DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.73712#0023
ANTHONY RAPHAEL MENGS. 5
sought every means strongly to impress in him
the first principles of the art, and made him re-
turn again with the greatest attention and pro-
lixity to the study of drawing.
At the same time he taught him Chymistry,
in which he was the most intelligent in Europe;
and to paint in enamel, and miniature. This
however did not interrupt his study of drawing,
since not a day passed in which he did not deli-
neate two intire figures of Raphael, or of Caracci,
and not to lose a moment of time he studied
likewise perspe&ive, and the most necessary parts
of Anatomy. Although at Dresden, where he
was at that time, yet he did not think it neces-
sary to study this Science upon dead bodies, but
contented himself to learn it from books, and
from the dry bones of skeletons.
After this study he began to draw antique fi-
gures by parts, the same size of the originals,
which his father had brought from Rome ; and by
night copied by artificial light, models in minia-
ture of the same statues. By this method he put
in practice that which he had learnt from per-
spe&ive, and anatomy, such as the degradation
and diminution of the members, and the varia-
tion of form of the muscles when in action.
He hill improved himself in studying the effect
of light, of its degradation, upon shade, and of
ressection, the which things he distinguished
better by artificial light, than by that of the sun,
and thus repeating the same operation in disserent
places, he comprehended better the force of the
sought every means strongly to impress in him
the first principles of the art, and made him re-
turn again with the greatest attention and pro-
lixity to the study of drawing.
At the same time he taught him Chymistry,
in which he was the most intelligent in Europe;
and to paint in enamel, and miniature. This
however did not interrupt his study of drawing,
since not a day passed in which he did not deli-
neate two intire figures of Raphael, or of Caracci,
and not to lose a moment of time he studied
likewise perspe&ive, and the most necessary parts
of Anatomy. Although at Dresden, where he
was at that time, yet he did not think it neces-
sary to study this Science upon dead bodies, but
contented himself to learn it from books, and
from the dry bones of skeletons.
After this study he began to draw antique fi-
gures by parts, the same size of the originals,
which his father had brought from Rome ; and by
night copied by artificial light, models in minia-
ture of the same statues. By this method he put
in practice that which he had learnt from per-
spe&ive, and anatomy, such as the degradation
and diminution of the members, and the varia-
tion of form of the muscles when in action.
He hill improved himself in studying the effect
of light, of its degradation, upon shade, and of
ressection, the which things he distinguished
better by artificial light, than by that of the sun,
and thus repeating the same operation in disserent
places, he comprehended better the force of the