The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-06-07 00:00:00

LA If

COUNT OF KING'S BENCH, Wasvalwitti, Jura 5.

-Sittings et Nisi Prins, 6r/ore Lord ELLENNOROUGH.
ERIK SR t,. NEA EIICOTE, Esq.
This was an aetien for work and labour, and for
money paid, laid out, and expended, to the Defend-
ant'. use.
Mr. GA 3 Row. in stating the case on the part of
the Plaintiff, said that hi. client WAS a most respect.
able Gentleman, residing in blond-street, and well
known in the west end of the town, and amongst per-
sons of taste ; he was celebrated for the most ele-
gant paper-hangings and decorations for ronms, in
which particular branch he had lone been distin-
guished The Defendant was a Genleman of v, ry
considerable fortune, and resided in Hill-street,
Berkeley.square, and, being a gentlemen of taste,
and celebrated for the elegant style of his house,
had employed the Plaintiff in the line of his busi-
ness to decorate the several apartments in his man-
sion in I lill-street, but more particularly his saloon,
which he wished to have fitted up after the man-
ner of an antique Egyptian temple, and direled
that it should be composed of is combination of
Views, taken from Denon's Views in Egypt. This
painting was to be executed in the manner of a Pa-
norama, to hive all the elle& which this beautiful
species of ornamental painting couli admit of.—
The Learned Counsel here went int.) a very eloque .t
eulogium upon this new and beautiful invention,
which was a very recent one, and only brought to
perfenion in this country within a very few sears.
This very arduous task was accordingly undertaken
by the Plaintiff, for which purpose, he employed a
Mr. Jones, a gentleman of great talent and ingenui-
ty. The work WAS first begun on canves ; hut, upon
endeavouring to fit it to the apartment, it was found
not to answer, and was to begin again. New im-
pediments now presented themselves; some flues
were to be altered, IA icklayers were employed, the
walls were to be prepared in a particular manner ei
order to receive the paint, an i avast deal of time and
laSour were necessary to complete thisbraneli of work.
The painting itself was at last begun, and, alit r
many obssiuetions, finished in a most superior style.
It represented an ancient Egyptian temple, decorated
in the most exquisite manner imaginable : through
the arcades was a view of the surrounding country ;
the various rebels of antiquity were to be seen in the
distance, and the bountiful Nle meandering through
her hanks; the whole presenting to the astonished
beholder a delusion of the most pleasing nature.
The effen was so great, and the deception so siagn-
lar, that the mind while contemplating this exquisite
produttion of art. was unaccountably drawn from
the fietion, and transported, as it were, to the reali-
ty. To elucidate this, the Learned Counsel ad-
verted to the various Panoramas lately, and now ex-
hibiting in this city, and expatiated upon the delu-
sive effeet of those, where persons, for the moment
forgetting then their situation, *fluidly fancied
themselves transported to Rome, Naples, Paris, &c.
When this pigure Was finished, the Defendant
seemed pelf sly satisfied, and it became the admire-
tionof the whole of theleshionahleworld; the labour,
talent, and ingenuity of Mr. Jones, wee displayed
in a most eminent degree. The painting itself
ttrensneed Olt ulna= yard', std Mr. Jones }ad le-
wally received 2501. from the Plaintiff as part pay-
ment. The Plaintiff himself had received pay-
ments at different times from the Defendant,
a:mounting in the whole to 3261. Gs. ; hut he should
prcve the work done, sad the valve thereof, by the
meat incontrovertible testimony of persons, highly
eminent in that profession, from which it would be
found, that a balance of 1041. 12s. was dna to the
T:,e lirst witness called was Mr. Brooke, who
stated, that he had been upwards of five and thirty
years in the line of a decnratette painter, and under-
stood the business thoroughly; he had examined
the painting in question ; and, to the best of his judg-
ment, he thought it a work of iminite labour. talent,
and ingenuity. It was a most beautiful prodaetion,
and he considered it, in its kind, a chef cr ',tepee.
With rcspeet to the sum charged, coking all the
circumsuncesof the various impediments from brick-
layers, damps, and change of atmosphere, which
always increased the labour, into consideration, he
thought the charges perfectly reasonable and mo-
derate.
Several other witnesses were examined to the same
effete.
Mr. ERSKINE, on the part of the Defendant, in
opening leis client's case, drew the several distiuc-
tions between good and had painting; between a
painting
.by a Claude Lorraine and a scene painter ;
and, having made some general observations upon
the slight manner in which this sort of piteures were
executed, he concluded by saying, that he should
sheen, from the testimony of persons highly eminent
in the profession, that not only the Plaintiffwas well
paid, but overpaid for this piece of workmanship.
The first Witness for the Defendant was Mr.
Smirk, historical painter. Ile stated that he hail
examined the painting in question, and, without
meaning the slightest offence to the artist, or depre-
ciating his produetion in the least degree, he consi-
dered the painting altogether a very slight work; it
was nothing more than a painting of a distant view,
it had not the effeel of a Claude Lorraine, but had
much the effete of a scene painting, and such as
might be intended for a village playhouse. He
was of opinion. epon the whole, that 1501. or there-
abouts, was
.quite an adequate sum for the work,
and that 401. more might be allowed for interrup-
tions, impediments. &c.
Upon his cross-examination by Mr. GA snow, he
admitted there was some difference between such a
painting as the one in question. and one finished to
hang in a frame against a wall. There were some
allowances to be made for the taste and fancy of
the artist. In painting his own pieteres far the
Shakespeare Gallery, he Was not limited ; he fre-
quently varied his shades, tints, &c. in his Hamlet
sad Giwt, and in his lohdsammer Night's Dream.
His fairies were altered according to his, fancy; all
this he allowed occupied a great deal of time, and
required mach labour, which any superflei it ob-
server would newer diicover front merely looking at
the work. He admitted al-o, that there were many
impediments to be allowed foe, such as in the pre.
sent instance, where bricklayers had been at work.
and dust had injured the piece; mulch allowance
was also to be made ter the chap of atmosphere,
Wide hprodir awed Mach and trouble.