ters of eminence I must not forget to mention LAURENT. The
French are not very fond of him, and certainly they under-rate his talents.
As a colourist, some of his satins may vie with those of Vanderwerf. He
paints portraits, in small, as well as fancy-subjects. Of the former, that
of his daughter is beautifully executed. Of the latter, his _Young
Falconer_ is a production of the most captivating kind. But it is his _Joan
of Arc_ which runs away with the prize of admiration. The Government have
purchased the house in which that celebrated female was born,[196] and over
the door of which an ancient statue of her is to be seen. Laurent's
portrait is also purchased to be placed over the chimney-piece of the room;
and it is intended to supply furniture, of the character which it
originally might have possessed.

But if France cannot now boast her Mignard, Rigaud, or the Poussins, she
has reason to be proud of her present race of _Engravers_. Of these,
DESNOYERS evidently takes the lead. He is just now in Italy, and I shall
probably not see him--having twice called in vain. I own undisguisedly that
I am charmed with all his performances; and especially with his sacred
subjects from Raffaelle:--whom, it is just possible, he may consider to be
a somewhat better draftsman than David. There is hardly any thing but what
he adorns by his touch. He may consider the whole length portrait of
_Bonaparte_ to be his chef-d'oeuvre; but his _Vierge au Linge, Vierge dite
la Belle Jardiniere_,--and perhaps, still finer, that called _au
Donataire_--are infinitely preferable, to my taste. The portrait has too
much of detail. It is a combination of little parts; of flowered robes,
with a cabinet-like background: every thing being almost mechanical, and
the shield of the ex-Emperor having all the elaborate minutiae of Grignion.
I am heretic enough to prefer the famous whole length of poor Louis XVI, by
Bervic after Callet: there is such a flow of line and gracefulness of
expression in this latter performance! But Desnoyers has uncommon force, as
well as sweetness and tenderness, in the management of historical subjects:
although I think that his recent production of _Eliezer and Rebecca_, from
_Nicolo Poussin_, is unhappy--as to choice. His females have great
elegance. His line never flows more freely than in the treatment of his
female figures; yet he has nothing of the style of finishing of our
STRANGE. His _Francis_ I, and _Marguerite de Valois