seven discourses on art-第6章

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h；　may　acquire　equal　reputation。

This　is　the　idea　which　has　acquired；　and　which　seems　to　have　a　right　to　the　epithet　of　Divine；　as　it　may　be　said　to　preside；　like　a　supreme　judge；　over　all　the　productions　of　nature；　appearing　to　be　possessed　of　the　will　and　intention　of　the　Creator；　as　far　as　they　regard　the　external　form　of　living　beings。

When　a　man　once　possesses　this　idea　in　its　perfection；　there　is　no　danger　but　that　he　will　he　sufficiently　warmed　by　it　himself；　and　be　able　to　warm　and　ravish　every　one　else。

Thus　it　is　from　a　reiterated　experience；　and　a　close　comparison　of　the　objects　in　nature；　that　an　artist　becomes　possessed　of　the　idea　of　that　central　form；　if　I　may　so　express　it；　from　which　every　deviation　is　deformity。　　But　the　investigation　of　this　form　I　grant　is　painful；　and　I　know　but　of　one　method　of　shortening　the　road；　this　is；　by　a　careful　study　of　the　works　of　the　ancient　sculptors；　who；　being　indefatigable　in　the　school　of　nature；　have　left　models　of　that　perfect　form　behind　them；　which　an　artist　would　prefer　as　supremely　beautiful；　who　had　spent　his　whole　life　in　that　single　contemplation。　　But　if　industry　carried　them　thus　far；　may　not　you　also　hope　for　the　same　reward　from　the　same　labour？　　We　have　the　same　school　opened　to　us　that　was　opened　to　them；　for　nature　denies　her　instructions　to　none　who　desire　to　become　her　pupils。

To　the　principle　I　have　laid　down；　that　the　idea　of　beauty　in　each　species　of　beings　is　invariably　one；　it　may　be　objected　that　in　every　particular　species　there　are　various　central　forms；　which　are　separate　and　distinct　from　each　other；　and　yet　are　undeniably　beautiful；　that　in　the　human　figure；　for　instance；　the　beauty　of　the　Hercules　is　one；　of　the　gladiator　another；　of　the　Apollo　another；　which　makes　so　many　different　ideas　of　beauty。

It　is　true；　indeed；　that　these　figures　are　each　perfect　in　their　kind；　though　of　different　characters　and　proportions；　but　still　none　of　them　is　the　representation　of　an　individual；　but　of　a　class。　　And　as　there　is　one　general　form；　which；　as　I　have　said；　belongs　to　the　human　kind　at　large；　so　in　each　of　these　classes　there　is　one　common　idea　and　central　form；　which　is　the　abstract　of　the　various　individual　forms　belonging　to　that　class。　　Thus；　though　the　forms　of　childhood　and　age　differ　exceedingly；　there　is　a　common　form　in　childhood；　and　a　common　form　in　age；which　is　the　more　perfect；　as　it　is　more　remote　from　all　peculiarities。　　But　I　must　add　further；　that　though　the　most　perfect　forms　of　each　of　the　general　divisions　of　the　human　figure　are　ideal；　and　superior　to　any　individual　form　of　that　class；　yet　the　highest　perfection　of　the　human　figure　is　not　to　be　found　in　any　one　of　them。　　It　is　not　in　the　Hercules；　nor　in　the　gladiator；　nor　in　the　Apollo；　but　in　that　form　which　is　taken　from　them　all；　and　which　partakes　equally　of　the　activity　of　the　gladiator；　of　the　delicacy　of　the　Apollo；　and　of　the　muscular　strength　of　the　Hercules。　　For　perfect　beauty　in　any　species　must　combine　all　the　characters　which　are　beautiful　in　that　species。　　It　cannot　consist　in　any　one　to　the　exclusion　of　the　rest：　　no　one；　therefore；　must　be　predominant；　that　no　one　may　be　deficient。

The　knowledge　of　these　different　characters；　and　the　power　of　separating　and　distinguishing　them；　is　undoubtedly　necessary　to　the　painter；　who　is　to　vary　his　compositions　with　figures　of　various　forms　and　proportions；　though　he　is　never　to　lose　sight　of　the　general　idea　of　perfection　in　each　kind。

There　is；　likewise；　a　kind　of　symmetry　or　proportion；　which　may　properly　be　said　to　belong　to　deformity。　　A　figure　lean　or　corpulent；　tall　or　short；　though　deviating　from　beauty；　may　still　have　a　certain　union　of　the　various　parts；　which　may　contribute　to　make　them；　on　the　whole；　not　unpleasing。　　When　the　artist　has　by　diligent　attention　acquired　a　clear　and　distinct　idea　of　beauty　and　symmetry；　when　he　has　reduced　the　variety　of　nature　to　the　abstract　idea；　his　next　task　will　be　to　become　acquainted　with　the　genuine　habits　of　nature；　as　distinguished　from　those　of　fashion。　　For　in　the　same　manner；　and　on　the　same　principles；　as　he　has　acquired　the　knowledge　of　the　real　forms　of　nature；　distinct　from　accidental　deformity；　he　must　endeavour　to　separate　simple　chaste　nature　from　those　adventitious；　those　affected　and　forced　airs　or　actions；　with　which　she　is　loaded　by　modern　education。

Perhaps　I　cannot　better　explain　what　I　mean　than　by　reminding　you　of　what　was　taught　us　by　the　Professor　of　Anatomy；　in　respect　to　the　natural　position　and　movement　of　the　feet。　　He　observed　that　the　fashion　of　turning；　them　outwards　was　contrary　to　the　intent　of　nature；　as　might　be　seen　from　the　structure　of　the　bones；　and　from　the　weakness　that　proceeded　from　that　manner　of　standing。　　To　this　we　may　add　the　erect　position　of　the　head；　the　projection　of　the　chest；　the　walking　with　straight　knees；　and　many　such　actions；　which　are　merely　the　result　of　fashion；　and　what　nature　never　warranted；　as　we　are　sure　that　we　have　been　taught　them　when　children。

I　have　mentioned　but　a　few　of　those　instances；　in　which　vanity　or　caprice　have　contrived　to　distort　and　disfigure　the　human　form；　your　own　recollection　will　add　to　these　a　thousand　more　of　ill…　understood　methods；　that　have　been　practised　to　disguise　nature；　among　our　dancing…masters；　hair…dressers；　and　tailors；　in　their　various　schools　of　deformity。

However　the　mechanic　and　ornamental　arts　may　sacrifice　to　fashion；　she　must　be　entirely　excluded　from　the　art　of　painting；　the　painter　must　never　mistake　this　capricious　changeling　for　the　genuine　offspring　of　nature；　he　must　divest　himself　of　all　prejudices　in　favour　of　his　age　or　country；　he　must　disregard　all　local　and　temporary　ornaments；　and　look　only　on　those　general　habits　that　are　everywhere　and　always　the　same。　　He　addresses　his　works　to　the　people　of　every　country　and　every　age；　he　calls　upon　posterity　to　be　his　spectators；　and　says　with　Zeuxis；　In　aeternitatem　pingo。

The　neglect　of　separating　modern　fashions　from　the　habits　of　nature；　leads　to　that　ridiculous　style　which　has　been　practised　by　some　painters　who　have　given　to　Grecian　heroes　the　airs　and　graces　practised　in　the　court　of　Louis　XIV。；　an　absurdity　almost　as　great　as　it　would　have　been　to　have　dressed　them　after　the　fashion　of　that　court。

To　avoid　this　error；　however；　and　to　retain　the　true　simplicity　of　nature；　is　a　task　more　difficult　than　at　first　sight　it　may　appear。　The　prejudices　in　favour　of　the　fashions　and　customs　that　we　have　been　used　to；　and　which　are　justly　called　a　second　nature；　make　it　too　often　difficult　to　distinguish　that　which　is　natural　from　that　which　is　the　result　of　education；　they　frequently　even　give　a　predilection　in　favour　of　the　artificial　mode；　and　almost　every　one　is　apt　to　be　guided　by　those　local　prejudices　who　has　not　chastised　his　mind；　and　regulated　the　instability　of　his　affections；　by　the　eternal　invariable　idea　of　nature。

Here；　then；　as　before；　we　must　have　recourse　to　the　ancients　as　instructors。　　It　is　from　a　careful　study　of　their　works　that　you　will　be　enabled　to　attain　to　the　real　simplicity　of　nature；　they　will　suggest　many　observations；　which　would　probably　escape　you；　if　your　study　were　confined　to　nature　alone。　　And；　indeed；　I　cannot　help　suspecting；　that　in　this　instance　the　ancients　had　an　easier　task　than　the　moderns。　　They　had；　probably；　little　or　nothing　to　unlearn；　as　their　manners　were　nearly　approaching　to　this　desirable　simplicity；　while　the　modern　artist；　before　he　can　see　the　truth　of　things；　is　obliged　to　remove　a　veil；　with　which　the　fashion　of　the　times　has　thought　proper　to　cover　her。

Having　gone　thus　far　in　our　investigation　of　the　great　style　in　painting；　if　we　now　should　suppose　that　the　artist　has　formed　the　true　idea　of　beauty；　which　enables　him　to　give　his　works　a　correct　and　perfect　design；　if　we　should　suppose　also　that　he　has　acquired　a　knowledge　of　the　unadulterated　habits　of　nature；　which　gives　him　simplicity；　the　rest　of　his　talk　is；　perhaps；　less　than　is　generally　imagined。　　Beauty　and　simplicity　have　so　great　a　share　in　the　composition　of　a　great　style；　that　he　who　has　acquired　them　has　little　else　to　learn。　　It　must　not；　indeed；　be　forgot　that　there　is　a　nobleness　of　conception；　which　goes　beyond　anything　in　the　mere　exhibition；　even　of　perfect　form；　there　is　an　art　of　animating　and　dignifying　the　figures　with　intellectual　grandeur；　of　impressing　the　appearance　of　philosophic　wisdom　or　heroic　virtue。　　This　can　only　be　acquired　by　him　that　enlarges　the　sphere　of　his　understanding　by　a　variety　of　knowledge；　and　warms　his　imagination　with　the　best　productions　of　ancient　and　modern　poetry。

A　hand　thus　exercised；　and　a　mind　thus　instructed；　will　bring　the　art　to　a　higher　degree　of　excellence　than；　perhaps；　it　has　hitherto　attained　in　this　country。　　Such　a　student　will　disdain　the　humbler　walks　of　painting；　which；　however　profitable；　can　never　assure　him　a　permanent　reputation。　　He　will　leave　the　meaner　artist　servilely　to　suppose　that　those　are　the　best　pictures　which　are　most　likely　to　deceive　the　spectator。　　He　will　permit　the　lower　painter；　like　the　florist　or　collector　of　shells；　to　exhibit　the　minute　discriminations　which　distinguish　one　object　of　the　same　species　from　another；　while　he；　like　the　philosopher；　will　consider　nature　in　the　abstract；　and　represent　in　every　one　of　his　figures　the　character　of　its　species。

If　deceiving　the　eye　were　the　only　business　of　the　art；　there　is　no　doubt；　indeed；　but　the　minute　painter　would　be　more　apt　to　succeed：　but　it　is　not　the　eye；　it　is　the　mind；　which　the　painter　of　genius　desires　to　address；　nor　will　he　waste　a　moment　upon　these　smaller　objects；　which　only　serve　to　catch　the　sense；　to　divide　the　attention；　and　to　counteract　his　great　design　of　speaking　to　the　heart。

This　is　the　ambition　I　could　wish　to　excite　in　your　minds；　and　the　object　I　have　had　in　my　view；　throughout　this　discourse；　is　that　one　great　idea　which　gives　to　painting　its　true　dignity；　that　entitles　it　to　the　name　of　a　Liberal　Art；　and　ranks　it　as　a　sister　of　poetry。

It　may　possibly　have　happened　to　many　young　students　whose　application　was　sufficient　to　overcome　all　difficulties；　and　whose　minds　were　capable　of　embracing　the　most　extensive　views；　that　they　have；　by　a　wrong　direction　originally　given；　spent　their　lives　in　the　meaner　walks　of　painting；　without　ever　knowing　there　was　a　nobler　to　pursue。　　〃Albert　Durer；〃　as　Vasari　has　justly　remarked；　〃would　probably　have　been　one　of　the　first　painters　of　his　age　（and　he　lived　in　an　era　of　great　artists）　had　he　been　initiated　into　those　great　principles　of　the　art　which　were　so　well　understood　and　practised　by　his　contemporaries　in　Italy。　　But　unluckily；　having　never　seen　or　heard　of　any　other　manner；　he　considered　his　own；　without　doubt；　as　perfect。〃

As　for　the　various　departments　of　painting；　which　do　not　presume　to　make　such　high　pretensions；　they　are　many。　　None　of　them　are　without　their　merit；　though　none　enter　into　competition　with　this　great　universal　presiding　idea　of　the　art。　　The　painters　who　have　applied　themselves　more　particularly　to　low　and　vulgar　characters；　and　who　express　with　precision　the　various　shades　of　passion；　as　they　are　exhibited　by　vulgar　minds　（such　a