J5* On Painting. 



centred all art; while the little grovelling fpirit became in- 

 chanted with whatever was minute and trifling, miftaking 

 them for principal things. 



If the works of renowned artifts are to be ufed to ftimu- 

 late, we (hall alfo derive advantage from thofe who have funk 

 from the great to the trifling and ufelefs, nay, even to the 

 ugly, and from it to the falfe and chimerical, by confidering 

 them as fo many rocks and quickfands to (leer clear of. 



A well-ordered picture becomes a leflon of polite education, 

 by which our manners are amended : on the contrary, dirty 

 Tagged ruffians, accompanied with tram and common-place 

 Ituff, are not only beneath the dignity of painting, but may 

 corrupt young minds : nay, may not rudenefs be jufiified by 

 a reference to pictures exhibiting clownifh and hoggifh exam- 

 ples, or people the moft bafe and corrupt of humanity ? 



It is a poor apology, becaufe a picture is well painted, that 

 it mould be hung up in our apartment, when in the arrange- 

 ment it may violate fenfc, and in the choice decency ; or the 

 people fuch as one would by no means fuffer to approach our 

 perfons: and yet nothing is more common. Such efforts may 

 pleafe the ignorant, but will not call the attention of learned 

 men and philofophers, with whom fuch men can only rank 

 as mechanics, and beings without difcrimination. 



What man of tafte ever faw a fine picture by Teniers with- 

 out feeling the heart-ache that fo much fine colour, chiaro* 

 /euro, and execution, mould be beftowed on worthlefs ob- 

 jects ? Moft of the Dutch pictures operate as a libel on their 

 country, by the monfters of humanity introduced in them. 

 In a note to the Life of Hogarth, by lord Orford, [Vide Anec- 

 dotes of Painters), is the following jud remark on the Dutch 

 artifts: — "When they attempt humour, it is by making a 

 drunkard vomit ; they take evacuations for jokes ; and, when 

 they make us fick, think they make us laugh. A boor hug- 

 ging a frightful frow, is a frequent incident in the works of 

 Teniers." 



We might juftly conclude that artift mad, or filly, who, 

 leaving in his purfuit the grand or beautiful of nature y fhould 

 collect for his pictures objects dfgujiing and unfigbtly : and 

 yet this is frequently the cafe; which arifesfrom want of early 

 good inftruction, and from being led aft ray by people writing on 

 the arts, who are perfectly unqualified for lo arduous a tafk. 



Some have even attempted to ieparate the picturefque from 

 the beautiful, as if that which did not poflefs beauty could 

 be worthy of painting. By the word picturefque the artift 

 vmderftands the irregular, but ever accompanied with a beau- 

 tiful 



