seven discourses on art-第16部分

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for　imitation；　it　requires　no　less　circumspection　to　separate　and　distinguish　what　in　those　models　we　ought　to　imitate。

I　cannot　avoid　mentioning　here；　though　it　is　not　my　intention　at　present　to　enter　into　the　art　and　method　of　study；　an　error　which　students　are　too　apt　to　fall　into。

He　that　is　forming　himself　must　look　with　great　caution　and　wariness　on　those　peculiarities；　or　prominent　parts；　which　at　first　force　themselves　upon　view；　and　are　the　marks；　or　what　is　commonly　called　the　manner；　by　which　that　individual　artist　is　distinguished。

Peculiar　marks　I　hold　to　be　generally；　if　not　always；　defects；　however　difficult　it　may　be；　wholly　to　escape　them。

Peculiarities　in　the　works　of　art　are　like　those　in　the　human　figure；　it　is　by　them　that　we　are　cognisable　and　distinguished　one　from　another；　but　they　are　always　so　many　blemishes；　which；　however；　both　in　the　one　case　and　in　the　other；　cease　to　appear　deformities　to　those　who　have　them　continually　before　their　eyes。　In　the　works　of　art；　even　the　most　enlightened　mind；　when　warmed　by　beauties　of　the　highest　kind；　will　by　degrees　find　a　repugnance　within　him　to　acknowledge　any　defects；　nay；　his　enthusiasm　will　carry　him　so　far　as　to　transform　them　into　beauties　and　objects　of　imitation。

It　must　be　acknowledged　that　a　peculiarity　of　style；　either　from　its　novelty；　or　by　seeming　to　proceed　from　a　peculiar　turn　of　mind；　often　escapes　blame；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　sometimes　striking　and　pleasing；　but　this　it　is　vain　labour　to　endeavour　to　imitate；　because　novelty　and　peculiarity　being　its　only　merit；　when　it　ceases　to　be　new；　it　ceases　to　have　value。

A　manner；　therefore；　being　a　defect；　and　every　painter；　however　excellent；　having　a　manner；　it　seems　to　follow　that　all　kinds　of　faults；　as　well　as　beauties；　may　be　learned　under　the　sanction　of　the　greatest　authorities。

Even　the　great　name　of　Michael　Angelo　may　be　used　to　keep　in　countenance　a　deficiency；　or　rather　neglect　of　colouring；　and　every　other　ornamental　part　of　the　art。

If　the　young　student　is　dry　and　hard；　Poussin　is　the　same。　　If　his　work　has　a　careless　and　unfinished　air；　he　has　most　of　the　Venetian　School　to　support　him。　　If　he　makes　no　selection　of　objects；　but　takes　individual　nature　just　as　he　finds　it；　he　is　like　Rembrandt。　If　he　is　incorrect　in　the　proportions　of　his　figures；　Correggio　was　likewise　incorrect。　　If　his　colours　are　not　blended　and　united；　Rubens　was　equally　crude。

In　short；　there　is　no　defect　but　may　be　excused；　if　it　is　a　sufficient　excuse　that　it　can　be　imputed　to　considerable　artists；　but　it　must　be　remembered　that　it　was　not　by　these　defects　they　acquired　their　reputation：　　they　have　a　right　to　our　pardon；　but　not　to　our　admiration。

However；　to　imitate　peculiarities　or　mistake　defects　for　beauties　that　man　will　be　most　liable　who　confines　his　imitation　to　one　favourite　master；　and；　even　though　he　chooses　the　best；　and　is　capable　of　distinguishing　the　real　excellences　of　his　model；　it　is　not　by　such　narrow　practice　that　a　genius　or　mastery　in　the　art　is　acquired。　　A　man　is　as　little　likely　to　form　a　true　idea　of　the　perfection　of　the　art　by　studying　a　single　artist　as　he　would　be　of　producing　a　perfectly　beautiful　figure　by　an　exact　imitation　of　any　individual　living　model。

And　as　the　painter；　by　bringing　together　in　one　piece　those　beauties　which　are　dispersed　amongst　a　great　variety　of　individuals；　produces　a　figure　more　beautiful　than　can　be　found　in　nature；　so　that　artist　who　can　unite　in　himself　the　excellences　of　the　various　painters；　will　approach　nearer　to　perfection　than　any　one　of　his　masters。

He　who　confines　himself　to　the　imitation　of　an　individual；　as　he　never　proposes　to　surpass；　so　he　is　not　likely　to　equal；　the　object　of　imitation。　　He　professes　only　to　follow；　and　he　that　follows　must　necessarily　be　behind。

We　should　imitate　the　conduct　of　the　great　artists　in　the　course　of　their　studies；　as　well　as　the　works　which　they　produced；　when　they　were　perfectly　formed。　　Raffaelle　began　by　imitating　implicitly　the　manner　of　Pietro　Perugino；　under　whom　he　studied；　so　his　first　works　are　scarce　to　be　distinguished　from　his　master's；　but　soon　forming　higher　and　more　extensive　views；　he　imitated　the　grand　outline　of　Michael　Angelo。　　He　learnt　the　manner　of　using　colours　from　the　works　of　Leonardo　da　Vinci　and　Fratre　Bartolomeo：　　to　all　this　he　added　the　contemplation　of　all　the　remains　of　antiquity　that　were　within　his　reach；　and　employed　others　to　draw　for　him　what　was　in　Greece　and　distant　places。　　And　it　is　from　his　having　taken　so　many　models　that　he　became　himself　a　model　for　all　succeeding　painters；　always　imitating；　and　always　original。

If　your　ambition　therefore　be　to　equal　Raffaelle；　you　must　do　as　Raffaelle　did；　take　many　models；　and　not　take　even　him　for　your　guide　alone　to　the　exclusion　of　others。　　And　yet　the　number　is　infinite　of　those　who　seem；　if　one　may　judge　by　their　style；　to　have　seen　no　other　works　but　those　of　their　master；　or　of　some　favourite　whose　manner　is　their　first　wish　and　their　last。

I　will　mention　a　few　that　occur　to　me　of　this　narrow；　confined；　illiberal；　unscientific；　and　servile　kind　of　imitators。　　Guido　was　thus　meanly　copied　by　Elizabetta　Sirani；　and　Simone　Cantarini；　Poussin；　by　Verdier　and　Cheron；　Parmigiano；　by　Jeronimo　Mazzuoli；　Paolo　Veronese　and　Iacomo　Bassan　had　for　their　imitators　their　brothers　and　sons；　Pietro　de　Cortona　was　followed　by　Ciro　Ferri　and　Romanelli；　Rubens；　by　Jacques　Jordans　and　Diepenbeck；　Guercino；　by　his　own　family；　the　Gennari；　Carlo　Marratti　was　imitated　by　Giuseppe　Chiari　and　Pietro　da　Pietri；　and　Rembrandt；　by　Bramer；　Eckhout；　and　Flink。　　All　these；　to　whom　may　be　added　a　much　longer　list　of　painters；　whose　works　among　the　ignorant　pass　for　those　of　their　masters；　are　justly　to　be　censured　for　barrenness　and　servility。

To　oppose　to　this　list　a　few　that　have　adopted　a　more　liberal　style　of　imitation：　　Pelegrino　Tibaldi；　Rosso；　and　Primaticio　did　not　coldly　imitate；　but　caught　something　of　the　fire　that　animates　the　works　of　Michael　Angelo。　　The　Carraches　formed　their　style　from　Pelegrino　Tibaldi；　Correggio；　and　the　Venetian　School。　Domenichino；　Guido；　Lanfranco；　Albano；　Guercino；　Cavidone；　Schidone；　Tiarini；　though　it　is　sufficiently　apparent　that　they　came　from　the　School　of　the　Carraches；　have　yet　the　appearance　of　men　who　extended　their　views　beyond　the　model　that　lay　before　them；　and　have　shown　that　they　had　opinions　of　their　own；　and　thought　for　themselves；　after　they　had　made　themselves　masters　of　the　general　principles　of　their　schools。

Le　Seure's　first　manner　resembles　very　much　that　of　his　master　Vovet：　　but　as　he　soon　excelled　him；　so　he　differed　from　him　in　every　part　of　the　art。　　Carlo　Marratti　succeeded　better　than　those　I　have　first　named；　and　I　think　owes　his　superiority　to　the　extension　of　his　views；　besides　his　master　Andrea　Sacchi；　he　imitated　Raffaelle；　Guido；　and　the　Carraches。　　It　is　true；　there　is　nothing　very　captivating　in　Carlo　Marratti；　but　this　proceeded　from　wants　which　cannot　be　completely　supplied；　that　is；　want　of　strength　of　parts。　　In　this；　certainly　men　are　not　equal；　and　a　man　can　bring　home　wares　only　in　proportion　to　the　capital　with　which　he　goes　to　market。　　Carlo；　by　diligence；　made　the　most　of　what　he　had；　but　there　was　undoubtedly　a　heaviness　about　him；　which　extended　itself；　uniformly　to　his　invention；　expression；　his　drawing；　colouring；　and　the　general　effect　of　his　pictures。　　The　truth　is；　he　never　equalled　any　of　his　patterns　in　any　one　thing；　and　he　added　little　of　his　own。

But　we　must　not　rest　contented；　even　in　this　general　study　of　the　moderns；　we　must　trace　back　the　art　to　its　fountain　head；　to　that　source　from　whence　they　drew　their　principal　excellences；　the　monuments　of　pure　antiquity。

All　the　inventions　and　thoughts　of　the　ancients；　whether　conveyed　to　us　in　statues；　bas…reliefs；　intaglios；　cameos；　or　coins；　are　to　be　sought　after　and　carefully　studied：　　The　genius　that　hovers　over　these　venerable　relics　may　be　called　the　father　of　modern　art。

From　the　remains　of　the　works　of　the　ancients　the　modern　arts　were　revived；　and　it　is　by　their　means　that　they　must　be　restored　a　second　time。　　However　it　may　mortify　our　vanity；　we　must　be　forced　to　allow　them　our　masters；　and　we　may　venture　to　prophecy；　that　when　they　shall　cease　to　be　studied；　arts　will　no　longer　flourish；　and　we　shall　again　relapse　into　barbarism。

The　fire　of　the　artist's　own　genius　operating　upon　these　materials　which　have　been　thus　diligently　collected；　will　enable　him　to　make　new　combinations；　perhaps；　superior　to　what　had　ever　before　been　in　the　possession　of　the　art。　　As　in　the　mixture　of　the　variety　of　metals；　which　are　said　to　have　been　melted　and　run　together　at　the　burning　of　Corinth；　a　new　and　till　then　unknown　metal　was　produced　equal　in　value　to　any　of　those　that　had　contributed　to　its　composition。　　And　though　a　curious　refiner　may　come　with　his　crucibles；　analyse　and　separate　its　various　component　parts；　yet　Corinthian　brass　would　still　hold　its　rank　amongst　the　most　beautiful　and　valuable　of　metals。

We　have　hitherto　considered　the　advantages　of　imitation　as　it　tends　to　form　the　taste；　and　as　a　practice　by　which　a　spark　of　that　genius　may　be　caught　which　illumines　these　noble　works；　that　ought　always　to　be　present　to　our　thoughts。

We　come　now　to　speak　of　another　kind　of　imitation；　the　borrowing　a　particular　thought；　an　action；　attitude；　or　figure；　and　transplanting　it　into　your　own　work：　　this　will　either　come　under　the　charge　of　plagiarism；　or　be　warrantable；　and　deserve　commendation；　according　to　the　address　with　which　it　is　performed。　There　is　some　difference　likewise　whether　it　is　upon　the　ancients　or　the　moderns　that　these　depredations　are　made。　　It　is　generally　allowed　that　no　man　need　be　ashamed　of　copying　the　ancients：　　their　works　are　considered　as　a　magazine　of　common　property；　always　open　to　the　public；　whence　every　man　has　a　right　to　what　materials　he　pleases；　and　if　he　has　the　art　of　using　them；　they　are　supposed　to　become　to　all　intents　and　purposes　his　own　property。

The　collection　which　Raffaelle　made　of　the　thoughts　of　the　ancients　with　so　much　trouble；　is　a　proof　of　his　opinion　on　this　subject。　Such　collections　may　be　made　with　m