DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20658#0101
INVENTION.
87
effect every event. The pencil, on the other hand, is confined in its range of time to one single
moment, in which, however, every reasonable indulgence being permitted, in some of its ex-
cellent productions, it infinitely exceeds the greatest efforts of the pen , and strikes the mind
with much more force, in conveying, at the same instant, that vast assemblage of ideas which
we conceive on viewing a beautiful picture. As the painter speaks to the eye, his subject should
abound with palpable situation, great interest, and distinct passion, rather than fine feeling and
curious sentiment. It should be a story generally known; for the representation being confined
to one point of time, the artist cannot always inform the beholder what preceded the event, how-
ever necessaiy it may be to judge of the truth of the expression and characters of the actors.
Action is always beautiful in a picture, as it gives the artist an opportunity of displaying the grace
of his figures ; but in an historical painting it is essential. And there are many subjects of his-
tory, very interesting to the reader, which would be absurd if displayed upon canvas: of this kind
are all those of wit, the chief merit of which consist in a long series of action, the parts having
great dependance upon one another: or where any remarkable point, or turn of verbal expression
makes a part of the excellence of the story ; or where the principal effect consists in an allusion
to circumstances not actually present: of the latter kind is Raphael's piece of Joseph interpreting
Pharoah's Dream. To supply the defect last mentioned, and to convey to the mind of the rea-
der the subject of the prognostication, this great master has actually displayed in the piece the
effects of the presaged famine and abundance in two ornamental appendages. And though su-
perficial judges have sometimes objected to the decoration, it serves to shew how this great man
could excel even against the rules of nature and art. It need only be mentioned, that, in the
choice of a subject, unity is a particular consideration. The action must be one, the place one,
the time one. Where a variety of actions are crowded together, and the whole life of a man
crammed into one confused piece, they never fail to confuse the attention of the spectator, and
also entirely lose their intended effect; or produce but a very weak impression of those senti-
ments they are designed to convey. After being determined in his choice of a subject, the
painter should make himself acquainted with every circumstance of its history: he should care-
fully peruse the books which treat of it; be well acquainted with the persons of all the actors ;
and have a very clear conception of every passion by which they are influenced,, paying particular
regard to time and place. He must then new model the whole, by carefully revolving it with all
its circumstances, in his own mind, casting as it were the parts of every character ; assigning to
each the place it is to occupy, the passion it is to express, its drapery, its attitude, action, and
every inferior circumstance : choosing the most striking incidents, and adding such accessary
circumstances and actions as may render it more conspicuous, prolific, and noble. He should
then imitate the practice of the great Rubens, who always first painted a sketch of the whole, in-
stead of drawing a mere outline on paper; which will give the student a facility both in the hand-
ling and the management of his colours, which the Italian painters, for want of this custom, could
not attain : by this method he acquires the art of doing two things at once. These sketches
should have all their parts more determined than attempts of this kind generally are. All the
artists of the Venetian school, and many others who have excelled in colouring, invariably fol-
lowed this method. Rubens, after having made his sketch in colours, resigned it to his pupils to
advance it as far as they were able, which being clone, he retouched the whole, and finished it
with his own hand. The whole operation in this art is reducible into three parts, viz. The plan-
ning
87
effect every event. The pencil, on the other hand, is confined in its range of time to one single
moment, in which, however, every reasonable indulgence being permitted, in some of its ex-
cellent productions, it infinitely exceeds the greatest efforts of the pen , and strikes the mind
with much more force, in conveying, at the same instant, that vast assemblage of ideas which
we conceive on viewing a beautiful picture. As the painter speaks to the eye, his subject should
abound with palpable situation, great interest, and distinct passion, rather than fine feeling and
curious sentiment. It should be a story generally known; for the representation being confined
to one point of time, the artist cannot always inform the beholder what preceded the event, how-
ever necessaiy it may be to judge of the truth of the expression and characters of the actors.
Action is always beautiful in a picture, as it gives the artist an opportunity of displaying the grace
of his figures ; but in an historical painting it is essential. And there are many subjects of his-
tory, very interesting to the reader, which would be absurd if displayed upon canvas: of this kind
are all those of wit, the chief merit of which consist in a long series of action, the parts having
great dependance upon one another: or where any remarkable point, or turn of verbal expression
makes a part of the excellence of the story ; or where the principal effect consists in an allusion
to circumstances not actually present: of the latter kind is Raphael's piece of Joseph interpreting
Pharoah's Dream. To supply the defect last mentioned, and to convey to the mind of the rea-
der the subject of the prognostication, this great master has actually displayed in the piece the
effects of the presaged famine and abundance in two ornamental appendages. And though su-
perficial judges have sometimes objected to the decoration, it serves to shew how this great man
could excel even against the rules of nature and art. It need only be mentioned, that, in the
choice of a subject, unity is a particular consideration. The action must be one, the place one,
the time one. Where a variety of actions are crowded together, and the whole life of a man
crammed into one confused piece, they never fail to confuse the attention of the spectator, and
also entirely lose their intended effect; or produce but a very weak impression of those senti-
ments they are designed to convey. After being determined in his choice of a subject, the
painter should make himself acquainted with every circumstance of its history: he should care-
fully peruse the books which treat of it; be well acquainted with the persons of all the actors ;
and have a very clear conception of every passion by which they are influenced,, paying particular
regard to time and place. He must then new model the whole, by carefully revolving it with all
its circumstances, in his own mind, casting as it were the parts of every character ; assigning to
each the place it is to occupy, the passion it is to express, its drapery, its attitude, action, and
every inferior circumstance : choosing the most striking incidents, and adding such accessary
circumstances and actions as may render it more conspicuous, prolific, and noble. He should
then imitate the practice of the great Rubens, who always first painted a sketch of the whole, in-
stead of drawing a mere outline on paper; which will give the student a facility both in the hand-
ling and the management of his colours, which the Italian painters, for want of this custom, could
not attain : by this method he acquires the art of doing two things at once. These sketches
should have all their parts more determined than attempts of this kind generally are. All the
artists of the Venetian school, and many others who have excelled in colouring, invariably fol-
lowed this method. Rubens, after having made his sketch in colours, resigned it to his pupils to
advance it as far as they were able, which being clone, he retouched the whole, and finished it
with his own hand. The whole operation in this art is reducible into three parts, viz. The plan-
ning