seven discourses on art-第13章

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w　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　indebted　to　the　labours　of　others；　how　little；　how　very　little　of　his　art　was　born　with　him；　and；　considering　it　as　hopeless；　to　set　about　acquiring　by　the　imitation　of　any　human　master　what　he　is　taught　to　suppose　is　matter　of　inspiration　from　heaven。

Some　allowance　must　be　made　for　what　is　said　in　the　gaiety　or　ambition　of　rhetoric。　　We　cannot　suppose　that　any　one　can　really　mean　to　exclude　all　imitation　of　others。　　A　position　so　wild　would　scarce　deserve　a　serious　answer；　for　it　is　apparent；　if　we　were　forbid　to　make　use　of　the　advantages　which　our　predecessors　afford　us；　the　art　would　be　always　to　begin；　and　consequently　remain　always　in　its　infant　state；　and　it　is　a　common　observation　that　no　art　was　ever　invented　and　carried　to　perfection　at　the　same　time。

But　to　bring　us　entirely　to　reason　and　sobriety；　let　it　be　observed；　that　a　painter　must　not　only　be　of　necessity　an　imitator　of　the　works　of　nature；　which　alone　is　sufficient　to　dispel　this　phantom　of　inspiration；　but　he　must　be　as　necessarily　an　imitator　of　the　works　of　other　painters。　　This　appears　more　humiliating；　but　it　is　equally　true；　and　no　man　can　be　an　artist；　whatever　he　may　suppose；　upon　any　other　terms。

However；　those　who　appear　more　moderate　and　reasonable　allow　that　study　is　to　begin　by　imitation；　but　that　we　should　no　longer　use　the　thoughts　of　our　predecessors　when　we　are　become　able　to　think　for　ourselves。　　They　hold　that　imitation　is　as　hurtful　to　the　more　advanced　student　as　it　was　advantageous　to　the　beginner。

For　my　own　part；　I　confess　I　am　not　only　very　much　disposed　to　lay　down　the　absolute　necessity　of　imitation　in　the　first　stages　of　the　art；　but　am　of　opinion　that　the　study　of　other　masters；　which　I　here　call　imitation；　may　be　extended　throughout　our　whole　life　without　any　danger　of　the　inconveniences　with　which　it　is　charged；　of　enfeebling　the　mind；　or　preventing　us　from　giving　that　original　air　which　every　work　undoubtedly　ought　always　to　have。

I　am；　on　the　contrary；　persuaded　that　by　imitation　only；　variety；　and　even　originality　of　invention　is　produced。

I　will　go　further；　even　genius；　at　least　what　generally　is　so　called；　is　the　child　of　imitation。　　But　as　this　appears　to　be　contrary　to　the　general　opinion；　I　must　explain　my　position　before　I　enforce　it。

Genius　is　supposed　to　be　a　power　of　producing　excellences　which　are　out　of　the　reach　of　the　rules　of　arta　power　which　no　precepts　can　teach；　and　which　no　industry　can　acquire。

This　opinion　of　the　impossibility　of　acquiring　those　beauties　which　stamp　the　work　with　the　character　of　genius；　supposes　that　it　is　something　more　fixed　than　in　reality　it　is；　and　that　we　always　do；　and　ever　did　agree；　about　what　should　be　considered　as　a　characteristic　of　genius。

But　the　truth　is　that　the　degree　of　excellence　which　proclaims　genius　is　different　in　different　times　and　different　places；　and　what　shows　it　to　be　so　is　that　mankind　have　often　changed　their　opinion　upon　this　matter。

When　the　arts　were　in　their　infancy；　the　power　of　merely　drawing　the　likeness　of　any　object　was　considered　as　one　of　its　greatest　efforts。

The　common　people；　ignorant　of　the　principles　of　art；　talk　the　same　language　even　to　this　day。　　But　when　it　was　found　that　every　man　could　be　taught　to　do　this；　and　a　great　deal　more；　merely　by　the　observance　of　certain　precepts；　the　name　of　genius　then　shifted　its　application；　and　was　given　only　to　those　who　added　the　peculiar　character　of　the　object　they　represented；　to　those　who　had　invention；　expression；　grace；　or　dignity；　or；　in　short；　such　qualities　or　excellences　the　producing　of　which　could　not　then　be　taught　by　any　known　and　promulgated　rules。

We　are　very　sure　that　the　beauty　of　form；　the　expression　of　the　passions；　the　art　of　composition；　even　the　power　of　giving　a　general　air　of　grandeur　to　your　work；　is　at　present　very　much　under　the　dominion　of　rules。　　These　excellences　were；　heretofore；　considered　merely　as　the　effects　of　genius；　and　justly；　if　genius　is　not　taken　for　inspiration；　but　as　the　effect　of　close　observation　and　experience。

He　who　first　made　any　of　these　observations　and　digested　them；　so　as　to　form　an　invariable　principle　for　himself　to　work　by；　had　that　merit；　but　probably　no　one　went　very　far　at　once；　and　generally　the　first　who　gave　the　hint　did　not　know　how　to　pursue　it　steadily　and　methodically；　at　least　not　in　the　beginning。　　He　himself　worked　on　it；　and　improved　it；　others　worked　more；　and　improved　farther；　until　the　secret　was　discovered；　and　the　practice　made　as　general　as　refined　practice　can　be　made。　　How　many　more　principles　may　be　fixed　and　ascertained　we　cannot　tell；　but　as　criticism　is　likely　to　go　hand　in　hand　with　the　art　which　is　its　subject；　we　may　venture　to　say　that　as　that　art　shall　advance；　its　powers　will　be　still　more　and　more　fixed　by　rules。

But　by　whatever　strides　criticism　may　gain　ground；　we　need　be　under　no　apprehension　that　invention　will　ever　be　annihilated　or　subdued；　or　intellectual　energy　be　brought　entirely　within　the　restraint　of　written　law。　　Genius　will　still　have　room　enough　to　expatiate；　and　keep　always　the　same　distance　from　narrow　comprehension　and　mechanical　performance。

What　we　now　call　genius　begins；　not　where　rules；　abstractedly　taken；　end；　but　where　known　vulgar　and　trite　rules　have　no　longer　any　place。　　It　must　of　necessity　be　that　even　works　of　genius；　as　well　as　every　other　effect；　as　it　must　have　its　cause；　must　likewise　have　its　rules；　it　cannot　be　by　chance　that　excellences　are　produced　with　any　constancy；　or　any　certainty；　for　this　is　not　the　nature　of　chance；　but　the　rules　by　which　men　of　extraordinary　parts；　and　such　as　are　called　men　of　genius　work；　are　either　such　as　they　discover　by　their　own　peculiar　observation；　or　of　such　a　nice　texture　as　not　easily　to　admit　handling　or　expressing　in　words；　especially　as　artists　are　not　very　frequently　skilful　in　that　mode　of　communicating　ideas。

Unsubstantial；　however；　as　these　rules　may　seem；　and　difficult　as　it　may　be　to　convey　them　in　writing；　they　are　still　seen　and　felt　in　the　mind　of　the　artist；　and　he　works　from　them　with　as　much　certainty　as　if　they　were　embodied；　as　I　may　say；　upon　paper。　　It　is　true　these　refined　principles　cannot　be　always　made　palpable；　like　the　more　gross　rules　of　art；　yet　it　does　not　follow　but　that　the　mind　may　be　put　in　such　a　train　that　it　shall　perceive；　by　a　kind　of　scientific　sense；　that　propriety　which　words；　particularly　words　of　unpractised　writers　such　as　we　are；　can　but　very　feebly　suggest。

Invention　is　one　of　the　great　marks　of　genius；　but　if　we　consult　experience；　we　shall　find　that　it　is　by　being　conversant　with　the　inventions　of　others　that　we　learn　to　invent；　as　by　reading　the　thoughts　of　others　we　learn　to　think。

Whoever　has　so　far　formed　his　taste　as　to　be　able　to　relish　and　feel　the　beauties　of　the　great　masters　has　gone　a　great　way　in　his　study；　for；　merely　from　a　consciousness　of　this　relish　of　the　right；　the　mind　swells　with　an　inward　pride；　and　is　almost　as　powerfully　affected　as　if　it　had　itself　produced　what　it　admires。　Our　hearts　frequently　warmed　in　this　manner　by　the　contact　of　those　whom　we　wish　to　resemble；　will　undoubtedly　catch　something　of　their　way　of　thinking；　and　we　shall　receive　in　our　own　bosoms　some　radiation　at　least　of　their　fire　and　splendour。　　That　disposition；　which　is　so　strong　in　children；　still　continues　with　us；　of　catching　involuntarily　the　general　air　and　manner　of　those　with　whom　we　are　most　conversant；　with　this　difference　only；　that　a　young　mind　is　naturally　pliable　and　imitative；　but　in　a　more　advanced　state　it　grows　rigid；　and　must　be　warmed　and　softened　before　it　will　receive　a　deep　impression。

From　these　considerations；　which　a　little　of　your　reflection　will　carry　a　great　way　further；　it　appears　of　what　great　consequence　it　is　that　our　minds　should　be　habituated　to　the　contemplation　of　excellence；　and　that；　far　from　being　contented　to　make　such　habits　the　discipline　of　our　youth　only；　we　should；　to　the　last　moment　of　our　lives；　continue　a　settled　intercourse　with　all　the　true　examples　of　grandeur。　　Their　inventions　are　not　only　the　food