DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.73713#0053
RAPHAEL MENGS. 49
greatest difficulty to unite all the parts of the
art, that is, the perfect imitation of Truth, with
a choice the moft exquisite, and with just order,
one abandons by little and little the parts most
laborious, which are those produced from the
rigorous imitation of Truth, and one forms cer-
tain rules of practice drawn from the most fa-
mous works, by endeavouring to imitate them
in preference to truth. This is what forms that
pleating taste which gives an idea of perfection
of the art, as well as Truth, Of this species all
the works appear to me which are executed only
with the chisel.
That which makes me still believe that this style
of working marble was not of the artists of the
first order is, that in the time of Adrian, when
they most studied to imitate them, they worked in
a manner very different; they finished with suf-
ficient study and smoothness, as is the Hercu-
les of Pitti, whose style the artists of that copy
endeavoured to imitate, to make it pass as a
work of that samous matter. It is always more
easy to imitate the style, than the reasonings and
science of the originals; and thus the artists af-
ter the oppressions of Greece, failed little by
little in these parts. From whence I doubt
still more that the sculptures which we possess,
are either not the most excellent of antiquity, or
else copies. But, not to be too troublesome to
your Excellency, I omit other ressections which
I could adjoin to the foregoing.
You will no doubt accuse meof audacity, be-
cagfel exclude from excellency so many ancient
vol. II. H
greatest difficulty to unite all the parts of the
art, that is, the perfect imitation of Truth, with
a choice the moft exquisite, and with just order,
one abandons by little and little the parts most
laborious, which are those produced from the
rigorous imitation of Truth, and one forms cer-
tain rules of practice drawn from the most fa-
mous works, by endeavouring to imitate them
in preference to truth. This is what forms that
pleating taste which gives an idea of perfection
of the art, as well as Truth, Of this species all
the works appear to me which are executed only
with the chisel.
That which makes me still believe that this style
of working marble was not of the artists of the
first order is, that in the time of Adrian, when
they most studied to imitate them, they worked in
a manner very different; they finished with suf-
ficient study and smoothness, as is the Hercu-
les of Pitti, whose style the artists of that copy
endeavoured to imitate, to make it pass as a
work of that samous matter. It is always more
easy to imitate the style, than the reasonings and
science of the originals; and thus the artists af-
ter the oppressions of Greece, failed little by
little in these parts. From whence I doubt
still more that the sculptures which we possess,
are either not the most excellent of antiquity, or
else copies. But, not to be too troublesome to
your Excellency, I omit other ressections which
I could adjoin to the foregoing.
You will no doubt accuse meof audacity, be-
cagfel exclude from excellency so many ancient
vol. II. H