, amongst
others Gudin and Isabey, and there is not any department which is more
encouraged by the King and the government; for the last several years
the former has had orders for at least a dozen each year, of naval
combats between France and her enemies, but those subjects which he
paints from his own spontaneous suggestions, are infinitely superior to
such as he executes to order. Fruits and flowers are branches of the art
in which the French artists particularly excel, one piece of flowers by
Bergon I think was one of the most perfect I have met with.

Latterly they have much advanced in their representation of cattle,
their sheep and cows are particularly good; some draught horses by Casey
were executed with infinite spirit, as also some wild horses by
Lepoitevin. Some delightful domestic pieces must excite admiration, of
fishermen, their wives and children, by Colin, very much in the style of
our own Collins, but not quite so good, as also others by Le Camus
Duval. Several interesting subjects attracted much of my attention, by
Henry Scheffer, Meissonnier, Bouchot, Dupre, Steuben, Rubio, Signol,
Charlet, Storelli, and a few others; in water colours the French are now
advancing with rapid strides, this year there were some exquisite
specimens in that department of painting, particularly by Heroult: but
the style in which the French now are most happy, is in what they call
_pastel_, which consists in a great variety of coloured chalks, rather
harder than what we understand by crayons; the manner in which they
execute portraits about a quarter the size of life, with these
materials, is surprising, it infinitely surpasses their oil portrait or
their miniatures. There are several foreign artists within the last two
years, who have sent their works to the Louvre which must not be passed
unnoticed, amongst the rest is a Spanish artist named Villa amil, whose
interiors are far above mediocrity, and who has given us some rich
specimens of Spanish monuments, which are now admirably illustrated in a
periodical lithographic work. Our countrymen, Messrs. Callow and Barker,
have also sent several pieces, which do them and their country credit,
the former, some beautiful subjects in water colours, and the latter of
varied descriptions, in some of which the game has been particularly
admired.

Miniature painting in France I should decidedly say was much inferior to
that of England, they are very fond of thick muddy back-grounds