DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20658#0225
LANDSCAPE. 211
buildings are temples, p\'ramids, ancient sepulchres, altars consecrated to the divinities, pleasure-
houses of regular and splendid architecture, Sec. &c.: so that, if nature is represented not as we
actually see her every day, she at least appears as we think- she ought to be. This style is an
agreeable species of illusion, a sort of enchantment, when handled by an artist of genius and
understanding. The danger of treating landscapes of this-sort is that, where true genius and
understanding are not possessed in a high degree, the artist is liable to fall into unnatural bom-
bast, while he imagines he is arriving at the sublime. In this branch N. Poussin has been parti-
cularly successful.
The rural style on the other hand, represents countries- rather as they appear from the hand
of nature than vvheu improved by men. There she is seen simple, without ornament, and without
artifice : being, as Milton says—when unadorned adorned the most. In this style the varieties of
situation are infinite : sometimes extensive and open, at others confined and embarrassed. In
one scene the shepherd appears with his flock 5 in another the solitary hermit, or the prowling
beast of prey.
Few painters have appeared in the wrorld possessed of sufficient talents to embrace many of the
chief branches of painting. In general the mind is so occupied by its attention to some particular
parts of the art that others, of perhaps equal importance, are neglected; and it generally happens-
that those whose genius leads them to attempt the heroic style, think they have done enough
when they present to the eye such dignified objects as have a tendency to raise the imagination -v
but disregard the lesser parts, as colouring for instance, as beneath their notice.
Those again who devote themselves to the pastoral style give particular attention to colouring;
as the part by which the greatest effects may be produced, in the way they chiefly aim at.
Perhaps it would be better to combine these two styles more frequently than is generally done;
a practice of which they are both very susceptible, and which could not fail to render a work
more interesting and pleasing to the greatest number of spectators.
A landscape comprehends a vast variety of parts, such as situations or openings-, accidents of
weather, air, clouds, offskips and mountains, verdure, rocks, fields, terraces, buildings, water,
fore-grounds, plants, trees, figures, &c. of which a short account shall be given.
Situations or Openings mean the view or prospect of a country, and require great skill in put-
ting together, so that although only a portion of them be seen, yet the imagination is left abun-
dant scope to extend the scene in all directions without restraint, according to the specimen fur-
nished by the painter; whether it be open or close, mountainous or level, cultivated and inha-
bited, or wild and desert. If the artist however has- chosen to represent a flat regular country he
must, by the distribution of his objects and a judicious arrangement of his shadows, gjye to the
view that variety and interesting appearance which nature had refused it. Extraordinary situar
tions never fail to please, even when the colouring has been but indifferently executed, so as to
appear unfinished : but common objects or scenes demand all the magic of a Claude to render
them interesting. In whatever manner however this part be performed, nothing contributes to
heighten the effect so much as- the introduction of some accident, ingeniously contrived and
suited, with probability, to the scene.
Accidents in painting are various: such as withdrawing the sun's beams by the interposition of
a cloud, so that some parts of the prospect shall be enlightened, while others are obscured. And
although it be impossible by painting to represent motion yet admirable hints may be obtained
from observing: the strong effects of dense clouds passing over the face of a country, and producing
the
buildings are temples, p\'ramids, ancient sepulchres, altars consecrated to the divinities, pleasure-
houses of regular and splendid architecture, Sec. &c.: so that, if nature is represented not as we
actually see her every day, she at least appears as we think- she ought to be. This style is an
agreeable species of illusion, a sort of enchantment, when handled by an artist of genius and
understanding. The danger of treating landscapes of this-sort is that, where true genius and
understanding are not possessed in a high degree, the artist is liable to fall into unnatural bom-
bast, while he imagines he is arriving at the sublime. In this branch N. Poussin has been parti-
cularly successful.
The rural style on the other hand, represents countries- rather as they appear from the hand
of nature than vvheu improved by men. There she is seen simple, without ornament, and without
artifice : being, as Milton says—when unadorned adorned the most. In this style the varieties of
situation are infinite : sometimes extensive and open, at others confined and embarrassed. In
one scene the shepherd appears with his flock 5 in another the solitary hermit, or the prowling
beast of prey.
Few painters have appeared in the wrorld possessed of sufficient talents to embrace many of the
chief branches of painting. In general the mind is so occupied by its attention to some particular
parts of the art that others, of perhaps equal importance, are neglected; and it generally happens-
that those whose genius leads them to attempt the heroic style, think they have done enough
when they present to the eye such dignified objects as have a tendency to raise the imagination -v
but disregard the lesser parts, as colouring for instance, as beneath their notice.
Those again who devote themselves to the pastoral style give particular attention to colouring;
as the part by which the greatest effects may be produced, in the way they chiefly aim at.
Perhaps it would be better to combine these two styles more frequently than is generally done;
a practice of which they are both very susceptible, and which could not fail to render a work
more interesting and pleasing to the greatest number of spectators.
A landscape comprehends a vast variety of parts, such as situations or openings-, accidents of
weather, air, clouds, offskips and mountains, verdure, rocks, fields, terraces, buildings, water,
fore-grounds, plants, trees, figures, &c. of which a short account shall be given.
Situations or Openings mean the view or prospect of a country, and require great skill in put-
ting together, so that although only a portion of them be seen, yet the imagination is left abun-
dant scope to extend the scene in all directions without restraint, according to the specimen fur-
nished by the painter; whether it be open or close, mountainous or level, cultivated and inha-
bited, or wild and desert. If the artist however has- chosen to represent a flat regular country he
must, by the distribution of his objects and a judicious arrangement of his shadows, gjye to the
view that variety and interesting appearance which nature had refused it. Extraordinary situar
tions never fail to please, even when the colouring has been but indifferently executed, so as to
appear unfinished : but common objects or scenes demand all the magic of a Claude to render
them interesting. In whatever manner however this part be performed, nothing contributes to
heighten the effect so much as- the introduction of some accident, ingeniously contrived and
suited, with probability, to the scene.
Accidents in painting are various: such as withdrawing the sun's beams by the interposition of
a cloud, so that some parts of the prospect shall be enlightened, while others are obscured. And
although it be impossible by painting to represent motion yet admirable hints may be obtained
from observing: the strong effects of dense clouds passing over the face of a country, and producing
the