seven discourses on art-第3章

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of　how　much　yet　remains　to　attain　perfection。

I　flatter　myself；　that　from　the　long　experience　I　have　had；　and　the　unceasing　assiduity　with　which　I　have　pursued　those　studies；　in　which；　like　you；　I　have　been　engaged；　I　shall　be　acquitted　of　vanity　in　offering　some　hints　to　your　consideration。　　They　are　indeed　in　a　great　degree　founded　upon　my　own　mistakes　in　the　same　pursuit。　　But　the　history　of　errors　properly　managed　often　shortens　the　road　to　truth。　　And　although　no　method　of　study　that　I　can　offer　will　of　itself　conduct　to　excellence；　yet　it　may　preserve　industry　from　being　misapplied。

In　speaking　to　you　of　the　theory　of　the　art；　I　shall　only　consider　it　as　it　has　a　relation　to　the　method　of　your　studies。

Dividing　the　study　of　painting　into　three　distinct　periods；　I　shall　address　you　as　having　passed　through　the　first　of　them；　which　is　confined　to　the　rudiments；　including　a　facility　of　drawing　any　object　that　presents　itself；　a　tolerable　readiness　in　the　management　of　colours；　and　an　acquaintance　with　the　most　simple　and　obvious　rules　of　composition。

This　first　degree　of　proficiency　is；　in　painting；　what　grammar　is　in　literature；　a　general　preparation　to　whatever　species　of　the　art　the　student　may　afterwards　choose　for　his　more　particular　application。　　The　power　of　drawing；　modelling；　and　using　colours　is　very　properly　called　the　language　of　the　art；　and　in　this　language；　the　honours　you　have　just　received　prove　you　to　have　made　no　inconsiderable　progress。

When　the　artist　is　once　enabled　to　express　himself　with　some　degree　of　correctness；　he　must　then　endeavour　to　collect　subjects　for　expression；　to　amass　a　stock　of　ideas；　to　be　combined　and　varied　as　occasion　may　require。　　He　is　now　in　the　second　period　of　study；　in　which　his　business　is　to　learn　all　that　has　hitherto　been　known　and　done。　　Having　hitherto　received　instructions　from　a　particular　master；　he　is　now　to　consider　the　art　itself　as　his　master。　　He　must　extend　his　capacity　to　more　sublime　and　general　instructions。　Those　perfections　which　lie　scattered　among　various　masters　are　now　united　in　one　general　idea；　which　is　henceforth　to　regulate　his　taste　and　enlarge　his　imagination。　　With　a　variety　of　models　thus　before　him；　he　will　avoid　that　narrowness　and　poverty　of　conception　which　attends　a　bigoted　admiration　of　a　single　master；　and　will　cease　to　follow　any　favourite　where　he　ceases　to　excel。　　This　period　is；　however；　still　a　time　of　subjection　and　discipline。　Though　the　student　will　not　resign　himself　blindly　to　any　single　authority　when　he　may　have　the　advantage　of　consulting　many；　he　must　still　be　afraid　of　trusting　his　own　judgment；　and　of　deviating　into　any　track　where　he　cannot　find　the　footsteps　of　some　former　master。

The　third　and　last　period　emancipates　the　student　from　subjection　to　any　authority　but　what　he　shall　himself　judge　to　be　supported　by　reason。　　Confiding　now　in　his　own　judgment；　he　will　consider　and　separate　those　different　principles　to　which　different　modes　of　beauty　owe　their　original。　　In　the　former　period　he　sought　only　to　know　and　combine　excellence；　wherever　it　was　to　be　found；　into　one　idea　of　perfection；　in　this　he　learns；　what　requires　the　most　attentive　survey　and　the　subtle　disquisition；　to　discriminate　perfections　that　are　incompatible　with　each　other。

He　is　from　this　time　to　regard　himself　as　holding　the　same　rank　with　those　masters　whom　he　before　obeyed　as　teachers；　and　as　exercising　a　sort　of　sovereignty　over　those　rules　which　have　hitherto　restrained　him。　　Comparing　now　no　longer　the　performances　of　art　with　each　other；　but　examining　the　art　itself　by　the　standard　of　nature；　he　corrects　what　is　erroneous；　supplies　what　is　scanty；　and　adds　by　his　own　observation　what　the　industry　of　his　predecessors　may　have　yet　left　wanting　to　perfection。　　Having　well　established　his　judgment；　and　stored　his　memory；　he　may　now　without　fear　try　the　power　of　his　imagination。　　The　mind　that　has　been　thus　disciplined　may　be　indulged　in　the　warmest　enthusiasm；　and　venture　to　play　on　the　borders　of　the　wildest　extravagance。　　The　habitual　dignity；　which　long　converse　with　the　greatest　minds　has　imparted　to　him；　will　display　itself　in　all　his　attempts；　and　he　will　stand　among　his　instructors；　not　as　an　imitator；　but　a　rival。

These　are　the　different　stages　of　the　art。　　But　as　I　now　address　myself　particularly　to　those　students　who　have　been　this　day　rewarded　for　their　happy　passage　through　the　first　period；　I　can　with　no　propriety　suppose　they　want　any　help　in　the　initiatory　studies。　　My　present　design　is　to　direct　your　view　to　distant　excellence；　and　to　show　you　the　readiest　path　that　leads　to　it。　　Of　this　I　shall　speak　with　such　latitude　as　may　leave　the　province　of　the　professor　uninvaded；　and　shall　not　anticipate　those　precepts　which　it　is　his　business　to　give　and　your　duty　to　understand。

It　is　indisputably　evident　that　a　great　part　of　every　man's　life　must　be　employed　in　collecting　materials　for　the　exercise　of　genius。　　Invention；　strictly　speaking；　is　little　more　than　a　new　combination　of　those　images　which　have　been　previously　gathered　and　deposited　in　the　memory。　　Nothing　can　come　of　nothing。　　He　who　has　laid　up　no　materials　can　produce　no　combinations。

A　student　unacquainted　with　the　attempts　of　former　adventurers　is　always　apt　to　overrate　his　own　abilities；　to　mistake　the　most　trifling　excursions　for　discoveries　of　moment；　and　every　coast　new　to　him　for　a　new…found　country。　　If　by　chance　he　passes　beyond　his　usual　limits；　he　congratulates　his　own　arrival　at　those　regions　which　they　who　have　steered　a　better　course　have　long　left　behind　them。

The　productions　of　such　minds　are　seldom　distinguished　by　an　air　of　originality：　　they　are　anticipated　in　their　happiest　efforts；　and　if　they　are　found　to　differ　in　anything　from　their　predecessors；　it　is　only　in　irregular　sallies　and　trifling　conceits。　　The　more　extensive　therefore　your　acquaintance　is　with　the　works　of　those　who　have　excelled　the　more　extensive　will　be　your　powers　of　invention；　and　what　may　appear　still　more　like　a　paradox；　the　more　original　will　be　your　conceptions。　　But　the　difficulty　on　this　occasion　is　to　determine　who　ought　to　be　proposed　as　models　of　excellence；　and　who　ought　to　be　considered　as　the　properest　guides。

To　a　young　man　just　arrived　in　Italy；　many　of　the　present　painters　of　that　country　are　ready　enough　to　obtrude　their　precepts；　and　to　offer　their　own　performances　as　examples　of　that　perfection　which　they　affect　to　recommend。　　The　modern；　however；　who　recommends　HIMSELF　as　a　standard；　may　justly　be　suspected　as　ignorant　of　the　true　end；　and　unacquainted　with　the　proper　object　of　the　art　which　he　professes。　　To　follow　such　a　guide　will　not　only　retard　the　student；　but　mislead　him。

On　whom；　then；　can　he　rely；　or　who　shall　show　him　the　path　that　leads　to　excellence？　　The　answer　is　obvious：　　Those　great　masters　who　have　travelled　the　same　road　with　success　are　the　most　likely　to　conduct　others。　　The　works　of　those　who　have　stood　the　test　of　ages　have　a　claim　to　that　respect　and　veneration　to　which　no　modern　can　pretend。　　The　duration　and　stability　of　their　fame　is　sufficient　to　evince　that　it　has　not　been　suspended　upon　the　slender　thread　of　fashion　and　caprice；　but　bound　to　the　human　heart　by　every　tie　of　sympathetic　approbation。

There　is　no　danger　of　studying　too　much　the　works　of　those　great　men；　but　how　they　may　be　studied　to　advantage　is　an　inquiry　of　great　importance。

Some　who　have　never　raised　their　minds　to　the　consideration　of　the　real　dignity　of　the　art；　and　who　rate　the　works　of　an　artist　in　proportion　as　they　excel；　or　are　defective　in　the　mechanical　parts；　look　on　theory　as　something　that　may　enable　them　to　talk　but　not　to　paint　better；　and　confining　themselves　entirely　to　mechanical　practice；　very　assiduously　toil　on　in　the　drudgery　of　copying；　and　think　they　make　a　rapid　progress　while　they　faithfully　exhibit　the　minutest　part　of　a　favourite　picture。　　This　appears　to　me　a　very　tedious；　and　I　think　a　very　erroneous；　method　of　proceeding。　　Of　every　large　composition；　even　of　those　which　are　most　admired；　a　great　part　may　be　truly　said　to　be　common…place。　　This；　though　it　takes　up　much　time　in　copying；　conduces　little　to　improvement。　　I　consider　general　copying　as　a　delusive　kind　of　industry；　the　student　satisfies　himself　with　the　appearance　of　doing　something；　he　falls　into　the　dangerous　habit　of　imitating　without　selecting；　and　of　labouring　without　any　determinate　object；　as　it　requires　no　effort　of　the　mind；　he　sleeps　over　his　work；　and　those　powers　of　invention　and　composition　which　ought　particularly　to　be　called　out　and　put　in　action　lie　torpid；　and　lose　their　energy　for　want　of　exercise。

It　is　an　observation　that　all　must　have　made；　how　incapable　those　are　of　producing　anything　of　their　own　who　have　spent　much　of　their　time　in　making　finished　copies。

To　suppose　that　the　complication　of　powers；　and　variety　of　ideas　necessary　to　that　mind　which　aspires　to　the　first　honours　ill　the　art　of　painting；　can　be　obtained　by　the　frigid　contemplation　of　a　few　single　models；　is　no　less　absurd　than　it　would　be　in　him　who　wishes　to　be　a　poet　to　imagine　that　by　translating　a　tragedy　he　can　acquire　to　himself　sufficient　knowledge　of　the　appearances　of　nature；　the　operations　of　the　passions；　and　the　incidents　of　life。

The　great　use　in　copying；　if　it　be　at　all　useful；　should　seem　to　be　in　learning　to　colour；　yet　even　colouring　will　never　be　perfectly　attained　by　servilely　copying　the　mould　before　you。　　An　eye　critically　nice　can　only　be　formed　by　observing　well…coloured　pictures　with　attention：　　and　by　close　inspection；　and　minute　examination　you　will　discover；　at　last；　the　manner　of　handling；　the　artifices　of　contrast；　glazing；　and　other　expedients；　by　which　good　colourists　have　raised　the　value　of　their　tints；　and　by　which　nature　has　been　so　happily　imitated。

I　must　inform　you；　however；　that　old　pictures　deservedly　celebrated　for　their　colouring　are　often　so　changed　by　dirt　and　varnish；　that　we　ought　not　to　wonder　if　they　do　not　appear　equal　to　their　reputation　in　the　eyes　of　unexperienced　painters；　or　young　students。　　An　artist　whose　judgment　is　matured　by　long　observation；　considers　rather　what　the　picture　once　was；　than　what　it　is　at　present。　　He　has　acquired　a　power　by　habit　of　seeing　the　brilliancy　of　tints　through　the　cloud　by　which　it　is　obscured。　　An　exact　imitation；　therefore；　of　those　pictures；　is　likely　to　fill　the　student's　mind　with　false　opinions；　and　to　send　him　back　a　colourist　of　his　own　formation；　with　ideas　equally　remote　from　nature　and　from　art；　from　the　genuine　practice　of　the　masters　and　the　real　appearances　of　things。

Following　these　rules；　and　using　these　precautions；　when　you　have　clearly　and　distinctly　learned　in　what　good　colouring　consists；　you　cannot　do　better　than　have　recourse　to　nature　herself；　who　is　always　at　hand；　and　in　comparison　of　whose　true　splendour　the　best　coloured　pictures　are　but　faint　and　feeble。

However；　as　the　practice　of　copying　is　not　entirely　to　be　excluded；　since　the　mechanical　practice　of　painting　is　learned　in　some　measure　by　it；　let　those　choice　parts　only　be　selected　which　have　recommended　the　work　to　notice。　　If　its　excellence　consists　in　its　general　effect；　it　would　be