seven discourses on art-第4部分

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truly　said　to　be　common…place。　　This；　though　it　takes　up　much　time　in　copying；　conduces　little　to　improvement。　　I　consider　general　copying　as　a　delusive　kind　of　industry；　the　student　satisfies　himself　with　the　appearance　of　doing　something；　he　falls　into　the　dangerous　habit　of　imitating　without　selecting；　and　of　labouring　without　any　determinate　object；　as　it　requires　no　effort　of　the　mind；　he　sleeps　over　his　work；　and　those　powers　of　invention　and　composition　which　ought　particularly　to　be　called　out　and　put　in　action　lie　torpid；　and　lose　their　energy　for　want　of　exercise。

It　is　an　observation　that　all　must　have　made；　how　incapable　those　are　of　producing　anything　of　their　own　who　have　spent　much　of　their　time　in　making　finished　copies。

To　suppose　that　the　complication　of　powers；　and　variety　of　ideas　necessary　to　that　mind　which　aspires　to　the　first　honours　ill　the　art　of　painting；　can　be　obtained　by　the　frigid　contemplation　of　a　few　single　models；　is　no　less　absurd　than　it　would　be　in　him　who　wishes　to　be　a　poet　to　imagine　that　by　translating　a　tragedy　he　can　acquire　to　himself　sufficient　knowledge　of　the　appearances　of　nature；　the　operations　of　the　passions；　and　the　incidents　of　life。

The　great　use　in　copying；　if　it　be　at　all　useful；　should　seem　to　be　in　learning　to　colour；　yet　even　colouring　will　never　be　perfectly　attained　by　servilely　copying　the　mould　before　you。　　An　eye　critically　nice　can　only　be　formed　by　observing　well…coloured　pictures　with　attention：　　and　by　close　inspection；　and　minute　examination　you　will　discover；　at　last；　the　manner　of　handling；　the　artifices　of　contrast；　glazing；　and　other　expedients；　by　which　good　colourists　have　raised　the　value　of　their　tints；　and　by　which　nature　has　been　so　happily　imitated。

I　must　inform　you；　however；　that　old　pictures　deservedly　celebrated　for　their　colouring　are　often　so　changed　by　dirt　and　varnish；　that　we　ought　not　to　wonder　if　they　do　not　appear　equal　to　their　reputation　in　the　eyes　of　unexperienced　painters；　or　young　students。　　An　artist　whose　judgment　is　matured　by　long　observation；　considers　rather　what　the　picture　once　was；　than　what　it　is　at　present。　　He　has　acquired　a　power　by　habit　of　seeing　the　brilliancy　of　tints　through　the　cloud　by　which　it　is　obscured。　　An　exact　imitation；　therefore；　of　those　pictures；　is　likely　to　fill　the　student's　mind　with　false　opinions；　and　to　send　him　back　a　colourist　of　his　own　formation；　with　ideas　equally　remote　from　nature　and　from　art；　from　the　genuine　practice　of　the　masters　and　the　real　appearances　of　things。

Following　these　rules；　and　using　these　precautions；　when　you　have　clearly　and　distinctly　learned　in　what　good　colouring　consists；　you　cannot　do　better　than　have　recourse　to　nature　herself；　who　is　always　at　hand；　and　in　comparison　of　whose　true　splendour　the　best　coloured　pictures　are　but　faint　and　feeble。

However；　as　the　practice　of　copying　is　not　entirely　to　be　excluded；　since　the　mechanical　practice　of　painting　is　learned　in　some　measure　by　it；　let　those　choice　parts　only　be　selected　which　have　recommended　the　work　to　notice。　　If　its　excellence　consists　in　its　general　effect；　it　would　be　proper　to　make　slight　sketches　of　the　machinery　and　general　management　of　the　picture。　　Those　sketches　should　be　kept　always　by　you　for　the　regulation　of　your　style。　Instead　of　copying　the　touches　of　those　great　masters；　copy　only　their　conceptions。　　Instead　of　treading　in　their　footsteps；　endeavour　only　to　keep　the　same　road。　　Labour　to　invent　on　their　general　principles　and　way　of　thinking。　　Possess　yourself　with　their　spirit。　　Consider　with　yourself　how　a　Michael　Angelo　or　a　Raffaelle　would　have　treated　this　subject：　　and　work　yourself　into　a　belief　that　your　picture　is　to　be　seen　and　criticised　by　them　when　completed。　　Even　an　attempt　of　this　kind　will　rouse　your　powers。

But　as　mere　enthusiasm　will　carry　you　but　a　little　way；　let　me　recommend　a　practice　that　may　be　equivalent；　and　will　perhaps　more　efficaciously　contribute　to　your　advancement；　than　even　the　verbal　corrections　of　those　masters　themselves；　could　they　be　obtained。　What　I　would　propose　is；　that　you　should　enter　into　a　kind　of　competition；　by　painting　a　similar　subject；　and　making　a　companion　to　any　picture　that　you　consider　as　a　model。　　After　you　have　finished　your　work；　place　it　near　the　model；　and　compare　them　carefully　together。　　You　will　then　not　only　see；　but　feel　your　own　deficiencies　more　sensibly　than　by　precepts；　or　any　other　means　of　instruction。　　The　true　principles　of　painting　will　mingle　with　your　thoughts。　　Ideas　thus　fixed　by　sensible　objects；　will　be　certain　and　definitive；　and　sinking　deep　into　the　mind；　will　not　only　be　more　just；　but　more　lasting　than　those　presented　to　you　by　precepts　only：　　which　will；　always　be　fleeting；　variable；　and　undetermined。

This　method　of　comparing　your　own　efforts　with　those　of　some　great　master；　is　indeed　a　severe　and　mortifying　task；　to　which　none　will　submit；　but　such　as　have　great　views；　with　fortitude　sufficient　to　forego　the　gratifications　of　present　vanity　for　future　honour。　When　the　student　has　succeeded　in　some　measure　to　his　own　satisfaction；　and　has　felicitated　himself　on　his　success；　to　go　voluntarily　to　a　tribunal　where　he　knows　his　vanity　must　be　humbled；　and　all　self…approbation　must　vanish；　requires　not　only　great　resolution；　but　great　humility。　　To　him；　however；　who　has　the　Ambition　to　be　a　real　master；　the　solid　satisfaction　which　proceeds　from　a　consciousness　of　his　advancement　（of　which　seeing　his　own　faults　is　the　first　step）　will　very　abundantly　compensate　for　the　mortification　of　present　disappointment。　　There　is；　besides；　this　alleviating　circumstance。　　Every　discovery　he　makes；　every　acquisition　of　knowledge　he　attains；　seems　to　proceed　from　his　own　sagacity；　and　thus　he　acquires　a　confidence　in　himself　sufficient　to　keep　up　the　resolution　of　perseverance。

We　all　must　have　experienced　how　lazily；　and　consequently　how　ineffectually；　instruction　is　received　when　forced　upon　the　mind　by　others。　　Few　have　been　taught　to　any　purpose　who　have　not　been　their　own　teachers。　　We　prefer　those　instructions　which　we　have　given　ourselves；　from　our　affection　to　the　instructor；　and　they　are　more　effectual；　from　being　received　into　the　mind　at　the　very　time　when　it　is　most　open　and　eager　to　receive　them。

With　respect　to　the　pictures　that　you　are　to　choose　for　your　models；　I　could　wish　that　you　would　take　the　world's　opinion　rather　than　your　own。　　In　other　words；　I　would　have　you　choose　those　of　established　reputation　rather　than　follow　your　own　fancy。　　If　you　should　not　admire　them　at　first；　you　will；　by　endeavouring　to　imitate　them；　find　that　the　world　has　not　been　mistaken。

It　is　not　an　easy　task　to　point　out　those　various　excellences　for　your　imitation　which　he　distributed　amongst　the　various　schools。　An　endeavour　to　do　this　may　perhaps　be　the　subject　of　some　future　discourse。　　I　will；　therefore；　at　present　only　recommend　a　model　for　style　in　painting；　which　is　a　branch　of　the　art　more　immediately　necessary　to　the　young　student。　　Style　in　painting　is　the　same　as　in　writing；　a　power　over　materials；　whether　words　or　colours；　by　which　conceptions　or　sentiments　are　conveyed。　　And　in　this　Lodovico　Carrache　（I　mean　in　his　best　works）　appears　to　me　to　approach　the　nearest　to　perfection。　　His　unaffected　breadth　of　light　and　shadow；　the　simplicity　of　colouring；　which　holding　its　proper　rank；　does　not　draw　aside　the　least　part　of　the　attention　from　the　subject；　and　the　solemn　effect　of　that　twilight　which　seems　diffused　over　his　pictures；　appear　to　me　to　correspond　with　grave　and　dignified　subjects；　better　than　the　more　artificial　brilliancy　of　sunshine　which　enlightens　the　pictures　of　Titian。　Though　Tintoret　thought　that　Titian's　colouring　was　the　model　of　perfection；　and　would　correspond　even　with　the　sublime　of　Michael　Angelo；　and　that　if　Angelo　had　coloured　like　Titian；　or　Titian　designed　like　Angelo；　the　world　would　once　have　had　a　perfect　painter。

It　is　our　misfortune；　however；　that　those　works　of　Carrache　which　I　would　recommend　to　the　student　are　not　often　found　out　of　Bologna。　The　〃St。　Francis　in　the　midst　of　his　Friars；〃　〃The　Transfiguration；〃　〃The　Birth　of　St。　John　the　Baptist；〃　〃The　Calling　of　St。　Matthew；〃　the　〃St。　Jerome；〃　the　fresco　paintings　in　the　Zampieri　Palace；　are　all　worthy　the　attention　of　the　student。　　And　I　think　those　who　travel　would　do　well　to　allot　a　much　greater　portion　of　their　time　to　that　city　than　it　has　been　hitherto　the　custom　to　bestow。

In　this　art；　as　in　others；　there　are　many　teachers　who　profess　to　show　the　nearest　way　to　excellence；　and　many　expedients　have　been　invented　by　which　the　toil　of　study　might　be　saved。　　But　let　no　man　be　seduced　to　idleness　by　specious　promises。　　Excellence　is　never　granted　to　man　but　as　the　reward　of　labour。　　It　argues；　indeed；　no　small　strength　of　mind　to　persevere　in　habits　of　industry；　without　the　pleasure　of　perceiving　those　advances；　which；　like　the　hand　of　a　clock；　whilst　they　make　hourly　approaches　to　their　point；　yet　proceed　so　slowly　as　to　escape　observation。　　A　facility　of　drawing；　like　that　of　playing　upon　a　musical　instrument；　cannot　be　acquired　but　by　an　infinite　number　of　acts。　　I　need　not；　therefore；　enforce　by　many　words　the　necessity　of　continual　application；　nor　tell　you　that　the　port…crayon　ought　to　be　for　ever　in　your　hands。　　Various　methods　will　occur　to　you　by　which　this　power　may　be　acquired。　　I　would　particularly　recommend　that　after　your　return　from　the　academy　（where　I　suppose　your　attendance　to　be　constant）　you　would　endeavour　to　draw　the　figure　by　memory。　　I　will　even　venture　to　add；　that　by　perseverance　in　this　custom；　you　will　become　able　to　draw　the　human　figure　tolerably　correct；　with　as　little　effort　of　the　mind　as　to　trace　with　a　pen　the　letters　of　the　alphabet。

That　this　facility　is　not　unattainable；　some　members　in　this　academy　give　a　sufficient　proof。　　And；　be　assured；　that　if　this　power　is　not　acquired　whilst　you　are　young；　there　will　be　no　time　for　it　afterwards：　　at　least；　the　attempt　will　be　attended　with　as　much　difficulty　as　those　experience　who　learn　to　read　or　write　after　they　have　arrived　to　the　age　of　maturity。

But　while　I　mention　the　port…crayon　as　the　student's　constant　comp