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Letter from JAMES BARRY to DUKE OF BRIDGEWATER, written 13 March 1801, at Castle Street, London

Source: MS Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. [img]

As a mark of respect to Francis Egerton (1736-1803), Duke of Bridgewater, for his participation in the acquisition of French and Italian paintings from the Duke of Orléan's collection, Barry dedicated1 an engraving of Jonah to Bridgewater. [img] Bridgewater was a Fellow of the Royal Society (1784) and a Fellow of the Society of Arts (1791); his considerable collection of manuscripts and books was bequeathed to the British Museum on his death.

M.^r Barry presents his respectful Comp^ts Compliments to the Duke of Bridgwater & requests his Graces's Acceptance of these two prints from the Jonas of M. Angelo, 2 wch which accompanies this Note. M.^r Barry having had occasion in his Lectures at the Royal Academy3 to mention this Jonas of the Divine M. Angelo as one of the most sublime of his productions & there being no other print from it but that miserable tasteless scrawl of Mantuanus,4 wch which was so ill calculated to make the right & proper impression on the minds of the Students. M.^r Barry was induced to grave it himself from the drawing wch which he made whilst he was studying in the Capella Sistina5 & he hopes that his Grace the Duke of Bridgwater will kindly & indulgently allow of the liberty he has taken of Consecrating that engraving to the Commemoration of the truly Patriotic Establishment of a publick Gallery of Pictures wch which will so deservedly reflect Lustre & immortality upon the name of Bridgwater.

March. 13. 1801.
Castle s.^t Oxford Market

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1 ^
dedicated] The dedication at the foot of the engraving reads, 'In Testimony of sincere Veneration for the truly Noble, Patriotic Establishment of a Publick Gallery of Exemplars which by furnishing the proper
Nutriment may happily give vigorous expansion & perfection to National Art. This Sketch from the Jonas of M A Buonaroti is inscribed with the
Exemplary name of Francis Duke of Bridgewater by His Graces devoted, humble Servant James Barry...'.

2 ^
two prints from the Jonas of M. Angelo] The Italian painter and sculptor Michael Angelo Buonaroti (1475-1564) included the biblical figure Jonah in his paintings in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. [img]

3 ^
Royal Academy] Barry discusses Michael Angelo's 'sublime Jonas' in Lecture III 'On Design' (Fryer,Works of Barry, i. 423-24); as Professor of Painting Barry was required to give six lectures a year. The laws governing the Professor of Painting were part of the Instrument of Foundation of 1768: article XII reads, 'There shall be a Professor of Painting, who shall read Annually Six Lectures, calculated to Instruct the Students in the Principles of Composition, to form their Taste of Design and Colouring, to strengthen their Judgement, to point out to them the Beauties and Imperfections of celebrated Works of Art, and the particular Excellences or Defects of great masters, and, finally to lead them into the Readiest and most efficacious Paths of study; his Salary shall be Thirty Pounds a Year; and he shall continue in Office during the King's Pleasure'.

4 ^
Mantuanus] Italian engraver from Mantua, Giorgio Ghisi (fl. 1560 ), called Mantuano.

5 ^
Capella Sistina] Sistine Chapel where Barry had worked during his studies in Rome from 1766 to 1770; he wrote to Edmund Burke, 'I have finished my studies after Raffael in the Vatican, and I have been a long time in the Capella Sistina' (Barry to Burke 8 July 1769).