seven discourses on art-第11章

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the　attention　of　those　who　aim　even　at　the　grand　style；　when　it　is　properly　placed　and　properly　reduced。

But　this　study　will　be　used　with　far　better　effect；　if　its　principles　are　employed　in　softening　the　harshness　and　mitigating　the　rigour　of　the　great　style；　than　if　in　attempt　to　stand　forward　with　any　pretensions　of　its　own　to　positive　and　original　excellence。

It　was　thus　Lodovico　Caracci；　whose　example　I　formerly　recommended　to　you；　employed　it。　　He　was　acquainted　with　the　works　both　of　Correggio　and　the　Venetian　painters；　and　knew　the　principles　by　which　they　produced　those　pleasing　effects　which　at　the　first　glance　prepossess　us　so　much　in　their　favour；　but　he　took　only　as　much　from　each　as　would　embellish；　but　not　overpower；　that　manly　strength　and　energy　of　style；　which　is　his　peculiar　character。

Since　I　have　already　expatiated　so　largely　in　my　former　discourse；　and　in　my　present；　upon　the　styles　and　characters　of　painting；　it　will　not　be　at　all　unsuitable　to　my　subject　if　I　mention　to　you　some　particulars　relative　to　the　leading　principles；　and　capital　works　of　those　who　excelled　in　the　great　style；　that　I　may　bring　you　from　abstraction　nearer　to　practice；　and　by　exemplifying　the　propositions　which　I　have　laid　down；　enable　you　to　understand　more　clearly　what　I　would　enforce。

The　principal　works　of　modern　art　are　in　fresco；　a　mode　of　painting　which　excludes　attention　to　minute　elegancies：　　yet　these　works　in　fresco　are　the　productions　on　which　the　fame　of　the　greatest　masters　depend：　　such　are　the　pictures　of　Michael　Angelo　and　Raffaelle　in　the　Vatican；　to　which　we　may　add　the　cartoons；　which；　though　not　strictly　to　be　called　fresco；　yet　may　be　put　under　that　denomination；　and　such　are　the　works　of　Giulio　Romano　at　Mantua。　If　these　performances　were　destroyed；　with　them　would　be　lost　the　best　part　of　the　reputation　of　those　illustrious　painters；　for　these　are　justly　considered　as　the　greatest　efforts　of　our　art　which　the　world　can　boast。　　To　these；　therefore；　we　should　principally　direct　our　attention　for　higher　excellences。　　As　for　the　lower　arts；　as　they　have　been　once　discovered；　they　may　be　easily　attained　by　those　possessed　of　the　former。

Raffaelle；　who　stands　in　general　foremost　of　the　first　painters；　owes　his　reputation；　as　I　have　observed；　to　his　excellence　in　the　higher　parts　of　the　art。　　Therefore；　his　works　in　fresco　ought　to　be　the　first　object　of　our　study　and　attention。　　His　easel…works　stand　in　a　lower　degree　of　estimation；　for　though　he　continually；　to　the　day　of　his　death；　embellished　his　works　more　and　more　with　the　addition　of　these　lower　ornaments；　which　entirely　make　the　merit　of　some；　yet　he　never　arrived　at　such　perfection　as　to　make　him　an　object　of　imitation。　　He　never　was　able　to　conquer　perfectly　that　dryness；　or　even　littleness　of　manner；　which　he　inherited　from　his　master。　　He　never　acquired　that　nicety　of　taste　in　colours；　that　breadth　of　light　and　shadow；　that　art　and　management　of　uniting　light；　to　light；　and　shadow　to　shadow；　so　as　to　make　the　object　rise　out　of　the　ground　with　that　plenitude　of　effect　so　much　admired　in　the　works　of　Correggio。　　When　he　painted　in　oil；　his　hand　seemed　to　be　so　cramped　and　confined　that　he　not　only　lost　that　facility　and　spirit；　but　I　think　even　that　correctness　of　form；　which　is　so　perfect　and　admirable　in　his　fresco　works。　　I　do　not　recollect　any　pictures　of　his　of　this　kind；　except　perhaps　the　〃Transfiguration；〃　in　which　there　are　not　some　parts　that　appear　to　be　even　feebly　drawn。　　That　this　is　not　a　necessary　attendant　on　oil…painting；　we　have　abundant　instances　in　more　modern　painters。　Lodovico　Caracci；　for　instance；　preserved　in　his　works　in　oil　the　same　spirit；　vigour；　and　correctness；　which　he　had　in　fresco。　　I　have　no　desire　to　degrade　Raffaelle　from　the　high　rank　which　he　deservedly　holds：　　but　by　comparing　him　with　himself；　he　does　not　appear　to　me　to　be　the　same　man　in　oil　as　in　fresco。

From　those　who　have　ambition　to　tread　in　this　great　walk　of　the　art；　Michael　Angelo　claims　the　next　attention。　　He　did　not　possess　so　many　excellences　as　Raffaelle；　but　those　he　had　were　of　the　highest　kind。　　He　considered　the　art　as　consisting　of　little　more　than　what　may　be　attained　by　sculpture；　correctness　of　form；　and　energy　of　character。　　We　ought　not　to　expect　more　than　an　artist　intends　in　his　work。　　He　never　attempted　those　lesser　elegancies　and　graces　in　the　art。　　Vasari　says；　he　never　painted　but　one　picture　in　oil；　and　resolved　never　to　paint　another；　saying　it　was　an　employment　only　fit　for　women　and　children。

If　any　man　had　a　right　to　look　down　upon　the　lower　accomplishments　as　beneath　his　attention；　it　was　certainly　Michael　Angelo：　　nor　can　it　be　thought　strange　that　such　a　mind　should　have　slighted　or　have　been　withheld　from　paying　due　attention　to　all　those　graces　and　embellishments　of　art　which　have　diffused　such　lustre　over　the　works　of　other　painters。

It　must　be　acknowledged　likewise；　that　together　with　these；　which　we　wish　he　had　more　attended　to；　he　has　rejected　all　the　false　though　specious　ornaments　which　disgrace　the　works　even　of　the　most　esteemed　artists；　and　I　will　venture　to　say；　that　when　those　higher　excellences　are　more　known　and　cultivated　by　the　artists　and　the　patrons　of　arts；　his　fame　and　credit　will　increase　with　our　increasing　knowledge。　　His　name　will　then　be　held　in　the　same　veneration　as　it　was　in　the　enlightened　age　of　Leo　the　Tenth：　　and　it　is　remarkable　that　the　reputation　of　this　truly　great　man　has　been　continually　declining　as　the　art　itself　has　declined。　　For　I　must　remark　to　you；　that　it　has　long　been　much　on　the　decline；　and　that　our　only　hope　of　its　revival　will　consist　in　your　being　thoroughly　sensible　of　its　depravation　and　decay。　　It　is　to　Michael　Angelo　that　we　owe　even　the　existence　of　Raffaelle；　it　is　to　him　Raffaelle　owes　the　grandeur　of　his　style。　　He　was　taught　by　him　to　elevate　his　thoughts；　and　to　conceive　his　subjects　with　dignity。　His　genius；　however；　formed　to　blaze　and　to　shine；　might；　like　fire　in　combustible　matter；　for　ever　have　lain　dormant　if　it　had　not　caught　a　spark　by　its　contact　with　Michael　Angelo：　　and　though　it　never　burst　out　with　that　extraordinary　heat　and　vehemence；　yet　it　must　be　acknowledged　to　be　a　more　pure；　regular；　and　chaste　flame。　Though　our　judgment　will　upon　the　whole　decide　in　favour　of　Raffaelle：　　yet　he　never　takes　that　firm　hold　and　entire　possession　of　the　mind　in　such　a　manner　as　to　desire　nothing　else；　and　feel　nothing　wanting。　　The　effect　of　the　capital　works　of　Michael　Angelo　perfectly　correspond　to　what　Bourchardon　said　he　felt　from　reading　Homer。　　His　whole　frame　appeared　to　himself　to　be　enlarged；　and　all　nature　which　surrounded　him　diminished　to　atoms。

If　we　put　those　great　artists　in　a　light　of　comparison　with　each　other；　Raffaelle　had　more　taste　and　fancy；　Michael　Angelo　more　genius　and　imagination。　　The　one　excelled　in　beauty；　the　other　in　energy。　　Michael　Angelo　has　more　of　the　poetical　inspiration；　his　ideas　are　vast　and　sublime；　his　people　are　a　superior　order　of　beings；　there　is　nothing　about　them；　nothing　in　the　air　of　their　actions　or　their　attitudes；　or　the　style　and　cast　of　their　very　limbs　or　features；　that　puts　one　in　mind　of　their　belonging；　to　our　own　species。　　Raffaelle's　imagination　is　not　so　elevated；　his　figures　are　not　so　much　disjoined　from　our　own　diminutive　race　of　beings；　though　his　ideas　are　chaste；　noble；　and　of　great　conformity　to　their　subjects。　　Michael　Angelo's　works　have　a　strong；　peculiar；　and　marked　character；　they　seem　to　proceed　from　his　own　mind　entirely；　and　that　mind　so　rich　and　abundant；　that　he　never　needed；　or　seemed　to　disdain；　to　look　abroad　for　foreign　help。　　Raffaelle's　materials　are　generally　borrowed；　though　the　noble　structure　is　his　own。　　The　excellency　of　this　extraordinary　man　lay　in　the　propriety；　beauty；　and　majesty　of　his　characters；　his　judicious　contrivance　of　his　composition；　correctness　of　drawing；　purity　of　taste；　and　the　skilful　accommodation　of　other　men's　conceptions　to　his　own　purpose。　　Nobody　excelled　him　in　that　judgment；　with　which　he　united　to　his　own　observations　on　nature　the　energy　of　Michael　Angelo；　and　the　beauty　and　simplicity　of　the　antique。　　To　the　question；　therefore；　which　ought　to　hold　the　first　rank；　Raffaelle　or　Michael　Angelo；　it　must　be　answered；　that　if　it　is　to　be　given　to　him　who　possessed　a　greater　combination　of　the　higher　qualities　of　the　art　than　any　other　man；　there　is　no　doubt　but　Raffaelle　is　the　first。　　But　if；　according　to　Longinus；　the　sublime；　being　the　highest　excellence　that　human　composition　can　attain　to；　abundantly　compensates　the　absence　of　every　other　beauty；　and　atones　for　all　other　deficiencies；　then　Michael　Angelo　demands　the　preference。

These　two　extraordinary　men　carried　some　of　the　higher　excellences　of　the　art　to　a　greater　degree　of　perfection　than　probably　they　ever　arrived　at　before。　　They　certainly　have　not　been　excelled；　nor　equalled　since。　　Many　of　their　successors　were　induced　to　leave　this　great　road　as　a　beaten　path；　endeavouring　to　surprise　and　please　by　something　uncommon　or　new。　　When　this　desire　after　novelty　has　proceeded　from　mere　idleness　or　caprice；　it　is　not　worth　the　trouble　of　criticism；　but　when　it　has　been　in　consequence　of　a　busy　mind　of　a　peculiar　complexion；　it　is　always　striking　and　interesting；　never　insipid。

Such　is　the　great　style　as　it　appears　in　those　who　possessed　it　at　its　height；　in　this；　search　after　novelty　in　conception　or　in　treating　the　subject　has　no　place。

But　there　is　another　style；　which；　though　inferior　to　the　former；　has　still　great　merit；　because　it　shows　that　those　who　cultivated　it　were　men　of　lively　and　vigorous　imagination。　　This　I　call　the　original　or　characteristical　style；　this；　being　less　referred　to　any　true　architype　existing　either　in　general　or　particular　nature；　must　be　supported　by　the　painter's　consistency　in　the　principles　he　has　assumed；　and　in　the　union　and　harmony　of　his　whole　design。　　The　excellency　of　every　style；　but　I　think　of　the　subordinate　ones　more　especially；　will　very　much　depend　on　preserving　that　union　and　harmony　between　all　the　component　parts；　that　they　appear　to　hang　well　together；　as　if　the　whole　proceeded　from　one　mind。　　It　is　in　the　works　of　art；　as　in　the　characters　of　men。　　The　faults　or　defects　of　some　men　seem　to　become　them　when　they　appear　to　be　the　natural　growth；　and　of　a　piece　with　the　rest　of　their　character。　　A　faithful　picture　of　a　mind；　though　it　be　not　of　the　most　elevated　kind；　though　it　be　irregular；　wild；　and　incorrect；　yet　if　it　be　marked　with　that　spirit　and　firmness　which　characterises　works　of　genius；　will　claim　attention；　and　be　more　striking　than　a　combination　of　excellences　that　do　not　seem　to　hang　well　together；　or　we　may　say　than　a　work　that　possesses　even　all　excellences；　but　those　in　a　moderate　degree。

One　of　the　strongest　marked　characters　of　this　kind；　which　must　be　allowed　to　be　subordinate　to　the　great　style；　is　that　of　Salvator　Rosa。　　He　gives　us　a　peculiar　cast　of　nature；　which；　though　void　of　all　grace；　elegance；　and　simplicity；　though　it　has　nothing　of　that　elevation　and　dignity　which　belongs　to　the　grand　style；　yet　has　that　sort　of　dignity　which　belongs　to　savage　and　uncultivated　nature。　　But　what　is　most　to　be