DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.73713#0073
RAPHAEL MENGS.^
speakiug os the vicious styles, admired much
by him who has not a taste so delicate as to dis-
cern the true excellence os great men, and ' takes
a mere appearance for true merit; but these are
much deceived, like many other admirers os
Michael Angelo who take the loaded style sor
the true greatness of that matter.
The affectation of some Lombardian painters
appear as gracesul to them as that of Correggio,
and the same happens of all the asfected styles,
which many praise, as if they were os the best
tasie ; in the mean time it is not at the molt
but an augmentation of accidental things, witli
which they arrive to give some idea to him who
is capable of knowing the objects of nature by
the parts or principal signs. The means adop-
ted by artists of that style in giving pleasure to
Amateurs, is to augment the beauty of the lo-
cal tints of all the bodies, and of their variety;
the force and contraposition of the clare obscure,
and the chimerical dispolition of the masses os
light and thade where one cannot find it natural;
so that such works are executed more for the eye
than the reason. Many have practiced this, style
who are held as great men, particularly out of
Italy, whose names I respedt for their merits in
other parts of the art, such as in the fertility and
abundance of their genius, and in the superior
talent with which they have known how to
conquer and despise the greatest difficulties,
and to content themselves with the value of
some parts more eafy, without regarding thecen-
lure of intelligent men.
speakiug os the vicious styles, admired much
by him who has not a taste so delicate as to dis-
cern the true excellence os great men, and ' takes
a mere appearance for true merit; but these are
much deceived, like many other admirers os
Michael Angelo who take the loaded style sor
the true greatness of that matter.
The affectation of some Lombardian painters
appear as gracesul to them as that of Correggio,
and the same happens of all the asfected styles,
which many praise, as if they were os the best
tasie ; in the mean time it is not at the molt
but an augmentation of accidental things, witli
which they arrive to give some idea to him who
is capable of knowing the objects of nature by
the parts or principal signs. The means adop-
ted by artists of that style in giving pleasure to
Amateurs, is to augment the beauty of the lo-
cal tints of all the bodies, and of their variety;
the force and contraposition of the clare obscure,
and the chimerical dispolition of the masses os
light and thade where one cannot find it natural;
so that such works are executed more for the eye
than the reason. Many have practiced this, style
who are held as great men, particularly out of
Italy, whose names I respedt for their merits in
other parts of the art, such as in the fertility and
abundance of their genius, and in the superior
talent with which they have known how to
conquer and despise the greatest difficulties,
and to content themselves with the value of
some parts more eafy, without regarding thecen-
lure of intelligent men.