DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20658#0143
SCHOOLS OF PAINTING. log
pear in him with their greatest lustre. In his behalf we must admit that the facility with which
he invented, the richness of his composition, the luxuriant brilliancy of his colouring so dazzle
the eye that, on a contemplation of his works,-we readily excuse all his delects. Sir Joshua
Reynolds observes. " Rubens is a remarkable instance of the same mind beino- seen in all the
various parts of the art. The whole is so much of a piece, that one can scarcely be brought to be-
lieve but that if any one of them had been more correct and perfect, his works would not be so
complete as they appear. If we should allow a greater purity and correctness of drawing, his want
of simplicity in composition colouring and drapery would appear more gross."
The Dutch school appears deficient in several essentials of the art, except that of colouring.
Their artists depart further from the great style than those of the Flemish school, by their slavish
confinement to local manners and personages. The have also fallen lower in this respect than
the Flemings, by not only disregarding beauty of heads and forms, but in singling out, for their
imitation, the most low and ignoble objects: namely tavern scenes, views of smiths' shops, and
the vulgar amusements of the rudest peasants; nevertheless in these the expression of the
passions are sufficiently marked. The distinguishing characteristics of this school are a predilec-
tion for low and mean subjects; a success in the most striking parts of the claro obscuro, as in
the display of light confined in a narrow space, as that occasioned by torches, a smith's forge,
and moonlight scenes; a just observance of perspective ; a successful description of clouds, sea
scenes, animals, flowers, fruits, insects, &c. in miniature painting, and in short in every thing,
which requires a faithful imitation, good colour, and nice pencil.
The founder of this school was Lucas of Ley den, who flourished about the end of the fifteenth
century ; the subjects of his pencil were history, landscape and portrait. He painted in oil, in
water colours, and on glass. His picture of the Last Judgement in still preserved in the Town-
house of Leyden ; it possesses a great portion of merit, and contains a great variety of figures.
The Dutch school has produced some good history painters, in the persons of Octavus Van Been,
and Vander Hilst; the latter the rival and superior of Vandyke. Cornelius Polembourg may be
considered as the father of miniature painting in this school: he possessed that delicacy of touch,
truth of colouring and disposition of the claro obscuro, which characterise all the miniatures of
this class of artists; but he is too often incorrect in his design. The celebrated Rembrandt Van-
ryn degenerated, more than any other artist of this school, into that low grovelling choice of
subject mentioned above, which is the more offensive in his productions, as the}7 often require an
opposite choice of figures. It is related of him that he studied the grotesque appearance of a
Dutch peasant, or the servant of an inn, with as much application as the greatest masters in Italy
would have studied the Apollo of Belvidere, or the Venus of Medicis. In this respect he deserves
to have every indulgence shewn him : as his father was a miller near Leyden, he was denied the
advantage of a liberal education, and his success in the art depended entirely on the exertion
of his own natural talents. Mr. Decamps observes, that(i Rembrandt may be compared to the
great artists for colour and delicacy of touch, and claro obscuro. It appears that he would have
discovered the art, if he had been the first person that ever attempted it. He formed to himself
rules and a method of colouring, together with the mixture of colours, and the effect,of the dif-
ferent tones. He delighted in the great oppositions of light and shade; and he seems to have
been chiefly attentive to this branch of the art. His workshop was occasionally made dark, and
he received the light by a hole, which fell as he chose to direct it on the place which he desired
to be enlightened. On particular occasions he passed behind his model a piece of cloth of the
2 l same
pear in him with their greatest lustre. In his behalf we must admit that the facility with which
he invented, the richness of his composition, the luxuriant brilliancy of his colouring so dazzle
the eye that, on a contemplation of his works,-we readily excuse all his delects. Sir Joshua
Reynolds observes. " Rubens is a remarkable instance of the same mind beino- seen in all the
various parts of the art. The whole is so much of a piece, that one can scarcely be brought to be-
lieve but that if any one of them had been more correct and perfect, his works would not be so
complete as they appear. If we should allow a greater purity and correctness of drawing, his want
of simplicity in composition colouring and drapery would appear more gross."
The Dutch school appears deficient in several essentials of the art, except that of colouring.
Their artists depart further from the great style than those of the Flemish school, by their slavish
confinement to local manners and personages. The have also fallen lower in this respect than
the Flemings, by not only disregarding beauty of heads and forms, but in singling out, for their
imitation, the most low and ignoble objects: namely tavern scenes, views of smiths' shops, and
the vulgar amusements of the rudest peasants; nevertheless in these the expression of the
passions are sufficiently marked. The distinguishing characteristics of this school are a predilec-
tion for low and mean subjects; a success in the most striking parts of the claro obscuro, as in
the display of light confined in a narrow space, as that occasioned by torches, a smith's forge,
and moonlight scenes; a just observance of perspective ; a successful description of clouds, sea
scenes, animals, flowers, fruits, insects, &c. in miniature painting, and in short in every thing,
which requires a faithful imitation, good colour, and nice pencil.
The founder of this school was Lucas of Ley den, who flourished about the end of the fifteenth
century ; the subjects of his pencil were history, landscape and portrait. He painted in oil, in
water colours, and on glass. His picture of the Last Judgement in still preserved in the Town-
house of Leyden ; it possesses a great portion of merit, and contains a great variety of figures.
The Dutch school has produced some good history painters, in the persons of Octavus Van Been,
and Vander Hilst; the latter the rival and superior of Vandyke. Cornelius Polembourg may be
considered as the father of miniature painting in this school: he possessed that delicacy of touch,
truth of colouring and disposition of the claro obscuro, which characterise all the miniatures of
this class of artists; but he is too often incorrect in his design. The celebrated Rembrandt Van-
ryn degenerated, more than any other artist of this school, into that low grovelling choice of
subject mentioned above, which is the more offensive in his productions, as the}7 often require an
opposite choice of figures. It is related of him that he studied the grotesque appearance of a
Dutch peasant, or the servant of an inn, with as much application as the greatest masters in Italy
would have studied the Apollo of Belvidere, or the Venus of Medicis. In this respect he deserves
to have every indulgence shewn him : as his father was a miller near Leyden, he was denied the
advantage of a liberal education, and his success in the art depended entirely on the exertion
of his own natural talents. Mr. Decamps observes, that(i Rembrandt may be compared to the
great artists for colour and delicacy of touch, and claro obscuro. It appears that he would have
discovered the art, if he had been the first person that ever attempted it. He formed to himself
rules and a method of colouring, together with the mixture of colours, and the effect,of the dif-
ferent tones. He delighted in the great oppositions of light and shade; and he seems to have
been chiefly attentive to this branch of the art. His workshop was occasionally made dark, and
he received the light by a hole, which fell as he chose to direct it on the place which he desired
to be enlightened. On particular occasions he passed behind his model a piece of cloth of the
2 l same