DOI Heft:
Nr. 3
DOI Artikel:Martin, John Rupert: Portraits of Poussin and Rubens in works by Daniel Seghers
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17136#0074
7. Detail of Figurę 1.
on the Warsaw painting might perhaps be expanded into a form such as the following: Tria
ego pono principia picturae: invenlionem, graphida et chromaticen.'13 Sach a definition, moreover,
with its equal emphasis on all three components, might even seem to offer a rebuke to
those who would cul.ivate one part of painting (namely color) at the expcnse of the other
two. It would thus be entirely appropriate to the case of Poussin and Rubens.
Since there can be no certainty in this mattcr, it may not be amiss to consider another
possible interpretation of the enigmatic Tria ego. In Poussin's "Observations on Painting",
published after his death by Bellori, there is an interesting passage on the Idea of Beauty.
Tlie passage is derived, as Panofsky has shown,14 from Marsilio Ficino's Commentary on the
Symposium of Plato, probably through Lomazzo. "The idea of beauty", Poussin writes, "does
not descend into matter unlcss this is prepared as much as possible. This preparation con-
sists of three things: order, mode, and species or form".15 Now it is conceivable that the
fragmentary inscription over Poussin's likencss refers to this threefold preparation, in which
case the following reconstruction might serve: Tria ego necessaria pulchritudini esse judico:
ordinem, modum et speciem. A Neoplatonic formuła of this sort would aptly illustrate the
contrast between the idealistic art of Poussin and the "realism" of Rubens.10
But however we interpret the inscription (and it is too abbreviated and nonspecific to per-
mit exact identification) its broad import is nevertheless elear. It serves to designate the
rational, reflective method of Poussin, the peintre-philosophe, in contradistinction to the spon-
taneous creativity and facility of execution of Rubens.
13. I follow herc the terminology of Dufresnov, in his De Artc Graphica.
14. E. Panofsky, Idea, Ein Bcilrag zur Begriffsgeschichte der idteren Kunsttheorie, Leipzig and Berlin, 1924, pp. 117 f.,
122 ff. In Anthohy Blunt's opinion, Poussin eopied tlie passage in (picstion, not from Lomazzo, but from G.P.
Gallucci'8 Di Alberta Durero ... delia Simmetria dei corpi humani libri ąuatlro, in which Ficino'a words are likewise
(juoted (,,Poussin's Notes on Painting", Journal of the Warburg Instilute, I, 1937 — 38, p. 347).
15. "I/idea delia Bellezza non discende nella materia che non sia preparata il piu che sia possibile; rpiesta preparatione
consiste in tre cose, nell' ordine, nel modo, e nella specic o vero forma" (G.P. Bellori, Le vile </e' pittori, scultori
et architlełi moderni, Ronie, 1672, p. 461).
16. It must be said, however, that there are difficulties Btanding in the way of this interpretation. Pou8Bin's ,,Observa-
tions on Painting" containing the passage in guestion were not published until 1672, by which tinic hoth Scghers
and Poussin were dead. Hence, if we are to connect the inscription on the Warsaw painting with Poussin's Btatement
concerning the Idea of Beauty we ntust also assumc that sonte sort of communication had earlier existed between
the French master and Seghers.
74
on the Warsaw painting might perhaps be expanded into a form such as the following: Tria
ego pono principia picturae: invenlionem, graphida et chromaticen.'13 Sach a definition, moreover,
with its equal emphasis on all three components, might even seem to offer a rebuke to
those who would cul.ivate one part of painting (namely color) at the expcnse of the other
two. It would thus be entirely appropriate to the case of Poussin and Rubens.
Since there can be no certainty in this mattcr, it may not be amiss to consider another
possible interpretation of the enigmatic Tria ego. In Poussin's "Observations on Painting",
published after his death by Bellori, there is an interesting passage on the Idea of Beauty.
Tlie passage is derived, as Panofsky has shown,14 from Marsilio Ficino's Commentary on the
Symposium of Plato, probably through Lomazzo. "The idea of beauty", Poussin writes, "does
not descend into matter unlcss this is prepared as much as possible. This preparation con-
sists of three things: order, mode, and species or form".15 Now it is conceivable that the
fragmentary inscription over Poussin's likencss refers to this threefold preparation, in which
case the following reconstruction might serve: Tria ego necessaria pulchritudini esse judico:
ordinem, modum et speciem. A Neoplatonic formuła of this sort would aptly illustrate the
contrast between the idealistic art of Poussin and the "realism" of Rubens.10
But however we interpret the inscription (and it is too abbreviated and nonspecific to per-
mit exact identification) its broad import is nevertheless elear. It serves to designate the
rational, reflective method of Poussin, the peintre-philosophe, in contradistinction to the spon-
taneous creativity and facility of execution of Rubens.
13. I follow herc the terminology of Dufresnov, in his De Artc Graphica.
14. E. Panofsky, Idea, Ein Bcilrag zur Begriffsgeschichte der idteren Kunsttheorie, Leipzig and Berlin, 1924, pp. 117 f.,
122 ff. In Anthohy Blunt's opinion, Poussin eopied tlie passage in (picstion, not from Lomazzo, but from G.P.
Gallucci'8 Di Alberta Durero ... delia Simmetria dei corpi humani libri ąuatlro, in which Ficino'a words are likewise
(juoted (,,Poussin's Notes on Painting", Journal of the Warburg Instilute, I, 1937 — 38, p. 347).
15. "I/idea delia Bellezza non discende nella materia che non sia preparata il piu che sia possibile; rpiesta preparatione
consiste in tre cose, nell' ordine, nel modo, e nella specic o vero forma" (G.P. Bellori, Le vile </e' pittori, scultori
et architlełi moderni, Ronie, 1672, p. 461).
16. It must be said, however, that there are difficulties Btanding in the way of this interpretation. Pou8Bin's ,,Observa-
tions on Painting" containing the passage in guestion were not published until 1672, by which tinic hoth Scghers
and Poussin were dead. Hence, if we are to connect the inscription on the Warsaw painting with Poussin's Btatement
concerning the Idea of Beauty we ntust also assumc that sonte sort of communication had earlier existed between
the French master and Seghers.
74