Note 1 — CATALOGUE OF HOGARTH'S PRINTS.[1] (continued 3)

Published in two volumes, folio, 1761, by Joshua Kirby, Designer in Perspective to his Majesty.—"Here is a curious frontispiece, designed by Mr. Hogarth; but not in the same ludicrous style as the former (see p. 333): it were to be wished that he had explained its meaning; for, being symbolical, the meaning of it is not so obvious as the other. To me it conveys the idea, which Milton so poetically describes, of the angel Uriel gliding down to Paradise on a sun-beam; but the young gentleman has dropped off before he had arrived at his journey's end, with Palladio's book of architecture on his knees. A ray of light from the sun, rising over a distant mountain, is directed to a scroll on the ground, on which are two or three scraps of perspective; over which, supported by a large block of stone, is the upper part of a sceptre, broke off; the shaft very obliquely and absurdly inclined, somewhat resembling the Roman fasces, and girt above with the Prince of Wales's coronet, as an astragal, through which the fasces rise, and swell into a crown, adorned with embroidered stars; this is the principal object, but most vilely drawn. The ray passes through a round temple, at a considerable distance, which is also falsly represented, the curves being for the distance too round, and consequently the diminution of the columns is too great. It appears to pass over a piece of water; on this side the ground is fertile and luxuriant with vegetation, abounding with trees and shrubs; on the other side it is rocky and barren.[A] What is indicated by this seems to be, that, where the arts are encouraged by the rays of royal favour, they will thrive and flourish; but where they are neglected, and do not find encouragement, they will droop and languish." Malton's Appendix to his Treatise on Perspective.

[A] The idea of this contrast between fertility and barrenness is an old one. Hogarth probably took it from the engraving known by the name of Raffaelle's Dream.