DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.73712#0269
RAPHAEL MENGS.
177
Ings partake something of his Taste, although
a little more oft, it is not therefore probable,
that he was ignorant of the ancients, being the
disciple of a partizan so strenuous in antiquity.
It is also commonly said, that Correggio was
never at Rome, but others maintain the contrary,
and pretend further, that from a painting which
was in the ancient church of the Holy Apostles
at Rome, he tool; the idea for painting the Cu-
pola at Parma. The truth is, that of these
things we know nothing for certain, and the
same might he said of a thousand other Stories
which are told of him, all full os contradictions
As for what regards his Taste, I return to say,,
that he was very dry and steril, although he
took his figures from Nature. But presently he
saw that it was not Sufficient to imitate Nature
wholly, but that it was necessary to seleCt the
good from the bad, in order that the imitation
might become pleasing. Thus it happens, that
his paintings had not Sufficient force to imitate
Nature in all its extensions, and he found it was
necessary not to imitate Nature, but its effects.
From these reflections he changed his Taste
to another more sweet ; and considering that
the sole rotundity os parts do not constitute true
imitation, and that it was necessary to break off
that rotundity by varying the sorms, he discovered
a new taste os Design, almost unknown before
him. He began therefore to practice that dra-
pery which gives Such elegance to his paintings.
To this practice aided also the contours of the ob-
jects of his own country, because the persons of
177
Ings partake something of his Taste, although
a little more oft, it is not therefore probable,
that he was ignorant of the ancients, being the
disciple of a partizan so strenuous in antiquity.
It is also commonly said, that Correggio was
never at Rome, but others maintain the contrary,
and pretend further, that from a painting which
was in the ancient church of the Holy Apostles
at Rome, he tool; the idea for painting the Cu-
pola at Parma. The truth is, that of these
things we know nothing for certain, and the
same might he said of a thousand other Stories
which are told of him, all full os contradictions
As for what regards his Taste, I return to say,,
that he was very dry and steril, although he
took his figures from Nature. But presently he
saw that it was not Sufficient to imitate Nature
wholly, but that it was necessary to seleCt the
good from the bad, in order that the imitation
might become pleasing. Thus it happens, that
his paintings had not Sufficient force to imitate
Nature in all its extensions, and he found it was
necessary not to imitate Nature, but its effects.
From these reflections he changed his Taste
to another more sweet ; and considering that
the sole rotundity os parts do not constitute true
imitation, and that it was necessary to break off
that rotundity by varying the sorms, he discovered
a new taste os Design, almost unknown before
him. He began therefore to practice that dra-
pery which gives Such elegance to his paintings.
To this practice aided also the contours of the ob-
jects of his own country, because the persons of