552 On the Art of Tainting 



*' be confidered as on the fame rank with the 

 *' paintings that ornament our public gardens. 

 " Suppofing our modern piflures of this rank 

 «* only were preferved for the infpeftion^ of 

 " connoifleurs two thoufand years hj-{ji^'V)j-;the 

 <« general principles of compofition wo.vf'a be 

 *' Hill difcoyerable in thofe pictures ^ however 

 "feebly executed, there would be feen an^at- 

 *' tempt at an union of the figure with its ground, 

 " fome idea of difpofing both the figures and 

 ^* the lights in groups. Now as nothing of this 

 <' appears in what we have of ancient painting, we 

 *< may conclude that this part of the art was to- 

 *f tally negleded, or more probably unknown." 



So much of this extraft as relates to grouping, 

 I fhall have occafion to confider prefently ; as to 

 the reft, I think Sir Jofliua rates the merit of the 

 ancient artifts, whofe paintings remain, fomewhat 

 too high in the fcale of comparifon. Nor do the 

 accounts of the places where thefe paintings have 

 been found, warrant the fuppofition that they 

 were thus ornamented at any confiderable ex- 

 pence public or private. The generality of them 

 confift of fingle figures j fome of them of two or 

 three figures — generally relieved by an uniform 

 ground ; and, except in (comparatively) a few in- 

 ftances (fuch as the Aldrobandine Marriage, the 

 Sacrifice, the Nymphasa, and a few paltry land- 

 fcapes) evidently defigned as mere reliefs to a com- 

 partment, and anfwering, as near as may be, the 



fluccoed 



