3*8 On Painting, 



thofe and the body, and fo on, are found to hold." That 

 they differ in every animal is beyond all queftion, but that 

 there is a general ftandard of proportion for each is equally 

 unqueftionable ; for, were there not fome fuch ftandard, na- 

 ture would in time produce fuch a jumble of fliapcs, that it 

 would be impoilible to diltinguifh an ox from a greyhound; 

 to the confufion of all order and fymmetry. Befides, from 

 the proportion laid down as rules of art, though an indifferent 

 artift cannot infure beauty, yet he will be almoft certain of 

 general character. 



The author before mentioned goes on to obferve, with a 

 view to eftablifh his point: " It feems amazing to me that 

 artifts, if they are as well convinced, as they pretend to be, 

 that proportion is a principal caule of beauty, have not by 

 them at all times accurate meafurements of all the beautiful 

 animals, to help them to proper proportions when they would 

 contrive any thing elegant, especially as they/requently affert 

 that it is from an obfervation of the beautiful in nature that 

 they direct their practice. 5 ' Thofe meafures the artift has by 

 him as far as he can obtain them, the value of which is 

 known to him from their great utility. Even the vulgar 

 appear fenfible of proportion ; hence the nick name of long 

 /banks, from thofe parts wanting the cuftomary proportion. 

 The u fmoothnefs" of the (kin of a dropfical perfon will never 

 be pleating, any more than that of a perfon over fat, from 

 the want of proportion, the parts appearing too thick for the 

 height. 



That fmoothnefs in painting is not one of the caufes of 

 beauty is apparent from the pictures of Vanderwerf, the ex- 

 cefs of which gives the flefh the appearance of ivory : be- 

 fides, the fmoothnefs muft depend on the fize of the picture 

 in a great degree. It is true, we fometimes fee a large picture 

 highly finifhed, and a fmall one crude and flight; but fuch 

 a practice is contrary to common fenfe : large ones require a 

 boldnefs of handling, not a jligbtncfs or indication of form 

 only ; and fmall ones greater delicacy. It muft alfo be evi- 

 dent that the ftyle of execution muft be governed bv the na- 

 ture of the fubject : if it be dignified, the handling mould be 

 bold, as what would add a grace to a low fubject would de- 

 tract from a great one, as much as a common and vulgar idea 

 would debafe what is lofty. 



It is not a fingle fenfible quality that can constitute an 

 object beautiful, but a combination of them, as we (hall find 

 by a recapitulation of the foregoing remarks. 



We wifh to be underitood as confining ourfelves to the 

 beauty of the human figure, the qualities effential to which 



will 



