REYNOLDS’ MODESTY.
Reading edition
Sir Joshua Reynolds, like many other distinguished artists, was never satisfied with his works, and endeavored to practice his maxim, that “an artist should endeavor to improve over his every performance.” When an eminent French painter was one day praising the excellence of one of his pictures, he said, “Ah! Monsieur, Je ne fais que des ebauches, des ebauches.”—Alas! sir, I can only make sketches, sketches.