seven discourses on art-第16章

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　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　admired　in　him　is　the　perfect　correspondence　which　he　observed　between　the　subjects　which　he　chose；　and　his　manner　of　treating　them。　　Everything　is　of　a　piece：　his　rocks；　trees；　sky；　even　to　his　handling　have　the　same　rude　and　wild　character　which　animates　his　figures。

To　him　we　may　contrast　the　character　of　Carlo　Maratti；　who；　in　my　own　opinion；　had　no　great　vigour　of　mind　or　strength　of　original　genius。　　He　rarely　seizes　the　imagination　by　exhibiting　the　higher　excellences；　nor　does　he　captivate　us　by　that　originality　which　attends　the　painter　who　thinks　for　himself。　　He　knew　and　practised　all　the　rules　of　art；　and　from　a　composition　of　Raffaelle；　Caracci；　and　Guido；　made　up　a　style；　of　which　its　only　fault　was；　that　it　had　no　manifest　defects　and　no　striking　beauties；　and　that　the　principles　of　his　composition　are　never　blended　together；　so　as　to　form　one　uniform　body；　original　in　its　kind；　or　excellent　in　any　view。

I　will　mention　two　other　painters　who；　though　entirely　dissimilar；　yet　by　being　each　consistent　with　himself；　and　possessing　a　manner　entirely　his　own；　have　both　gained　reputation；　though　for　very　opposite　accomplishments。

The　painters　I　mean　are　Rubens　and　Poussin。　　Rubens　I　mention　in　this　place；　as　I　think　him　a　remarkable　instance　of　the　same　mind　being　seen　in　all　the　various　parts　of　the　art。　　The　whole　is　so　much　of　a　piece　that　one　can　scarce　be　brought　to　believe　but　that　if　any　one　of　them　had　been　more　correct　and　perfect；　his　works　would　not　be　so　complete　as　they　now　appear。　　If　we　should　allow　a　greater　purity　and　correctness　of　drawing；　his　want　of　simplicity　in　composition；　colouring；　and　drapery　would　appear　more　gross。

In　his　composition　his　art　is　too　apparent。　　His　figures　have　expression；　and　act　with　energy；　but　without　simplicity　or　dignity。　His　colouring；　in　which　he　is　eminently　skilled；　is；　notwithstanding；　too　much　of　what　we　call　tinted。　　Throughout　the　whole　of　his　works　there　is　a　proportionable　want　of　that　nicety　of　distinction　and　elegance　of　mind　which　is　required　in　the　higher　walks　of　painting；　and　to　this　want　it　may　be　in　some　degree　ascribed　that　those　qualities　which　make　the　excellency　of　this　subordinate　style　appear　in　him　with　their　greatest　lustre。　Indeed；　the　facility　with　which　he　invented；　the　richness　of　his　composition；　the　luxuriant　harmony　and　brilliancy　of　his　colouring；　so　dazzle　the　eye；　that　whilst　his　works　continue　before　us　we　cannot　help　thinking　that　all　his　deficiencies　are　fully　supplied。

Opposed　to　this　florid；　careless；　loose；　and　inaccurate　style；　that　of　the　simple；　careful；　pure；　and　correct　style　of　Poussin　seems　to　be　a　complete　contrast。

Yet　however　opposite　their　characters；　in　one　thing　they　agreed；　both　of　them　having　a　perfect　correspondence　between　all　the　parts　of　their　respective　manners。

One　is　not　sure　but　every　alteration　of　what　is　considered　as　defective　in　either；　would　destroy　the　effect　of　the　whole。

Poussin　lived　and　conversed　with　the　ancient　statues　so　long；　that　he　may　be　said　to　be　better　acquainted　with　then　than　with　the　people　who　were　about　him。　　I　have　often　thought　that　he　carried　his　veneration　for　them　so　far　as　to　wish　to　give　his　works　the　air　of　ancient　paintings。　　It　is　certain　he　copied　some　of　the　antique　paintings；　particularly　the　〃Marriage　in　the　Albrobrandini　Palace　at　Rome；〃　which　I　believe　to　be　the　best　relique　of　those　remote　ages　that　has　yet　been　found。

No　works　of　any　modern　has　so　much　of　the　air　of　antique　painting　as　those　of　Poussin。　　His　best　performances　have　a　remarkable　dryness　of　manner；　which；　though　by　no　means　to　be　recommended　for　imitation；　yet　seems　perfectly　correspondent　to　that　ancient　simplicity　which　distinguishes　his　style。　　Like　Polidoro　he　studied　them　so　much；　that　he　acquired　a　habit　of　thinking　in　their　way；　and　seemed　to　know　perfectly　the　actions　and　gestures　they　would　use　on　every　occasion。

Poussin　in　the　latter　part　of　his　life　changed　from　his　dry　manner　to　one　much　softer　and　richer；　where　there　is　a　greater　union　between　the　figures　and　the　ground；　such　as　the　〃Seven　Sacraments〃　in　the　Duke　of　Orleans'　collection；　but　neither　these；　nor　any　in　this　manner；　are　at　all　comparable　to　many　in　his　dry　manner　which　we　have　in　England。

The　favourite　subjects　of　Poussin　were　ancient　fables；　and　no　painter　was　ever　better　qualified　to　paint　such　subjects；　not　only　from　his　being　eminently　skilled　in　the　knowledge　of　ceremonies；　customs；　and　habits　of　the　ancients；　but　from　his　being　so　well　acquainted　with　the　different　characters　which　those　who　invented　them　gave　their　allegorical　figures。　　Though　Rubens　has　shown　great　fancy　in　his　Satyrs；　Silenuses；　and　Fauns；　yet　they　are　not　that　distinct　separate　class　of　beings　which　is　carefully　exhibited　by　the　ancients　and　by　Poussin。　　Certainly　when　such　subjects　of　antiquity　are　represented；　nothing　in　the　picture　ought　to　remind　us　of　modern　times。　　The　mind　is　thrown　back　into　antiquity；　and　nothing　ought　to　be　introduced　that　may　tend　to　awaken　it　from　the　illusion。

Poussin　seemed　to　think　that　the　style　and　the　language　in　which　such　stories　are　told　is　not　the　worse　for　preserving　some　relish　of　the　old　way　of　painting　which　seemed　to　give　a　general　uniformity　to　the　whole；　so　that　the　mind　was　thrown　back　into　antiquity　not　only　by　the　subject；　but　the　execution。

If　Poussin；　in　imitation　of　the　ancients；　represents　Apollo　driving　his　chariot　out　of　the　sea　by　way　of　representing　the　sun　rising；　if　he　personifies　lakes　and　rivers；　it　is　no　ways　offensive　in　him；　but　seems　perfectly　of　a　piece　with　the　general　air　of　the　picture。　On　the　contrary；　if　the　figures　which　people　his　pictures　had　a　modern　air　or　countenance；　if　they　appeared　like　our　countrymen；　if　the　draperies　were　like　cloth　or　silk　of　our　manufacture；　if　the　landscape　had　the　appearance　of　a　modern　view；　how　ridiculous　would　Apollo　appear　instead　of　the　sun；　an　old　man　or　a　nymph　with　an　urn　instead　of　a　river　or　lake。

I　cannot　avoid　mentioning　here　a　circumstance　in　portrait　painting　which　may　help　to　confirm　what　has　been　said。

When　a　portrait　is　painted　in　the　historical　style；　as　it　is　neither　an　exact　minute　representation　of　an　individual　nor　completely　ideal；　every　circumstance　ought　to　correspond　to　this　mixture。　　The　simplicity　of　the　antique　air　and　attitude；　however　much　to　be　admired；　is　ridiculous　when　joined　to　a　figure　in　a　modern　dress。　　It　is　not　to　my　purpose　to　enter　into　the　question　at　present；　whether　this　mixed　style　ought　to　be　adopted　or　not；　yet　if　it　is　chosen　it　is　necessary　it　should　be　complete　and　all　of　a　piece：　　the　difference　of　stuffs；　for　instance；　which　make　the　clothing；　should　be　distinguished　in　the　same　degree　as　the　head　deviates　from　a　general　idea。

Without　this　union；　which　I　have　so　often　recommended；　a　work　can　have　no　marked　and　determined　character；　which　is　the　peculiar　and　constant　evidence　of　genius。　　But　when　this　is　accomplished　to　a　high　degree；　it　becomes　in　some　sort　a　rival　to　that　style　which　we　have　fixed　as　the　highest。

Thus　I　have　given　a　sketch　of　the　ch