Post by Admin on Oct 9, 2016 10:29:58 GMT
CHAP. XXIV.
Of Painting.
PAinting is a wonderful Art, imitating the shapes of Natural things, by an accurate description of the Lineaments, and apt choice of Colours. This was once in such high esteem, that it was accompted the chief of all the Liberal Sciences. Not less Liberal than Poetry, in the Opinion of Horace.
—Painters and Poets have free leave
With equal power to dare and to deceive.
For Painting is nothing else but mute Poetry, and Po∣etry a speaking Picture; so neer akin they be to each other: for as Poets, so Painters feign Histories and Fa∣bles, and representations of all things; expressing and figuring Light, Splendor, Shades, Heights and Depths. This moreover it borrows from Opticks, to deceive the sight; and in one Picture, the scituation being varied, to represent various shapes to the sight: and what the Statuary cannot reach, this attains to: it represents in lively colours, fire, beams, light, thunder, lightning, evening, morning, dawn, clouds, passions of Men, the senses of the Mind, and even almost the Voice it self; and
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by falsifying measures and dimensions makes these things appear to be, which are not; and those things which are not, to appear to be. As is related of Zeuxis and Parrhasius, Painters, who contending both for Ex∣cellency, the first shewed painted Grapes, so like, that the Birds flew to feed upon them. The other shew'd a Coverlet only Painted; which was so rarely done, that when the First went to put it aside that he might see the Workmanship that was under, and found his Error, he was forc'd to yield the Victory to the Lat∣ter: whereas, he had only deceiv'd the Birds, but Parrasius an Artist. And Pliny relates, That in the Plays of Claudius there was such excellent Painting, that the Crows have flown to the representation of Tiles, mistaking them for the tops of Houses. And the same Pliny relates, How it had been found by ex∣perience, that the singing of Birds has been stinted by the sight of a painted Dragon. This moreover is always attributed to Painting, That in all her Works there is more to be understood and judged of, than is to be seen, as Plutarch has diligently found out in his Icons; so that though the Art be extraordinary, yet the Ingenuity thereof is beyond the Art.
Of Painting.
PAinting is a wonderful Art, imitating the shapes of Natural things, by an accurate description of the Lineaments, and apt choice of Colours. This was once in such high esteem, that it was accompted the chief of all the Liberal Sciences. Not less Liberal than Poetry, in the Opinion of Horace.
—Painters and Poets have free leave
With equal power to dare and to deceive.
For Painting is nothing else but mute Poetry, and Po∣etry a speaking Picture; so neer akin they be to each other: for as Poets, so Painters feign Histories and Fa∣bles, and representations of all things; expressing and figuring Light, Splendor, Shades, Heights and Depths. This moreover it borrows from Opticks, to deceive the sight; and in one Picture, the scituation being varied, to represent various shapes to the sight: and what the Statuary cannot reach, this attains to: it represents in lively colours, fire, beams, light, thunder, lightning, evening, morning, dawn, clouds, passions of Men, the senses of the Mind, and even almost the Voice it self; and
Page 70
by falsifying measures and dimensions makes these things appear to be, which are not; and those things which are not, to appear to be. As is related of Zeuxis and Parrhasius, Painters, who contending both for Ex∣cellency, the first shewed painted Grapes, so like, that the Birds flew to feed upon them. The other shew'd a Coverlet only Painted; which was so rarely done, that when the First went to put it aside that he might see the Workmanship that was under, and found his Error, he was forc'd to yield the Victory to the Lat∣ter: whereas, he had only deceiv'd the Birds, but Parrasius an Artist. And Pliny relates, That in the Plays of Claudius there was such excellent Painting, that the Crows have flown to the representation of Tiles, mistaking them for the tops of Houses. And the same Pliny relates, How it had been found by ex∣perience, that the singing of Birds has been stinted by the sight of a painted Dragon. This moreover is always attributed to Painting, That in all her Works there is more to be understood and judged of, than is to be seen, as Plutarch has diligently found out in his Icons; so that though the Art be extraordinary, yet the Ingenuity thereof is beyond the Art.