DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18825#0015
LECT. I.] HISTORY OF ART. 5
of native Americans; and, in the newly discovered
islands of the South Sea, the Art of Sculpture, at
least, is carried to some degree of excellence ; and
though it cannot boaft of producing beauty, to which
it is not applied, it may boast of producing terror,
and terrific forms, in vast variety.
If then we find the most ancient empires, and go-
vernments of the strictest forms, protecting and en-
couraging Art; if we also find Art practised where
government is little known, and little regarded; if
where man is civilized in the highest degree, and
where he is civilized only in a small degree, we find
him indulging his fancy, and exhibiting his skill,
certainly we risque little in considering these Arts as
the direct offspring of Nature, in attributing to them
very remote antiquity, very early esteem, and very
general pradtice.
But, though all nations may be said to have cul-
tivated Art, yet each has had a favourite manner and
style, which it has adopted and preferred to all
others : sometimes also a nation has promoted one
branch of Art above others; and sometimes the in-
fluence of a Patron, or the merit of a particular
Artist, has contributed to raise one particular branch
to a distinction which it did not formerly enjoy ; and
the effect of this distinction has been a succession of
Art in this favourite branch, and a prolonged repu-
tation in consequence.. The .vicissitudes of nations,
also, whereby they have been raised to honour and
stability, or sunk to weakness and impotence, have
usually had correspondent effects upon Art: Peace
is its friend, and War its enemy. Now these events
must
of native Americans; and, in the newly discovered
islands of the South Sea, the Art of Sculpture, at
least, is carried to some degree of excellence ; and
though it cannot boaft of producing beauty, to which
it is not applied, it may boast of producing terror,
and terrific forms, in vast variety.
If then we find the most ancient empires, and go-
vernments of the strictest forms, protecting and en-
couraging Art; if we also find Art practised where
government is little known, and little regarded; if
where man is civilized in the highest degree, and
where he is civilized only in a small degree, we find
him indulging his fancy, and exhibiting his skill,
certainly we risque little in considering these Arts as
the direct offspring of Nature, in attributing to them
very remote antiquity, very early esteem, and very
general pradtice.
But, though all nations may be said to have cul-
tivated Art, yet each has had a favourite manner and
style, which it has adopted and preferred to all
others : sometimes also a nation has promoted one
branch of Art above others; and sometimes the in-
fluence of a Patron, or the merit of a particular
Artist, has contributed to raise one particular branch
to a distinction which it did not formerly enjoy ; and
the effect of this distinction has been a succession of
Art in this favourite branch, and a prolonged repu-
tation in consequence.. The .vicissitudes of nations,
also, whereby they have been raised to honour and
stability, or sunk to weakness and impotence, have
usually had correspondent effects upon Art: Peace
is its friend, and War its enemy. Now these events
must