558 On the Art of 'Painting 



veliiti Cyclop dormiens, in parvuld tabelld : cujus et 

 fic magnitudinem exprimere cupiens, pinxit juxta Satyr oSi 

 'Thyrfo polUcem ejus metientes. Atque in unius hujus 

 cperibus intelligitur femper plus quam pingitur, et cum 

 ars Jumma fitj ingenium tamen ultra artem ejfe* 

 This is an evident diftindlion between, and a 

 judicious preference given to genius and inven- 

 tion over mere technical acquired (kill. 



The pifture of Hercules ftrangling the ferpents 

 in his cradle, by Zeuxis,* is well imagined^ 

 and feems to have furnifhed the idea to the firft 

 of our modern artifts. Sir Jofhua Reynolds, who 

 has repreiented the fame fubjeft, Magnificus ejus 

 efi Jupiter in 'Throne y adftantibus diis, et Hercules 

 Infans Dracones ftrangulans ; Alcmend matre coram 

 favente et Amphitryone. It may be obferved that 

 the introduftion of xh? deities in this pifture (or 

 in a fubjed of this kind) was by no means 

 improper in a painter, who not only believed in 

 their exiftence, but in all probability gave credit 

 to the ftory itfelf. 



A remark of the fame kind may be made on 

 the fubjed of a pi dure by ^tion, defcribed by 

 L,ucian,-|- and from his defcriprion painted by 

 Raphael. It reprefented the marriage of Alex- 

 ander and Roxana; and we may ventuir^-i-co 

 agree in opinion with the Abbe du Bos;]: refped- 



• UbI fup. 



f In his Herodotus, vai Asriuva (paai rov Zayfapov, &c. 



1 Reflexions Critiques, vol. I. p. 360. 



inff 



