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snd being fufceptible of taking any colour. It looks extremely well when gilt, and onit the gilding is capable of high polilh. This fecret he learned at Paris, and hitherto ithas perfectly well fucceeded. Young , who {hall be mentioned prefently, pretends thatWood ought to have the preference; the former, however, is cheaper, more eafily re-paired, more fufceptible of receiving any form, and has in fa<5t precifely the fame effe£tas wood. This procefs moreover is in high eflimation with the King, ever anxious forthe completion of his fancies, as it gratifies them with greater promptitude. The work-shop of this artifl is on the ground floor of the caftle, in the pavillion of the library : heemploys very few workmen.
Mr. Young , an excellent carver, has a fund of tafte, and a perfeQ: comprehenfion ofevery thing that regards the decoration of apartments. We faw him intent on orna-menting the exterior of an organ; his work was beautifully defigned, and executedwith aftonifhing exa&itude. He has a number of fcholars to inftru£t in this line, inwhich the Swedes excel, as well as in gilding on wood.
Mr. Guilbert, an engraver, is employed in engraving all the medals of the prefentr eign in .copper. This collection, already very numerous, cannot be complete untilthe death of His Majefty, who referves for himfelf the plates and proofs, fo that it is nocafy matter to procure them; they are rather harfhly engraved. The vignettes fromdefigns of Mr. Mafrelier are principally in the befl: ftyle; each plate is to have an ex-planation, on turn columns, in French and Swedifh. The engraver of the medals isMr. Fehrmann ; Jte is a good artifl, but not equal to his predecefi'or. The collectionof the laft reign is confiderable on account of medals being ftruck on occafion of themoft trifling events, fuch even as by no means deferved commemoration.
Mr. Martins is engraving the views of Stockholm : many are completed: he after-wards illuminates them; they are fold at about af ducats each. They clearly evincethe precipitation with which this artifl works; being very incorreCt and badly finifhed jneverthelefs, as he is not void of genius and tafte, they are pleafing and have a goodeffect.
Mr. Breda , the younger, has been in England : his portraits afford hopes of his ex-celling at fome future period in this line. His father has fome pictures ; among themoft remarkable are the portrait of La Fojfe , by Rigaud. A defign, attributed to Raphael,feprefenting the fubmerfion of Pharaoh ; this is a very valuable piece, and came fromthe cabinet of Mr. Crozat. A fea piece, by T. Wouvermans. The maffacre of themnocents, a pretty fketch, by Peter de Cordone. Two fine portraits by Francis Halle.Two fea pieces by Simonini the Venetian ; thefe two pictures have great merit, and arevery rare of their kind, this artifl having painted fcarcely any thing but battles. Theflight into Egypt, by Guido, in his befl ftyle, very dark : it poffeffes a fund of beauty.Cain and Abel , faid to be by Andrew Sacchi. An old woman warming her hands, afrnall picture, accurately finifhed, which the owner affures is by G. Dow, notwithftand-ln g it bears the name of G. Schalken, which is vifible. A fine portrait of Merian, apainter and burgomafter in Holand , by himfelf.
Mr. Graaff is one of the befl portrait painters in Stockholm ; he has the reputa-tion of taking exact likenefl’es. We yet have feen at his houfe the portraits of the King,.and feveral perfons of our acquantance, which bore not the leaft refemblance. His pen-cil is far from poffeffing any delicacy ; and in any other country he would be efteemed.an ordinary painter.
Mr. Pafch is a portrait painter, in high efteem in this country j he has alfo the cha-tter of giving very exaCt refemblances.
Mr.