seven discourses on art-第7部分

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I　have　mentioned　but　a　few　of　those　instances；　in　which　vanity　or　caprice　have　contrived　to　distort　and　disfigure　the　human　form；　your　own　recollection　will　add　to　these　a　thousand　more　of　ill…　understood　methods；　that　have　been　practised　to　disguise　nature；　among　our　dancing…masters；　hair…dressers；　and　tailors；　in　their　various　schools　of　deformity。

However　the　mechanic　and　ornamental　arts　may　sacrifice　to　fashion；　she　must　be　entirely　excluded　from　the　art　of　painting；　the　painter　must　never　mistake　this　capricious　changeling　for　the　genuine　offspring　of　nature；　he　must　divest　himself　of　all　prejudices　in　favour　of　his　age　or　country；　he　must　disregard　all　local　and　temporary　ornaments；　and　look　only　on　those　general　habits　that　are　everywhere　and　always　the　same。　　He　addresses　his　works　to　the　people　of　every　country　and　every　age；　he　calls　upon　posterity　to　be　his　spectators；　and　says　with　Zeuxis；　In　aeternitatem　pingo。

The　neglect　of　separating　modern　fashions　from　the　habits　of　nature；　leads　to　that　ridiculous　style　which　has　been　practised　by　some　painters　who　have　given　to　Grecian　heroes　the　airs　and　graces　practised　in　the　court　of　Louis　XIV。；　an　absurdity　almost　as　great　as　it　would　have　been　to　have　dressed　them　after　the　fashion　of　that　court。

To　avoid　this　error；　however；　and　to　retain　the　true　simplicity　of　nature；　is　a　task　more　difficult　than　at　first　sight　it　may　appear。　The　prejudices　in　favour　of　the　fashions　and　customs　that　we　have　been　used　to；　and　which　are　justly　called　a　second　nature；　make　it　too　often　difficult　to　distinguish　that　which　is　natural　from　that　which　is　the　result　of　education；　they　frequently　even　give　a　predilection　in　favour　of　the　artificial　mode；　and　almost　every　one　is　apt　to　be　guided　by　those　local　prejudices　who　has　not　chastised　his　mind；　and　regulated　the　instability　of　his　affections；　by　the　eternal　invariable　idea　of　nature。

Here；　then；　as　before；　we　must　have　recourse　to　the　ancients　as　instructors。　　It　is　from　a　careful　study　of　their　works　that　you　will　be　enabled　to　attain　to　the　real　simplicity　of　nature；　they　will　suggest　many　observations；　which　would　probably　escape　you；　if　your　study　were　confined　to　nature　alone。　　And；　indeed；　I　cannot　help　suspecting；　that　in　this　instance　the　ancients　had　an　easier　task　than　the　moderns。　　They　had；　probably；　little　or　nothing　to　unlearn；　as　their　manners　were　nearly　approaching　to　this　desirable　simplicity；　while　the　modern　artist；　before　he　can　see　the　truth　of　things；　is　obliged　to　remove　a　veil；　with　which　the　fashion　of　the　times　has　thought　proper　to　cover　her。

Having　gone　thus　far　in　our　investigation　of　the　great　style　in　painting；　if　we　now　should　suppose　that　the　artist　has　formed　the　true　idea　of　beauty；　which　enables　him　to　give　his　works　a　correct　and　perfect　design；　if　we　should　suppose　also　that　he　has　acquired　a　knowledge　of　the　unadulterated　habits　of　nature；　which　gives　him　simplicity；　the　rest　of　his　talk　is；　perhaps；　less　than　is　generally　imagined。　　Beauty　and　simplicity　have　so　great　a　share　in　the　composition　of　a　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　tho