seven discourses on art-第2章

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Every　seminary　of　learning　may　be　said　to　be　surrounded　with　an　atmosphere　of　floating　knowledge；　where　every　mind　may　imbibe　somewhat　congenial　to　its　own　original　conceptions。　　Knowledge；　thus　obtained；　has　always　something　more　popular　and　useful　than　that　which　is　forced　upon　the　mind　by　private　precepts　or　solitary　meditation。　　Besides；　it　is　generally　found　that　a　youth　more　easily　receives　instruction　from　the　companions　of　his　studies；　whose　minds　are　nearly　on　a　level　with　his　own；　than　from　those　who　are　much　his　superiors；　and　it　is　from　his　equals　only　that　he　catches　the　fire　of　emulation。

One　advantage；　I　will　venture　to　affirm；　we　shall　have　in　our　academy；　which　no　other　nation　can　boast。　　We　shall　have　nothing　to　unlearn。　　To　this　praise　the　present　race　of　artists　have　a　just　claim。　　As　far　as　they　have　yet　proceeded　they　are　right。　　With　us　the　exertions　of　genius　will　henceforward　be　directed　to　their　proper　objects。　　It　will　not　be　as　it　has　been　in　other　schools；　where　he　that　travelled　fastest　only　wandered　farthest　from　the　right　way。

Impressed　as　I　am；　therefore；　with　such　a　favourable　opinion　of　my　associates　in　this　undertaking；　it　would　ill　become　me　to　dictate　to　any　of　them。　　But　as　these　institutions　have　so　often　failed　in　other　nations；　and　as　it　is　natural　to　think　with　regret　how　much　might　have　been　done；　and　how　little　has　been　done；　I　must　take　leave　to　offer　a　few　hints；　by　which　those　errors　may　be　rectified；　and　those　defects　supplied。　　These　the　professors　and　visitors　may　reject　or　adopt　as　they　shall　think　proper。

I　would　chiefly　recommend　that　an　implicit　obedience　to　the　rules　of　art；　as　established　by　the　great　masters；　should　be　exacted　from　the　YOUNG　students。　　That　those　models；　which　have　passed　through　the　approbation　of　ages；　should　be　considered　by　them　as　perfect　and　infallible　guides　as　subjects　for　their　imitation；　not　their　criticism。

I　am　confident　that　this　is　the　only　efficacious　method　of　making　a　progress　in　the　arts；　and　that　he　who　sets　out　with　doubting　will　find　life　finished　before　he　becomes　master　of　the　rudiments。　　For　it　may　be　laid　down　as　a　maxim；　that　he　who　begins　by　presuming　on　his　own　sense　has　ended　his　studies　as　soon　as　he　has　commenced　them。　　Every　opportunity；　therefore；　should　be　taken　to　discountenance　that　false　and　vulgar　opinion　that　rules　are　the　fetters　of　genius。　　They　are　fetters　only　to　men　of　no　genius；　as　that　armour；　which　upon　the　strong　becomes　an　ornament　and　a　defence；　upon　the　weak　and　misshapen　turns　into　a　load；　and　cripples　the　body　which　it　was　made　to　protect。

How　much　liberty　may　be　taken　to　break　through　those　rules；　and；　as　the　poet　expresses　it；


〃To　snatch　a　grace　beyond　the　reach　of　art；〃


may　be　an　after　consideration；　when　the　pupils　become　masters　themselves。　　It　is　then；　when　their　genius　has　received　its　utmost　improvement；　that　rules　may　possibly　be　dispensed　with。　　But　let　us　not　destroy　the　scaffold　until　we　have　raised　the　building。

The　directors　ought　more　particularly　to　watch　over　the　genius　of　those　students　who；　being　more　advanced；　are　arrived　at　that　critical　period　of　study；　on　the　nice　management　of　which　their　future　turn　of　taste　depends。　　At　that　age　it　is　natural　for　them　to　be　more　captivated　with　what　is　brilliant　than　with　what　is　solid；　and　to　prefer　splendid　negligence　to　painful　and　humiliating　exactness。

A　facility　in　composing；　a　lively；　and　what　is　called　a　masterly　handling　the　chalk　or　pencil；　are；　it　must　be　confessed；　captivating　qualities　to　young　minds；　and　become　of　course　the　objects　of　their　ambition。　　They　endeavour　to　imitate　those　dazzling　excellences；　which　they　will　find　no　great　labour　in　attaining。　　After　much　time　spent　in　these　frivolous　pursuits；　the　difficulty　will　be　to　retreat；　but　it　will　be　then　too　late；　and　there　is　scarce　an　instance　of　return　to　scrupulous　labour　after　the　mind　has　been　debauched　and　deceived　by　this　fallacious　mastery。

By　this　useless　industry　they　are　excluded　from　all　power　of　advancing　in　real　excellence。　　Whilst　boys；　they　are　arrived　at　their　utmost　perfection；　they　have　taken　the　shadow　for　the　substance；　and　make　that　mechanical　facility　the　chief　excellence　of　the　art；　which　is　only　an　ornament；　and　of　the　merit　of　which　few　but　painters　themselves　are　judges。

This　seems　to　me　to　be　one　of　the　most　dangerous　sources　of　corruption；　and　I　speak　of　it　from　experience；　not　as　an　error　which　may　possibly　happen；　but　which　has　actually　infected　all　foreign　academies。　　The　directors　were　probably　pleased　with　this　premature　dexterity　in　their　pupils；　and　praised　their　despatch　at　the　expense　of　their　correctness。

But　young　men　have　not　only　this　frivolous　ambition　of　being　thought　masterly　inciting　them　on　one　hand；　but　also　their　natural　sloth　tempting　them　on　the　other。　　They　are　terrified　at　the　prospect　before　them；　of　the　toil　required　to　attain　exactness。　The　impetuosity　of　youth　is　distrusted　at　the　slow　approaches　of　a　regular　siege；　and　desires；　from　mere　impatience　of　labour；　to　take　the　citadel　by　storm。　　They　wish　to　find　some　shorter　path　to　excellence；　and　hope　to　obtain　the　reward　of　eminence　by　other　means　than　those　which　the　indispensable　rules　of　art　have　prescribed。　　They　must；　therefore；　be　told　again　and　again　that　labour　is　the　only　price　of　solid　fame；　and　that　whatever　their　force　of　genius　may　be；　there　is　no　easy　method　of　becoming　a　good　painter。

When　we　read　the　lives　of　the　most　eminent　painters；　every　page　informs　us　that　no　part　of　their　time　was　spent　in　dissipation。　Even　an　increase　of　fame　served　only　to　augment　their　industry。　　To　be　convinced　with　what　persevering　assiduity　they　pursued　their　studies；　we　need　only　reflect　on　their　method　of　proceeding　in　their　most　celebrated　works。　　When　they　conceived　a　subject；　they　first　made　a　variety　of　sketches；　then　a　finished　drawing　of　the　whole；　after　that　a　more　correct　drawing　of　every　separate　part；　heads；　hands；　feet；　and　pieces　of　drapery；　they　then　painted　the　picture；　and　after　all　re…touched　it　from　the　life。　　The　pictures；　thus　wrought　with　such　pain；　now　appear　like　the　effect　of　enchantment；　and　as　if　some　mighty　genius　had　struck　them　off　at　a　blow。

But；　whilst　diligence　is　thus　recommended　to　the　students；　the　visitors　will　take　care　that　their　diligence　be　effectual；　that　it　be　well　directed　and　employed　on　the　proper　object。　　A　student　is　not　always　advancing　because　he　is　employed；　he　must　apply　his　strength　to　that　part　of　the　art　where　the　real　difficulties　lie；　to　that　part　which　distinguishes　it　as　a　liberal　art；　and　not　by　mistaken　industry　lose　his　time　in　that　which　is　merely　ornamental。　The　students；　instead　of　vying　with　each　other　which　shall　have　the　readiest　band；　should　be　taught　to　contend　who　shall　have　the　purest　and　most　correct　outline；　instead　of　striving　which　shall　produce　the　brightest　tint；　or；　curiously　trifling　endeavour　to　give　the　gloss　of　stuffs　so　as　to　appear　real；　let　their　ambition　be　directed　to　contend　which　shall　dispose　his　drapery　in　the　most　graceful　folds；　which　shall　give　the　most　grace　and　dignity　to　the　human　figure。

I　must　beg　leave　to　submit　one　thing　more　to　the　consideration　of　the　visitors；　which　appears　to　me　a　matter　of　very　great　consequence；　and　the　omission　of　which　I　think　a　principal　defect　in　the　method　of　education　pursued　in　all　the　academies　I　have　ever　visited。　　The　error　I　mean　is；　that　the　students　never　draw　exactly　from　the　living　models　which　they　have　before　them。　　It　is　not　indeed　their　intention；　nor　are　they　directed　to　do　it。　　Their　drawings　resemble　the　model　only　in　the　attitude。　　They　change　the　form　according　to　their　vague　and　uncertain　ideas　of　beauty；　and　make　a　drawing　rather　of　what　they　think　the　figure　ought　to　be　than　of　what　it　appears。　　I　have　thought　this　the　obstacle　that　has　stopped　the　progress　of　many　young　men　of　real　genius；　and　I　very　much　doubt　whether　a　habit　of　drawing　correctly　what　we　see　will　not　give　a　proportionable　power　of　drawing　correctly　what　we　imagine。　　He　who　endeavours　to　copy　nicely　the　figure　before　him　not　only　acquires　a　habit　of　exactness　and　precision；　but　is　continually　advancing　in　his　knowledge　of　the　human　figure；　and　though　he　seems　to　superficial　observers　to　make　a　slower　progress；　he　will　be　found　at　last　capable　of　adding　（without　running　into　capricious　wildness）　that　grace　and　beauty　which　is　necessary　to　be　given　to　his　more　finished　works；　and　which　cannot　be　got　by　the　moderns；　as　it　was　not　acquired　by　the　ancients；　but　by　an　attentive　and　well…compared　study　of　the　human　form。

What　I　think　ought　to　enforce　this　method　is；　that　it　has　been　the　practice　（as　may　be　seen　by　their　drawings）　of　the　great　masters　in　the　art。　　I　will　mention　a　drawing　of　Raffaelle；　〃The　Dispute　of　the　Sacrament；〃　the　print　of　which；　by　Count　Cailus；　is　in　every　hand。　　It　appears　that　he　made　his　sketch　from　one　model；　and　the　habit　he　had　of　drawing　exactly　from　the　form　before　him　appears　by　his　making　all　the　figures　with　the　same　cap；　such　as　his　model　then　happened　to　wear；　so　servile　a　copyist　was　this　great　man；　even　at　a　time　when　he　was　allowed　to　be　at　his　highest　pitch　of　excellence。

I　have　seen　also　academy　figures　by　Annibale　Caracci；　though　he　was　often　sufficiently　licentious　in　his　finished　works；　drawn　with　all　the　peculiarities　of　an　individual　model。

This　scrupulous　exactness　is　so　contrary　to　the　practice　of　the　academies；　that　it　is　not　without　great　deference　that　I　beg　leave　to　recommend　it　to　the　consideration　of　the　visitors；　and　submit　it　to　them；　whether　the　neglect　of　this　method　is　not　one　of　the　reasons　why　students　so　often　disappoint　expectation；　and　being　more　than　boys　at　sixteen；　become　less　than　men　at　thirty。

In　short；　the　method　I　recommend　can　only　be　detrimental　when　there　are　but　few　living　forms　to　copy；　for　then　students；　by　always　drawing　from　one　alone；　will　by　habit　be　taught　to　overlook　defects；　and　mistake　deformity　for　beauty。　　But　of　this　there　is　no　danger；　since　the　council　has　determined　to　supply　the　academy　with　a　variety　of　subjects；　and　indeed　those　laws　which　they　have　drawn　up；　and　which　the　secretary　will　presently　read　for　your　confirmation；　have　in　some　measure　precluded　me　from　saying　more　upon　this　occasion。　　Instead；　therefore；　of　offering　my　advice；　permit　me　to　indulge　my　wishes；　and　express　my　hope；　that　this　institution　may　answer　the　expectations　of　its　royal　founder；　that　the　present　age　may　vie　in　arts　with　that　of　Leo　X。　and　that　〃the　dignity　of　the　dying　art〃　（to　make　use　of　an　expression　of　Pliny）　may　be　revived　under　the　reign　of　George　III。



A　DISCOURSE



Delivered　to　the　Students　of　the　Royal　Academy；　on　the　Distribution　of　the　Prizes；　December　11；　I769；　by　the　President。

Gentlemen；I　congratulate　you　on　the　honour　which　you　have　just　received。　　I　have　the　highest　opinion　of　your　merits；　and　could　wish　to　show　my　sense　of　them　in　something　which　possibly　may　be　more　useful　to　you　than　barren　praise。　　I　could　wish　to　lead　you　into　such　a　course　of　study　as　may　render　your　future　progress　answerable　to　your　past　improvement；　and；　whilst　I　applaud　you　for　what　has　been　done；　remind　you　of　how　much　yet　remains　to　at