the staircase at old Devonshire houfe in Piccadilly, the staircase and falon at Buckingham-house, the staircase at Petworth, many of the apartments at Burleigh on the hill, where the walls are covered with his Cæfars, fome things at Marlborough-house in St. James's Park, and, which is his best work, the falon at Blenheim. King William gave him lodgings at Hampton-court, where he painted the labours of Hercules in chiaro fcuro; and being appointed to repair those valuable pictures, the triumphs of Julius Cæfar by Andrea Montegna, he had the judgment to imitate the ftyle of the original, instead of new cloathing them in vermillion and ultramarine; a fate that befel Raphael even from the pencil of Carlo Maratti. Laguerre was at first chofen unanimously by the commiffioners for rebuilding St, Paul's to decorate the infide of the cupola, but was fet afide by the prevailing intereft of of Thornhill, a preference not ravished from him by fuperior merit. Sir Godfrey Kneller was more juft to him,* though from pique to Thornhill, and employed him to paint the ftaircase of his houfe at Witton where Laguerre diftinguished himfelf beyond his common performances. On the union of England and Scotland he was ordered by queen Anne to make defigns for a fet of tapestry on that occafion, in which were to be introduced the portraits of her majefty and the principal minifters; but though he gave the drawings, the work went no farther. A few pictures he painted befides, and made defigns for engravers. In 1711 he was a director of an academy of painting erected in London, and was likely to be chofen governor on the refignation of Kneller, but was again baffled by his competitor Thornhill. In truth he was, fays * Vide life of Kneller in the preceding volume. Vertue, * Vertue, a modeft unintriguing man, and as his father-in-law John Tijou faid, God had made him a painter, and there left him. The ever-grateful and humble Vertue commends him highly, and acknowledges inftructions received from him; the fource, I doubt, of fome of his encomiums. At a tavern in Drury-lane, where was held a club of virtuofi, he painted in chiaro fcuro round the room a Bacchanalian proceffion, and made them a prefent of his labour. Vertue thinks that fir James Thornhill was indebted to him for his knowledge of historic painting on cielings, &c. and fays he was imitated by † others, as one ‡ Riario, Johnson, Brown, and feveral, whofe names are perished as well as that gawdy ftyle. * A founder of iron balustrades. † Lanfcroon was another affiftant of Verrio and Laguerre, on his first arrival from Flanders. He died poor in 1737, leaving a fon of his profeffion. Riario painted a staircafe at lord Carpenter's Laguerre Laguerre towards his latter end grew dropfical and inactive, and going to see the Inland Princess at Drury-lane, which was acted for the benefit of his fon, then newly entered to fing on the ftage, he was seized with a stroke of apoplexy, and dying before the play began, April 20, 1721, he was buried in the church-yard of St. Martin's in the Fields. John Laguerre the fon had talents for painting, but wanted application, preferring the stage to more laborious ftudies. After quitting that profeffion, I think he painted scenes, and published a set of prints of Hob in the well, which had a great fale, but he died at last in indigent circumstances in March, 1748. MICHAEL MICHAEL DAHL Was born at Stockholm, and received fome inftructions from Ernftraen Klocke, an efteemed artist in that country and painter to the crown, who in the early part of his life had been in England. At the age of 22 Dahl was brought over by Mr. Pouters, a merchant, who five years afterwards introduced Boit from the fame country. After a year's refidence here, Dahl continued his travels in fearch of improvement, ftaid about a year at Paris, and bestowed about three more on the principal cities in Italy. At Rome he painted the portrait of P. F. Garroli, a fculptor and architect, under whom Gibbs ftudied for fome time. But it was more flattering to Dahl to be employed by one that had been his fovereign, the famous queen Chriftina. As he worked on ΣΤΑΝΟΙ her |