Il8 On Vain ting. 



faid (Irongly to mark the amor fiairi^e, and to exhibit their 

 charity and love for each other. 



A knowledge of the different ftyles is abfolutely necefTary 

 to enable us to think deeply and freely. No man, however 

 great his powers, was ever capable of fubfilling on his owr\ 

 itock : the more wide the field of inquiry, the more we in- 

 creafe our knowledge, and quicken and enlarge our ideas. 

 We cannot doubt that M. Angelo and Raphael poffefl'ed all 

 the knowledge of art difcovered in their time. 'Tis our duty 

 to live, as i^ were, amidft the great works of art', that, by 

 enriching our minds, we mav be able to produce fomething 

 great and noble of our own. This is the true fpirit of imita- 

 tion, and which we may continue, without fear of its doing 

 us an injury, from infancy till wc arrive at the f.iUeft Hate of 

 vigour. 



By ftyle as well as rnanner wc are enabled to judge if a 

 pi6lure be the work of a certain niafter; for, fliould we re- 

 main doubtful from the former, a reference to the penciling 

 may determine the point. For, as in writing or fp^-aking 

 we fhall generally difcover in perfons a fondnefs for certain 

 phrafes, or a peculiar turn or comie<5lion of their fentenccs, 

 bv which their ftyle may be known : fo in painting we (hall 

 difcover fome favourite part forced on the eye; or thought, 

 attitude, or habit occur, which (lamps the mafter's ftyle. 

 Every one will poflefs more or lefs of the ftyle and manner of 

 the mafter or fchool from which he comes. Raphael, in his 

 oil pictures, never wholly got rid of that liltlenefs of ftyle de- 

 rived from Perugino. 



To infm-e a good ftvle we muft early habituate ourfclves to 

 contemplate noble works of imagination. This, if conneAcd 

 with a vigorous niind, a lively fancy, a ftrong memory, and 

 good judgment, vvill be attended with fuccefs. That thole 

 qualities are neccfiarv to enable us to form a good ftyle, is 

 certain ; for bv the imagination we conceive images, and if 

 the impreflions be clear the ftyle will be fo too. But ftiould 

 the images be faint and imperfecl, the ftyle will partake of 

 thefe defers. For it cannot be denied that, as the painter 

 is affefted himfelf, in the fame degree will he move the fpce- 

 tator. Flence, if the mind be dull, and indifpofeil to receive 

 clear and diftindl ideas of things, the ftyle will be ftitf and 

 heavy; or, if the imaoes be irregular r.nd difordercd, the 

 work will be perplexed and confufcd. It appears to follow 

 ofcourfe, that a lively fancy will be accompanied with a 

 happy memory : through this we are fupi)lied with the vail 

 trcafiires of art and nature ; for without a large ftock of images 

 we Ihall never be able to diverfify our works in the way va- 

 riety 



