seven discourses on art-第2章

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The　numberless　and　ineffectual　consultations　that　I　have　had　with　many　in　this　assembly；　to　form　plans　and　concert　schemes　for　an　academy；　afford　a　sufficient　proof　of　the　impossibility　of　succeeding　but　by　the　influence　of　Majesty。　　But　there　have；　perhaps；　been　times　when　even　the　influence　of　Majesty　would　have　been　ineffectual；　and　it　is　pleasing　to　reflect　that　we　are　thus　embodied；　when　every　circumstance　seems　to　concur　from　which　honour　and　prosperity　can　probably　arise。

There　are　at　this　time　a　greater　number　of　excellent　artists　than　were　ever　known　before　at　one　period　in　this　nation；　there　is　a　general　desire　among　our　nobility　to　be　distinguished　as　lovers　and　judges　of　the　arts；　there　is　a　greater　superfluity　of　wealth　among　the　people　to　reward　the　professors；　and；　above　all；　we　are　patronised　by　a　monarch；　who；　knowing　the　value　of　science　and　of　elegance；　thinks　every　art　worthy　of　his　notice　that　tends　to　soften　and　humanise　the　mind。

After　so　much　has　been　done　by　his　Majesty；　it　will　be　wholly　our　fault　if　our　progress　is　not　in　some　degree　correspondent　to　the　wisdom　and；　generosity　of　the　institution；　let　us　show　our　gratitude　in　our　diligence；　that；　though　our　merit　may　not　answer　his　expectations；　yet；　at　least；　our　industry　may　deserve　his　protection。

But　whatever　may　be　our　proportion　of　success；　of　this　we　may　be　sure；　that　the　present　institution　will　at　least　contribute　to　advance　our　knowledge　of　the　arts；　and　bring　us　nearer　to　that　ideal　excellence　which　it　is　the　lot　of　genius　always　to　contemplate　and　never　to　attain。

The　principal　advantage　of　an　academy　is；　that；　besides　furnishing　able　men　to　direct　the　student；　it　will　be　a　repository　for　the　great　examples　of　the　art。　　These　are　the　materials　on　which　genius　is　to　work；　and　without　which　the　strongest　intellect　may　be　fruitlessly　or　deviously　employed。　　By　studying　these　authentic　models；　that　idea　of　excellence　which　is　the　result　of　the　accumulated　experience　of　past　ages　may　be　at　once　acquired；　and　the　tardy　and　obstructed　progress　of　our　predecessors　may　teach　us　a　shorter　and　easier　way。　　The　student　receives　at　one　glance　the　principles　which　many　artists　have　spent　their　whole　lives　in　ascertaining；　and；　satisfied　with　their　effect；　is　spared　the　painful　investigation　by　which　they　come　to　be　known　and　fixed。　How　many　men　of　great　natural　abilities　have　been　lost　to　this　nation　for　want　of　these　advantages？　　They　never　had　an　opportunity　of　seeing　those　masterly　efforts　of　genius　which　at　once　kindle　the　whole　soul；　and　force　it　into　sudden　and　irresistible　approbation。

Raffaelle；　it　is　true；　had　not　the　advantage　of　studying　in　an　academy；　but　all　Rome；　and　the　works　of　Michael　Angelo　in　particular；　were　to　him　an　academy。　　On　the　site　of　the　Capel　la　Sistina　he　immediately　from　a　dry；　Gothic；　and　even　insipid　manner；　which　attends　to　the　minute　accidental　discriminations　of　particular　and　individual　objects；　assumed　that　grand　style　of　painting；　which　improves　partial　representation　by　the　general　and　invariable　ideas　of　nature。

Every　seminary　of　learning　may　be　said　to　be　surrounded　with　an　atmosphere　of　floating　knowledge；　where　every　mind　may　imbibe　somewhat　congenial　to　its　own　original　conceptions。　　Knowledge；　thus　obtained；　has　always　something　more　popular　and　useful　than　that　which　is　forced　upon　the　mind　by　private　precepts　or　solitary　meditation。　　Besides；　it　is　generally　found　that　a　youth　more　easily　receives　instruction　from　the　companions　of　his　studies；　whose　minds　are　nearly　on　a　level　with　his　own；　than　from　those　who　are　much　his　superiors；　and　it　is　from　his　equals　only　that　he　catches　the　fire　of　emulation。

One　advantage；　I　will　venture　to　affirm；　we　shall　have　in　our　academy；　which　no　other　nation　can　boast。　　We　shall　have　nothing　to　unlearn。　　To　this　praise　the　present　race　of　artists　have　a　just　claim。　　As　far　as　they　have　yet　proceeded　they　are　right。　　With　us　the　exertions　of　genius　will　henceforward　be　directed　to　their　proper　objects。　　It　will　not　be　as　it　has　been　in　other　schools；　where　he　that　travelled　fastest　only　wandered　farthest　from　the　right　way。

Impressed　as　I　am；　therefore；　with　such　a　favourable　opinion　of　my　associates　in　this　undertaking；　it　would　ill　become　me　to　dictate　to　any　of　them。　　But　as　these　institutions　have　so　often　failed　in　other　nations；　and　as　it　is　natural　to　think　with　regret　how　much　might　have　been　done；　and　how　little　has　been　done；　I　must　take　leave　to　offer　a　few　hints；　by　which　those　errors　may　be　rectified；　and　those　defects　supplied。　　These　the　professors　and　visitors　may　reject　or　adopt　as　they　shall　think　proper。

I　would　chiefly　recommend　that　an　implicit　obedience　to　the　rules　of　art；　as　established　by　the　great　masters；　should　be　exacted　from　the　YOUNG　students。　　That　those　models；　which　have　passed　through　the　approbation　of　ages；　should　be　considered　by　them　as　perfect　and　infallible　guides　as　subjects　for　their　imitation；　not　their　criticism。

I　am　confident　that　this　is　the　only　efficacious　method　of　making　a　progress　in　the　arts；　and　that　he　who　sets　out　with　doubting　will　find　life　finished　before　he　becomes　master　of　the　rudiments。　　For　it　may　be　laid　down　as　a　maxim；　that　he　who　begins　by　presuming　on　his　own　sense　has　ended　his　studies　as　soon　as　he　has　commenced　them。　　Every　opportunity；　therefore；　should　be　taken　to　discountenance　that　false　and　vulgar　opinion　that　rules　are　the　fetters　of　genius。　　They　are　fetters　only　to　men　of　no　genius；　as　that　armour；　which　upon　the　strong　becomes　an　ornament　and　a　defence；　upon　the　weak　and　misshapen　turns　into　a　load；　and　cripples　the　body　which　it　was　made　to　protect。

How　much　liberty　may　be　taken　to　break　through　those　rules；　and；　as　the　poet　expresses　it；


〃To　snatch　a　grace　beyond　the　reach　of　art；〃


may　be　an　after　consideration；　when　the　pupils　become　masters　themselves。　　It　is　then；　when　their　genius　has　received　its　utmost　improvement；　that　rules　may　possibly　be　dispensed　with。　　But　let　us　not　destroy　the　scaffold　until　we　have　raised　the　building。

The　directors　ought　more　particularly　to　watch　over　the　genius　of　those　students　who；　being　more　advanced；　are　arrived　at　that　critical　period　of　study；　on　the　nice　management　of　which　their　future　turn　of　taste　depends。　　At　that　age　it　is　natural　for　them　to　be　more　captivated　with　what　is　brilliant　than　with　what　is　solid；　and　to　prefer　splendid　negligence　to　painful　and　humiliating　exactness。

A　facility　in　composing；　a　lively；　and　what　is　called　a　masterly　handling　the　chalk　or　pencil；　are；　it　must　be　confessed；　captivating　qualities　to　young　minds；　and　become　of　course　the　objects　of　their　ambition。　　They　endeavour　to　imitate　those　dazzling　excellences；　which　they　will　find　no　great　labour　in　attaining。　　After　much　time　spent　in　these　frivolous　pursuits；　the　difficulty　will　be　to　retreat；　but　it　will　be　then　too　late；　and　there　is　scarce　an　instance　of　return　to　scrupulous　labour　after　the　mind　has　been　debauched　and　deceived　by　this　fallacious　mastery。

By　this　useless　industry　they　are　excluded　from　all　power　of　advancing　in　real　excellence。　　Whilst　boys；　they　are　arrived　at　their　utmost　perfection；　they　have　taken　the　shadow　for　the　substance；　and　make　that　mechanical　facility　the　chief　excellence　of　the　art；　which　is　only　an　ornament；　and　of　the　merit　of　which　few　but　painters　themselves　are　judges。

This　seems　to　me　to　be　one　of　the　most　dangerous　sources　of　corruption；　and　I　speak　of　it　from　experience；　not　as　an　error　which　may　possibly　happen；　but　which　has　actually　infected　all　foreign　academies。　　The　directors　were　probably　pleased　with　this　premature　dexterity　in　their　pupils；　and　praised　their　despatch　at　the　expense　of　their　correctness。

But　young　men　have　not　only　this　frivolous　ambition　of　being　thought　masterly　inciting　them　on　one　hand；　but　also　their　natural　sloth　tempting　them　on　the　other。　　They　are　terrified　at　the　prospect　before　them；　of　the　toil　required　to　attain　exactness。　The　impetuosity　of　youth　is　distrusted　at　the　slow　approaches　of　a　regular　siege；　and　desires；　from　mere　impatience　of　labour；　to　take　the　citadel　by　storm。　　They　wish　to　find　some　shorter　path　to　excellence；　and