seven discourses on art-第4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！


have　recommended　the　work　to　notice。　　If　its　excellence　consists　in　its　general　effect；　it　would　be　proper　to　make　slight　sketches　of　the　machinery　and　general　management　of　the　picture。　　Those　sketches　should　be　kept　always　by　you　for　the　regulation　of　your　style。　Instead　of　copying　the　touches　of　those　great　masters；　copy　only　their　conceptions。　　Instead　of　treading　in　their　footsteps；　endeavour　only　to　keep　the　same　road。　　Labour　to　invent　on　their　general　principles　and　way　of　thinking。　　Possess　yourself　with　their　spirit。　　Consider　with　yourself　how　a　Michael　Angelo　or　a　Raffaelle　would　have　treated　this　subject：　　and　work　yourself　into　a　belief　that　your　picture　is　to　be　seen　and　criticised　by　them　when　completed。　　Even　an　attempt　of　this　kind　will　rouse　your　powers。

But　as　mere　enthusiasm　will　carry　you　but　a　little　way；　let　me　recommend　a　practice　that　may　be　equivalent；　and　will　perhaps　more　efficaciously　contribute　to　your　advancement；　than　even　the　verbal　corrections　of　those　masters　themselves；　could　they　be　obtained。　What　I　would　propose　is；　that　you　should　enter　into　a　kind　of　competition；　by　painting　a　similar　subject；　and　making　a　companion　to　any　picture　that　you　consider　as　a　model。　　After　you　have　finished　your　work；　place　it　near　the　model；　and　compare　them　carefully　together。　　You　will　then　not　only　see；　but　feel　your　own　deficiencies　more　sensibly　than　by　precepts；　or　any　other　means　of　instruction。　　The　true　principles　of　painting　will　mingle　with　your　thoughts。　　Ideas　thus　fixed　by　sensible　objects；　will　be　certain　and　definitive；　and　sinking　deep　into　the　mind；　will　not　only　be　more　just；　but　more　lasting　than　those　presented　to　you　by　precepts　only：　　which　will；　always　be　fleeting；　variable；　and　undetermined。

This　method　of　comparing　your　own　efforts　with　those　of　some　great　master；　is　indeed　a　severe　and　mortifying　task；　to　which　none　will　submit；　but　such　as　have　great　views；　with　fortitude　sufficient　to　forego　the　gratifications　of　present　vanity　for　future　honour。　When　the　student　has　succeeded　in　some　measure　to　his　own　satisfaction；　and　has　felicitated　himself　on　his　success；　to　go　voluntarily　to　a　tribunal　where　he　knows　his　vanity　must　be　humbled；　and　all　self…approbation　must　vanish；　requires　not　only　great　resolution；　but　great　humility。　　To　him；　however；　who　has　the　Ambition　to　be　a　real　master；　the　solid　satisfaction　which　proceeds　from　a　consciousness　of　his　advancement　（of　which　seeing　his　own　faults　is　the　first　step）　will　very　abundantly　compensate　for　the　mortification　of　present　disappointment。　　There　is；　besides；　this　alleviating　circumstance。　　Every　discovery　he　makes；　every　acquisition　of　knowledge　he　attains；　seems　to　proceed　from　his　own　sagacity；　and　thus　he　acquires　a　confidence　in　himself　sufficient　to　keep　up　the　resolution　of　perseverance。

We　all　must　have　experienced　how　lazily；　and　consequently　how　ineffectually；　instruction　is　received　when　forced　upon　the　mind　by　others。　　Few　have　been　taught　to　any　purpose　who　have　not　been　their　own　teachers。　　We　prefer　those　instructions　which　we　have　given　ourselves；　from　our　affection　to　the　instructor；　and　they　are　more　effectual；　from　being　received　into　the　mind　at　the　very　time　when　it　is　most　open　and　eager　to　receive　them。

With　respect　to　the　pictures　that　you　are　to　choose　for　your　models；　I　could　wish　that　you　would　take　the　world's　opinion　rather　than　your　own。　　In　other　words；　I　would　have　you　choose　those　of　established　reputation　rather　than　follow　your　own　fancy。　　If　you　should　not　admire　them　at　first；　you　will；　by　endeavouring　to　imitate　them；　find　that　the　world　has　not　been　mistaken。

It　is　not　an　easy　task　to　point　out　those　various　excellences　for　your　imitation　which　he　distributed　amongst　the　various　schools。　An　endeavour　to　do　this　may　perhaps　be　the　subject　of　some　future　discourse。　　I　will；　therefore；　at　present　only　recommend　a　model　for　style　in　painting；　which　is　a　branch　of　the　art　more　immediately　necessary　to　the　young　student。　　Style　in　painting　is　the　same　as　in　writing；　a　power　over　materials；　whether　words　or　colours；　by　which　conceptions　or　sentiments　are　conveyed。　　And　in　this　Lodovico　Carrache　（I　mean　in　his　best　works）　appears　to　me　to　approach　the　nearest　to　perfection。　　His　unaffected　breadth　of　light　and　shadow；　the　simplicity　of　colouring；　which　holding　its　proper　rank；　does　not　draw　aside　the　least　part　of　the　attention　from　the　subject；　and　the　solemn　effect　of　that　twilight　which　seems　diffused　over　his　pictures；　appear　to　me　to　correspond　with　grave　and　dignified　subjects；　better　than　the　more　artificial　brilliancy　of　sunshine　which　enlightens　the　pictures　of　Titian。　Though　Tintoret　thought　that　Titian's　colouring　was　the　model　of　perfection；　and　would　correspond　even　with　the　sublime　of　Michael　Angelo；　and　that　if　Angelo　had　coloured　like　Titian；　or　Titian　designed　like　Angelo；　the　world　would　once　have　had　a　perfect　painter。

It　is　our　misfortune；　however；　that　those　works　of　Carrache　which　I　would　recommend　to　the　student　are　not　often　found　out　of　Bologna。　The　〃St。　Francis　in　the　midst　of　his　Friars；〃　〃The　Transfiguration；〃　〃The　Birth　of　St。　John　the　Baptist；〃　〃The　Calling　of　St。　Matthew；〃　the　〃St。　Jerome；〃　the　fresco　paintings　in　the　Zampieri　Palace；　are　all　worthy　the　attention　of　the　student。　　And　I　think　those　who　travel　would　do　well　to　allot　a　much　greater　portion　of　their　time　to　that　city　than　it　has　been　hitherto　the　custom　to　bestow。

In　this　art；　as　in　others；　there　are　many　teachers　who　profess　to　show　the　nearest　way　to　excellence；　and　many　expedients　have　been　invented　by　which　the　toil　of　study　might　be　saved。　　But　let　no　man　be　seduced　to　idleness　by　specious　promises。　　Excellence　is　never　granted　to　man　but　as　the　reward　of　labour。　　It　argues；　indeed；　no　small　strength　of　mind　to　persevere　in　habits　of　industry；　without　the　pleasure　of　perceiving　those　advances；　which；　like　the　hand　of　a　clock；　whilst　they　make　hourly　approaches　to　their　point；　yet　proceed　so　slowly　as　to　escape　observation。　　A　facility　of　drawing；　like　that　of　playing　upon　a　musical　instrument；　cannot　be　acquired　but　by　an　infinite　number　of　acts。　　I　need　not；　therefore；　enforce　by　many　words　the　necessity　of　continual　application；　nor　tell　you　that　the　port…crayon　ought　to　be　for　ever　in　your　hands。　　Various　methods　will　occur　to　you　by　which　this　power　may　be　acquired。　　I　would　particularly　recommend　that　after　your　return　from　the　academy　（where　I　suppose　your　attendance　to　be　constant）　you　would　endeavour　to　draw　the　figure　by　memory。　　I　will　even　venture　to　add；　that　by　perseverance　in　this　custom；　you　will　become　able　to　draw　the　human　figure　tolerably　correct；　with　as　little　effort　of　the　mind　as　to　trace　with　a　pen　the　letters　of　the　alphabet。

That　this　facility　is　not　unattainable；　some　members　in　this　academy　give　a　sufficient　proof。　　And；　be　assured；　that　if　this　power　is　not　acquired　whilst　you　are　young；　there　will　be　no　time　for　it　afterwards：　　at　least；　the　attempt　will　be　attended　with　as　much　difficulty　as　those　experience　who　learn　to　read　or　write　after　they　have　arrived　to　the　age　of　maturity。

But　while　I　mention　the　port…crayon　as　the　student's　constant　companion；　he　must　still　remember　that　the　pencil　is　the　instrument　by　which　he　must　hope　to　obtain　eminence。　　What；　therefore；　I　wish　to　impress　upon　you　is；　that　whenever　an　opportunity　offers；　you　paint　your　studies　instead　of　drawing　them。　　This　will　give　you　such　a　facility　in　using　colours；　that　in　time　they　will　arrange　themselves　under　the　pencil；　even　without　the　attention　of　the　hand　that　conducts　it。　　If　one　act　excluded　the　other；　this　advice　could　not　with　any　propriety　be　given。　　But　if　painting　comprises　both　drawing　and　colouring　and　if　by　a　short　struggle　of　resolute　industry　the　same　expedition　is　attainable　in　painting　as　in　drawing　on　paper；　I　cannot　see　what　objection　can　justly　be　made　to　the　practice；　or　why　that　should　be　done　by　parts；　which　may　be　done　altogether。

If　we　turn　our　eyes　to　the　several　schools　of　painting；　and　consider　their　respective　excellences；　we　shall　find　that　those　who　excel　most　in　colouring　pursued　this　method。　　The　Venetian　and　Flemish　schools；　which　owe　much　of　their　fame　to　colouring；　have　enriched　the　cabinets　of　the　collectors　of　drawings　with　very　few　examples。　　Those　of　Titian；　Paul　Veronese；　Tintoret；　and　the　Bassans；　are　in　general　slight　and　undetermined。　　Their　sketches　on　paper　are　as　rude　as　their　pictures　are　excellent　in　regard　to　harmony　of　colouring。　　Correggio　and　Barocci　have　left　few；　if　any；　finished　drawings　behind　them。　　And　in　the　Flemish　school；　Rubens　and　Vandyke　made　their　designs　for　the　most　part　either　in　colours　or　in　chiaroscuro。　　It　is　as　common　to　find　studies　of　the　Venetian　and　Flemish　painters　on　canvas；　as　of　the　schools　of　Rome　and　Florence　on　paper。　　Not　but　that　many　finished　drawings　are　sold　under　the　names　of　those　masters。　　Those；　however；　are　undoubtedly　the　productions　either　of　engravers　or　of　their　scholars　who　copied　their　works。

These　instructions　I　have　ventured　to　offer　from　my　own　experience；　but　as　they　deviate　widely　from　received　opinions；　I　offer　them　with　diffidence；　and　when　better　are　suggested；　shall　retract　them　without　regret。

There　is　one　precept；　however；　in　which　I　shall　only　be　opposed　by　the　vain；　the　ignorant；　and　the　idle。　　I　am　not　afraid　that　I　shall　repeat　it　too　often。　　You　must　have　no　dependence　on　your　own　genius。　　If　you　have　great　talents；　industry　will　improve　them：　　if　you　have　but　moderate　abilities；　industry　will　supply　their　deficiency。　　Nothing　is　denied　to　well…directed　labour：　　nothing　is　to　be　obtained　without　it。　　Not　to　enter　into　metaphysical　discussions　on　the　nature　or　essence　of　genius；　I　will　venture　to　assert；　that　assiduity　unabated　by　difficulty；　and　a　disposition　eagerly　directed　to　the　object　of　its　pursuit；　will　produce　effects　similar　to　those　which　some　call　the　result　of　natural　powers。

Though　a　man　cannot　at　all　times；　and　in　all　places；　paint　or　draw；　yet　the　mind　can　prepare　itself　by　laying　in　proper　materials；　at　all　times；　and　in　all　places。　　Both　Livy　and　Plutarch；　in　describing　Philopoemen；　one　of　the　ablest　generals　of　antiquity；　have　given　us　a　striking　picture　of　a　mind　always　intent　on　its　profession；　and　by　assiduity　obtaining　those　excellences　which　some　all　their　lives　vainly　expect　from　Nature。　　I　shall　quote　the　passage　in　Livy　at　length；　as　it　runs　parallel　with　the　practice　I　would　recommend　to　the　painter；　sculptor；　or　architect。

〃Philopoemen　was　a　man　eminent　for　his　sagacity　and　experience　in　choosing　ground；　and　in　leading　armies；　to　which　he　formed　his　mind　by　perpetual　meditation；　in　times　of　peace　as　well　as　war。　　When；　in　any　occasional　journey；　he　came　to　a　straight　difficult　passage；　if　he　was　alone；　he　considered　with　himself；　and　if　he　was　in　company　he　asked　his　friends　what　it　would　be　best　to　do　if　in　this　place　they　had　found　an　enemy；　either　in　the　front；　or　in　the　rear；　on　the　one　side；　or　on　the　other。　　'It　might　happen；'　says　he；　'that　the　enemy　to　be　opposed　might　come　on　drawn　up　in　regular　lines；　or　in　a　tumultuous　body；　formed　only　by　the　nature　of　the　place。'　　He　then　considered　a　little　what　ground　he　should　take；