seven discourses on art-第15节

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othing　ought　to　be　introduced　that　may　tend　to　awaken　it　from　the　illusion。

Poussin　seemed　to　think　that　the　style　and　the　language　in　which　such　stories　are　told　is　not　the　worse　for　preserving　some　relish　of　the　old　way　of　painting　which　seemed　to　give　a　general　uniformity　to　the　whole；　so　that　the　mind　was　thrown　back　into　antiquity　not　only　by　the　subject；　but　the　execution。

If　Poussin；　in　imitation　of　the　ancients；　represents　Apollo　driving　his　chariot　out　of　the　sea　by　way　of　representing　the　sun　rising；　if　he　personifies　lakes　and　rivers；　it　is　no　ways　offensive　in　him；　but　seems　perfectly　of　a　piece　with　the　general　air　of　the　picture。　On　the　contrary；　if　the　figures　which　people　his　pictures　had　a　modern　air　or　countenance；　if　they　appeared　like　our　countrymen；　if　the　draperies　were　like　cloth　or　silk　of　our　manufacture；　if　the　landscape　had　the　appearance　of　a　modern　view；　how　ridiculous　would　Apollo　appear　instead　of　the　sun；　an　old　man　or　a　nymph　with　an　urn　instead　of　a　river　or　lake。

I　cannot　avoid　mentioning　here　a　circumstance　in　portrait　painting　which　may　help　to　confirm　what　has　been　said。

When　a　portrait　is　painted　in　the　historical　style；　as　it　is　neither　an　exact　minute　representation　of　an　individual　nor　completely　ideal；　every　circumstance　ought　to　correspond　to　this　mixture。　　The　simplicity　of　the　antique　air　and　attitude；　however　much　to　be　admired；　is　ridiculous　when　joined　to　a　figure　in　a　modern　dress。　　It　is　not　to　my　purpose　to　enter　into　the　question　at　present；　whether　this　mixed　style　ought　to　be　adopted　or　not；　yet　if　it　is　chosen　it　is　necessary　it　should　be　complete　and　all　of　a　piece：　　the　difference　of　stuffs；　for　instance；　which　make　the　clothing；　should　be　distinguished　in　the　same　degree　as　the　head　deviates　from　a　general　idea。

Without　this　union；　which　I　have　so　often　recommended；　a　work　can　have　no　marked　and　determined　character；　which　is　the　peculiar　and　constant　evidence　of　genius。　　But　when　this　is　accomplished　to　a　high　degree；　it　becomes　in　some　sort　a　rival　to　that　style　which　we　have　fixed　as　the　highest。

Thus　I　have　given　a　sketch　of　the　characters　of　Rubens　and　Salvator　Rosa；　as　they　appear　to　me　to　have　the　greatest　uniformity　of　mind　throughout　their　whole　work。　　But　we　may　add　to　these；　all　these　artists　who　are　at　the　head　of　the　class；　and　have　had　a　school　of　imitators　from　Michael　Angelo　down　to　Watteau。　　Upon　the　whole　it　appears　that　setting　aside　the　ornamental　style；　there　are　two　different　paths；　either　of　which　a　student　may　take　without　degrading　the　dignity　of　his　art。　　The　first　is　to　combine　the　higher　excellences　and　embellish　them　to　the　greatest　advantage。　The　other　is　to　carry　one　of　these　excellences　to　the　highest　degree。　　But　those　who　possess　neither　must　be　classed　with　them；　who；　as　Shakespeare　says；　are　men　of　no　mark　or　likelihood。

I　inculcate　as　frequently　as　I　can　your　forming　yourselves　upon　great　principles　and　great　models。　　Your　time　will　be　much　misspent　in　every　other　pursuit。　　Small　excellences　should　be　viewed；　not　studied；　they　ought　to　be　viewed；　because　nothing　ought　to　escape　a　painter's　observation；　but　for　no　other　reason。

There　is　another　caution　which　I　wish　to　give　you。　　Be　as　select　in　those　whom　you　endeavour　to　please；　as　in　those　whom　you　endeavour　to　imitate。　　Without　the　love　of　fame　you　can　never　do　anything　excellent；　but　by　an　excessive　and　undistinguishing　thirst　after　it；　you　will　come　to　have　vulgar　views；　you　will　degrade　your　style；　and　your　taste　will　be　entirely　corrupted。　　It　is　certain　that　the　lowest　style　will　be　the　most　popular；　as　it　falls　within　the　compass　of　ignorance　itself；　and　the　vulgar　will　always　be　pleased　with　what　is　natural　in　the　confined　and　misunderstood　sense　of　the　word。

One　would　wish　that　such　depravation　of　taste　should　be　counteracted；　with　such　manly　pride　as　Euripides　expressed　to　the　Athenians；　who　criticised　his　works；　〃I　do　not　compose；〃　says　he；　〃my　works　in　order　to　be　corrected　by　you；　but　to　instruct　you。〃　It　is　true；　to　have　a　right　to　speak　thus；　a　man　must　be　a　Euripides。　　However；　thus　much　may　be　allowed；　that　when　an　artist　is　sure　that　he　is　upon　firm　ground；　supported　by　the　authority　and　practice　of　his　predecessors　of　the　greatest　reputation；　he　may　then　assume　the　boldness　and　intrepidity　of　genius；　at　any　rate；　he　must　not　be　tempted　out　of　the　right　path　by　any　tide　of　popularity　that　always　accompanies　the　lower　styles　of　painting。

I　mention　this；　because　our　exhibitions；　that　produce　such　admirable　effects　by　nourishing　emulation；　and　calling　out　genius；　have　also　a　mischievous　tendency　by　seducing　the　painter　to　an　ambition　of　pleasing　indiscriminately　the　mixed　multitude　of　people　who　resort　to　them。



A　DISCOURSE



Delivered　to　the　Students　of　the　Royal　Academy　on　the　Distribution　of　the　Prizes；　December　10；　1774；　by　the　President。

Gentlemen；When　I　have　taken　the　liberty　of　addressing　you　on　the　course　and　order　of　your　studies；　I　never　proposed　to　enter　into　a　minute　detail　of　the　art。　　This　I　have　always　left　to　the　several　professors；　who　pursue　the　end　of　our　institution　with　the　highest　honour　to　themselves；　and　with　the　greatest　advantage　to　the　students。

My　purpose　in　the　discourses　I　have　held　in　the　Academy　is　to　lay　down　certain　general　ideas；　which　seem　to　me　proper　for　the　formation　of　a　sound　taste；　principles　necessary　to　guard　the　pupils　against　those　errors　into　which　the　sanguine　temper　common　at　their　time　of　life；　has　a　tendency　to　lead　them；　and　which　have　rendered　abortive　the　hopes　of　so　many　successions　of　promising　young　men　in　all　parts　of　Europe。

I　wish；　also；　to　intercept　and　suppress　those　prejudices　which　particularly　prevail　when　the　mechanism　of　painting　is　come　to　its　perfection；　and　which　when　they　do　prevail　are　certain　to　prevail　to　the　utter　destruction　of　the　higher　and　more　valuable　parts　of　this　literate　and　liberal　profession。

These　two　have　been　my　principal　purposes；　they　are　still　as　much　my　concern　as　ever；　and　if　I　repeat　my　own　ideas　on　the　subject；　you　who　know　how　fast　mistake　and　prejudice；　when　neglected；　gain　ground　upon　truth　and　reason；　will　easily　excuse　me。　　I　only　attempt　to　set　the　same　thing　in　the　greatest　variety　of　lights。

The　subject　of　this　discourse　will　be　imitation；　as　far　as　a　painter　is　concerned　in　it。　　By　imitation　I　do　not　mean　imitation　in　its　largest　sense；　but　simply　the　following　of　other　masters；　and　the　advantage　to　be　drawn　from　the　study　of　their　works。

Those　who　have　undertaken　to　write　on　our　art；　and　have　represented　it　as　a　kind　of　inspiration；　as　a　gift　bestowed　upon　peculiar　favourites　at　their　birth；　seem　to　ensure　a　much　more　favourable　disposition　from　their　readers；　and　have　a　much　more　captivating　and　liberal　air；　than　he　who　goes　about　to　examine；　coldly；　whether　there　are　any　means　by　which　this　art　may　be　acquired；　how　our　mind　may　be　strengthened　and　expanded；　and　what　guides　will　show　the　way　to　eminence。

It　is　very　natural　for　those　who　are　unacquainted　with　the　cause　of　anything　extraordinary　to　be　astonished　at　the　effect；　and　to　consider　it　as　a　kind　of　magic。　　They；　who　have　never　observed　the　gradation　by　which　art　is　acquired；　who　see　only　what　is　the　full　result　of　long　labour　and　application　of　an　infinite　number；　and　infinite　variety　of　acts；　are　apt　to　conclude　from　their　entire　inability　to　do　the　same　at　once；　that　it　is　not　only　inaccessible　to　themselves；　but　can　be　done　by　those　only　who　have　some　gift　of　the　nature　of　inspiration　bestowed　upon　them。

The　travellers　into　the　East　tell　us　that　when　the　ignorant　inhabitants　of　these　countries　are　asked　concerning　the　ruins　of　stately　edifices　yet　remaining　amongst　them；　the　melancholy　monuments　of　their　former　grandeur　and　long…lost　science；　they　always　answer　that　they　were　built　by　magicians。　　The　untaught　mind　finds　a　vast　gulf　between　its　own　powers　and　these　works　of　complicated　art　which　it　is　utterly　unable　to　fathom。　　And　it　supposes　that　such　a　void　can　be　passed　only　by　supernatural　powers。

And；　as　for　artists　themselves；　it　is　by　no　means　their　interest　to　undeceive　such　judges；　however　conscious　they　may　be　of　the　very　natural　means　by　which　the　extraordinary　powers　were　acquired；　our　art　being　intrinsically　imitative；　rejects　this　idea　of　inspiration　more；　perhaps；　than　any　other。

It　is　to　avoid　this　plain　confession　of　truth；　as　it　should　seem；　that　this　imitation　of　mastersindeed；　almost　all　imitation　which　implies　a　more　regular　and　progressive　method　of　attaining　the　ends　of　paintinghas　ever　been　particularly　inveighed　against　with　great　keenness；　both　by　ancient　and　modern　writers。

To　derive　all　from　native　power；　to　owe　nothing　to　another；　is　the　praise　which　men；　who　do　not　much　think　what　they　are　saying；　bestow　sometimes　upon　others；　and　sometimes　on　themselves；　and　their　imaginary　dignity　is　naturally　heightened　by　a　supercilious　censure　of　the　low；　the　barren；　the　grovelling；　the　servile　imitator。　　It　would　be　no　wonder　if　a　student；　frightened　by　these　terrors　and　disgraceful　epithets；　with　which　the　poor　imitators　are　so　often　loaded；　should　let　fall　his　pencil　in　mere　despair；　conscious　how　much　he　has　been　indeb