Sir ROBERT KER PORTER (1780-1842) was born at Durham, and while a mere child was fond of drawing. His mother took him to London when he was ten years old, and enrolled him among the students of the Royal Academy. After a few years spent there he became an artist by profession, and at nineteen had painted "The Storming of Seringapatam," "The Siege of Acre," "The Battle of Agincourt," and invited all London to see them. It was a bold step, but it awakened great interest. When only twentyfour he was appointed historical painter to the Czar. His love of travel, and his literary gifts in describing the countries which he visited, made him at once a great traveller and a distinguished author. His pencil assisted his pen. He afterwards returned to England, and entered the consular service.

THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH (1727-1788) was a native of Sudbury, in Suffolk, and in his case the child was father of the man." He was a good sketcher at ten, and a confirmed painter at twelve years of age. Other learning came slowly, and had chiefly to be acquired in after years by himself. He was always sketching and painting-the woods, streams, fields with cattle or peasants around his home, were all transferred into his sketch-book. At length, in his fourteenth year, he was sent to London to study, and made rapid progress. After four years he returned to his father's house to start for himself. Very early he got married, and settled at Ipswich. His success was slow but sure, and Gainsborough became one of the greatest portrait-painters and landscape-painters of England.

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WILLIAM BLAKE (1757-1827) was born in London. father was a hosier, and wished William to follow the same business; but his mother, perceiving his love of art, encouraged him to prosecute his native genius. At ten he was an

artist, and at twelve a poet. He was apprenticed to an engraver, but found time to study art under Flaxman and Fuseli. Blake combined poetry with song, and published, as the first-fruits of this twin service, " Songs of Innocence and Experience." There were nearly seventy scenes, each with a poetical accompaniment. They were succeeded by others in after years. He was too imaginative to be popular; but his works show great genius. His "Jerusalem” was a curious composition of a hundred designs-a great favourite with himself; but it never was so with the public. His "Inventions of the Book of Job" were twenty-one representations of the man of Uz "amidst inflictions of Satan, the reproaches of his friends, and the insults of his wife." These were also engraved with his own hand at the expense of a friend. Blake had long to contend with poverty; but he would rather live in a garret on a crust of bread with the wife whom he married in his youth than contract debt. He left as many poems as would fill a hundred volumes, but of these only a few have been published. He was a poor sleeper, and seemed to be always dreaming. He lived in a world of visions. He saw all the creations of his genius. They seemed personally present as he drew their portraits.

Sir THOMAS LAWRENCE (1769-1830) was a native of Bristol in England. He tried to take likenesses when he was only five years of age. Lord and Lady Kenyon were one day at the inn of the elder Lawrence, who introduced his son to them. The boy was at once put to the test, and was lifted into a chair on the table, and asked to draw their likenesses. He did this "with a rapidity, a spirit, and a correctness which astonished them." At ten years of age he attempted historical subjects, and of these, "Christ Reproving Peter," and "Haman and Mordecai," attracted attention. Shortly afterwards he was placed under a crayon

painter at Bath, and took likenesses of fashionable residents, for which he got half a guinea each. He gained a prize for a crayon imitation of Raphael's "Transfiguration of Christ" when he was thirteen! It was the silver palette and five guineas given by the Society of Arts. When he was eighteen he removed to London, and was introduced to Sir Joshua Reynolds, who urged him to study nature. He then studied at the Royal Academy, and regularly sent works to the Exhibition. He was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in his twenty-second year. At twenty-three, when Sir Joshua Reynolds died, it soon became apparent that Lawrence was destined "to bear away the palm from the most gifted artists with whom he had to contend." He was at once appointed by the Dilettanti Society to succeed Sir Joshua as their painter, and even by King George III. as principal painter-in-ordinary. In 1794, just before he was twenty-five, he was elected a Royal Academician, and from that time had sittings from members of the royal family, the nobility, gentry, and distinguished persons. He had never visited Italy or studied the old masters, yet even Fuseli said that Lawrence "paints eyes better than Titian.” His youth was singularly distinguished, and yet, like Sir Joshua Reynolds, he lived "to paint three generations of beauties." He was the most distinguished artist of his day, and held the office of president of the Royal Academy from the death of Benjamin West till his own decease. He was knighted by the Prince Regent in 1815.

Sir DAVID WILKIE (1785-1841) was an illustrious instance of youthful success as an artist. He was born in the manse of Cults, in Fifeshire, Scotland, where his father was minister. The stipend of the parish was only £113, and much economy had to be practised to keep up a respectable appearance and provide for the education of the family. Young

Wilkie was first sent to the parish school of Pitlessie, where he was constantly drawing figures and taking portraits whenever he could get an opportunity amidst his daily lessons. When he passed to the academy of Cupar, he was only mediocre in everything; and as art was not then taught in common schools, he had to cultivate his favourite pursuit without a master. His father at length perceived that David would be a painter, and yielding to the necessity, tried to find a place where his straitened means would afford him an education in art. Through the recommendation of the Earl of Leven he got his boy admitted into the Trustees Academy in Edinburgh, where young Wilkie made marvellous progress. "Everything he attempted indicated a knowledge far beyond his years; and he soon took up that position in art which he maintained to the last. He was always on the look-out for character. He frequented trysts, fairs, and marketplaces, where there is generally a large assemblage of the country people of all ages, bargaining or disposing of their various commodities. These were the sources whence he drew his best materials. There he found that vigorous variety of character impressed on his very earliest works which has made them take such a lasting hold on the public mind."

After five years' study in the academy he returned to the manse of Cults, at the age of nineteen, with a ten-guinea prize. He then resolved to begin his profession, and for this purpose chose "The Fair of Pitlessie," a village in the neighbourhood, for his subject. He made all his characters portraits; and as he looked at the faces in his father's church he often drew likenesses while divine service was being celebrated. At length he had one hundred and forty figures on the canvas. The congregation and minister had been scandalized by his irreverent exercise in the house of God; but when the picture was exhibited, they could not help admir

ing it, as all others did so, and the whole country-side rang with its praise. Nothing of the kind had ever been seen in Scotland, and that a youth of nineteen should have painted it was somewhat astonishing. Wilkie next produced “The Village Recruit," which represented a recruiting sergeant trying to persuade three ploughmen to enter the army. This was also successful, and several people wished Wilkie to paint their portraits.

A wider sphere was, however, necessary for emolument and fame, and the young artist went to London in his twentieth year. He entered the Royal Academy as a probationer, and hoped to gain a livelihood by painting portraits. Sitters came slowly, and the slender stock of money, though very economically spent, was also slowly decreasing. "Among the many ways," he wrote to his father, "by which we try to save expense is that of cleaning our own boots and shoes." At length he became acquainted with Mr. Stodart, the pianoforte-maker, who sat for his portrait, and induced others to do likewise. The Earl of Mansfield commissioned Wilkie to paint the "Village Politicians," which was exhibited in the Royal Academy. The public were delighted with its delineations of character, and even artists acknowledged the rising star. His next picture was Blind Fiddler," painted for Sir George Beaumont, an artist and a patron of artists. "King Alfred in the Neatherd's Cottage" was produced not from portraits but from imagination, and though it did not exhibit such minuteness of character as his previous works, it yet obtained great repute as the work of so young a painter. West met him at that period, and said: "Never in my whole experience have I met with a young artist like Wilkie. He may be young in years, he is old in the experience of his art. honour to his country."

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