On Painting. 12 1 



their works. We may look below the fiiperficles, and not be 

 dazzled with a gaudy appearance, or fufler our admiration to 

 dwell on what the wile would contemn; or we may be led 

 away after pageantry and pomp, midaking them for true ho- 

 nour and glory. By exerting tlie mind we may raife our work 

 into the fublime, from a judicious iniroduftion of ilich accef- 

 fory circumltances as may add dignity or contribute to tl;c 

 illuftration of the (lory; particidarly if they have a fkilful con- 

 nexion, and aftcftthe imagination. We have noticed foine 

 fuch inftances already in our Eflay on Invention, as in Ra- 

 phael's Paul at Lvftra, Barry's plfture of Elyfium, Sec. Thefe 

 accellbry circumliances occur frequently in the works of the 

 poets, and contribute much to heighten the fcenc; as in. 

 Lear, the thunder ftorm makes the heart bleed for the fuf- 

 ferings of the old king ; and how fublime does the vifion of 

 the dagger render Macbeth by Its judicious introduction ! 

 Vaftnefs is produftive of the fublime, bvconfidering any ob- 

 jecl that takes up much room In the fancy. But we muft 

 be careful not to fall into a common error, and miftake great- 

 nefs of bulk for noblenefs in works of art : one of Lyfippus's 

 rtatues of Alexander, though no bigger than the life, might 

 give the mind more noble ideas than Mount Athos had it 

 been cut into the figure of that hero. This fubjeft has been 

 in fotne meafure amplified already in our Eflays on Invention 

 and Compofition : it may therefore be fcarcely nectflary to 

 mention, that the fublime requires that the fubje£l of our 

 picture fliould be a great one, and, if poflible, carry with it 

 a univerfal intereft. In the compofition, fimplicity and gra- 

 vity are elfential to produce grandeur: we cannot wiOi for 

 belter examples than are oflered to our view in the Cartoons 

 of Raphael ; particularly the Paul at Lyftra, his Preaching at 

 Athens, and in the Death of Ananias. We (liall oblerve 

 great grandeur in thofe fine compc)fitions by Welt, of the 

 Departure of Regulus, Mark Antony haranguing over the 

 body of J. Casfar, and the Swearing young Hannibal : the 

 Death of Stephen by the fame artifi is full of the pathetic: 

 the prints from the above are in every one's hands. Too 

 much contrafi dcftroys the great fiyle ; it afl'ociates bcfi witti 

 the pleafing. Beauty excites gaiety and pleafure, the fublime 

 inclines to ferioufnefs. Llcvation of chara6ler is alfo nccef- 

 fary ; a want of noblenefs contributes much to depreciate the 

 works of the Flemifli, and particularly of the Dutch fchool. 

 The Hercules and the Apollo Belvidcre in their form approx- 

 imate moft to the fublime, except we be permitted to con- 

 jcfture what might have been the famous Jove and Minerva 

 of Phidias. Abroad light and (hade, or, in other words, a 

 6 fine 



