554 O^ i^^ -^^^ ^f Piiinting 



harmonizing together to fuggeft at once. the idea 

 of a whole, and dired the eye of the fpeftator to 

 the point reprefented. 



There are no exannples of this difficult branch 

 of the art among the remaining antiques: and, 

 indeed, from the paucity of the figures introduced 

 in the generality of thefe ancient paintings, there 

 is little room to expeft them. In the '' Aldro- 

 bandine Marriage," nothing of this appears j and 

 although there is an evident attempt at grouping 

 in the " Sacrifice," and mod of the figures are 

 fomewhat regularly difpofed in two large maffes,* 

 there is nothing like a connexion or fubor- 

 dination in the parts of the pidture, or any 

 tolerable union of the figures with each other, or 

 the ground. 



But what ftill more inclines me to doubt 

 whether the ancients attained any degree of 

 eminence herein, is, that among the many paint- 

 ings of their great matters, enumerated by Pliny, 

 Lucian, or Philoftratus, I do not find any of them 

 praifed for this fpecies of excellence. This 

 indeed may as well arife from want of know- 

 ledge in the writer, as of fkill in the artift. 



* The principal part of the figures in this pidlure are 

 diftributed in two triangular groups, formal, but not 

 unpleafant. The perfpedlive tolerably well preferved. 

 The copy in the Voyage Pittore/que da Sicile, is not quite 

 accurate, and more favourable than the print in the 

 coUedion of Herculanean Antiquities, publifhcd by order 

 of the king of Naples. 



We 



