5io On the Art of Painting 



efforts of painters were beftowed on the outline 

 of the objefts imitated. That this is the mod 

 important part of the art is evident, becaufe this 

 alone will produce a refemblance, and without 

 this no refemblance can be procured by any- 

 other means. Indeed, the attempt to colour 

 without a previous defign would of itfelf form an 

 outline. The ftory related concerning the vifit 

 of Apelles to Protogenes* Ihews that even when 

 the art had made a confiderable progrefs, or 

 rather had approached towards its acme among 

 the ancients, the tefl of Ikill was in defigning; 

 nor do I recoUeft any performance of modern 

 ages, that proves fo exquifite a freedom of 

 pencil. 



Indeed, when it is confidered that with refpe£t 

 to freedom and corrednefs of outline, painting 

 and fculpture are very nearly connefted, that 

 Phidias and Apelles were nearly cotemporaries, 

 that many of the ancient painters fuch as Zeuxis 

 Protogenes, Apelles, &c. were accuftomed to 

 modelling for the purpofe of fculpture or of 

 caftingjj- that the extreme elegance of defign in 

 the ancient ftatues is fo notorious as to be the 

 acknowledged model even for modern artifts, 

 and that thefe ornaments of fculpture were well 



* Pliny, XXXV. 36. 



f Phidias alfo was fomewhai of a painter, Plin. XXXV. 



54. and XXXVI. 4. 



known 



