The National Register.
London, England, 1818-01-04 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

..

Mr. RESTS PICTURE of DEATH ou the PALE HORSE.

IT has seldom if ever fallen to the lot of the critic, the
amateur, or the simple gazer, to contemplate a performance
art* Art on various accounts an interesting, as this picture : A
subject at once so grand, so terrific ; so wild, so mystical, so
eleinerical ; a representation to which, of all that ever came
from the hands ot an artist, a kry, is perhaps the most indis.
tensible. A thorough knowledge of the scriptural text from
which it is taken can afford but a very faint idea of the pic-
ture by which its illustration is intended. Such indeed is the
otrttrteieness of this part of sacred writ, that it seems rather
ad:spied to afford the artist who should be build enough to
Venture upon it, scope fin the exercise of the moat unbounded
talents, than any useful purpose of instruction or edification
in a religious point of view. Some will be ready to condemn
the choice of our beneiable President, who after having in.
dodged in themost benign soil interesting representations which
the inspired writings afford, could at 1e01.91i fix on a portion
of Scripture, so poi tentims, se apocarlyptical; while others
will applaud the boldness of an imagination, which after hav-
ing accomplished all that could be done in the historic de-
partment of the art, his dared to soar beyond the ordinary
'where of human conceptinns, and grasp a subject intirely
•Itrioriral, iti the delineation of which the most fervid ener•
gies ot his capacities • I have been called into action. Of
this latter opinion we are persuaded will be by far the greater
part of those who visit the pointing of Mr. West ; nor will it
be forgotten that it is the work of a veteran, in whom the
order of maitre seems to be insisted, who rises in excellence;
in proportion to Ins advance in years, and whose late produc-
tions lids e het a ten astonishment of his country, as they here-
after will be of ter civilized world. Sonic years have elapsed
Since the orit:iiisl sketch of this picture wits produced, and
such was the admiration in which it was held on the Conti.
nest where it wits exhibited to the cognoscenti by Mr. Weld,
th•lt lie etillid has r li,p4Artl of it at almost any sum which he
chose to fix As Om, price ; but he was miiiMilling that his coun-
try stsiiiik lie deprived of this favourite elf.. tof his genius,
and formed the resolution ot pa g the subject oil a large
P rale with a view to the present puidie exhibstion. Were it
not a norul Mos tact, it would hardly appear credible, that our
worthy Plods-or painted this picture when verging towards
kis tiOth year ! --a time when among the generality of those
who advance so fir iii lite, many ate scarcely able to wield
even a spoon for the taking their daily sustenance Ina the
pencil is still firm in his hand, Ii:, fancy is yet vivacious and
fertile, the powers of his mind have not skillet ed the least di-
mitmition.

This gigantic production of transcendent genius is taken
from the smile chapter of the Book of the Revelation, where
the opening of the seven seals is described in the vision of the
.tpostle John. The results of the opening of the first five only,
is depicted in the painting. one of which has been added
since the production of the mit:mai sketch. These form so
many distinct parts of the sniuv el. but they site all so liar-
inomonsly blended by the skill of the artist, that almost es ery
fi :ore which he has ittirmloceil *veins necessary to the form-
ing of oar grand represt ntation. The most prominent cha-
racter Is, of course, the mighty King of Terrors, seated on a
fiery steed, terrible in aspect and impetuous in his course,
dealing destruction rotund, and hurling death and devastation
in every direction. " Behind him is welt an invidious de-
" mon bearing the Poch of discord, with a monstrous progeny
" of the reptile would,"
" All prodigious things
Abominable, unutterable, and wore
Than fa!iles yet have or fear coneeied,
Gorgon .> and Hydras and Cements' dire."

" the Ministers of Hell, %ho had " power given to
4' them over tho Imo th part of the earth, to kill with sword
"nod with hunger and with disease, and with the beasts of
" the earth."

A secondary character in the picture k mounted on a
It hate horse, and appears to represent the 3lessiall, hat not
as io the last pictorial work of our artkt, " the in,ek and
lowly Jesus,- bearing is resi.mat ion the "corn and halted of
Vie semfilig multitude ; hot the King of Kings going fottli
s. Conquering and to Couipset," to bruise the head of the•
Serprid, and finally to put all things under his feet. This
C.:twit, and the horse oil which he is seated, are painted in
tile hunt agar, with exquisite taste Mid harmony of colour,
The hor.e is of milk white, to distinguish it front the pair and
'shire avid c Amore,' animal which bears the figure of I)rath.
I. may hm uhs-r•eil of these figures, that however necessary
t the making out the they have rather the effect
of diverting the eye limn a contemplation olthe principal
and the ititerestio4 groups towat ds the centre of flit
pi, mil..

- rite character next in importance. is the matt on the Red
,rse, who is repress:WM.4. a ‘‘,llrior armed with " the great
sword."—" He is advancing in the rime direction as the
Allessiali, then by intim din.; that those wan which have
" acennipanietl the progress of tlic Christian K-ligion, and of
64 which he IS the type awl emblem, area part oldie Divine
" scheme for effectually ditinsing it throughout the whole
at enrol. The horse in this instanee is caparisoned as a war
" horse, hut those of Duatb awl the Nlessiali, are without reins,
being guided only by the will tif their riders. A prophetic
vis:4 beyond this character, shews in one division the Hu-
" mans, ender Titus. returning with the spoils of Jerusalem,
" and in the other,l:rusatlers contending with Saracens."—
The ri ler on the block horse is a subordinate character, and
is thrown more into the back gioutl. He is represented as
pushing forward, bearing in Isis hand a pair of balances, and
possess. • a en ea energetic and expressive countenance. A
dont, stie glow in the foreground exhibits sonic tine and de.
lic.lfe tonclics of the pencil, while the situation iu which they
are I' u r.l, overwhelmed 1-y the destructive career of the
g: e., t l'lt, I,owrtfiully ese.tes the feelings, by the reflection
to it n 6.11 vnnth, twenty, wealth, nor talent can eat ape the
ravages of co. fed de•troyer. who, by his merciless shafts,
I,sels all r inks, and who titertaius neither pity nor tompas
Sinn for ally of the children of mew The i.e ion of the father
in this group wlll call to flue m nd of the spect.itor, Nightin-
gale's Mo..ti new, t..• celebrat-d work of Kteibil lac, in West-
minster Abbey. Hof attitude bears a close crsemirlanee to
that of the fixute of King Lear in a former composition
of Mr. illpses,

Amid- s onlr.h d nuns assemblage of figures, for the most
pert miry. isitely painted, are tern p. nom representing Pri-
stine aad be.pe;r. Tor:w are ehdraeteristie, and but
tUlb her(et)ic rt.:liiti I the soeeid tor of the numerous objects of
rthery and wre•Cleilstep• 'edicts we air flail% in the habit of
'berme. (• dash. tit tie• vl tda.ir aof on. p.v ish office. s) in our
walks th aset the k re,: of he merrn,...114. A man at one
and of the p stiii.•, who is rep • smite*, m. u-
lia at uppedre.l to the w it. lul t rmndi to., to iitar
1101110 tOletr.sl4lXo to the Ese.Eusii..rur Sdpuleun ; bu, a coun- I