seven discourses on art-第15章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


er　whom　he　studied；　so　his　first　works　are　scarce　to　be　distinguished　from　his　master's；　but　soon　forming　higher　and　more　extensive　views；　he　imitated　the　grand　outline　of　Michael　Angelo。　　He　learnt　the　manner　of　using　colours　from　the　works　of　Leonardo　da　Vinci　and　Fratre　Bartolomeo：　　to　all　this　he　added　the　contemplation　of　all　the　remains　of　antiquity　that　were　within　his　reach；　and　employed　others　to　draw　for　him　what　was　in　Greece　and　distant　places。　　And　it　is　from　his　having　taken　so　many　models　that　he　became　himself　a　model　for　all　succeeding　painters；　always　imitating；　and　always　original。

If　your　ambition　therefore　be　to　equal　Raffaelle；　you　must　do　as　Raffaelle　did；　take　many　models；　and　not　take　even　him　for　your　guide　alone　to　the　exclusion　of　others。　　And　yet　the　number　is　infinite　of　those　who　seem；　if　one　may　judge　by　their　style；　to　have　seen　no　other　works　but　those　of　their　master；　or　of　some　favourite　whose　manner　is　their　first　wish　and　their　last。

I　will　mention　a　few　that　occur　to　me　of　this　narrow；　confined；　illiberal；　unscientific；　and　servile　kind　of　imitators。　　Guido　was　thus　meanly　copied　by　Elizabetta　Sirani；　and　Simone　Cantarini；　Poussin；　by　Verdier　and　Cheron；　Parmigiano；　by　Jeronimo　Mazzuoli；　Paolo　Veronese　and　Iacomo　Bassan　had　for　their　imitators　their　brothers　and　sons；　Pietro　de　Cortona　was　followed　by　Ciro　Ferri　and　Romanelli；　Rubens；　by　Jacques　Jordans　and　Diepenbeck；　Guercino；　by　his　own　family；　the　Gennari；　Carlo　Marratti　was　imitated　by　Giuseppe　Chiari　and　Pietro　da　Pietri；　and　Rembrandt；　by　Bramer；　Eckhout；　and　Flink。　　All　these；　to　whom　may　be　added　a　much　longer　list　of　painters；　whose　works　among　the　ignorant　pass　for　those　of　their　masters；　are　justly　to　be　censured　for　barrenness　and　servility。

To　oppose　to　this　list　a　few　that　have　adopted　a　more　liberal　style　of　imitation：　　Pelegrino　Tibaldi；　Rosso；　and　Primaticio　did　not　coldly　imitate；　but　caught　something　of　the　fire　that　animates　the　works　of　Michael　Angelo。　　The　Carraches　formed　their　style　from　Pelegrino　Tibaldi；　Correggio；　and　the　Venetian　School。　Domenichino；　Guido；　Lanfranco；　Albano；　Guercino；　Cavidone；　Schidone；　Tiarini；　though　it　is　sufficiently　apparent　that　they　came　from　the　School　of　the　Carraches；　have　yet　the　appearance　of　men　who　extended　their　views　beyond　the　model　that　lay　before　them；　and　have　shown　that　they　had　opinions　of　their　own；　and　thought　for　themselves；　after　they　had　made　themselves　masters　of　the　general　principles　of　their　schools。

Le　Seure's　first　manner　resembles　very　much　that　of　his　master　Vovet：　　but　as　he　soon　excelled　him；　so　he　differed　from　him　in　every　part　of　the　art。　　Carlo　Marratti　succeeded　better　than　those　I　have　first　named；　and　I　think　owes　his　superiority　to　the　extension　of　his　views；　besides　his　master　Andrea　Sacchi；　he　imitated　Raffaelle；　Guido；　and　the　Carraches。　　It　is　true；　there　is　nothing　very　captivating　in　Carlo　Marratti；　but　this　proceeded　from　wants　which　cannot　be　completely　supplied；　that　is；　want　of　strength　of　parts。　　In　this；　certainly　men　are　not　equal；　and　a　man　can　bring　home　wares　only　in　proportion　to　the　capital　with　which　he　goes　to　market。　　Carlo；　by　diligence；　made　the　most　of　what　he　had；　but　there　was　undoubtedly　a　heaviness　about　him；　which　extended　itself；　uniformly　to　his　invention；　expression；　his　drawing；　colouring；　and　the　general　effect　of　his　pictures。　　The　truth　is；　he　never　equalled　any　of　his　patterns　in　any　one　thing；　and　he　added　little　of　his　own。

But　we　must　not　rest　contented；　even　in　this　general　study　of　the　moderns；　we　must　trace　back　the　art　to　its　fountain　head；　to　that　source　from　whence　they　drew　their　principal　excellences；　the　monuments　of　pure　antiquity。

All　the　inventions　and　thoughts　of　the　ancients；　whether　conveyed　to　us　in　statues；　bas…reliefs；　intaglios；　cameos；　or　coins；　are　to　be　sought　after　and　carefully　studied：　　The　genius　that　hovers　over　these　venerable　relics　may　be　called　the　father　of　modern　art。

From　the　remains　of　the　works　of　the　ancients　the　modern　arts　were　revived；　and　it　is　by　their　means　that　they　must　be　restored　a　second　time。　　However　it　may　mortify　our　vanity；　we　must　be　forced　to　allow　them　our　masters；　and　we　may　venture　to　prophecy；　that　when　they　shall　cease　to　be　studied；　arts　will　no　longer　flourish；　and　we　shall　again　relapse　into　barbarism。

The　fire　of　the　artist's　own　genius　operating　upon　these　materials　which　have　been　thus　diligently　collected；　will　enable　him　to　make　new　combinations；　perhaps；　superior　to　what　had　ever　before　been　in　the　possession　of　the　art。　　As　in　the　mixture　of　the　variety　of　metals；　which　are　said　to　have　been　melted　and　run　together　at　the　burning　of　Corinth；　a　new　and　till　then　unknown　metal　was　produced　equal　in　value　to　any　of　those　that　had　contributed　to　its　composition。　　And　though　a　curious　refiner　may　come　with　his　crucibles；　analyse　and　separate　its　various　component　parts；　yet　Corinthian　brass　would　still　hold　its　rank　amongst　the　most　beautiful　and　valuable　of　metals。

We　have　hitherto　considered　the　advantages　of　imitation　as　it　tends　to　form　the　taste；　and　as　a　practice　by　which　a　spark　of　that　genius　may　be　caught　which　illumines　these　noble　works；　that　ought　always　to　be　present　to　our　thoughts。

We　come　now　to　speak　of　another　kind　of　imitation；　the　borrowing　a　particular　thought；　an　action；　attitude；　or　figure；　and　transplanting　it　into　your　own　work：　　this　will　either　come　under　the　charge　of　plagiarism；　or　be　warrantable；　and　deserve　commendation；　according　to　the　address　with　which　it　is　performed。　There　is　some　difference　likewise　whether　it　is　upon　the　ancients　or　the　moderns　that　these　depredations　are　made。　　It　is　generally　allowed　that　no　man　need　be　ashamed　of　copying　the　ancients：　　their　works　are　considered　as　a　magazine　of　common　property；　always　open　to　the　public；　whence　every　man　has　a　right　to　what　materials　he　pleases；　and　if　he　has　the　art　of　using　them；　they　are　supposed　to　become　to　all　intents　and　purposes　his　own　property。

The　collection　which　Raffaelle　made　of　the　thoughts　of　the　ancients　with　so　much　trouble；　is　a　proof　of　his　opinion　on　this　subject。　Such　collections　may　be　made　with　much　more　ease；　by　means　of　an　art　scarce　known　in　his　time；　I　mean　that　of　engraving；　by　which；　at　an　easy　rate；　every　man　may　now　avail　himself　of　the　inventions　of　antiquity。

It　must　be　acknowledged　that　the　works　of　the　moderns　are　more　the　property　of　their　authors；　he　who　borrows　an　idea　from　an　artist；　or　perhaps　from　a　modern；　not　his　contemporary；　and　so　accommodates　it　to　his　own　work　that　it　makes　a　part　of　it；　with　no　seam　or　joining　appearing；　can　hardly　be　charged　with　plagiarism；　poets　practise　this　kind　of　borrowing　without　reserve。　　But　an　artist　should　not　be　contented　with　this　only；　he　should　enter　into　a　competition　with　his　original；　and　endeavour　to　improve　what　he　is　appropriating　to　his　own　work。　　Such　imitation　is　so　far　from　having　anything　in　it　of　the　servility　of　plagiarism；　that　it　is　a　perpetual　exercise　of　the　mind；　a　continual　invention。

Borrowing　or　stealing　with　such　art　and　caution　will　have　a　right　to　the　same　lenity　as　was　used　by　the　Lacedemonians；　who　did　not　punish　theft；　but　the　want　of　artifice　to　conceal　it。

In　order　to　encourage　you　to　imitation；　to　the　utmost　extent；　let　me　add；　that　very　finished　artists　in　the　inferior　branches　of　the　art　will　contribute　to　furnish　the　mind　and　give　hints　of　which　a　skilful　painter；　who　is　sensible　of　what　he　wants；　and　is　in　no　danger　of　being　infected　by　the　contact　of　vicious　models；　will　know　how　to　avail　himself。　　He　will　pick　up　from　dunghills　what　by　a　nice　chemistry；　passing　through　his　own　mind；　shall　be　converted　into　pure　gold；　and；　under　the　rudeness　of　Gothic　essays；　he　will　find　original；　rational；　and　even　sublime　inventions。

In　the　luxuriant　style　of　Paul　Veronese；　in　the　capricious　compositions　of　Tintoret；　he　will　find　something　that　will　assist　his　invention；　and　give　points；　from　which　his　own　imagination　shall　rise　and　take　flight；　when　the　subject　which　he　treats　will；　with　propriety；　admit　of　splendid　effects。

In　every　school；　whether　Venetian；　French；　or　Dutch；　he　will　find　either　ingenious　compositions；　extraordinary　effects；　some　peculiar　expressions；　or　some　mechanical　excellence；　well　worthy　his　attention　and；　in　some　measure；　of　his　imitation；　even　in　the　lower　class　of　the　French　painters；　great　beauties　are　often　found　united　with　great　defects。

Though　Coypel　wanted　a　simplicity　of　taste；　and　mistook　a　presumptuous　and　assuming　air　for　what　is　grand　and　majestic；　yet　he　frequently　has　good　sense　and　judgment　in　his　manner　of　telling　his　stories；　great　skill　in　his　compositions；　and　is　not　without　a　considerable　power　of　expressing　the　passions；　The　modern　affectation　of　grace　in　his　works；　as　well　as　in　those　of　Bouche　and　Watteau；　may　be　said　to　be　separated　by　a　very　thin　partition　from　the　more　simple　and　pure　grace　of　Correggio　and　Parmigiano。

Amongst　the　Dutch　painters；　the　correct；　firm；　and　determined　pencil；　which　was　employed　by　Bamboccio　and　Jan　Miel　on　vulgar　and　mean　subjects；　might　without　any　change　be　employed　on　the　highest；　to　which；　indeed；　it　seems　more　properly　to　belong。　　The　greatest　style；　if　that　style　is　confined　to　small　figures　such　as　Poussin　generally　painted；　would　receive　an　additional　grace　by　the　elegance　and　precision　of　pencil　so　admirable　in　the　works　of　Teniers。

Though　this　school　more　particularly　excelled　in　the　mechanism　of　painting；　yet　there　are　many　who　have　shown　great　abilities　in　expressing　what　must　be　ranked　above　mechanical　excellences。

In　the　works　of　Frank　Hals　the　portrait　painter　may　observe　the　composition　of　a　face；　the　features　well　put　together　as　the　painters　express　it；　from　whence　proceeds　that　strong　marked　character　of　individual　nature　which　is　so　remarkable　in　his　portraits；　and　is　not　to　be　found　in　an　equal　degree　in　any　other　painter。　　If　he　had　joined　to　this　most　difficult　part　of　the　art　a　patience　in　finishing　what　he　had　so　correctly　planned；　he　might　justly　have　claimed　the　place　which　Vandyke；　all　things　considered；　so　justly　holds　as　the　first　of　portrait　painters。

Others　of　the　same　school　have　shown　great　power　in　expressing　the　character　and　passions　of　those　vulgar　people　which　are　the　subjects　of　their　study　and　attention。　　Amongst　those；　Jean　Stein　seems　to　be　one　of　the　most　diligent　and　accurate　observers　of　what　passed　in　those　scenes　which　he　frequented；　and　which　were　to　him　an　academy。　　I　can　easily　imagine　that　if　this　extraordinary　man　had　had　the　good　fortune　to　have　been　born　in　Italy　instead　of　Holland；　had　he　lived　in　Rome　instead　of　Leyden；　and　had　been　blessed　with　Michael　Angelo　and　Raffaelle　for　his　masters　instead　of　Brower　and　Van　Gowen；　that　the　same　sagacity　and　penetration　which　distinguished　so　accurately　the　different　characters　and　expression　in　his　vulgar　figures；　would；　when　exerted　in　the　selection　and　imitation　of　what　was　great　and　elevated　in　nature；　have　been　equally　successful；　and　his　name　would　have　been　now　ranged　with　the　great　pillars　and　supporters　of　our　art。

Men　who；　although　thus　bound　down　by　the　almost　invincible　powers　of　early　habits；　have　still　exerted　extr