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seven discourses on art(艺术七讲座)-第24部分

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either    ingenious      compositions;      extraordinary      effects;    some    peculiar 

expressions; or some mechanical excellence; well worthy his attention and; 

in some measure; of his imitation; even in the lower class of the French 

painters; great beauties are often found united with great defects。 

     Though       Coypel     wanted     a   simplicity     of   taste;   and    mistook     a 

presumptuous   and   assuming   air   for   what   is   grand   and   majestic;   yet   he 

frequently has good sense and judgment in his manner of telling his stories; 

great skill in his compositions; and is not without a considerable power of 

expressing the passions; The modern affectation of grace in his works; as 

well as in those of Bouche and Watteau; may be said to be separated by a 

very thin partition from the more simple and pure grace of Correggio and 

Parmigiano。 

     Amongst the Dutch painters; the correct; firm; and determined pencil; 

which   was   employed   by   Bamboccio   and   Jan   Miel   on   vulgar   and   mean 

subjects; might without any change be employed on the highest; to which; 

indeed; it seems more properly to belong。              The greatest style; if that style 

is   confined   to   small   figures   such   as   Poussin   generally   painted;   would 

receive   an   additional   grace   by   the   elegance   and   precision   of   pencil   so 

admirable in the works of Teniers。 

     Though   this   school   more   particularly   excelled   in   the   mechanism   of 

painting; yet there are many who have shown great abilities in expressing 

what must be ranked above mechanical excellences。 

     In   the  works     of  Frank    Hals   the  portrait   painter   may    observe    the 

composition       of  a  face;   the  features    well   put  together    as  the   painters 

express     it;  from    whence      proceeds     that  strong    marked     character     of 

individual nature which is so remarkable in his portraits; and is not to be 



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found   in   an   equal   degree   in   any  other   painter。     If   he   had   joined   to   this 

most     difficult   part   of  the   art  a  patience     in  finishing    what    he   had   so 

correctly planned; he might justly have claimed the place which Vandyke; 

all things considered; so justly holds as the first of portrait painters。 

     Others of the same school have shown great power in expressing the 

character   and   passions   of   those   vulgar   people   which   are   the   subjects   of 

their study and attention。          Amongst those; Jean Stein seems to be one of 

the   most   diligent   and   accurate observers   of   what   passed in   those   scenes 

which   he   frequented;   and   which   were   to   him  an   academy。          I   can   easily 

imagine that if this extraordinary  man had had the good fortune to have 

been   born   in   Italy   instead   of   Holland;   had   he   lived   in   Rome   instead   of 

Leyden; and had been blessed with Michael Angelo and Raffaelle for his 

masters   instead   of   Brower   and   Van   Gowen;   that   the   same   sagacity   and 

penetration which distinguished so accurately the different characters and 

expression in his vulgar figures; would; when exerted in the selection and 

imitation   of   what   was   great   and   elevated   in   nature;   have   been   equally 

successful;   and   his   name   would   have   been   now   ranged   with   the   great 

pillars and supporters of our art。 

     Men who; although thus bound down by the almost invincible powers 

of    early   habits;   have    still  exerted    extraordinary       abilities   within    their 

narrow   and   confined   circle;   and   have;   from   the   natural   vigour   of   their 

mind; given such an interesting expression; such force and energy to their 

works; though they cannot be recommended to be exactly imitated; may 

yet   invite   an   artist   to   endeavour   to   transfer;   by   a   kind   of   parody;   those 

excellences to his own works。 Whoever has acquired the power of making 

this use of the Flemish; Venetian; and French schools is a real genius; and 

has sources of knowledge   open   to   him  which   were   wanting   to   the   great 

artists who lived in the great age of painting。 

     To find excellences however dispersed; to discover beauties however 

concealed by the multitude of defects with which they are surrounded; can 

be the work only of him who; having a mind always alive to his art; has 

extended his views to all ages and to all schools; and has acquired from 

that   comprehensive   mass   which   he   has   thus   gathered   to   himself;   a   well 

digested and perfect idea of his art; to which everything is referred。                     Like 



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a   sovereign   judge   and   arbiter   of   art;   he   is   possessed   of   that   presiding 

power   which   separates   and   attracts   every   excellence   from   every   school; 

selects both from what is great and what is little; brings home knowledge 

from   the   east   and   from   the   west;   making   the   universe   tributary   towards 

furnishing his mind and enriching his works with originality and variety of 

inventions。 

     Thus I   have ventured   to give   my opinion   of what   appears to   me   the 

true   and   only   method   by   which   an   artist   makes   himself   master   of   his 

profession;   which   I   hold   ought   to   be   one   continued   course   of   imitation; 

that is not to cease but with our lives。 

     Those who; either from their own engagements and hurry of business; 

or from indolence; or from conceit and vanity; have neglected looking out 

of themselves; as far as my experience and observation reaches; have from 

that   time   not   only  ceased   to   advance   and   improve   in   their   performance; 

but have gone backward。             They may be compared to men who have lived 

upon     their   principal    till   they   are  reduced    to  beggary   and     left  without 

resources。 

     I can recommend nothing better; therefore; than that you endeavour to 

infuse   into   your   works   what   you   learn   from   the   contemplation   of   the 

works of others。         To recommend this has the appearance of needless and 

superfluous advice; but it has fallen within my own knowledge that artists; 

though   they   are   not   wanting   in   a   sincere   love   for   their   art;   though   they 

have     great   pleasure     in  seeing    good    pictures;    and    are  well    skilled   to 

distinguish what is excellent or defective in them; yet go on in their own 

manner;   without   any   endeavour   to   give   a   little   of   those   beauties   which 

they admire in others; to their own works。                It is difficult to conceive how 

the present Italian painters; who live in the midst of the treasures of art; 

should      be   contented      with    their   own    style。    They      proceed     in   their 

common…place   inventions;            and   never    think   it   worth   while   to   visit  the 

works of those great 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 



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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
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