seven discourses on art-第9节

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to　divide　the　attention　of　the　spectator。　　Whenever　a　story　is　related；　every　man　forms　a　picture　in　his　mind　of　the　action　and　the　expression　of　the　persons　employed。　　The　power　of　representing　this　mental　picture　in　canvas　is　what　we　call　invention　in　a　painter。　　And　as　in　the　conception　of　this　ideal　picture　the　mind　does　not　enter　into　the　minute　peculiarities　of　the　dress；　furniture；　or　scene　of　action；　so　when　the　painter　comes　to　represent　it　he　contrives　those　little　necessary　concomitant　circumstances　in　such　a　manner　that　they　shall　strike　the　spectator　no　more　than　they　did　himself　in　his　first　conception　of　the　story。

I　am　very　ready　to　allow　that　some　circumstances　of　minuteness　and　particularity　frequently　tend　to　give　an　air　of　truth　to　a　piece；　and　to　interest　the　spectator　in　an　extraordinary　manner。　　Such　circumstances；　therefore；　cannot　wholly　be　rejected；　but　if　there　be　anything　in　the　art　which　requires　peculiar　nicety　of　discernment；　it　is　the　disposition　of　these　minute　circumstantial　parts　which；　according　to　the　judgment　employed　in　the　choice；　become　so　useful　to　truth　or　so　injurious　to　grandeur。

However；　the　usual　and　most　dangerous　error　is　on　the　side　of　minuteness；　and；　therefore；　I　think　caution　most　necessary　where　most　have　failed。　　The　general　idea　constitutes　real　excellence。　All　smaller　things；　however　perfect　in　their　way；　are　to　be　sacrificed　without　mercy　to　the　greater。　　The　painter　will　not　inquire　what　things　may　be　admitted　without　much　censure。　　He　will　not　think　it　enough　to　show　that　they　may　be　there；　he　will　show　that　they　must　be　there；　that　their　absence　would　render　his　picture　maimed　and　defective。

Thus；　though　to　the　principal　group　a　second　or　third　be　added；　and　a　second　and　third　mass　of　light；　care　must　be　yet　taken　that　these　subordinate　actions　and　lights；　neither　each　in　particular；　nor　all　together；　come　into　any　degree　of　competition　with　the　principal；　they　should　make　a　part　of　that　whole　which　would　be　imperfect　without　them。　　To　every　part　of　painting　this　rule　may　be　applied。　Even　in　portraits；　the　grace　and；　we　may　add；　the　likeness；　consists　more　in　taking　the　general　air　than　in　observing　the　effect　similitude　of　every　feature。

Thus　figures　must　have　a　ground　whereon　to　stand；　they　must　be　clothed；　there　must　be　a　background；　there　must　be　light　and　shadow；　but　none　of　these　ought　to　appear　to　have　taken　up　any　part　of　the　artist's　attention。　　They　should　be　so　managed　as　not　even　to　catch　that　of　the　spectator。　　We　know　well　enough；　when　we　analyse　a　piece；　the　difficulty　and　the　subtlety　with　which　an　artist　adjusts　the　background；　drapery；　and　masses　of　light；　we　know　that　a　considerable　part　of　the　grace　and　effect　of　his　picture　depends　upon　them；　but　this　art　is　so　much　concealed；　even　to　a　judicious　eye；　that　no　remains　of　any　of　these　subordinate　parts　occur　to　memory　when　the　picture　is　not　present。

The　great　end　of　the　art　is　to　strike　the　imagination。　　The　painter　is；　therefore；　to　make　no　ostentation　of　the　means　by　which　this　is　done；　the　spectator　is　only　to　feel　the　result　in　his　bosom。　　An　inferior　artist　is　unwilling　that　any　part　of　his　industry　should　be　lost　upon　the　spectator。　　He　takes　as　much　pains　to　discover；　as　the　greater　artist　does　to　conceal；　the　marks　of　his　subordinate　assiduity。　　In　works　of　the　lower　kind　everything　appears　studied　and　encumbered；　it　is　all　boastful　art　and　open　affectation。　　The　ignorant　often　part　from　such　pictures　with　wonder　in　their　mouths；　and　indifference　in　their　hearts。

But　it　is　not　enough　in　invention　that　the　artist　should　restrain　and　keep　under　all　the　inferior　parts　of　his　subject；　he　must　sometimes　deviate　from　vulgar　and　strict　historical　truth　in　pursuing　the　grandeur　of　his　design。

How　much　the　great　style　exacts　from　its　professors　to　conceive　and　represent　their　subjects　in　a　poetical　manner；　not　confined　to　mere　matter　of　fact；　may　be　seen　in　the　cartoons　of　Raffaelle。　　In　all　the　pictures　in　which　the　painter　has　represented　the　apostles；　he　has　drawn　them　with　great　nobleness；　he　has　given　them　as　much　dignity　as　the　human　figure　is　capable　of　receiving　yet　we　are　expressly　told　in　Scripture　they　had　no　such　respectable　appearance；　and　of　St。　Paul　in　particular；　we　are　told　by　himself；　that　his　bodily　presence　was　mean。　　Alexander　is　said　to　have　been　of　a　low　stature：　　a　painter　ought　not　so　to　represent　him。　Agesilaus　was　low；　lame；　and　of　a　mean　appearance。　　None　of　these　defects　ought　to　appear　in　a　piece　of　which　he　is　the　hero。　　In　conformity　to　custom；　I　call　this　part　of　the　art　history　painting；　it　ought　to　be　called　poetical；　as　in　reality　it　is。

All　this　is　not　falsifying　any　fact；　it　is　taking　an　allowed　poetical　licence。　　A　painter　of　portraits　retains　the　individual　likeness；　a　painter　of　history　shows　the　man　by　showing　his　actions。　　A　painter　must　compensate　the　natural　deficiencies　of　his　art。　　He　has　but　one　sentence　to　utter；　but　one　moment　to　exhibit。　He　cannot；　like　the　poet　or　historian；　expatiate；　and　impress　the　mind　with　great　veneration　for　the　character　of　the　hero　or　saint　he　represents；　though　he　lets　us　know　at　the　same　time　that　the　saint　was　deformed；　or　the　hero　lame。　　The　painter　has　no　other　means　of　giving　an　idea　of　the　dignity　of　the　mind；　but　by　that　external　appearance　which　grandeur　of　thought　does　generally；　though　not　always；　impress　on　the　countenance；　and　by　that　correspondence　of　figure　to　sentiment　and　situation　which　all　men　wish；　but　cannot　command。　　The　painter；　who　may　in　this　one　particular　attain　with　ease　what　others　desire　in　vain；　ought　to　give　all　that　he　possibly　can；　since　there　are　so　many　circumstances　of　true　greatness　that　he　cannot　give　at　all。　　He　cannot　make　his　hero　talk　like　a　great　man；　he　must　make　him　look　like　one。　　For　which　reason　he　ought　to　be　well　studied　in　the　analysis　of　those　circumstances　which　constitute　dignity　of　appearance　in　real　life。

As　in　invention；　so　likewise　in；　expression；　care　must　be　taken　not　to　run　into　particularities；　Those　expressions　alone　should　be　given　to　the　figures　which　their　respective　situations　generally　produce。　　Nor　is　this　enough；　each　person　should　also　have　that　expression　which　men　of　his　rank　generally　exhibit。　　The　joy　or　the　grief　of　a　character　of　dignity　is　not　to　be　expressed　in　the　same　manner　as　a　similar　passion　in　a　vulgar　face。　　Upon　this　principle　Bernini；　perhaps；　may　be　subject　to　censure。　　This　sculptor；　in　many　respects　admirable；　has　given　a　very　mean　expression　to　his　statue　of　David；　who　is　represented　as　just　going　to　throw　the　stone　from　the　sling；　and　in　order　to　give　it　the　expression　of　energy　he　has　made　him　biting　his　under…lip。　　This　expression　is　far　from　being　general；　and　still　farther　from　being　dignified。　　He　might　have　seen　it　in　an　instance　or　two；　and　he　mistook　accident　for　universality。

With　respect　to　colouring；　though　it　may　appear　at　first　a　part　of　painting　merely　mechanical；　yet　it　still　has　its　rules；　and　those　grounded　upon　that　presiding　principle　which　regulates　both　the　great　and　the　little　in　the　study　of　a　painter。　　By　this；　the　first　effect　of　the　picture　is　produced；　and　as　this　is　performed　the　spectator；　as　he　walks　the　gallery；　will　stop；　or　pass　along。　　To　give　a　general　air　of　grandeur　at　first　view；　all　trifling　or　artful　play　of　little　lights　or　an　attention　to　a　variety　of　tints　is　to　be　avoided；　a　quietness　and　simplicity　must　reign　over　the　whole　work；　to　which　a　breadth　of　uniform　and　simple　colour　will　very　much　contribute。　　Grandeur　of　effect　is　produced　by　two　different　ways；　which　seem　entirely　opposed　to　each　other。　　One　is；　by　reducing　the　colours　to　little　more　than　chiaroscuro；　which　was　often　the　practice　of　the　Bolognian　schools；　and　the　other；　by　making　the　colours　very　distinct　and　forcible；　such　as　we　see　in　those　of　Rome　and　Florence；　but　still；　the　presiding　principle　of　both　those　manners　is　simplicity。　　Certainly；　nothing　can　be　more　simple　than　monotony；　and　the　distinct　blue；　red；　and　yellow　colours　which　are　seen　in　the　draperies　of　the　Roman　and　Florentine　schools；　though　they　have　not　that　kind　of　harmony　which　is　produced　by　a　variety　of　broken　and　transparent　colours；　have　that　effect　of　grandeur　that　was　intended。　　Perhaps　these　distinct　colours　strike　the　mind　more　forcibly；　from　there　not　being　any　great　union　between　them；　as　martial　music；　which　is　intended　to　rouse　the　noble　passions；　has　its　effect　from　the　sudden　and　strongly　marked　transitions　from　one　note　to　another；　which　that　style　of　music　requires；　whilst　in　that　which　is　intended　to　move　the　softer　passions　the　notes　imperceptibly　melt　into　one　another。

In　the　same　manner　as　the　historical　painter　never　enters　into　the　detail　of　colours；　so　neither　does　he　debase　his　conceptions　with　minute　attention　to　the　discriminations　of　drapery。　　It　is　the　inferior　style　that　marks　the　variety　of　stuffs。　　With　him；　the　clothing　is　neither　woollen；　nor　linen；　nor　silk；　satin；　or　velvet：　it　is　drapery；　it　is　nothing　more。　　The　art　of　disposing　the　foldings　of　the　drapery　make　a　very　considerable　part　of　the　painter's　study。　　To　make　it　merely　natural　is　a　mechanical　operation；　to　which　neither　genius　or　taste