dmong the Ancknts* 547 



tife remaining on the fubjeft by any of the 

 ancients, although many were compofed by 

 their artifts. The pafTages from which we are 

 to decide, are, either the curfory remarks of 

 writers not exprefsly treating on the fubjeft of 

 painting, or the defcriptions of thofe who, at 

 beft, can rank but as amateurs of a fafhionable 

 art. From thefe indeed we may pretty fafely 

 aflert the degree of excellence which the paflages 

 imply, but we Ihould reafon very inconclufively, 

 were we to deny them any higher or any other 

 merit than appears to be ftriclly contained in 

 thefe fcattered obfervations. Let any one for 

 a moment place the modern painters in his mind, 

 in the fame fituation as the ancients, and he will 

 quickly decide on the truth of thefe remarks. 



Chiaro-'Scuro, or the art of placing and 

 proportioning light and fhade in fuch a manner 

 as to produce a pleafing efFeft, independently of 

 any other circumftance connefted with the 

 pidure, has been commonly deemed a charac- 

 teriftic difference between the knowledge of 

 ancient and modern painters. 'Indeed many of 

 the earliefl: and beft of the moderns, fuch as 

 Raphael, Julio Romano, PoufTin, Domcni- 

 chino, either did not underrtand or did not 

 attend to this ftriking part of the art, nor was 

 the full effedl of it known till the time of 

 Rembrandt. 



On this fubjeft, the worki of the ancients, 



now remaining, give little information : nor io 



N n 2 far 



