DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20658#0104
90 INVENTION.
legorical painters among the moderns, are Rubens and Poussin: the former distinguished himself
■greatjj' in this way by the surprising powers of his genius ; for which he was deservedly much ce-
lebrated ; but, it must be confessed, he indulged this propensity, in some cases, to a degree de-
serving censure : the latter, with more discretion and judgment, availed himself of those vast
treasures, with which, by a close study of the ancients, he had enriched his memory. The pieces
of Rubens which have given most offence in this particular, are the following :—I. In the Lux-
embourg gallery at Paris, The Queen Mother in council with two Cardinals and Mercury. 2.
In another piece he makes Tritons and Nereids swim to the Queen's vessel through the gallies of
the knights of St. Stephen. 3. In the church of the Recollects, in Ghent, a large altar-piece,
in which is Christ, with Jupiter's thunder and lightning in his hand, denouncing vengeance on a
wicked world, represented by a globe lying on the ground, with the serpent twined round it. St.
Francis appears, covering and defending the globe with his mantle. And the Virgin Mary is
holding the hand of Christ, and shewing her breast, implying the right she has to intercede with
him whom she suckled. 4. In the church of the Jacobins, at Antwerp, the same as the foregoing;
but below are several male and female saints, bishops, and cardinals, with a figure of God the fa-
ther, leaning on a globe. The impropriety of introducing such allegories into christian churches,
and in sacred pieces in general, is evident to every one : this great artist is, nevertheless, in some
measure excusable, where he has thus given way too much to his natural inclination for allegory,
having acquired this practice from his master, Otho Vse,nius; and being further encouraged in it
from the numerous successful efforts of his own genius; as mentioned above in the passage
through Jordan.
The perfection of allegory consist in its being perspicuous, though it should always display
some ingenuity. The artist must therefore avoid all vague and indeterminate allusions; and should
as little as possible, refer to obscure history and heathen mythology, otherwise his pieces will be
too abstruse to be understood by the generality of spectators. The best way to symbolize moral
and abstract things, is to represent particular events; which was the practice of Annibal Caracci,
in the Farnese palace. For example—what can more fully express the love of a patriot towards
his country, than the virtuous Decius boldly consecrating himself to the infernal gods, in order to
insure victory to his country over its enemies. What a beautiful allegory is that, and how clearly
does it convey to our minds an idea of emulation, and of an insatiable thirst for glory, where
Julius Caesar is weeping before the statue of Alexander, in the temple of Hercules, at Gades.? What
can more clearly illustrate the inconstancv of fortune, and her capricious treatment of the sons of
men, than Marius sitting upon the ruins of Carthage, and (strange reverse) receiving, instead of
the acclamation of an army joyfully saluting him Imperator, peremptory orders, from a Lictor of
Sextilius, to quit that quarter of the world ? Indiscretion is finely pourtrayed where Candaules is
discovering the beauties of his wife to his friend Gyges, by which he kindled a passion that soon
made him repent of his folly. Numerous other instances might be produced to shew the beauty
and powers of this species of the art, which possesses more charms than is generally imagined,
and may be freely indulged, within its proper bounds, in most subjects of civil, biographical, and
fabulous history.
Variety is another principal consideration in the invention of a piece. By which must be under-
stood, not only a diversity of appearance in the figures, but also a sufficient number of them, with-
out crowding the scene. The famous Du Fresnoy has told us, " that the figures of the groups
must
legorical painters among the moderns, are Rubens and Poussin: the former distinguished himself
■greatjj' in this way by the surprising powers of his genius ; for which he was deservedly much ce-
lebrated ; but, it must be confessed, he indulged this propensity, in some cases, to a degree de-
serving censure : the latter, with more discretion and judgment, availed himself of those vast
treasures, with which, by a close study of the ancients, he had enriched his memory. The pieces
of Rubens which have given most offence in this particular, are the following :—I. In the Lux-
embourg gallery at Paris, The Queen Mother in council with two Cardinals and Mercury. 2.
In another piece he makes Tritons and Nereids swim to the Queen's vessel through the gallies of
the knights of St. Stephen. 3. In the church of the Recollects, in Ghent, a large altar-piece,
in which is Christ, with Jupiter's thunder and lightning in his hand, denouncing vengeance on a
wicked world, represented by a globe lying on the ground, with the serpent twined round it. St.
Francis appears, covering and defending the globe with his mantle. And the Virgin Mary is
holding the hand of Christ, and shewing her breast, implying the right she has to intercede with
him whom she suckled. 4. In the church of the Jacobins, at Antwerp, the same as the foregoing;
but below are several male and female saints, bishops, and cardinals, with a figure of God the fa-
ther, leaning on a globe. The impropriety of introducing such allegories into christian churches,
and in sacred pieces in general, is evident to every one : this great artist is, nevertheless, in some
measure excusable, where he has thus given way too much to his natural inclination for allegory,
having acquired this practice from his master, Otho Vse,nius; and being further encouraged in it
from the numerous successful efforts of his own genius; as mentioned above in the passage
through Jordan.
The perfection of allegory consist in its being perspicuous, though it should always display
some ingenuity. The artist must therefore avoid all vague and indeterminate allusions; and should
as little as possible, refer to obscure history and heathen mythology, otherwise his pieces will be
too abstruse to be understood by the generality of spectators. The best way to symbolize moral
and abstract things, is to represent particular events; which was the practice of Annibal Caracci,
in the Farnese palace. For example—what can more fully express the love of a patriot towards
his country, than the virtuous Decius boldly consecrating himself to the infernal gods, in order to
insure victory to his country over its enemies. What a beautiful allegory is that, and how clearly
does it convey to our minds an idea of emulation, and of an insatiable thirst for glory, where
Julius Caesar is weeping before the statue of Alexander, in the temple of Hercules, at Gades.? What
can more clearly illustrate the inconstancv of fortune, and her capricious treatment of the sons of
men, than Marius sitting upon the ruins of Carthage, and (strange reverse) receiving, instead of
the acclamation of an army joyfully saluting him Imperator, peremptory orders, from a Lictor of
Sextilius, to quit that quarter of the world ? Indiscretion is finely pourtrayed where Candaules is
discovering the beauties of his wife to his friend Gyges, by which he kindled a passion that soon
made him repent of his folly. Numerous other instances might be produced to shew the beauty
and powers of this species of the art, which possesses more charms than is generally imagined,
and may be freely indulged, within its proper bounds, in most subjects of civil, biographical, and
fabulous history.
Variety is another principal consideration in the invention of a piece. By which must be under-
stood, not only a diversity of appearance in the figures, but also a sufficient number of them, with-
out crowding the scene. The famous Du Fresnoy has told us, " that the figures of the groups
must