among the /Indents, 551 



Hence, although I fhould by no means agree 

 with the Abbe Du Bos,* that the ancients at leaft 

 equalled the mod celebrated of the moderns in 

 th- part of the art, I cannot adopt the fenti- 

 mt rh^? uhe firft. authority in this kingdom, 

 that 'iir' was entirely unknown to them. Sir 

 Jofhua Reynolds obferves, -j- ** that what the 

 " ancients appear to have moft failed in is 

 *' compofition, both in the art of grouping their 

 " figures and the art of difpofing the light and 

 " fhadow in mafles. It is apparent that this, 

 " which makes fo confiderable a part of modern 

 " art, was to them totally unknozvn. If the great 

 " painters had poflefled this excellence, fome 

 " portion of it would have infallibly been diffu- 

 " fed, and have been difcovered in the works of 

 " the inferior rank of artifts, fuch as thofe whofe 

 " works have come down to us, and which may 



fentailon of lightning : pingit et, qune plngi non pojfunt , toni- 

 trua, fulgura, fulgetraque. Plin. XXXV". 35. I cannot 

 help thinking this muft have proceeded from a knowledge 

 of, and a fondnefs foi, the eiFeft of light and ftiade in mafles 

 and contrail. 



• Quant au clair obfcure et a la diftribution enchan- 

 terefle des lumieres et des ombres, ce qui Pline et les au- 

 tres efcrivains de I'antiquite en difent eft fi pofitif, leur 

 ecrits font fi bien circonftanciez et fi vraifemblable, qa'on ne 

 fauroit difconvenir que les anciens n'egalaflent du moins 

 dans celte partie de I'art les plus grands peintres modernes. 

 Reflexions Critiques, vol. I. p. 367. 



f Notes to Mafon's Tranflation of Frefnoy, p. 95. 



N n 4 "be 



