In England. 637 Whilst landscape and genre painting were thus earnestly practised by so many men of genius, and patronised by the picture-buying public, a group of artists arose who endeavoured, with more or less success, to perfect the grand style in English historic painting. Of these, Henry Howard, Benjamin Robert Haydon, William Hilton, William Etty, and more recently, Sir Charles Eastlake and Daniel Maclise were the chief. Henry Howard (1769—1847), an oil-painter of great industry and perseverance, cannot take high rank amongst the artists of the present century ; his works are pretty and pleasing, but never grand. A Flower-girl by him is in the National Gallery. William Hilton (1786 — 1839), a man of greater power than Howard, produced many fine works ; some of them — such as Christ crowned with thorns ; the Angel releasing S. Peter; Edith and the Monks discovering the body of Harold and Serena rescued by the Red Cross Knight, both in the National Gallery — are characterized by ideal beauty of design ; but unfortunately, owing to the undue use of asphaltum, it is now difficult to fully realize their original condition, and there appears to be no hope of their preservation. Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786 — 1846), whose life was one long struggle with pecuniary difficulties, painted many large historic and sacred works — of which Xenophon's First Sight of the Sea, Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, and the Raising of Lazarus (in the National Gallery), were among the best. His power was unfortunately not equal to his will ; and although the general effect of some of his com- positions is good, a close examination betrays gross errors of drawing and carelessness of execution. He was a vain
