Franck

, commonly called Young Francks, the son of the preceding, and of both his names, was born in 1580, and instructed in the art of painting by his father, whose style and manner he imitated in a large and small size; but when he found himself sufficiently skilled to be capable of improvement by travel, he went to Venice, and there perfected his knowledge of colouring, by studying and copying the works of those artists who were most eminent. But it seems extraordinary that a painter so capable of great things in his profession, should devote his pencil to the representation of carnivals and other subjects of that kind, preferably to historical subjects of a much higher rank, which might have procured for him abundantly more honour. At his return, however, to Flanders, his works were greatly admired and coveted, being superior to those of his father in many respects; his colouring was more clear, his pencil more delicate, his designs had somewhat more of elegance, and his expression was much better. The taste of composition was the same in both, and they seemed to have the same ideas, and the same defects’, multiplying too many historical incidents into one subject, and representing a series of actions, rather than one principal action or event. The subjects of both painters were usually taken from the Old and New Testament, and also from the Roman history (except the subjects of young Francks while he continued in Italy); and it might have been wished that each of them had observed more order and propriety in the disposition of their subjects.

He had a great particularity in touching the white of the eyes of his figures, which appears as if a small lump of unbroken white was touched on, with the point of a fine pencil, and it gives the figures a great deal of spirit. liven that particularity, well attended to, may be a means | of determining the hand of this master. It ought to ht observed, that from the similarity of names, taste, style, and colouring of the Old and Young Francks, their works are often mistaken and miscalled, and the work of the one purchased for the work of the other. The most capital performance of this painter, is a scriptural subject in the church of Notre Dame at Antwerp; and an excellent picture, in the small size, is “Solomon’s Idolatry,” in which that king is represented as kneeling before an altar, on which is placed the statue of Jupiter. There is a noble expression in the figure of Solomon, apd the drapery of the figure is broad and flowing; the altar is exceedingly enriched with fine bas-relief in the Italian style, and it exquisitely finished; the penciling is neat, the colouring clear and transparent, and the whole picture appears to have been painted on leaf gold. Young Francks died in 1642. 1

1 Pilkington. D’Argenville, vol. III. where are two owr of the Mime flame, t and Jerome, tat of iaferior note.