seven discourses on art-第22章

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　artists　with　which　they　are　surrounded。

I　remember　several　years　ago　to　have　conversed　at　Rome　with　an　artist　of　great　fame　throughout　Europe；　he　was　not　without　a　considerable　degree　of　abilities；　but　those　abilities　were　by　no　means　equal　to　his　own　opinion　of　them。　　From　the　reputation　he　had　acquired　he　too　fondly　concluded　that　he　stood　in　the　same　rank；　when　compared　to　his　predecessors；　as　he　held　with　regard　to　his　miserable　contemporary　rivals。

In　conversation　about　some　particulars　of　the　works　of　Raffaelle；　he　seemed　to　have；　or　to　affect　to　have；　a　very　obscure　memory　of　them。　　He　told　me　that　he　had　not　set　his　foot　in　the　Vatican　for　fifteen　years　together；　that　indeed　he　had　been　in　treaty　to　copy　a　capital　picture　of　Raffaelle；　but　that　the　business　had　gone　off；　however；　if　the　agreement　had　held；　his　copy　would　have　greatly　exceeded　the　original。　　The　merit　of　this　artist；　however　great　we　may　suppose　it；　I　am　sure　would　have　been　far　greater；　and　his　presumption　would　have　been　far　less　if　he　had　visited　the　Vatican；　as　in　reason　he　ought　to　have　done；　once　at　least　every　month　of　his　life。

I　address　myself；　gentlemen；　to　you　who　have　made　some　progress　in　the　art；　and　are　to　be　for　the　future　under　the　guidance　of　your　own　judgment　and　discretion

I　consider　you　as　arrived　to　that　period　when　you　have　a　right　to　think　for　yourselves；　and　to　presume　that　every　man　is　fallible；　to　study　the　masters　with　a　suspicion　that　great　men　are　not　always　exempt　from　great　faults；　to　criticise；　compare；　and　rank　their　works　in　your　own　estimation；　as　they　approach　to　or　recede　from　that　standard　of　perfection　which　you　have　formed　in　your　own　mind；　but　which　those　masters　themselves；　it　must　be　remembered；　have　taught　you　to　make；　and　which　you　will　cease　to　make　with　correctness　when　you　cease　to　study　them。　　It　is　their　excellences　which　have　taught　you　their　defects。

I　would　wish　you　to　forget　where　you　are；　and　who　it　is　that　speaks　to　you。　　I　only　direct　you　to　higher　models　and　better　advisers。　We　can　teach　you　here　but　very　little；　you　are　henceforth　to　be　your　own　teachers。　　Do　this　justice；　however；　to　the　English　Academy；　to　bear　in　mind；　that　in　this　place　you　contracted　no　narrow　habits；　no　false　ideas；　nothing　that　could　lead　you　to　the　imitation　of　any　living　master；　who　may　be　the　fashionable　darling　of　the　day。　　As　you　have　not　been　taught　to　flatter　us；　do　not　learn　to　flatter　yourselves。　　We　have　endeavoured　to　lead　you　to　the　admiration　of　nothing　but　what　is　truly　admirable。　　If　you　choose　inferior　patterns；　or　if　you　make　your　own　FORMER　works；　your　patterns　for　your　LATTER；　it　is　your　own　fault。

The　purpose　of　this　discourse；　and；　indeed；　of　most　of　my　others；　is　to　caution　you　against　that　false　opinion；　but　too　prevalent　amongst　artists；　of　the　imaginary　power　of　native　genius；　and　its　sufficiency　in　great　works。　　This　opinion；　according　to　the　temper　of　mind　it　meets　with；　almost　always　produces；　either　a　vain　confidence；　or　a　sluggish　despair；　both　equally　fatal　to　all　proficiency。

Study；　therefore；　the　great　works　of　the　great　masters　for　ever。　Study　as　nearly　as　you　can；　in　the　order；　in　the　manner；　on　the　principles；　on　which　they　studied。　　Study　nature　attentively；　but　always　with　those　masters　in　your　company；　consider　them　as　models　which　you　are　to　imitate；　and　at　the　same　time　as　rivals　which　you　are　to　combat。



A　DISCOURSE



Delivered　to　the　Students　of　the　Royal　Academy　on　the　Distribution　of　the　Prizes；　December　10th；　1776；　by　the　President。

Gentlemen；It　has　been　my　uniform　endeavour；　since　I　first　addressed　you　from　this　place；　to　impress　you　strongly　with　one　ruling　idea。　　I　wished　you　to　be　persuaded；　that　success　in　your　art　depends　almost　entirely　on　your　own　industry；　but　the　industry　which　I　principally　recommended；　is　not　the　industry　of　the　HANDS；　but　of　the　MIND。

As　our　art　is　not　a　divine　gift；　so　neither　is　it　a　mechanical　trade。　　Its　foundations　are　laid　in　solid　science。　　And　practice；　though　essential　to　perfection；　can　never　attain　that　to　which　it　aims；　unless　it　works　under　the　direction　of　principle。

Some　writers　upon　art　carry　this　point　too　far；　and　suppose　that　such　a　body　of　universal　and　profound　learning　is　requisite；　that　the　very　enumeration　of　its　kind　is　enough　to　frighten　a　beginner。　Vitruvius；　after　going　through　the　many　accomplishments　of　nature；　and　the　many　acquirements　of　learning；　necessary　to　an　architect；　proceeds　with　great　gravity　to　assert　that　he　ought　to　be　well　skilled　in　the　civil　law；　that　he　may　not　be　cheated　in　the　title　of　the　ground　he　builds　on。

But　without　such　exaggeration；　we　may　go　so　far　as　to　assert；　that　a　painter　stands　in　need　of　more　knowledge　than　is　to　be　picked　off　his　pallet；　or　collected　by　looking　on　his　model；　whether　it　be　in　life　or　in　picture。　　He　can　never　be　a　great　artist　who　is　grossly　illiterate。

Every　man　whose　business　is　description　ought　to　be　tolerably　conversant　with　the　poets　in　some　language　or　other；　that　he　may　imbibe　a　poetical　spirit　and　enlarge　his　stock　of　ideas。　　He　ought　to　acquire　a　habit　of　comparing　and　divesting　his　notions。　　He　ought　not　to　be　wholly　unacquainted　with　that　part　of　philosophy　which　gives　him　an　insight　into　human　nature；　and　relates　to　the　manners；　characters；　passions；　and　affections。　　He　ought　to　know　something　concerning　the　mind；　as　well　as　a　great　deal　concerning　the　body　of　man。

For　this　purpose；　it　is　not　necessary　that　he　should　go　into　such　a　compass　of　reading；　as　must；　by　distracting　his　attention；　disqualify　him　for　the　practical　part　of　his　profession；　and　make　him　sink　the　performer　in　the　critic。　　Reading；　if　it　can　be　made　the　favourite　recreation　of　his　leisure　hours；　will　improve　and　enlarge　his　mind　without　retarding　his　actual　industry。

What　such　partial　and　desultory　reading　cannot　afford；　may　be　supplied　by　the　conversation　of　learned　and　ingenious　men；　which　is　the　best　of　all　substitutes　for　those　who　have　not　the　means　or　opportunities　of　deep　study。　　There　are　many　such　men　in　this　age；　and　they　will　be　pleased　with　communicating　their　ideas　to　artists；　when　they　see　them　curious　and　docile；　if　they　are　treated　with　that　respect　and　deference　which　is　so　justly　their　due。　　Into　such　society；　young　artists；　if　they　make　it　the　point　of　their　ambition；　will　by　degrees　be　admitted。　　There；　without　formal　teaching；　they　will　insensibly　come　to　feel　and　reason　like　those　they　live　with；　and　find　a　rational　and　systematic　taste　imperceptibly　formed　in　their　minds；　which　they　will　know　how　to　reduce　to　a　standard；　by　applying　general　truth　to　their　own　purposes；　better　perhaps　than　those　to　whom　they　owed　the　original　sentiment。

Of　these　studies　and　this　conversation；　the　desired　and　legitimate　offspring　is　a　power　of　distinguishing　right　from　wrong；　which　power　applied　to　works　of　art　is　denominated　taste。　　Let　me　then；　without　further　introduction；　enter　upon　an　examination　whether　taste　be　so　far　beyond　our　reach　as　to　be　unattainable　by　care；　or　be　so　very　vague　and　capricious　that　no　care　ought　to　be　employed　about　it。

It　has　been　the　fate　of　arts　to　be　enveloped　in　mysterious　and　incomprehensible　language；　as　if　it　was　thought　necessary　that　even　the　terms　should　correspond　to　the　idea　entertained　of　the　instability　and　uncertainty　of　the　rules　which　they　expressed。

To　speak　of　genius　and　taste　as　any　way　connected　with　reason　or　common　sense；　would　be；　in　the　opinion　of　some　towering　talkers；　to　speak　like　a　man　who　possessed　neither；　who　had　never　felt　that　enthusiasm；　or；　to　use　their　own　inflated　language；　was　never　warmed　by　that　Promethean　fire；　which　animates　the　canvas　and　vivifies　the　marble。

If；　in　order　to　be　intelligible；　I　appear　to　degrade　art　by　bringing　her　down　from　her　visionary　situation　in　the　clouds；　it　is　only　to　give　her　a　more　solid　mansion　upon　the　earth。　　It　is　necessary　that　at　some　time　or　other　we　should　see　things　as　they　really　are；　and　not　impose　on　ourselves　by　that　false　magnitude　with　which　objects　appear　when　viewed　indistinctly　as　through　a　mist。

We　will　allow　a　poet　to　express　his　meaning；　when　his　meaning　is　not　well　known　to　himself；　with　a　certain