532 On the Art of fainting 



period of the art, particularly with the Roman 

 artifts, to truft principally to their colouring. 

 So that nothing can be more clear, than that 

 they enjoyed the means of colouring well, ex- 

 cept perhaps in the very early ftage of painting. 



It may not be amifs, however, at this period 

 of our inquiry, to make fome obfervations on 

 the teftimonies of ancient authors refpefling the 

 fubjefts of this effay. ^It is certainly true, that 

 when the works of an' ancient artift are praifed 

 for any real or fuppofed merit, the commenda- 

 tions will be relative to the degree of perfe6lion 

 to which the art had arifen at the time, and to 

 the opportunities of information, the tafte and 

 judgment of the perfon who beftows them. 

 Excellence will always be afcribed to him who 

 leaves his cotemporaries far behind, and thofe 

 performances will often be confidered as fu- 

 premely beautiful which exceed in beauty all 

 that have gone before. 



In like manner a perfon of natural fenfibility, 

 but who has been accuftomed all his life to per- 

 formances of an inferior itamp, will be in rap- 

 tures at any which much exceed the beft he 

 has heretofore been taught to admire j and what- 

 ever opportunities of information he may have, 

 his evidence will not be of much weight, if he 

 do not poffefs a fufficient degree of tafte and 

 judgment to ufe them properly. 



In 



