Wilson Online Reference
Critical Review 1762
Author
Anonymous
Title/Description
The Critical Review: or, Annals of Literature by a Society of Gentlemen
Country
London, UK
Date of Publication
1762
Printed/Manuscript
Primary published
More Information
Vol. 12, pp. 312-13. A detailed contemporary review of the exhibition of an impression of E11 William Woollett after Wilson, Niobe at the Free Society of Artists, 1762 (205). The article was translated into German the same year and published in Die Bibliothek der schönen Wissenschaften, vol. 8, pp. 160-61.
Full Text
There is a fine print just published of a Land-Storm, from a painting of Mr. Wilson's, engraved by Mr. Woollett. In this piece is introduced Apollo and Diana destroying the sons and daughters of Niobe for this unhappy woman's presumption, in preferrring herself to Latona, the mother of these divinities; the trees are broken down; the rain descends in torrents from the mountains, upon one of which, under some bushes, we may perceive a flock of sheep taking shelter from the storm: the effects of the lightning appear by the city on fire; and the violent agitation of the water between the mountains is very finely represented. Here is opportunity enough, from the nature of the subject, for an engraver to display his talents, and we doubt not but this production will please the curious as there is a great deal of genius shown in the execution: the mountains seem to project out of the print, and the water is perfectly in motion; the distances are delicately softened away, and the sky nicely managed. We therefore wish this truly ingenious artist the encouragement his merit deserves, as we look upon this performance of his to be the best of the kind this nation has produced.