Page:Dictionary of Artists of the English School (1878).djvu/238

This page needs to be proofread.

HOG

HOL

severe criticism by his ' Paul before Felix/ 4 Moses brought to Pharaoh's Daughter/ ' The Good Samaritan/ ' Sophonisba/ and some others, which possess none of the qualities of mis class of art, and into which some marring incident was sure to creep. Hogarth found his engravings more sale- able than his pictures. He was from his education used, to the graver, and assisted by others he published many plates, which had deservedly a large sale, and spread the knowledge of his art. The serial pictures before mentioned were engraved, so also ' A Midnight Modern Conversation/ 'South- wark Fair/ * The Four Times of the Day/ ' Strolling Actresses in a Barn ' * The en- raged Musician/ ' Industry and Idleness/ 12 plates; 'the March to Finchley/ four election prints, and man? others.

Hogarth's power of drawing, though it did not qualify him for high art, enabled him admirably to imitate the forms within his own range of art — to seize their expres- sion and character — and to endow them with truth and nature. In this he was surely a master. His colour was simple and pleasing, not wanting in harmony; his works well and carefully finished. He died childless at his house in Leicester Fields, October 26, 1764, and was buried in Chiswick Churchyard. That he had not amassed money by his art; appears from the fact that the Royal Academy, founded after his death, at once granted his widow a pension of 401. a year. When his tomb was opened to receive her, November 21, 1789, nis coffin was not to be seen, which led to some conjectures ; but it was after- wards remembered that he was buried in a grave, and the tomb subsequently erected over him.

".^-" , T .«.r-r ** engraver

HOGENBERGH, Remigius. *,«*,, w,™. There are only scant accounts of him. He was one of the engravers who was employed at Lambeth Palace about the middle of the 16th century, by Archbishop Parker, of whom there exist bv him two engraved por- traits. He worked with the graver only, and the rarity of his works forms their chief value.

HOGG, Jacob, engraver. Practised in the last half of the 18th century, usually in the dot manner. He engraved several works after Angelica Kauffman, R.A.. after Kirk for the Shakespeare Gallery, ana some others of the English painters of his time.

• HOLBEIN, Hans, portrait and subject painter. He was of an artist family, and was the son of an artist. Born at Augs- burg, . authorities have differed as to the time of his birth, which has been variously placed between 1495 and 1498, but the first year seems most consistent with the ascer- tained date of some of his earliest works. Taught by his father, and imitating his

manner, he painted some portraits and other works in his native city ; and about 1515 removed to Basle, where, in 1520, he was invested with the freedom of the city, and was induced to settle, probably from the greater liberty enjoyed 1 there. There also he gained the friendship of Erasmus. He very early attained great technical skill, and evinced a rare power of drawing — life- like, full of character, and truthful. He painted the ' Meier Madonna,' one of his finest works, in 1522 ; the ' Passion of Christ/ in eight compartments ; with many portraits, among them his patrons, Amer- bach and Erasmus, and the frescoes in the town hall. At Basle he also made many of his inimitable designs for wood engrav- ing, his satirical marginal sketches, full of humour, to Erasmus's * Praise of Folly/ his ' Alphabet of Death/ ' Initial Letters/ and ' Dance of Death.'

While at Basle also he had visited and executed some works at Lucerne and Altorf. But the disorders which befell in

1525 at Basle, followed by the plague, must have rendered art stagnant. Poverty pos- sibly urged him to listen to overtures made to him to try his fortune in England, and in

1526 he came to this country, bringing his portrait of Erasmus, with a letter of intro- duction from that renowned scholar to Sir Thomas More, who at once received him into his house at Chelsea. He had begun as a portrait painter, and this was the class of art in which he now found employment. He was in the full vigour of life ana of his art One of his first works was a portrait of his patron, followed by Archbishop Warham, 1527 ; Fisher, Bishop of Roches- ter, Sir Henry Guildford, and his large picture of the More family.

He had come to England with small means, possibly ill-provided even for his journey, and had left his wife and children at Basle. Neither country had in the mean while been without serious troubles, times were hard in both, and in the autumn of 1529 he returned to Basle, were he re- mained for about two years, and in that time completed his frescoes in the town hall. On coming back to England he found his friend Sir Thomas More removed from his high office, and Archbishop Warham dead. He had satisfied the claims upon him as a citizen of Basle, and with the in- tention to settle in England had probably made some provision for his family, whom he had left behind. He had gained a re- putation here, saw a career open to him. and between this time and 1535 painted many fine portraits, of which may be men- tioned the so-called 'Ambassadors/ at Longford Castle ; John Reskemer, at Hampton Court; Sir William and Lady Butts, at Antony.

It nas been generally stated circumstan-

-*<±Y&r/? "U. 217