Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemasons' Magazine, Or General And Complete Library.
fore , was' obliged to try the force of industry and abilities . He was torn about the year 1762 ; if we are ri ghtly informed , at the village of St . Agnes , in . the county before mentioned . In his very infancy he seemed to shew the province for which nature had intended him . Nothing appeared to please him so much as prints , pictures , and every kind of representation of the objects that surrounded him . As he advanced in lifethis oriinal propensity became
-_ , g proper tionably stronger , ancl whatever he was directed to do , lie always appeared to have a disposition to neglect if it interfered with his favourite amusement of drawing . Our elegant poet , GKAY , says , with impressive tenderness , " Full many a gem of purest ray serene , " The dark unfalhom'd caves of ocean bear ;
" . Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen , " And waste its sweetness on the desart air . " Such , however , was not the fate of our rustic AFELLES ; several gentlemen in the vicinity endeavoured to smooth the path for so promising a genius , but the circumstance . to which he was principally indebted for his introduction to a more enlarged sphere of action was
the following : —Dr . WOLCOT , so well known by the name of PETER PINDAR , happened to live in the nei ghbourhood ; he heard of the efforts of young OPIE , and being himself a great admirer of painting , as well as a tolerable artist , he took the boy under hisprotection , and perceiving the true bent of his genius , assisted its progress , and
directed its pursuits . The life of an artist is generally nothing more than a histoiy of his works , and therefore we have little more to say , than that after distinguishing himself at Exeter , and other places , OPIE at length ventured to visit the metropolis in the year 1782 . Ke soon had some of his pictures placed in the Exhibition at Somerset-house , where the public in- a short time became sensible of his merit . All the artists
were struck with the works of this extraordinary young man , and acknowledged that there was a boldness in his stile which nothing but an hi gh degree of ori g inal genius could produce . Such merit could not long be hindered from reaching the rank to which it was so obviously entitled . In the year 1785 he was admitted an associate of the ROYAL ACADEMYand upon the very first
, vacancy took his proper station as a Royal Academician . We must not deny that the persevering zeal of'his poetical friend , PETER PINDAR , was of considerable advantage to Mr . OPIE , even after he had made some figure in the metropolis , as the pleasant bard , in many of his works , took care that the merit of his friend OPIE should not be overlookedand drew the public attention to him
, by many well-timed and well-deserved eulogiums . Mr . OPIE at present maintains the highest rank in his art , and as the SHAKESPBABE GALLERY , MACKLIN ' REPOSITORY , and other public Exhibitions , are graced with his productions , it is by no means necessary for us to pass any compliments on his professional'character .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemasons' Magazine, Or General And Complete Library.
fore , was' obliged to try the force of industry and abilities . He was torn about the year 1762 ; if we are ri ghtly informed , at the village of St . Agnes , in . the county before mentioned . In his very infancy he seemed to shew the province for which nature had intended him . Nothing appeared to please him so much as prints , pictures , and every kind of representation of the objects that surrounded him . As he advanced in lifethis oriinal propensity became
-_ , g proper tionably stronger , ancl whatever he was directed to do , lie always appeared to have a disposition to neglect if it interfered with his favourite amusement of drawing . Our elegant poet , GKAY , says , with impressive tenderness , " Full many a gem of purest ray serene , " The dark unfalhom'd caves of ocean bear ;
" . Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen , " And waste its sweetness on the desart air . " Such , however , was not the fate of our rustic AFELLES ; several gentlemen in the vicinity endeavoured to smooth the path for so promising a genius , but the circumstance . to which he was principally indebted for his introduction to a more enlarged sphere of action was
the following : —Dr . WOLCOT , so well known by the name of PETER PINDAR , happened to live in the nei ghbourhood ; he heard of the efforts of young OPIE , and being himself a great admirer of painting , as well as a tolerable artist , he took the boy under hisprotection , and perceiving the true bent of his genius , assisted its progress , and
directed its pursuits . The life of an artist is generally nothing more than a histoiy of his works , and therefore we have little more to say , than that after distinguishing himself at Exeter , and other places , OPIE at length ventured to visit the metropolis in the year 1782 . Ke soon had some of his pictures placed in the Exhibition at Somerset-house , where the public in- a short time became sensible of his merit . All the artists
were struck with the works of this extraordinary young man , and acknowledged that there was a boldness in his stile which nothing but an hi gh degree of ori g inal genius could produce . Such merit could not long be hindered from reaching the rank to which it was so obviously entitled . In the year 1785 he was admitted an associate of the ROYAL ACADEMYand upon the very first
, vacancy took his proper station as a Royal Academician . We must not deny that the persevering zeal of'his poetical friend , PETER PINDAR , was of considerable advantage to Mr . OPIE , even after he had made some figure in the metropolis , as the pleasant bard , in many of his works , took care that the merit of his friend OPIE should not be overlookedand drew the public attention to him
, by many well-timed and well-deserved eulogiums . Mr . OPIE at present maintains the highest rank in his art , and as the SHAKESPBABE GALLERY , MACKLIN ' REPOSITORY , and other public Exhibitions , are graced with his productions , it is by no means necessary for us to pass any compliments on his professional'character .