 We can paint in miniature upon several kinds 
 of white substances, such as marble, alabaster, 
 and even egg-shell : they have succeeded in 
 
172 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 preparing and softening the latter by means 
 of humidity ; they may then be easily spread 
 upon a plate of metal or a thick sheet of paste- 
 board, after which they are susceptible, as 
 well as ivory, of receiving the preparation which 
 I have already explained to you. The paper, 
 and Bristol pasteboard, which are used for the 
 aquarelles cannot be chosen too tine or too 
 even ; as they then require no other preparation 
 than that of the agate stone. Vellum, which you 
 must be careful to stretch upon pasteboard, or 
 a plate of metal, may be lightly pounced. 
 
 Ivory has generally been adopted in pre- 
 ference to any of these substances, because 
 it is subject to fewer inconveniences, and in 
 its local tint comes nearer to that of the flesh 
 itself ; and because it is capable of receiving 
 a higher finish, and of being executed upon 
 with greater vigour, and consequently produces 
 works of longer duration. It ought to be chosen 
 extremely white, without apparent veins, very 
 even, and cut in very thin sheets ; because, in 
 proportion to its thickness, its opacity will 
 give it a yellow tint ; when otherwise, if it be 
 transparent, the whiteness of the paper or 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 173 
 
 pasteboard it is placed upon will penetrate 
 and increase that which is natural to it. 
 
 It is extremely important to know how to 
 make a judicious choice of pencils : those for 
 the back-ground ought to be square at the end, 
 short and thick ; you must dip them in water, 
 and then try them upon paper to see if they 
 remain united, and if there be not one hair 
 longer than the others. The pencils of squir- 
 rels’ hair, made for sketching, ought not to 
 be too long, their points should be round 
 and firm. The sable pencils must be full of 
 hair ; the colour will not then dry so quickly, 
 and in consequence render the touch larger and 
 softer ; the points should be firm, supple, and 
 elastic. In order to be assured of this, you 
 must wet them, and turn them in every di- 
 rection upon your finger, or upon paper : if 
 they make but one point, you may then con- 
 clude that they are good ; if, on the contrary, 
 they do not unite well, or that some hairs be 
 longer than others, in that case they are good 
 for nothing. You may, however, still make 
 use of a pencil too pointed, (provided the 
 hair remain united) by cutting them with scis- 
 I 3 
 
174 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 sars, but be very careful not to do it too much. 
 A surer method of making a proper point is by 
 wetting it, and passing it rapidly through the 
 flame of a wax taper. The best pencils are un- 
 doubtedly to be found at Cherrion’s, Quai de 
 I’Horloge, in Paris ; in London, at Ackerman u’s, 
 Newman’s, &c. 
 
 Most miniature-painters have a habit of pas- 
 sing their pencil between the lips while painting, 
 in order to unite the hair and make a good 
 point ; if there be too much water, they, by this 
 means draw it from the pencil, and leave only 
 sufficient to enable them to employ the colour 
 with softness. You need not fear that this will 
 be injurious, for all colours used in miniature- 
 painting, when prepared (except the orpiment, 
 which is a poison), have no bad qualities, or 
 disagreeable taste. This last-mentioned dan- 
 gerous colour does not make a part of the flesh 
 palette, therefore you will do well to employ this 
 method for the purpose of making your work 
 even, and prevent its being too much loaded 
 with colour. In painting with body-colour, 
 you need only gather the hair of your pencil, 
 and if there be too much colour, discharge it 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 175 
 
 upon paper, or upon the palette itself ; in short, 
 as every painter in the end acquires a manner of 
 his own, it is difficult to decide upon the proper 
 quality which the pencils ought to possess, or 
 upon the best manner of using them. It will 
 only be after having bought both bad and good, 
 that you will be able to discover those which 
 are more favourable to your method of exe- 
 cuting. 
 
 The rapidity of your progress, and the in- 
 telligence which you have shown in the appli- 
 cation of the rules I have transmitted to you, 
 have induced me to make you explore rapidly, 
 in the study of miniature-painting, that ground 
 which is generally gone over by much slower 
 steps. Whatever perfection is attained in co- 
 louring, or correctness in drawing, it is by time 
 only that can be acquired that evenness of work, 
 that precision, that high finish, those happy and 
 spirited touches, which ought essentially to cha- 
 racterize this style of painting. After you have 
 begun to paint from nature, you must by no 
 means on that account neglect copying from 
 good productions : whatever talent you may 
 have attained, you will find great benefit from 
 
L76 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 doing this, provided you do not always study 
 the same master. 
 
 My instructions will no longer be of service 
 to you, as they would be confined merely to 
 recall to your memory that which 1 have already 
 said, and which you may see every day in the 
 models that are at your command ; be not, 
 therefore, wearied of admiring or contemplating 
 them, and they will inspire you with an emu- 
 lation that will enable you to soar with your 
 owm wings. 
 
 Since you already suspect that I have more 
 than one correspondent in Tourraine, I will not 
 hesitate to confess to you, that I terminate this 
 letter to write one in answer to Monsieur de 
 Saint Remi, with whom I am in that respect 
 greatly in arrear. For your interest, as well as 
 my own, I purpose employing him in the de- 
 veloperaent of those precepts you have been 
 willing to receive from me ; and which may still 
 be susceptible of being variously applied to 
 different cases. For your tranquillity, I will as- 
 sure you that I have no necessity for this pur- 
 pose to inform him of all you have written to 
 me, and still less of what, 1 may venture to say. 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 177 
 
 I have guessed. I am too much his friend, 
 and yours at the same time, to deprive him, if 
 my conjectures be right, of the pleasure of in- 
 forming me of it himself. My correspondence 
 with him and Mr. Howard, still more than the 
 letters I have the pleasure of addressing to you, 
 would furnish you with the most authentic 
 proofs of the friendship, the devoted attach- 
 ment, which is felt for you by the sincerest and 
 most disinterested of your admirers. 
 
L78 
 
 LETTERS UPON 
 
 LETTER XXII. 
 
 Monsieur de Saint Remi to Mr. Deville. 
 
 Chateau de la Bourdaisi^re, 
 
 27th July, 1822. 
 
 If it were possible that I could be offended 
 with you, to whom I am indebted for the hap- 
 piness of my life, I sliould bitterly upbraid you 
 for not having witnessed it; but I must submit, 
 as no one, I am willing to confess, has so little 
 right as myself to blame your conduct with re- 
 gard to me. Madame de Saint Remi, for such 
 is now the name of the adorable Ellen, will not, 
 perhaps, be as lenient towards you : I leave to 
 her the painful task of reproaching you with 
 absence at such a moment, in order to indulge 
 myself in all the enthusiasm inspired by the 
 ingenious surprise she prepared for me. She 
 was aware who would be the person to whom I 
 should hasten to express the extent of my fe- 
 licity ; and the first object that struck my sight. 
 
 4 
 
MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 179 
 
 when sitting down to write to you, was a mi- 
 niature of herself, underneath which I found 
 these words : “ Pledge of my love for you, and 
 of Mr. Deville’s friendship for me.” 
 
 The admirable execution induced me, on lirst 
 inspection, to believe it your painting, but the 
 modesty of your amiable and grateful pupil 
 would not allow her to prolong my error ; she 
 even pointed out some faults which she said 
 would never have escaped your pencil. For ray 
 part, I only saw a picture which exceeds all 
 praise ; it is the result of your zeal and instruc- 
 tions, and at the same time proves in the most 
 incontestable manner the excellence of your 
 precepts and the utility of your method. 
 
 Every one here, without having the same pow- 
 erful motives, participates in ray impatience to 
 see you again. The events of the last six 
 months have caused many alterations in the 
 plans formed a year ago on all sides. 
 
 We intend very soon going in person to make 
 you acquainted with them; you will then be 
 better able to judge how greatly your society is 
 necessary to the completion of the happiness 
 which is now possessed by the most fortunate 
 
180 ON MINIATURE PAINTING. 
 
 of men, the most grateful, and certainly the 
 most obliged, of those who have merited the 
 title of your friend. 
 
 De Saint Remi. 
 
 Postscript by Madame de Saint Remi. 
 
 P. S. You shall not find me more cruel to- 
 day than Monsieur de Saint Remi ; how, indeed, 
 is it possible to be angry with you w'hen he is 
 near me? On the contrary, be assured, my 
 good Mr. Deville, that you are dearer to me 
 than ever. If I have changed my situation to 
 become the happiest of wives ; believe that I 
 shall not be the less, fox life, your sincere and 
 grateful pupil, 
 
 Ellen de Saint Remi. 
 
 THE end. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 PRINTED BV S AND R. BENTLEY, DORSET STREET.