DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18549#0007
INTRODUCTION,
IT is ufual for the compilers of Drawing-Books, not only to complain of the ignorance and in-
accuracy of all that have preceded them, but to raife new expectation without any fenfe of the
danger of new difappointment. The author of the following {fleets* however, intends not*
by depreciating the labours of others, to procure that credit for his own, which the fame arts of
fupplantation may as effectually deftroy; from a fincere love for the art itfelf, from a defire of
communicating the means of improvement to others, and from a well-eftablimed hope, that
the fcience of fainting (for in hiftorical competitions it is furely more than an art) is reviving
in all its fplendour in this iiland, he has been induced to recommend the incomparable examples
in this book; and he is perfuaded they will contiibute to the proficiency of everyone, whofe
happy genius urges him to excel in a ftudy, that not only leads to the knowledge of true beauty*
but directs the application of it to innumerable purpofes of entertainment and ufe.
It was indeed, at firh1, determined to give only the outlines and finifhed heads, with an explana-
tion of the characters, from a confideration that fuch a collection was peculiarly adapted to the ufe
of painters, or at leaft of thofe who had already attained to a competent degree of excellence in
the art. But, as no bounds can be fet to the genius of youth, fo no limits ought to be put to
the means of improvement; and, in' order to render this work ufeful to the learner as well as the
proficient, it was afterwards thought necellary to prefix fome examples even of the rudiments
of defign, as well as of thofe of the moft elegant of the human form, and to give with them
the beft inftructions that could be collected : and as it is undoubtedly true, that the Grecian
and Italian fchools are the only treafuries of defign, from which could examples be taken with
fo much propriety as from the Grecian 'ftatues and the works of Raphael ? Accordingly, all the
examples have been taken from them, except the geometrical figures and the bones and mufcles
of the human body, which are felected from the works of thofe authors that are efteemed moft
correct; to whom, however, no recourfe would have been had, if the fubjects could have been
fupplied from the fame fource.
Though no examples of perfpective are given, yet it muft not be inferred, that this omifiion of
fo ufeful a part of fcience is occafioned either by ignorance of the art itfelf, or inattention to the
juft improvement of this work, to the defign of which the examples of perfpective are wholly
foreign : it is, indeed, a complete ftudy of itfelf; and, as fuch, the practice of that incomparable
method laid down by Dr. Brooke Taylor, and with great pains and ingenuity explained by Mr.
Kirby, is earneftly recommended.
The principal defign of this work is to encourage the ftudy of the moft profound part of
painting, the charafteriftks of the paffons; in order to which, the facred hiftories, reprefented
in the inimitable Cartons of Raphael, have been confidered fcparately, and the principal charac-
ters in each defcribed and referred to in the feveral heads in the work; and an Index is given
for finding the paflions under their proper denominations, referring to the defcription of each,
and alfo to the defign of the character itfelf.
Le Brun, the only author who has written on the paflions as a painter, and given rules for
defcribing them, has certainly fucceeded very well, fo far as he goes; but his examples, inftead of
anfvvering all the purpofes of ftudy, appear, upon comparing them with thofe in the Cartons,
to be extremely defective ; nay, it may be affirmed, that a perfon who has only ftudied Le Brun, will
be at a lofs when he views fome of the characters in the C.irtons to know what paflions are ex-
prelTed in them, and yet the ideas will be found to be, in the higheft degree, exalted, juft, and
fignificant;
IT is ufual for the compilers of Drawing-Books, not only to complain of the ignorance and in-
accuracy of all that have preceded them, but to raife new expectation without any fenfe of the
danger of new difappointment. The author of the following {fleets* however, intends not*
by depreciating the labours of others, to procure that credit for his own, which the fame arts of
fupplantation may as effectually deftroy; from a fincere love for the art itfelf, from a defire of
communicating the means of improvement to others, and from a well-eftablimed hope, that
the fcience of fainting (for in hiftorical competitions it is furely more than an art) is reviving
in all its fplendour in this iiland, he has been induced to recommend the incomparable examples
in this book; and he is perfuaded they will contiibute to the proficiency of everyone, whofe
happy genius urges him to excel in a ftudy, that not only leads to the knowledge of true beauty*
but directs the application of it to innumerable purpofes of entertainment and ufe.
It was indeed, at firh1, determined to give only the outlines and finifhed heads, with an explana-
tion of the characters, from a confideration that fuch a collection was peculiarly adapted to the ufe
of painters, or at leaft of thofe who had already attained to a competent degree of excellence in
the art. But, as no bounds can be fet to the genius of youth, fo no limits ought to be put to
the means of improvement; and, in' order to render this work ufeful to the learner as well as the
proficient, it was afterwards thought necellary to prefix fome examples even of the rudiments
of defign, as well as of thofe of the moft elegant of the human form, and to give with them
the beft inftructions that could be collected : and as it is undoubtedly true, that the Grecian
and Italian fchools are the only treafuries of defign, from which could examples be taken with
fo much propriety as from the Grecian 'ftatues and the works of Raphael ? Accordingly, all the
examples have been taken from them, except the geometrical figures and the bones and mufcles
of the human body, which are felected from the works of thofe authors that are efteemed moft
correct; to whom, however, no recourfe would have been had, if the fubjects could have been
fupplied from the fame fource.
Though no examples of perfpective are given, yet it muft not be inferred, that this omifiion of
fo ufeful a part of fcience is occafioned either by ignorance of the art itfelf, or inattention to the
juft improvement of this work, to the defign of which the examples of perfpective are wholly
foreign : it is, indeed, a complete ftudy of itfelf; and, as fuch, the practice of that incomparable
method laid down by Dr. Brooke Taylor, and with great pains and ingenuity explained by Mr.
Kirby, is earneftly recommended.
The principal defign of this work is to encourage the ftudy of the moft profound part of
painting, the charafteriftks of the paffons; in order to which, the facred hiftories, reprefented
in the inimitable Cartons of Raphael, have been confidered fcparately, and the principal charac-
ters in each defcribed and referred to in the feveral heads in the work; and an Index is given
for finding the paflions under their proper denominations, referring to the defcription of each,
and alfo to the defign of the character itfelf.
Le Brun, the only author who has written on the paflions as a painter, and given rules for
defcribing them, has certainly fucceeded very well, fo far as he goes; but his examples, inftead of
anfvvering all the purpofes of ftudy, appear, upon comparing them with thofe in the Cartons,
to be extremely defective ; nay, it may be affirmed, that a perfon who has only ftudied Le Brun, will
be at a lofs when he views fome of the characters in the C.irtons to know what paflions are ex-
prelTed in them, and yet the ideas will be found to be, in the higheft degree, exalted, juft, and
fignificant;