(Sir Robert), who carried the art of engraving to so great perfection in this country, was a man of such general merit, that a life of him, not merely estimating his character as an artist, but also portraying his private virtues and domestic habits, would be both useful and entertaining. Such a life, we have reason to believe, will be presented to the public. Modest as he was ingenious, he used indeed to say that the works of an artist should serve for a life and monument to him. His works no doubt will perpetuate his name whilst any taste for the fine arts remains. In the meantime, we cannot but here give a short sketch of his history, the accuracy of which may be depended on.

Sir Robert Strange was born in the island of Pomona in Orkney, July the 14th 1721; and died at London July the 5th 1792. He was lineally descended from David Strange or Strang, a younger son of the family of the Stranges or Strangs(a) of Balcaisky, in the county

(a) The name of Strange or Strang is indiscriminately used in the old charters and deeds of the Balcaisky family, now in the possession of Sir Robert Anstruther of Balcaisky, baronet. Strange ty of Fife, who settled in Orkney at the time of the Reformation. But as there were no males remaining of the elder branch of the Stranges of Balcaisky, Sir Robert became the male representative of it, and was found by a legal investigation to have a right to the armorial bearings and every other mark of honour belonging to that ancient family.

He received his classical education at Kirkwall in Orkney under the care of a learned, worthy, and much respected gentleman, Mr Murdoch Mackenzie, still alive (1795), who has rendered infinite service to his country by the accurate surveys and charts he has given of the islands of Orkney and of the British and Irish coasts.

Originally intended for the law, Mr Strange soon became tired of that profession, and perceived that his genius decisively led him to the arts of drawing and engraving. For this purpose he was introduced to the late Mr Richard Cooper at Edinburgh, the only person there who had then any taste in that line of the fine arts. He was bound with him as an apprentice for five years; during which time he made such progress in his new profession, that his friends entertained the highest expectation of his success; nor were they disappointed.

In the year 1747 he married Isabella, only daughter of William Lumiden, son of Bishop Lumiden; and soon after his marriage he went to France, where with the most ardent application he prosecuted his studies, chiefly at Paris, under the direction of the celebrated Le Bas, who engraved many excellent prints from the Dutch painters. It was from Le Bas he had the first hint of the use of the instrument commonly called the dry needle; but which he afterwards greatly improved by his own genius, and which has added such superior beauties to his engravings.

In the year 1751 Mr Strange removed with his family from Edinburgh and settled at London, where he engraved several fine historical prints, which justly acquired to him great reputation. At this period historical engraving had made little progress in Britain, and he may be properly considered as its father.

The admiration he always had for the works of the great Italian painters made him long desire to visit Italy, the seat of the fine arts; and the farther he advanced in life, he became the more persuaded that a journey to that country was essential to an artist who had the laudable ambition to excel in his profession. He therefore undertook this journey in the year 1760. In Italy he made many admirable drawings, several of which he afterwards engraved. These drawings are now in the possession of Lord Dundas.

Everywhere in Italy singular marks of attention were bestowed on Mr Strange; not only by great personages, but by the principal academies of the fine arts in that country. He was made a member of the academies of Rome, Florence, and Bologna, and professor in the royal academy at Parma.

To show the estimation in which his talents were held at Rome, we cannot but record the following anecdote. The ceiling of the room of the Vatican library, in which the collection of engravings are kept, is elegantly painted by Signor Rotanelli. It represents the progress of engraving; and the portraits of the most eminent artists in that line are there introduced, among which is that of our artist. Under his arm he holds a portfolio, on which his name is inscribed. He is the only British artist on whom this honour has been conferred.

In France, where he resided many years at different periods, his talents likewise received every mark of attention that could be bestowed on a foreigner. He was made a member of the royal academy of painting at Paris.

His majesty King George III. ever attentive to the progress of the fine arts in Britain, and sensible of the advantages of which engraving particularly has been to this country, even in a commercial light; and desirous to give a mark of his royal approbation of the merit of Mr Strange, whom he considered as at the head of his profession and the great improver of it—was graciously pleased to confer the honour of knighthood on him the 5th of January 1787.

Such was Sir Robert Strange as an artist; nor was he less distinguished by his truly amiable moral qualities, which endeared him to all who had the happiness to know him.

With regard to his works, he left fifty capital plates, still in good condition, which are carefully preserved in his family. They are engraved from pictures by the most celebrated painters of the Roman, Florentine, Lombard, Venetian, and other schools. They are historical, both sacred and profane, poetical, allegorical.

From his earliest establishment in life, Sir Robert carefully preserved about eighty copies of the finest and most choice impressions of each plate he engraved; which, from length of time, have acquired a beauty, mellowness, and brilliancy, earlier seen than described. He did this with a view of presenting them to the public at a period when age should disable him from adding to their number. These he collected into as many volumes, and arranged them in the order in which they were engraved. To each volume he prefixed two portraits of himself, on the same plate, the one an etching, the other a finished proof, from a drawing by John Baptiste Greuze. This is the last plate he engraved; and which is a proof that neither his eyes nor hand were impaired by age. It likewise shows the use he made both of aquafortis and the graver. Each volume, besides a dedication to the king, contains an introduction on the progress of engraving, and critical remarks on the pictures from which his engravings are taken. These volumes were ready to be given to the public, when Sir Robert's death and consequent circumstances delayed this magnificent publication; a publication which does so much honour to the artist, and to the country which gave him birth (n).