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WILLIAM KENT,

Born 1684, Died 1748.

Under the auspices of Lord Burlington and Lord Pembroke, architecture, as I have said, recovered its genuine lustre. The former, the Apollo of arts, found a proper priest in the person of Mr. Kent. As I mean no panegyric on any man, beyond what he deserved, or what to the best of my possibly erroneous judgment, I think he deserved, I shall speak with equal impartiality on the merits and faults of Kent, the former of which exceedingly preponderated. He was a painter, an architect, and the father of modern gardening. In the first character, he was below mediocrity; in the second, he was a restorer of the science; in the last, an original, and the inventor of an art that realizes painting, and improves nature. Mahomet imagined an Elysium, but Kent created many.*

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He was born in Yorkshire, and put apprentice to a coach-painter, but feeling the emotions of genius he left his master without leave, and repaired to London; where he studied a little, and gave indications enough of abilities to excite a generous patronage in some gentlemen of his own county, who raised a contribution sufficient to

* [The analogy between Kent's real and Mohammed's imaginary paradise, is very incomplete, at least, if taken from the Korán.]

send him to Rome, whither he accompanied Mr. Talman in 1710. In that capital of the arts he studied under Cavalier Luti, and in the academy gained the second prize of the second class; still without suspecting that there was a sister art within his reach, more congenial to his talents. Though his first resources were exhausted, he still found friends. Another of his countrymen, Sir William Wentworth, allowed him 40l. a year for seven years. But it was at Rome that his better star brought him acquainted with Lord Burlington, whose sagacity discovered the rich vein of genius that had been hid from the artist himself. On their return to England in 1719,* Lord Burlington gave him an apartment in his own house, and added all the graces of favour and recommendation. By that noble person's interest Kent was employed in various works, both as a painter of history and portrait; and yet it must be allowed that in each branch partiality must have operated strongly to make his Lordship believe he discovered any merit in his friend. His portraits bore little resemblance to the persons that sat for them; and the colouring was worse, more raw and undetermined than that of the most errant journeymen to the profession. The whole lengths at Esher are standing evidences of this assertion. In his cielings, Kent's drawing was as defective as the

* [Meaning Kent's first return, for he went a second time to Italy to purchase pictures and drawings for his patron.]

colouring of his portraits, and as void of every merit. I have mentioned Hogarth's parody, if I may call it so, of his picture at St. Clement's. The hall at Wanstead is another proof of his incapacity. Sir Robert Walpole, who was persuaded to employ him at Houghton, where he painted several ceilings and the staircase, would not permit him however to work in colours, which would have been still more disgraced by the presence of so many capital pictures, but restrained him to chiaro scuro. If his faults are thence not so glaring, they are scarce less numerous. He painted a staircase in the same way for Lord Townshend at Rainham.*

To compensate for his bad paintings, he had an excellent taste for ornaments, and gave designs for most of the furniture at Houghton, as he did for several other persons. Yet chaste as these ornaments were, they were often unmeasurably ponderous. His chimney-pieces, though lighter than those of Inigo, whom he imitated, are frequently heavy; and his constant introduction of pediments and the members of architecture over

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* [Kent's Portrait of Pope, at Chiswick, is preserved, merely a curiosity. His frescos at Esher and Wanstead are no longer extant. His gardens are no longer as he left them. Those of Carleton House, upon which he greatly prided himself, are about to be built over with streets; and his style has been totally superseded in others. His architecture alone remains to account for his popularity, in his day.]

VOL. IV.

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