seven discourses on art-第8部分

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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　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