Page:An Elementary History of Art.djvu/639

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In England. 609 is called " Smith of Chichester," to distinguish him from the painter of the same name, of Derby. George Smith, together with his two brothers, William and John, opened a private academy, wherein they worked without instruc- tion, except from nature and the old masters. George Smith became famous as a landscape painter, and was so far successful as to gain a premium from the Society of Arts. Joshua Reynolds, the son of a clergyman, was born at Plympton, in Devonshire, in 1723, three months before the death of Sir Godfrey Kneller. The boy's inclination to drawing began to appear at an early date, and he eagerly copied such prints as he found amongst his father's books. He was sent to London in 1741, and was placed under the care of Hudson, the most distinguished portrait-painter at that time. After continuing for two years in his employment, a disagreement took place between them, and Reynolds returned to Devonshire, where he remained for three years. When twenty-two years of age he took a house at Plymouth Dock, where he resided about a year, and then returned to London. Rome, which is in reality to painters what Parnassus is in imagination to poets, was frequently present to the fancy of Reynolds ; and he longed to see with his own eyes the glories in art, of which he heard so much. In the year 1749 his desire was realised. Captain Keppel, with whom he had formed a friendship, was appointed Commodore in the Mediterranean station, for the purpose of protecting the British merchants from the insults of the Algerines, and he invited Reynolds to accompany him. After paying short visits to Gibraltar and Algiers, and a rather prolonged stay at Minorca, Reynolds at length reached Rome. There eha R R