seven discourses on art-第6部分

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　any　one　human　figure　as　a　pattern；　which　he　was　to　copy；　but　having　a　more　perfect　idea　of　beauty　fixed　in　his　mind；　this　he　steadily　contemplated；　and　to　the　imitation　of　this　all　his　skill　and　labour　were　directed。

The　moderns　are　not　less　convinced　than　the　ancients　of　this　superior　power　existing　in　the　art；　nor　less　conscious　of　its　effects。　　Every　language　has　adopted　terms　expressive　of　this　excellence。　　The　Gusto　grande　of　the　Italians；　the　Beau　ideal　of　the　French　and　the　GREAT　STYLE；　GENIUS；　and　TASTE　among　the　English；　are　but　different　appellations　of　the　same　thing。　　It　is　this　intellectual　dignity；　they　say；　that　ennobles　the　painter's　art；　that　lays　the　line　between　him　and　the　mere　mechanic；　and　produces　those　great　effects　in　an　instant；　which　eloquence　and　poetry；　by　slow　and　repeated　efforts；　are　scarcely　able　to　attain。

Such　is　the　warmth　with　which　both　the　ancients　and　moderns　speak　of　this　divine　principle　of　the　art；　but；　as　I　have　formerly　observed；　enthusiastic　admiration　seldom　promotes　knowledge。　Though　a　student　by　such　praise　may　have　his　attention　roused；　and　a　desire　excited；　of　running　in　this　great　career；　yet　it　is　possible　that　what　has　been　said　to　excite；　may　only　serve　to　deter　him。　　He　examines　his　own　mind；　and　perceives　there　nothing　of　that　divine　inspiration　with　which　he　is　told　so　many　others　have　been　favoured。　　He　never　travelled　to　heaven　to　gather　new　ideas；　and　he　finds　himself　possessed　of　no　other　qualifications　than　what　mere　common　observation　and　a　plain　understanding　can　confer。　　Thus　he　becomes　gloomy　amidst　the　splendour　of　figurative　declamation；　and　thinks　it　hopeless　to　pursue　an　object　which　he　supposes　out　of　the　reach　of　human　industry。

But　on　this；　as　upon　many　other　occasions；　we　ought　to　distinguish　how　much　is　to　be　given　to　enthusiasm；　and　how　much　to　reason。　　We　ought　to　allow　for；　and　we　ought　to　commend；　that　strength　of　vivid　expression　which　is　necessary　to　convey；　in　its　full　force；　the　highest　sense　of　the　most　complete　effect　of　art；　taking　care　at　the　same　time　not　to　lose　in　terms　of　vague　admiration　that　solidity　and　truth　of　principle　upon　which　alone　we　can　reason；　and　may　be　enabled　to　practise。

It　is　not　easy　to　define　in　what　this　great　style　consists；　nor　to　describe；　by　words；　the　proper　means　of　acquiring　it；　if　the　mind　of　the　student　should　be　at　all　capable　of　such　an　acquisition。　Could　we　teach　taste　or　genius　by　rules；　they　would　be　no　longer　taste　and　genius。　　But　though　there　neither　are；　nor　can　be；　any　precise　invariable　rules　for　the　exercise　or　the　acquisition　of　those　great　qualities；　yet　we　may　as　truly　say　that　they　always　operate　in　proportion　to　our　attention　in　observing　the　works　of　nature；　to　our　skill　in　selecting；　and　to　our　care　in　digesting；　methodising；　and　comparing　our　observations。　　There　are　many　beauties　in　our　art；　that　seem；　at　first；　to　lie　without　the　reach　of　precept；　and　yet　may　easily　be　reduced　to　practical　principles。　Experience　is　all　in　all；　but　it　is　not　every　one　who　profits　by　experience；　and　most　people　err；　not　so　much　from　want　of　capacity　to　find　their　object；　as　from　not　knowing　what　object　to　pursue。　This　great　ideal　perfection　and　beauty　are　not　to　be　sought　in　the　heavens；　but　upon　the　earth。　　They　are　about　us；　and　upon　every　side　of　us。　　But　the　power　of　discovering　what　is　deformed　in　nature；　or　in　other　words；　what　is　particular　and　uncommon；　can　be　acquired　only　by　experience；　and　the　whole　beauty　and　grandeur　of　the　art　consists；　in　my　opinion；　in　being　able　to　get　above　all　singular　forms；　local　customs；　particularities；　and　details　of　every　kind。

All　the　objects　which　are　exhibited　to　our　view　by　nature；　upon　close　examination　will　be　found　to　have　their　blemishes　and　defects。　　The　most　beautiful　forms　have　something　about　them　like　weakness；　minuteness；　or　imperfection。　　But　it　is　not　every　eye　that　perceives　these　blemishes。　　It　must　be　an　eye　long　used　to　the　contemplation　and　comparison　of　these　forms；　and　which；　by　a　long　habit　of　observing　what　any　set　of　objects　of　the　same　kind　have　in　common；　that　alone　can　acquire　the　power　of　discerning　what　each　wants　in　particular。　　This　long　laborious　comparison　should　be　the　first　study　of　the　painter　who　aims　at　the　greatest　style。　　By　this　means；　he　acquires　a　just　idea　of　beautiful　forms；　he　corrects　nature　by　herself；　her　imperfect　state　by　her　more　perfect。　　His　eye　being　enabled　to　distinguish　the　accidental　deficiencies；　excrescences；　and　deformities　of　things　from　their　general　figures；　he　makes　out　an　abstract　idea　of　their　forms　more　perfect　than　any　one　original；　and　what　may　seem　a　paradox；　he　learns　to　design　naturally　by　drawing　his　figures　unlike　to　any　one　object。　　This　idea　of　the　perfect　state　of　nature；　which　the　artist　calls　the　ideal　beauty；　is　the　great　leading　principle　by　which　works　of　genius　are　conducted。　　By　this　Phidias　acquired　his　fame。　　He　wrought　upon　a　sober　principle　what　has　so　much　excited　the　enthusiasm　of　the　world；　and　by　this　method　you；　who　have　courage　to　tread　the　same　path；　may　acquire　equal　reputation。

This　is　the　idea　which　has　acquired；　and　which　seems　to　have　a　right　to　the　epithet　of　Divine；　as　it　may　be　said　to　preside；　like　a　supreme　judge；　over　all　the　productions　of　nature；　appearing　to　be　possessed　of　the　will　and　intention　of　the　Creator；　as　far　as　they　regard　the　external　form　of　living　beings。

When　a　man　once　possesses　this　idea　in　its　perfection；　there　is　no　danger　but　that　he　will　he　sufficiently　warmed　by　it　himself；　and　be　able　to　warm　and　ravish　every　one　else。

Thus　it　is　from　a　reiterated　experience；　and　a　close　comparison　of　the　objects　in　nature；　that　an　artist　becomes　possessed　of　the　idea　of　that　central　form；　if　I　may　so　express　it；　from　which　every　deviation　is　deformity。　　But　the　investigation　of　this　form　I　grant　is　painful；　and　I　know　but　of　one　method　of　shortening　the　road；　this　is；　by　a　careful　study　of　the　works　of　the　ancient　sculptors；　who；　being　indefatigable　in　the　school　of　nature；　have　left　models　of　that　perfect　form　behind　them；　which　an　artist　would　prefer　as　supremely　beautiful；　who　had　spent　his　whole　life　in　that　single　contemplation。　　But　if　industry　carried　them　thus　far；　may　not　you　also　hope　for　the　same　reward　from　the　same　labour？　　We　have　the　same　school　opened　to　us　that　was　opened　to　them；　for　nature　denies　her　instructions　to　none　who　desire　to　become　her　pupils。

To　the　principle　I　have　laid　down；　that　the　idea　of　beauty　in　each　species　of　beings　is　invariably　one；　it　may　be　objected　that　in　every　particular　species　there　are　various　central　forms；　which　are　separate　and　distinct　from　each　other；　and　yet　are　undeniably　beautiful；　that　in　the　human　figure；　for　instance；　the　beauty　of　the　Hercules　is　one；　of　the　gladiator　another；　of　the　Apollo　another；　which　makes　so　many　different　ideas　of　beauty。

It　is　true；　indeed；　that　these　figures　are　each　perfect　in　their　kind；　though　of　different　characters　and　proportions；　but　still　none　of　them　is　the　representation　of　an　individual；　but　of　a　class。　　And　as　there　is　one　general　form；　which；　as　I　have　said；　belongs　to　the　human　kind　at　large；　so　in　each　of　these　classes　there　is　one　common　idea　and　central　form；　which　is　the　abstract　of　the　various　individual　forms　belonging　to　that　class。　　Thus；　though　the　forms　of　childhood　and　age　differ　exceedingly；　there　is　a　common　form　in　childhood；　and　a　common　form　in　age；which　is　the　more　perfect；　as　it　is　more　remote　from　all　peculiarities。　　But　I　must　add　further；　that　though　the　most　perfect　forms　of　each　of　the　general　divisions　of　the　human　figure　are　ideal；　and　superior　to　any　individual　form　of　that　class；　yet　the　highest　perfection　of　the　human　figure　is　not　to　be　found　in　any　one　of　them。　　It　is　not　in　the　Hercules；　nor　in　the　gladiator；　nor　in　the　Apollo；　but　in　that　form　which　is　taken　from　them　all；　and　which　partakes　equally　of　the　activity　of　the　gladiator；　of　the　delicacy　of　the　Apollo；　and　of　the　muscular　strength　of　the　Hercules。　　For　perfect　beauty　in　any　species　must　combine　all　the　characters　which　are　beautiful　in　that　species。　　It　cannot　consist　in　any　one　to　the　exclusion　of　the　rest：　　no　one；　therefore；　must　be　predominant；　that　no　one　may　be　deficient。

The　knowledge　of　these　different　characters；　and　the　power　of　separating　and　distinguishing　them；　is　undoubtedly　necessary　to　the　painter；　who　is　to　vary　his　compositions　with　figures　of　various　forms　and　proportions；　though　he　is　never　to　lose　sight　of　the　general　idea　of　perfection　in　each　kind。

There　is；　likewise；　a　kind　of　symmetry　or　proportion；　which　may　properly　be　said　to　belong　to　deformity。　　A　figure　lean　or　corpulent；　tall　or　short；　though　deviating　from　beauty；　may　still　have　a　certain　union　of　the　various　parts；　which　may　contribute　to　make　them；　on　the　whole；　not　unpleasing。　　When　the　artist　has　by　diligent　attention　acquired　a　clear　and　distinct　idea　of　beauty　and　symmetry；　when　he　has　reduced　the　variety　of　nature　to　the　abstract　idea；　his　next　task　will　be　to　become　acquainted　with　the　genuine　habits　of　nature；　as　distinguished　from　those　of　fashion。　　For　in　the　same　manner；　and　on　the　same　principles；　as　he　has　acquired　the　knowledge　of　the　real　forms　of　nature；　distinct　from　accidental　deformity；　he　must　endeavour　to　separate　simple　chaste　nature　from　those　adventitious；　those　affected　and　forced　airs　or　actions；　with　which　she　is　loaded　by　modern　education。

Perhaps　I　cannot　better　explain　what　I　mean　than　by　reminding　you　of　what　was　taught　us　by　the　Professor　of　Anatomy；　in　respect　to　the　natural　position　and　movement　of　the　feet。　　He　observed　that　the　fashion　of　turning；　them　outwards　was　contrary　to　the　intent　of　nature；　as　might　be　seen　from　the　structure　of　the　bones；　and　from　the　weakness　that　proceeded　from　that　manner　of　standing。　　To　this　we　may　add　the　erect　position　of　the　head；　the　projection　of　the　chest；　the　walking　with　straight　knees；　and　many　such　actions；　which　are　merely　the　result　of　fashion；　and　what　nature　never　warranted；　as　we　are　sure　that　we　have　been　taught　them　when　children。

I　have　mentioned　but　a　few　of　those　instances；　in　which　vanity　or　caprice　have　contrived　to　distort　and　disfigure　the　human　form；　yo