seven discourses on art-第20节

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ll　proficiency。

Study；　therefore；　the　great　works　of　the　great　masters　for　ever。　Study　as　nearly　as　you　can；　in　the　order；　in　the　manner；　on　the　principles；　on　which　they　studied。　　Study　nature　attentively；　but　always　with　those　masters　in　your　company；　consider　them　as　models　which　you　are　to　imitate；　and　at　the　same　time　as　rivals　which　you　are　to　combat。



A　DISCOURSE



Delivered　to　the　Students　of　the　Royal　Academy　on　the　Distribution　of　the　Prizes；　December　10th；　1776；　by　the　President。

Gentlemen；It　has　been　my　uniform　endeavour；　since　I　first　addressed　you　from　this　place；　to　impress　you　strongly　with　one　ruling　idea。　　I　wished　you　to　be　persuaded；　that　success　in　your　art　depends　almost　entirely　on　your　own　industry；　but　the　industry　which　I　principally　recommended；　is　not　the　industry　of　the　HANDS；　but　of　the　MIND。

As　our　art　is　not　a　divine　gift；　so　neither　is　it　a　mechanical　trade。　　Its　foundations　are　laid　in　solid　science。　　And　practice；　though　essential　to　perfection；　can　never　attain　that　to　which　it　aims；　unless　it　works　under　the　direction　of　principle。

Some　writers　upon　art　carry　this　point　too　far；　and　suppose　that　such　a　body　of　universal　and　profound　learning　is　requisite；　that　the　very　enumeration　of　its　kind　is　enough　to　frighten　a　beginner。　Vitruvius；　after　going　through　the　many　accomplishments　of　nature；　and　the　many　acquirements　of　learning；　necessary　to　an　architect；　proceeds　with　great　gravity　to　assert　that　he　ought　to　be　well　skilled　in　the　civil　law；　that　he　may　not　be　cheated　in　the　title　of　the　ground　he　builds　on。

But　without　such　exaggeration；　we　may　go　so　far　as　to　assert；　that　a　painter　stands　in　need　of　more　knowledge　than　is　to　be　picked　off　his　pallet；　or　collected　by　looking　on　his　model；　whether　it　be　in　life　or　in　picture。　　He　can　never　be　a　great　artist　who　is　grossly　illiterate。

Every　man　whose　business　is　description　ought　to　be　tolerably　conversant　with　the　poets　in　some　language　or　other；　that　he　may　imbibe　a　poetical　spirit　and　enlarge　his　stock　of　ideas。　　He　ought　to　acquire　a　habit　of　comparing　and　divesting　his　notions。　　He　ought　not　to　be　wholly　unacquainted　with　that　part　of　philosophy　which　gives　him　an　insight　into　human　nature；　and　relates　to　the　manners；　characters；　passions；　and　affections。　　He　ought　to　know　something　concerning　the　mind；　as　well　as　a　great　deal　concerning　the　body　of　man。

For　this　purpose；　it　is　not　necessary　that　he　should　go　into　such　a　compass　of　reading；　as　must；　by　distracting　his　attention；　disqualify　him　for　the　practical　part　of　his　profession；　and　make　him　sink　the　performer　in　the　critic。　　Reading；　if　it　can　be　made　the　favourite　recreation　of　his　leisure　hours；　will　improve　and　enlarge　his　mind　without　retarding　his　actual　industry。

What　such　partial　and　desultory　reading　cannot　afford；　may　be　supplied　by　the　conversation　of　learned　and　ingenious　men；　which　is　the　best　of　all　substitutes　for　those　who　have　not　the　means　or　opportunities　of　deep　study。　　There　are　many　such　men　in　this　age；　and　they　will　be　pleased　with　communicating　their　ideas　to　artists；　when　they　see　them　curious　and　docile；　if　they　are　treated　with　that　respect　and　deference　which　is　so　justly　their　due。　　Into　such　society；　young　artists；　if　they　make　it　the　point　of　their　ambition；　will　by　degrees　be　admitted。　　There；　without　formal　teaching；　they　will　insensibly　come　to　feel　and　reason　like　those　they　live　with；　and　find　a　rational　and　systematic　taste　imperceptibly　formed　in　their　minds；　which　they　will　know　how　to　reduce　to　a　standard；　by　applying　general　truth　to　their　own　purposes；　better　perhaps　than　those　to　whom　they　owed　the　original　sentiment。

Of　these　studies　and　this　conversation；　the　desired　and　legitimate　offspring　is　a　power　of　distinguishing　right　from　wrong；　which　power　applied　to　works　of　art　is　denominated　taste。　　Let　me　then；　without　further　introduction；　enter　upon　an　examination　whether　taste　be　so　far　beyond　our　reach　as　to　be　unattainable　by　care；　or　be　so　very　vague　and　capricious　that　no　care　ought　to　be　employed　about　it。

It　has　been　the　fate　of　arts　to　be　enveloped　in　mysterious　and　incomprehensible　language；　as　if　it　was　thought　necessary　that　even　the　terms　should　correspond　to　the　idea　entertained　of　the　instability　and　uncertainty　of　the　rules　which　they　expressed。

To　speak　of　genius　and　taste　as　any　way　connected　with　reason　or　common　sense；　would　be；　in　the　opinion　of　some　towering　talkers；　to　speak　like　a　man　who　possessed　neither；　who　had　never　felt　that　enthusiasm；　or；　to　use　their　own　inflated　language；　was　never　warmed　by　that　Promethean　fire；　which　animates　the　canvas　and　vivifies　the　marble。

If；　in　order　to　be　intelligible；　I　appear　to　degrade　art　by　bringing　her　down　from　her　visionary　situation　in　the　clouds；　it　is　only　to　give　her　a　more　solid　mansion　upon　the　earth。　　It　is　necessary　that　at　some　time　or　other　we　should　see　things　as　they　really　are；　and　not　impose　on　ourselves　by　that　false　magnitude　with　which　objects　appear　when　viewed　indistinctly　as　through　a　mist。

We　will　allow　a　poet　to　express　his　meaning；　when　his　meaning　is　not　well　known　to　himself；　with　a　certain　degree　of　obscurity；　as　it　is　one　source　of　the　sublime。　　But　when；　in　plain　prose；　we　gravely　talk　of　courting　the　muse　in　shady　bowers；　waiting　the　call　and　inspiration　of　genius；　finding　out　where　he　inhabits；　and　where　he　is　to　be　invoked　with　the　greatest　success；　of　attending　to　times　and　seasons　when　the　imagination　shoots　with　the　greatest　vigour；　whether　at　the　summer　solstice　or　the　equinox；　sagaciously　observing　how　much　the　wild　freedom　and　liberty　of　imagination　is　cramped　by　attention　to　established　rules；　and　how　this　same　imagination　begins　to　grow　dim　in　advanced　age；　smothered　and　deadened　by　too　much　judgment。　　When　we　talk　such　language；　or　entertain　such　sentiments　as　these；　we　generally　rest　contented　with　mere　words；　or　at　best　entertain　notions　not　only　groundless；　but　pernicious。

If　all　this　means　what　it　is　very　possible　was　originally　intended　only　to　be　meant；　that　in　order　to　cultivate　an　art；　a　man　secludes　himself　from　the　commerce　of　the　world；　and　retires　into　the　country　at　particular　seasons；　or　that　at　one　time　of　the　year　his　body　is　in　better　health；　and　consequently　his　mind　fitter　for　the　business　of　hard　thinking　than　at　another　time；　or　that　the　mind　may　be　fatigued　and　grow　confused　by　long　and　unremitted　application；　this　I　can　understand。　　I　can　likewise　believe　that　a　man　eminent　when　young　for　possessing　poetical　imagination；　may；　from　having　taken　another　road；　so　neglect　its　cultivation　as　to　show　less　of　its　powers　in　his　latter　life。　　But　I　am　persuaded　that　scarce　a　poet　is　to　be　found；　from　Homer　down　to　Dryden；　who　preserved　a　sound　mind　in　a　sound　body；　and　continued　practising　his　profession　to　the　very　last；　whose　later　works　are　not　as　replete　with　the　fire　of　imagination　as　those　which　were　produced　in　his　more　youthful　days。

To　understand　literally　these　metaphors　or　ideas　expressed　in　poetical　language；　seems　to　be　equally　absurd　as　to　conclude　that　because　painters　sometimes　represent　poets　writing　from　the　dictates　of　a　little　winged　boy　or　genius；　that　this　same　genius　did　really　inform　him　in　a　whisper　what　he　was　to　write；　and　that　he　is　himself　but　a　mere　machine；　unconscious　of　the　operations　of　his　own　mind。

Opinions　generally　received　and　floating　in　the　world；　whether　true　or　false；　we　naturally　adopt　and　make　our　own；　they　may　be　considered　as　a　kind　of　inheritance　to　which　we　succeed　and　are　tenants　for　life；　and　which　we　leave　to　our　posterity　very　near　in　the　condition　in　which　we　received　it；　not　much　being　in　any　one　man's　power　either　to　impair　or　improve　it。

The　greatest　part　of　these　opinions；　like　current　coin　in　its　circulation；　we　are　obliged　to　take　without　weighing　or　examining；　but　by　this　inevitable　inattention；　many　adulterated　pieces　are　received；　which；　when　we　seriously　estimate　our　wealth；　we　must　throw　away。　　So　the　collector　of　popular　opinions；　when　he　embodies　his　knowledge；　and　forms　a　system；　must　separate　those　which　are　true　from　those　which　are　only　plausible。　　But　it　becomes　more　peculiarly　a　duty　to　the　professors　of　art　not　to　let　any　opinions　relating　to　that　art　pass　unexamined。　　The　caution　and　circumspection　required　in　such　examination　we　shall　presently　have　an　opportunity　of　explaining。

Genius　and　taste；　in　their　common　acceptation；　appear　to　be　very　nearly　related；　the　difference　lies　only　in　this；　that　genius　has　superadded　to　it　a　habit　or　power　of　execution。　　Or　we　may　say；　that　taste；　when　this　power　is　added；　changes　its　name；　and　is　called　genius。　　They　both；　in　the　popular　opinion；　pretend　to　an　entire　exemption　from　the　restraint　of　rules。　　It　is　supposed　that　their　powers　are　intuitive；　that　under　the　name　of　genius　great　works　are　produced；　and　under　the　name　of　taste　an　exact　judgment　is　given；　without　our　knowing　why；　and　without　being　under　the　least　obligation　to　reason；　precept；　or　experience。

One　can　scarce　state　these　opinions　without　exposing　their　absurdity；　yet　they　are　constantly　in　the　mouths　of　men；　and　particularly　of　artists。　　They　who　have　thought　seriously　on　this　s