Landscape painting specifically so called begins with the topographical draughtsmen of the early eighteenth century. If a draughtsman had any susceptibility to the beauties of Nature his sketch almost insensibly took on various adjuncts from the scenes about him till his work gradually merged into landscape painting for its own sake. One of the earliest topographers was Samuel Buck (1696–1779) who, with his brother Nathanael, brought out over five hundred views between 1723 and 1753.[595] Their work, stiff and crude as it is, did not confine itself to buildings or bird’s-eye views but shows some attempts at adornment by the introduction of sky and foliage. William Taverner (1703–72), another early topographer and landscape painter as well, is represented in South Kensington by one sepia drawing of a path by a river, and by a singularly attractive water-color landscape, a composition in the Italian style. Mr. Cosmo Monkhouse refers also to a view of a sand-pit at Woolwich, and to “an extensive and beautiful landscape” (now at Whitworth Institute, Manchester) showing the view from Richmond Hill. Taverner’s reputation was justly high in his own day. Smollett in “Humphrey Clinker” makes Matthew Bramble say of Taverner in a letter to Dr. Lewis (May 19), This young gentleman of Bath is the best landscape painter now living: I was struck with his performances as I had never been by painting before. His trees not only have a richness of foliage, and warmth of colouring which delight the view; but also a certain magnificence in the disposition and spirit in the expression, which I cannot describe.... If there is any taste for ingenuity left ... this artist, I apprehend, will make a capital figure, as soon as his works are known.[596] [Illustration: DERWENTWATER _By William Bellers_]