seven discourses on art-第1部分

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Seven　Discourses　on　Art

by　Sir　Joshua　Reynolds





INTRODUCTION



It　is　a　happy　memory　that　associates　the　foundation　of　our　Royal　Academy　with　the　delivery　of　these　inaugural　discourses　by　Sir　Joshua　Reynolds；　on　the　opening　of　the　schools；　and　at　the　first　annual　meetings　for　the　distribution　of　its　prizes。　　They　laid　down　principles　of　art　from　the　point　of　view　of　a　man　of　genius　who　had　made　his　power　felt；　and　with　the　clear　good　sense　which　is　the　foundation　of　all　work　that　looks　upward　and　may　hope　to　live。　　The　truths　here　expressed　concerning　Art　may；　with　slight　adjustment　of　the　way　of　thought；　be　applied　to　Literature　or　to　any　exercise　of　the　best　powers　of　mind　for　shaping　the　delights　that　raise　us　to　the　larger　sense　of　life。　　In　his　separation　of　the　utterance　of　whole　truths　from　insistance　upon　accidents　of　detail；　Reynolds　was　right；　because　he　guarded　the　expression　of　his　view　with　careful　definitions　of　its　limits。　　In　the　same　way　Boileau　was　right；　as　a　critic　of　Literature；　in　demanding　everywhere　good　sense；　in　condemning　the　paste　brilliants　of　a　style　then　in　decay；　and　fixing　attention　upon　the　masterly　simplicity　of　Roman　poets　in　the　time　of　Augustus。　　Critics　by　rule　of　thumb　reduced　the　principles　clearly　defined　by　Boileau　to　a　dull　convention；　against　which　there　came　in　course　of　time　a　strong　reaction。　　In　like　manner　the　teaching　of　Reynolds　was　applied　by　dull　men　to　much　vague　and　conventional　generalisation　in　the　name　of　dignity。　　Nevertheless；　Reynolds　taught　essential　truths　of　Art。　　The　principles　laid　down　by　him　will　never　fail　to　give　strength　to　the　right　artist；　or　true　guidance　towards　the　appreciation　of　good　art；　though　here　and　there　we　may　not　wholly　assent　to　some　passing　application　of　them；　where　the　difference　may　be　great　between　a　fashion　of　thought　in　his　time　and　in　ours。　　A　righteous　enforcement　of　exact　truth　in　our　day　has　led　many　into　a　readiness　to　appreciate　more　really　the　minute　imitation　of　a　satin　dress；　or　a　red　herring；　than　the　noblest　figure　in　the　best　of　Raffaelle's　cartoons。　　Much　good　should　come　of　the　diffusion　of　this　wise　little　book。

Joshua　Reynolds　was　born　on　the　15th　of　July；　1723；　the　son　of　a　clergyman　and　schoolmaster；　at　Plympton　in　Devonshire。　　His　bent　for　Art　was　clear　and　strong　from　his　childhood。　　In　1741　at　the　age　of　nineteen；　he　began　study；　and　studied　for　two　yours　in　London　under　Thomas　Hudson；　a　successful　portrait　painter。　　Then　he　went　back　to　Devonshire　and　painted　portraits；　aided　for　some　time　in　his　education　by　attention　to　the　work　of　William　Gandy　of　Exeter。　　When　twenty…six　years　old；　in　May；　1749；　Reynolds　was　taken　away　by　Captain　Keppel　to　the　Mediterranean；　and　brought　into　contact　with　the　works　of　the　great　painters　of　Italy。　　He　stayed　two　years　in　Rome；　and　in　accordance　with　the　principles　afterwards　laid　down　in　these　lectures；　he　refused；　when　in　Rome；　commissions　for　copying；　and　gave　his　mind　to　minute　observation　of　the　art　of　the　great　masters　by　whose　works　he　was　surrounded。　　He　spent　two　months　in　Florence；　six　weeks　in　Venice；　a　few　days　in　Bologna　and　Parma。　　〃If；〃　he　said；　〃I　had　never　seen　any　of　the　fine　works　of　Correggio；　I　should　never；　perhaps；　have　remarked　in　Nature　the　expression　which　I　find　in　one　of　his　pieces；　or　if　I　had　remarked　it；　I　might　have　thought　it　too　difficult；　or　perhaps　impossible　to　execute。〃

In　1753　Reynolds　came　back　to　England；　and　stayed　three　months　in　Devonshire　before　setting　up　a　studio　in　London；　in　St。　Martin's　Lane；　which　was　then　an　artists'　quarter。　　His　success　was　rapid。　In　1755　he　had　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　sitters。　　Samuel　Johnson　found　in　him　his　most　congenial　friend。　　He　moved　to　Newport　Street；　and　he　built　himself　a　studiowhere　there　is　now　an　auction　roomat　47；　Lincoln's　Inn　Fields。　　There　he　remained　for　life。

In　1760　the　artists　opened；　in　a　room　lent　by　the　Society　of　Arts；　a　free　Exhibition　for　the　sale　of　their　works。　　This　was　continued　the　next　year　at　Spring　Gardens；　with　a　charge　of　a　shilling　for　admission。　　In　1765　they　obtained　a　charter　of　incorporation；　and　in　1768　the　King　gave　his　support　to　the　foundation　of　a　Royal　Academy　of　Arts　by　seceders　from　the　preceding　〃Incorporated　Society　of　Artists；〃　into　which　personal　feelings　had　brought　much　division。　　It　was　to　consist；　like　the　French　Academy；　of　forty　members；　and　was　to　maintain　Schools　open　to　all　students　of　good　character　who　could　give　evidence　that　they　had　fully　learnt　the　rudiments　of　Art。　　The　foundation　by　the　King　dates　from　the　10th　of　December；　1768。　　The　Schools　were　opened　on　the　2nd　of　January　next　following；　and　on　that　occasion　Joshua　Reynolds；　who　had　been　elected　Presidenthis　age　was　then　between　forty…five　and　forty…　sixgave　the　Inaugural　Address　which　formed　the　first　of　these　Seven　Discourses。　　The　other　six　were　given　by　him；　as　President；　at　the　next　six　annual　meetings：　　and　they　were　all　shaped　to　form；　when　collected　into　a　volume；　a　coherent　body　of　good　counsel　upon　the　foundations　of　the　painter's　art。

H。　M。



TO　THE　KING



The　regular　progress　of　cultivated　life　is　from　necessaries　to　accommodations；　from　accommodations　to　ornaments。　　By　your　illustrious　predecessors　were　established　marts　for　manufactures；　and　colleges　for　science；　but　for　the　arts　of　elegance；　those　arts　by　which　manufactures　are　embellished　and　science　is　refined；　to　found　an　academy　was　reserved　for　your　Majesty。

Had　such　patronage　been　without　effect；　there　had　been　reason　to　believe　that　nature　had；　by　some　insurmountable　impediment；　obstructed　our　proficiency；　but　the　annual　improvement　of　the　exhibitions　which　your　Majesty　has　been　pleased　to　encourage　shows　that　only　encouragement　had　been　wanting。

To　give　advice　to　those　who　are　contending　for　royal　liberality　has　been　for　some　years　the　duty　of　my　station　in　the　Academy；　and　these　Discourses　hope　for　your　Majesty's　acceptance　as　well…　intended　endeavours　to　incite　that　emulation　which　your　notice　has　kindled；　and　direct　those　studies　which　your　bounty　has　rewarded。

May　it　please　your　Majesty；　Your　Majesty's　Most　dutiful　servant；　And　most　faithful　subject；　JOSHUA　REYNOLDS。



TO　THE　MEMBERS　OF　THE　ROYAL　ACADEMY。



Gentlemen；That　you　have　ordered　the　publication　of　this　Discourse　is　not　only　very　flattering　to　me；　as　it　implies　your　approbation　of　the　method　of　study　which　I　have　recommended；　but　likewise；　as　this　method　receives　from　that　act　such　an　additional　weight　and　authority　as　demands　from　the　students　that　deference　and　respect；　which　can　be　due　only　to　the　united　sense　of　so　considerable　a　body　of　artists。

I　am；　With　the　greatest　esteem　and　respect；　GENTLEMEN；　Your　most　humble　And　obedient　servant；　JOSHUA　REYNOLDS




SEVEN　DISCOURSES　ON　ART




A　DISCOURSE



Delivered　at　the　Opening　of　the　Royal　Academy；　January　2nd；　1769；　by　the　President

Gentlemen；An　academy　in　which　the　polite　arts　may　be　regularly　cultivated　is　at　last　opened　among　us　by　royal　munificence。　　This　must　appear　an　event　in　the　highest　degree　interesting；　not　only　to　the　artists；　but　to　the　whole　nation。

It　is　indeed　difficult　to　give　any　other　reason　why　an　Empire　like　that　of　Britain　should　so　long　have　wanted　an　ornament　so　suitable　to　its　greatness　than　that　slow　progression　of　things　which　naturally　makes　elegance　and　refinement　the　last　effect　of　opulence　and　power。

An　institution　like　this　has　often　been　recommended　upon　considerations　merely　mercantile。　　But　an　academy　founded　upon　such　principles　can　never　effect　even　its　own　narrow　purposes。　　If　it　has　an　origin　no　higher；　no　taste　can　ever　be　formed　in　it　which　can　be　useful　even　in　manufactures；　but　if　the　higher　arts　of　design　flourish；　these　inferior　ends　will　be　answered　of　course。

We　are　happy　in　having　a　prince　who　has　conceived　the　design　of　such　an　institution；　according　to　its　true　dignity；　and　promotes　the　arts；　as　the　head　of　a　great；　a　learned；　a　polite；　and　a　commercial　nation；　and　I　can　now　congratulate　you；　gentlemen；　on　the　accomplishment　of　your　long　and　ardent　wishes。

The　numberless　and　ineffectual　consultations　that　I　have　had　with　many　in　this　assembly；　to　form　plans　and　concert　schemes　for　an　academy；　afford　a　sufficient　proof　of　the　impossibility　of　succeeding　but　by　the　influence　of　Majesty。　　But　there　have；　perhaps；　been　times　when　even　the　influence　of　Majesty　would　have　been　ineffectual；　and　it　is　pleasing　to　reflect　that　we　are　thus　embodied；　when　every　circumstance　seems　to　concur　from　which　honour　and　prosperity　can　probably　arise。

There　are　at　this　time　a　greater　number　of　excellent　artists　than　were　ever　known　before　at　one　period　in　this　nation；　there　is　a　general　desire　among　our　nobility　to　be　distinguished　as　lovers　and　judges　of　the　arts；　there　is　a　greater　superfluity　of　wealth　among　the　people　to　reward　the　professors；　and；　above　all；　we　are　patronised　by　a　monarch；　who；　knowing　the　value　of　science　and　of　elegance；　thinks　every　art　worthy　of　his　notice　that　tends　to　soften　and　humanise　the　mind。

After　so　much　has　been　done　by　his　Majesty；　it　will　be　wholly　our　fault　if　our　progress　is　not　in　some　degree　correspondent　to　the　wisdom　and；　generosi