MENG (Anthony Raphael), first painter to the king of Spain, was born at Aussig in Bohemia, A. D. 1728. His father, painter to Augustus III. king of Poland, perceiving his superior talents, carried him from Dresden to Rome in 1741. After having there pursued his art for four years, and copied the principal monuments of that capital, he returned to Dresden, where he executed different works for Augustus with very uncommon success. During his abode in Italy, he became acquainted with Don Carlos king of Naples; and when this prince succeeded to the crown of Spain in 1761, he was careful to engage Mengs in his service, by granting him an yearly pension of 2000 doubloons, together with a house and equipage. He lived, however, chiefly at Rome; where in 1779 he fell a sacrifice to his confidence in a German quack, who pretended to cure him of a disease which he had contracted partly by his intense application, and partly by grief for the loss of his wife. His natural timidity and great ignorance of the world, the distrust which seemed to be expressed in his air and manners, and his melancholy constitution of body, by no means lessened the envy of his rivals. Under this rude appearance, he had a heart full of kindness and humanity. On one occasion, when he perceived that he had offended a certain person by his bluntness (excusable only in a great genius), he was not only sorry for his inattention, but he assisted with his advice the painter whom he had offended. He made no mystery of his art any more than of his sentiments. Clement XIV. submitted to his judgment some pictures of no great value, and in excuse told him that he had bought them at the recommendation of an eminent painter. "This man and I (replied Mengs) are two artists, one of whom praises every thing which he cannot equal, and the other blames every thing which he can surpass." His
manners were pure and simple, and enthusiasm for the arts had almost extinguished in him every other passion. He was a good husband and a good father; and his family could reproach him with nothing but want of economy and unbounded generosity. Although he had received during the last 18 years of his life more than 250,000 livres, he hardly left wherewithal to defray the expences of his funeral. The king of Spain adopted his five daughters, and granted pensions to his two sons. His chief works in the line of his profession are at Madrid and at Rome. A catalogue of them is to be found in the account of his life prefixed to his whole works, in 2 vols. 4to, published at Parma in 1780 by the Chevalier d'Azara, with notes. The first volume contains, 1. Reflections on the beautiful, and on taste in painting. 2. Reflections on Raphael, Corregio, Titian, &c. 3. On the means of promoting the cultivation of the fine arts in Spain.—The second volume contains, 1. Two letters on the group of Niobé. 2. A letter on the origin, progress, and decline of drawing. 3. A letter on the principal paintings at Madrid. 4. Memoirs of the life and works of Corregio. 5. Memoirs concerning the academy of fine arts at Madrid. 6. Practical lessons in painting. Part of his works have been translated into French by M. Doray de Longrais, and published at Paris 1782 in 8vo. A collection of them was lately published in 4to, 2 vols. 1787.—Mens placed Raphael at the head of modern painters for design and expression, Corregio for gracefulness of attitude and the claro oscuro, and Titian for colouring. He formed his own style upon the different excellencies of those three artists. He united the most sublime expression to the truest colouring, and to that knowledge of different effects which captivates the senses at the first impression, and which will bear the most rigid examination. His paintings possess chiefly that grace which one feels without being able to explain. Nobody ever studied the ancients with greater care than he did. The technical part in l'Histoire de l'Art, by his friend the Abbé Winckelmann, is of his composition. He respected and admired the ancients; but he was destitute of that excessive zeal which makes their votaries conceal those faults which they perceive.