"You would be rather surprised on first entering a painting-room here.
Your eye is struck with the appearance of a dozen slovenly attired
fellows, who are variously engaged, some in beginning pictures, some in
finishing, &c. The window, which is remarkably large, and situated so as
to command a good prospect from without, admits light sufficient to
illuminate the room, or rather _shop_, which shop is at least fifteen feet
long. Casting your eye up towards the ceiling, which is equally lofty with
the length of the apartment, you are somewhat at a loss to account for a
vast quantity of beams, cordage, pullies, and canvasses, all appearing to
have their several uses, and all kept in regular order by a man for that
purpose. The canvasses, in truth, are no other than finished pictures,
which have been drawn up by the pullies to the beams, for the purposes of
drying, &c. The Dutch do not, as the English do, paint one picture on one
cloth; no, they have a much more expeditious method. A large piece of
canvass is procured, on which the artist commences his labour, and, in a
progressive manner, begins and finishes sometimes a dozen pictures at
once. In a kind of _boudoir_, an attendant is employed continually in
grinding colours, &c. For my own part, I own I was much amused with the
great variety which this curious _coup d'oeil_ presented; but I could not
remain long, for the painters, even while they were at work, smoked
continually. The Dutch, it should be observed, carry on a considerable
traffic in pictures with the Chinese and other eastern nations."

* * * * *




THE NOVELIST.