54^ On the Art of fainting 



I think the evidence will not pernnit iis to 

 rate that fuperiority very high. With refpedb 

 to colouring, as a whole, and independent of 

 the other parts of the picture, it feems probable 

 that the ancients did underftand the effeft of it : 

 but we have not fufficient reafon to conclude 

 that they attended fo diftinftly to this branch 

 of the art, or attained to the fame degree of 

 perfedion in the practice of it, as many of the 

 moderns have done. It muft, however, be 

 obferved, that we can judge of the merit of the 

 ancient painters from two fpecies of evidence 

 alone, viz. difcovered antiquesy and expreffions in the 

 works of ancient authors ; both of which are ex- 

 tremely defedive : it is allowed by every fkilful 

 perfon, who has viewed the remains of ancient 

 paintings, that none of them feem to be the 

 performances of fuperior artifts, notwithftand- 

 ing much merit in the defign and accuracy in 

 the drawing, which indeed feems to have been 

 habitual to almoft every ancient artift. The beft 

 among thefe paintings (according to Sir Jofhua 

 Reynolds) " the fuppofed marriage in the Aldro- 

 bandine palace," is evidently far fhort of that 

 degree of excellence undoubtedly implied in 

 the defcriptions of ancient authors, and which, 

 from them, we are fairly led to expeft. 



Still more defedive, if poffible, is thfs laft 

 fpecies of evidence : for we have no diredl trea- 



artift to recur to hi« piece, and touch and retouch the 

 colouring more frequently, and at longer intervals, than 

 frefque painting, or any water colours. tife 



