DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5596#0079
CAUSES OF SUCCESS.
55
truth, which developed itself by laws, modified and
accommodated to each condition. The Arts, like the
Graces, held each other by the hand: the Sciences,
as the Muses, formed portions of one body. Paint-
ing, sculpture and architecture, music, poetry and
oratory, history, science and philosophy, were all in-
timately connected together, and formed upon one
model: but though the principle was common, the
rules were distinct and suited to every necessity. If
the works on art which we know to have been written,
had come down to us, we should no doubt have had
writings as valuable as the most esteemed works of
the poets and the orators. Genius was regulated
and fostered by teaching. Let it not be then sup-
posed that the artist can attain perfection by his
own unaided genius : nor let him blindly follow the
teaching of his age, or he will rise no higher. Art
itself -must be perfect, if the artist seeks perfec-
tion. It was this no doubt, the excellency of their
teaching,1 their seeing around them men distin-
guished by all that was great and glorious, and
their beholding on every side the masterpieces of
their art, at once serving for instruction and incen-
tive, which enabled the Grecian artist to succeed
in imparting a charm to everything he touched.
From the causes which have been described,
1 It is remarkable that there is scarcely an artist at all eminent
in the history of Greek art, but we know the names both of his
preceptor and his pupils.
55
truth, which developed itself by laws, modified and
accommodated to each condition. The Arts, like the
Graces, held each other by the hand: the Sciences,
as the Muses, formed portions of one body. Paint-
ing, sculpture and architecture, music, poetry and
oratory, history, science and philosophy, were all in-
timately connected together, and formed upon one
model: but though the principle was common, the
rules were distinct and suited to every necessity. If
the works on art which we know to have been written,
had come down to us, we should no doubt have had
writings as valuable as the most esteemed works of
the poets and the orators. Genius was regulated
and fostered by teaching. Let it not be then sup-
posed that the artist can attain perfection by his
own unaided genius : nor let him blindly follow the
teaching of his age, or he will rise no higher. Art
itself -must be perfect, if the artist seeks perfec-
tion. It was this no doubt, the excellency of their
teaching,1 their seeing around them men distin-
guished by all that was great and glorious, and
their beholding on every side the masterpieces of
their art, at once serving for instruction and incen-
tive, which enabled the Grecian artist to succeed
in imparting a charm to everything he touched.
From the causes which have been described,
1 It is remarkable that there is scarcely an artist at all eminent
in the history of Greek art, but we know the names both of his
preceptor and his pupils.