seven discourses on art-第19部分

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d　effects。

In　every　school；　whether　Venetian；　French；　or　Dutch；　he　will　find　either　ingenious　compositions；　extraordinary　effects；　some　peculiar　expressions；　or　some　mechanical　excellence；　well　worthy　his　attention　and；　in　some　measure；　of　his　imitation；　even　in　the　lower　class　of　the　French　painters；　great　beauties　are　often　found　united　with　great　defects。

Though　Coypel　wanted　a　simplicity　of　taste；　and　mistook　a　presumptuous　and　assuming　air　for　what　is　grand　and　majestic；　yet　he　frequently　has　good　sense　and　judgment　in　his　manner　of　telling　his　stories；　great　skill　in　his　compositions；　and　is　not　without　a　considerable　power　of　expressing　the　passions；　The　modern　affectation　of　grace　in　his　works；　as　well　as　in　those　of　Bouche　and　Watteau；　may　be　said　to　be　separated　by　a　very　thin　partition　from　the　more　simple　and　pure　grace　of　Correggio　and　Parmigiano。

Amongst　the　Dutch　painters；　the　correct；　firm；　and　determined　pencil；　which　was　employed　by　Bamboccio　and　Jan　Miel　on　vulgar　and　mean　subjects；　might　without　any　change　be　employed　on　the　highest；　to　which；　indeed；　it　seems　more　properly　to　belong。　　The　greatest　style；　if　that　style　is　confined　to　small　figures　such　as　Poussin　generally　painted；　would　receive　an　additional　grace　by　the　elegance　and　precision　of　pencil　so　admirable　in　the　works　of　Teniers。

Though　this　school　more　particularly　excelled　in　the　mechanism　of　painting；　yet　there　are　many　who　have　shown　great　abilities　in　expressing　what　must　be　ranked　above　mechanical　excellences。

In　the　works　of　Frank　Hals　the　portrait　painter　may　observe　the　composition　of　a　face；　the　features　well　put　together　as　the　painters　express　it；　from　whence　proceeds　that　strong　marked　character　of　individual　nature　which　is　so　remarkable　in　his　portraits；　and　is　not　to　be　found　in　an　equal　degree　in　any　other　painter。　　If　he　had　joined　to　this　most　difficult　part　of　the　art　a　patience　in　finishing　what　he　had　so　correctly　planned；　he　might　justly　have　claimed　the　place　which　Vandyke；　all　things　considered；　so　justly　holds　as　the　first　of　portrait　painters。

Others　of　the　same　school　have　shown　great　power　in　expressing　the　character　and　passions　of　those　vulgar　people　which　are　the　subjects　of　their　study　and　attention。　　Amongst　those；　Jean　Stein　seems　to　be　one　of　the　most　diligent　and　accurate　observers　of　what　passed　in　those　scenes　which　he　frequented；　and　which　were　to　him　an　academy。　　I　can　easily　imagine　that　if　this　extraordinary　man　had　had　the　good　fortune　to　have　been　born　in　Italy　instead　of　Holland；　had　he　lived　in　Rome　instead　of　Leyden；　and　had　been　blessed　with　Michael　Angelo　and　Raffaelle　for　his　masters　instead　of　Brower　and　Van　Gowen；　that　the　same　sagacity　and　penetration　which　distinguished　so　accurately　the　different　characters　and　expression　in　his　vulgar　figures；　would；　when　exerted　in　the　selection　and　imitation　of　what　was　great　and　elevated　in　nature；　have　been　equally　successful；　and　his　name　would　have　been　now　ranged　with　the　great　pillars　and　supporters　of　our　art。

Men　who；　although　thus　bound　down　by　the　almost　invincible　powers　of　early　habits；　have　still　exerted　extraordinary　abilities　within　their　narrow　and　confined　circle；　and　have；　from　the　natural　vigour　of　their　mind；　given　such　an　interesting　expression；　such　force　and　energy　to　their　works；　though　they　cannot　be　recommended　to　be　exactly　imitated；　may　yet　invite　an　artist　to　endeavour　to　transfer；　by　a　kind　of　parody；　those　excellences　to　his　own　works。　Whoever　has　acquired　the　power　of　making　this　use　of　the　Flemish；　Venetian；　and　French　schools　is　a　real　genius；　and　has　sources　of　knowledge　open　to　him　which　were　wanting　to　the　great　artists　who　lived　in　the　great　age　of　painting。

To　find　excellences　however　dispersed；　to　discover　beauties　however　concealed　by　the　multitude　of　defects　with　which　they　are　surrounded；　can　be　the　work　only　of　him　who；　having　a　mind　always　alive　to　his　art；　has　extended　his　views　to　all　ages　and　to　all　schools；　and　has　acquired　from　that　comprehensive　mass　which　he　has　thus　gathered　to　himself；　a　well　digested　and　perfect　idea　of　his　art；　to　which　everything　is　referred。　　Like　a　sovereign　judge　and　arbiter　of　art；　he　is　possessed　of　that　presiding　power　which　separates　and　attracts　every　excellence　from　every　school；　selects　both　from　what　is　great　and　what　is　little；　brings　home　knowledge　from　the　east　and　from　the　west；　making　the　universe　tributary　towards　furnishing　his　mind　and　enriching　his　works　with　originality　and　variety　of　inventions。

Thus　I　have　ventured　to　give　my　opinion　of　what　appears　to　me　the　true　and　only　method　by　which　an　artist　makes　himself　master　of　his　profession；　which　I　hold　ought　to　be　one　continued　course　of　imitation；　that　is　not　to　cease　but　with　our　lives。

Those　who；　either　from　their　own　engagements　and　hurry　of　business；　or　from　indolence；　or　from　conceit　and　vanity；　have　neglected　looking　out　of　themselves；　as　far　as　my　experience　and　observation　reaches；　have　from　that　time　not　only　ceased　to　advance　and　improve　in　their　performance；　but　have　gone　backward。　　They　may　be　compared　to　men　who　have　lived　upon　their　principal　till　they　are　reduced　to　beggary　and　left　without　resources。

I　can　recommend　nothing　better；　therefore；　than　that　you　endeavour　to　infuse　into　your　works　what　you　learn　from　the　contemplation　of　the　works　of　others。　　To　recommend　this　has　the　appearance　of　needless　and　superfluous　advice；　but　it　has　fallen　within　my　own　knowledge　that　artists；　though　they　are　not　wanting　in　a　sincere　love　for　their　art；　though　they　have　great　pleasure　in　seeing　good　pictures；　and　are　well　skilled　to　distinguish　what　is　excellent　or　defective　in　them；　yet　go　on　in　their　own　manner；　without　any　endeavour　to　give　a　little　of　those　beauties　which　they　admire　in　others；　to　their　own　works。　　It　is　difficult　to　conceive　how　the　present　Italian　painters；　who　live　in　the　midst　of　the　treasures　of　art；　should　be　contented　with　their　own　style。　　They　proceed　in　their　common…place　inventions；　and　never　think　it　worth　while　to　visit　the　works　of　those　great　artists　with　which　they　are　surrounded。

I　remember　several　years　ago　to　have　conversed　at　Rome　with　an　artist　of　great　fame　throughout　Europe；　he　was　not　without　a　considerable　degree　of　abilities；　but　those　abilities　were　by　no　means　equal　to　his　own　opinion　of　them。　　From　the　reputation　he　had　acquired　he　too　fondly　concluded　that　he　stood　in　the　same　rank；　when　compared　to　his　predecessors；　as　he　held　with　regard　to　his　miserable　contemporary　rivals。

In　conversation　about　some　particulars　of　the　works　of　Raffaelle；　he　seemed　to　have；　or　to　affect　to　have；　a　very　obscure　memory　of　them。　　He　told　me　that　he　had　not　set　his　foot　in　the　Vatican　for　fifteen　years　together；　that　indeed　he　had　been　in　treaty　to　copy　a　capital　picture　of　Raffaelle；　but　that　the　business　had　gone　off；　however；　if　the　agreement　had　held；　his　copy　would　have　greatly　exceeded　the　original。　　The　merit　of　this　artist；　however　great　we　may　suppose　it；　I　am　sure　would　have　been　far　greater；　and　his　presumption　would　have　been　far　less　if　he　had　visited　the　Vatican；　as　in　reason　he　ought　to　have　done；　once　at　least　every　month　of　his　life。

I　address　myself；　gentlemen；　to　you　who　have　made　some　progress　in　the　art；　and　are　to　be　for　the　future　under　the　guidance　of　your　own　judgment　and　discretion

I　consider　you　as　arrived　to　that　period　when　you　have　a　right　to　think　for　yourselves；　and　to　presume　that　every　man　is　fallible；　to　study　the　masters　with　a　suspicion　that　great　men　are　not　always　exempt　from　great　faults；　to　criticise；　compare；　and　rank　their　works　in　your　own　estimation；　as　they　approach　to　or　recede　from　that　standard　of　perfection　which　you　have　formed　in　your　own　mind；　but　which　those　masters　themselves；　it　must　be　remembered；　have　taught　you　to　make；　and　which　you　will　cease　to　make　with　correctness　when　you　cease　to　study　them。　　It　is　their　excellences　which　have　taught　you　their　defects。

I　would　wish　you　to　forget　where　you　are；　and　who　it　is　that　speaks　to　you。　　I　only　direct　you　to　higher　models　and　better　advisers。　We　can　teach　you　here　but　very　little；　you　are　henceforth　to　be　your　own　teachers。　　Do　this　justice；　however；　to　the　English　Academy；　to　bear　in　mind；　that　in　this　place　you　contracted　no　narrow　habits；　no　false　ideas；　nothing　that　could　lead　you　to　the　imitation　of　any　living　master；　who　may　be　the　fashionable　darling　of　the　day。　　As　you　have　not　been　taught　to　flatter　us；　do　not　learn　to　flatter　yourselves。　　We　have　endeavoured　to　lead　you　to　the　admiration　of　nothing　but　what　is　truly　admirable。　　If　you　choose　inferior　patterns；　or　if　you　make　your　own　FORMER　works；　your　patterns　for　your　LATTER；　it　is　your　own　fault。

The　purpose　of　this　discourse；　and；　indeed；　of　most　of　my　others；　is　to　caution　you　against　that　false　opinion；　but　too　prevalent　amongst　artists；　of　the　imaginary　power　of　native　genius；　and　its　sufficiency　in　great　works。　　This　opinion；　according　to　the　temper　of　mind　it　meets　with；　almost　always　produces；　either　a　vain　confidence；　or　a　sluggish　despair；　both　equally　fatal　to　all　proficiency。

Study；　therefore；　the　great　works　of　the　great　masters　for　ever。　Study　as　nearly