For a young artist wishing to form a good manner on the old masters before he takes to the new, I would recommend him to take as a course the following masters in the order in which I place them. Begin with Fra Filippo Lippi. I do not mean the whole of his compositions, but a few of the solitary figures. Take next that spiritual and melancholy picture, No. 275, 'The Virgin and Child,' &c., by Sandro Filipepi Botticelli, and copy it all through carefully, particularly the _soft, yet artificial, outlines_ which he gives. Take next the Venus in that splendid masterpiece by Angelo Bronzino, No. 651, 'All is Vanity.' I do not know anywhere in the whole National Gallery a picture where the flesh tones on a nude figure are more perfectly painted. There is hardly any shadow at all about this figure, and hardly any positive colour, yet the flesh stands out voluptuously and softly, and the drawing is exquisite. Next take Moroni, whom I have already described, and after working at him conscientiously, release yourselves by taking up Murillo and Correggio--his 'Mercury instructing Cupid in the presence of Venus,' No. 10. Rubens, copy just a little. Velasquez, copy the whole of his examples, and lastly try Rembrandt. You may then study one or two of the living masters, if you think fit, _and have the time_. If you have worked conscientiously with the earlier masters and in the spirit of the later ones, I can trust your own judgment to choose which modern man you are inclined to follow for a little while; but if you have got the gift of the true painter in you at all, after the course which I have prescribed, I expect you will dash along and try for academical honours, without any further delay, by aiming at originality; for amongst the mighty circle whom I have mentioned you will have discovered a style all your own, and I predict that it will be a good style. Hans Holbein, the younger, is a fine man to copy if you wish to get a firm grip of your subject: there is little or no sentiment about him, but what he saw he painted with fidelity and care. No. 1314, 'The Two Ambassadors,' is a picture which is not only interesting as a painting, but also for the uncouth historical object which occupies the centre of the foreground, a kind of _ex libris_ puzzle, meaning the painter's name, which does not improve the painting as a work of art, even although Shakespeare does mention it, or puzzles of the like description. It appears to me unworthy of any painter to spoil his picture with such a childish mystery as this elongated or distorted projection of a human skull, hollow-bone, or _hohl bein_ represents.