seven discourses on art-第7章

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　express　with　precision　the　various　shades　of　passion；　as　they　are　exhibited　by　vulgar　minds　（such　as　we　see　in　the　works　of　Hogarth）　deserve　great　praise；　but　as　their　genius　has　been　employed　on　low　and　confined　subjects；　the　praise　that　we　give　must　be　as　limited　as　its　object。　　The　merrymaking　or　quarrelling　of　the　Boors　of　Teniers；　the　same　sort　of　productions　of　Brouwer；　or　Ostade；　are　excellent　in　their　kind；　and　the　excellence　and　its　praise　will　be　in　proportion；　as；　in　those　limited　subjects　and　peculiar　forms；　they　introduce　more　or　less　of　the　expression　of　those　passions；　as　they　appear　in　general　and　more　enlarged　nature。　This　principle　may　be　applied　to　the　battle　pieces　of　Bourgognone；　the　French　gallantries　of　Watteau；　and　even　beyond　the　exhibition　of　animal　life；　to　the　landscapes　of　Claude　Lorraine；　and　the　sea…　views　of　Vandervelde。　　All　these　painters　have；　in　general；　the　same　right；　in　different　degrees；　to　the　name　of　a　painter；　which　a　satirist；　an　epigrammatist；　a　sonnetteer；　a　writer　of　pastorals；　or　descriptive　poetry；　has　to　that　of　a　poet。

In　the　same　rank；　and；　perhaps；　of　not　so　great　merit；　is　the　cold　painter　of　portraits。　　But　his　correct　and　just　imitation　of　his　object　has　its　merit。　　Even　the　painter　of　still　life；　whose　highest　ambition　is　to　give　a　minute　representation　of　every　part　of　those　low　objects；　which　he　sets　before　him；　deserves　praise　in　proportion　to　his　attainment；　because　no　part　of　this　excellent　art；　so　much　the　ornament　of　polished　life；　is　destitute　of　value　and　use。　　These；　however；　are　by　no　means　the　views　to　which　the　mind　of　the　student　ought　to　be　PRIMARILY　directed。　　By　aiming　at　better　things；　if　from　particular　inclination；　or　from　the　taste　of　the　time　and　place　he　lives　in；　or　from　necessity；　or　from　failure　in　the　highest　attempts；　he　is　obliged　to　descend　lower；　he　will　bring　into　the　lower　sphere　of　art　a　grandeur　of　composition　and　character　that　will　raise　and　ennoble　his　works　far　above　their　natural　rank。

A　man　is　not　weak；　though　he　may　not　be　able　to　wield　the　club　of　Hercules；　nor　does　a　man　always　practise　that　which　he　esteems　the　beat；　but　does　that　which　he　can　best　do。　　In　moderate　attempts；　there　are　many　walks　open　to　the　artist。　　But　as　the　idea　of　beauty　is　of　necessity　but　one；　so　there　can　be　but　one　great　mode　of　painting；　the　leading　principle　of　which　I　have　endeavoured　to　explain。

I　should　be　sorry　if　what　is　here　recommended　should　be　at　all　understood　to　countenance　a　careless　or　indetermined　manner　of　painting。　　For　though　the　painter　is　to　overlook　the　accidental　discriminations　of　nature；　he　is　to　pronounce　distinctly；　and　with　precision；　the　general　forms　of　things。　　A　firm　and　determined　outline　is　one　of　the　characteristics　of　the　great　style　in　painting；　and；　let　me　add；　that　he　who　possesses　the　knowledge　of　the　exact　form；　that　every　part　of　nature　ought　to　have；　will　be　fond　of　expressing　that　knowledge　with　correctness　and　precision　in　all　his　works。

To　conclude：　　I　have　endeavoured　to　reduce　the　idea　of　beauty　to　general　principles。　　And　I　had　the　pleasure　to　observe　that　the　professor　of　painting　proceeded　in　the　same　method；　when　he　showed　you　that　the　artifice　of　contrast　was　founded　but　on　one　principle。　And　I　am　convinced　that　this　is　the　only　means　of　advancing　science；　of　clearing　the　mind　from　a　confused　heap　of　contradictory　observations；　that　do　but　perplex　and　puzzle　the　student　when　he　compares　them；　or　misguide　him　if　he　gives　himself　up　to　their　authority；　but　bringing　them　under　one　general　head　can　alone　give　rest　and　satisfaction　to　an　inquisitive　mind。



A　DISCOURSE



Delivered　to　the　Students　of　the　Royal　Academy　on　the　Distribution　of　the　Prizes；　December　10；　1771；　by　the　President。

Gentlemen；The　value　and　rank　of　every　art　is　in　proportion　to　the　mental　labour　employed　in　it；　or　the　mental　pleasure　produced　by　it。　　As　this　principle　is　observed　or　neglected；　our　profession　becomes　either　a　liberal　art　or　a　mechanical　trade。　　In　the　hands　of　one　man　it　makes　the　highest　pretensions；　as　it　is　addressed　to　the　noblest　faculties；　In　those　of　another　it　is　reduced　to　a　mere　matter　of　ornament；　and　the　painter　has　but　the　humble　province　of　furnishing　our　apartments　with　elegance。

This　exertion　of　mind；　which　is　the　only　circumstance　that　truly　ennobles　our　art；　makes　the　great　distinction　between　the　Roman　and　Venetian　schools。　　I　have　formerly　observed　that　perfect　form　is　produced　by　leaving　out　particularities；　and　retaining　only　general　ideas。　　I　shall　now　endeavour　to　show　that　this　principle；　which　I　have　proved　to　be　metaphysically　just；　extends　itself　to　every　part　of　the　art；　that　it　gives　what　is　called　the　grand　style　to　invention；　to　composition；　to　expression；　and　even　to　colouring　and　drapery。

Invention　in　painting　does　not　imply　the　invention　of　the　subject；　for　that　is　commonly　supplied　by　the　poet　or　historian。　　With　respect　to　the　choice；　no　subject　can　be　proper　that　is　not　generally　interesting。　　It　ought　to　be　either　some　eminent　instance　of　heroic　action　or　heroic　suffering。　　There　must　be　something　either　in　the　action　or　in　the　object　in　which　men　are　universally　concerned；　and　which　powerfully　strikes　upon　the　public　sympathy。

Strictly　speaking；　indeed；　no　subject　can　be　of　universal；　hardly　can　it　be　of　general　concern：　　but　there　are　events　and　characters　so　popularly　known　in　those　countries　where　our　art　is　in　request；　that　they　may　be　considered　as　sufficiently　general　for　all　our　purposes。　　Such　are　the　great　events　of　Greek　and　Roman　fable　and　history；　which　early　education　and　the　usual　course　of　reading　have　made　familiar　and　interesting　to　all　Europe；　without　being　degraded　by　the　vulgarism　of　ordinary　life　in　any　country。　　Such；　too；　are　the　capital　subjects　of　Scripture　history；　which；　besides　their　general　notoriety；　become　venerable　by　their　connection　with　our　religion。

As　it　is　required　that　the　subject　selected　should　be　a　general　one；　it　is　no　less　necessary　that　it　should　be　kept　unembarrassed　with　whatever　may　any　way　serve　to　divide　the　attention　of　the　spectator。　　Whenever　a　story　is　related；　every　man　forms　a　picture　in　his　mind　of　the　action　and　the　expression　of　the　persons　employed。　　The　power　of　representing　this　mental　picture　in　canvas　is　what　we　call　invention　in　a　painter。　　And　as　in　the　conception　of　this　ideal　picture　the　mind　does　not　enter　into　the　minute　peculiarities　of　the　dress；　furniture；　or　scene　of　action；　so　when　the　painter　comes　to　represent　it　he　contrives　those　little　necessary　concomitant　circumstances　in　such　a　manner　that　they　shall　strike　the　spectator　no　more　than　they　did　himself　in　his　first　conception　of　the　story。

I　am　very　ready　to　allow　that　some　circumstances　of　minuteness　and　particularity　frequently　tend　to　give　an　air　of　truth　to　a　piece；　and　to　interest　the　spectator　in　an　extraordinary　manner。　　Such　circumstances；　therefore；　cannot　wholly　be　rejected；　but　if　there　be　anything　in　the　art　which　requires　peculiar　nicety　of　discernment；　it　is　the　disposition　of　these　minute　circumstantial　parts　which；　according　to　the　judgment　employed　in　the　choice；　become　so　useful　to　truth　or　so　injurious　to　grandeur。

However；　the　usual　and　most　dangerous　error　is　on　the　side　of　minuteness；　and；　therefore；　I　think　caution　most　necessary　where　most　have　failed。　　The　general　idea　constitutes　real　excellence。　All　smaller　things；　however　perfect　in　their　way；　are　to　be　sacrificed　without　mercy　to　the　greater。　　The　painter　will　not　inquire　what　things　may　be　admitted　without　much　censure。　　He　will　not　think　it　enough　to　show　that　they　may　be　there；　he　will　show　that　they　must　be　there；　that　their　absence　would　render　his　picture　maimed　and　defective。

Thus；　though　to　the　principal　group　a　second　or　third　be　added；　and　a　second　and　third　mass　of　light；　care　must　be　yet　taken　that　these　subordinate　actions　and　lights；　neither　each　in　particular；　nor　all　together；　come　into　any　degree　of　competition　with　the　principal；　they　should　make　a　part　of　that　whole　which　would　be　imperfect　without　them。　　To　every　part　of　painting　this　rule　may　be　applied。　Even　in　portraits；　the　grace　and；　we　may　add；　the　likeness；　consists　more　in　taking　the　general　air　than　in　observing　the　effect　similitude　of　every　feature。

Thus　figures　must　have　a　ground　whereon　to　stand；　they　must　be　clothed；　there　must　be　a　background；　there　must　be　light　and　shadow；　but　none　of　these　ought　to　appear　to　have　taken　up　any　part　of　the　artist's　attention。　　They　should　be　so　managed　as　not　even　to　catch　that　of　the　spectator。　　We　know　well　enough；　when　we　analyse　a　piece；　the　difficulty　and　the　subtlety　with　which　an　artist　adjusts　the　background；　drapery；　and　masses　of　light；　we　know　that　a　considerable　part　of　the　grace　and　effect　of　his　picture　depends　upon　them；　but　this　art　is　so　much　concealed；　even　to　a　judicious　eye；　that　no　remains　of　any　of　these　subordinate　parts　occur　to　memory　when　the　picture　is　not　present。

The　great　end　of　the　art　is　to　strike　the　imagination。　　The　painter　is；　therefore；　to　make　no　ostentation　of　the　means　by　which　this　is　done；　the　spectator　is　only　to　feel　the　result　in　his　bosom。　　An　inferior　artist　is　unwilling　that　any　part　of　his　industry　should　be　lost　upon　the　spectator。　　He　takes　as　much　pains　to　discover；　as　the　greater　artist　does　to　conceal；　the　marks　of　his　subordinate　assiduity。　　In　works　of　the　lower　kind　everything　appears　studied　and　encumbered；　it　is　all　boastful　art　and　open　affectation。　　The　ignorant　often　part　from　such　pictures　with　wonder　in　their　mouths；　and　indifference　in　their　hearts。

But　it　is　not　enough　in　invention　that　the　artist　should　restrain　and　keep　under　all　the　inferior　parts　of　his　subject；　he　must　sometimes　deviate　from　vulgar　and　strict　historical　truth　in　pursuing　the　grandeur　of　his　design。

How　much　the　great　style　exacts　from　its　professors　to　conceive　and　represent　their　subjects　in　a　poetical　manner；　not　confined　to　mere　matter　of　fact；　may　be　seen　in　the　cartoons　of　Raffaelle。　　In　all　the　pictures　in　which　the　painter　has　represented　the　apostles；　he　has　drawn　them　with　great　nobleness；　he　has　given　them　as　much　dignity　as　the　human　figure　is　capable　of　receiving　yet　we　are　expressly　told　in　Scripture　they　had　no　such　respectable　appearance；　and　of　St。　Paul　in　particular；　we　are　told　by　himself；　that　his　bodily　presence　was　mean。　　Alexander　is　said　to　have　been　of　a　low　stature：　　a　painter　ought　not　so　to　represent　him。　Agesilaus　was　low；　lame；　and　of　a　mean　appearance。　　None　of　these　defects　ought　to　appear　in　a　piece　of　which　he　is　the　hero。　　In　conformity　to　custom；　I　call　this　part　of　the　art　history　painting；　it　ought　to　be　called　poetical；　as　in　reality　it　is。

All　this　is　not　falsifying　any　fact；　it　is　taking　an　allowed　poetical　licence。　　A　painter　of　portraits　retains　the　individual　likeness；　a　painter　of　history　shows　the　man　by　showing　his　actions。　　A　painter　must　compensate　the　natural　deficiencies　of　his　art。　　He　has　but　one　sentence　to　utter；　but　one　moment　to　exhibit。　He　cannot；　like　the　poet　or　historian；　expatiate；　and　impress　the　mind　with　great　veneration　for　the　character　of　the　hero　or　saint　he　represents；　though　he　lets　us　know　at　the　same　time