gj t)n VaifH'tng. 



caverns more gloomy, ruins more majeftJC) and the ^vho}c 

 face of nature drcilcd in fun or fliade as bieft fuits our pur- 

 pofc, while we may render the human figure more beautiful 

 or grand. 



The painter of hiftory, like the hiftorian, reprefents the 

 event, not the man. which is the province of the portrait- 

 painter and biographer. . : < 

 . The Dutrh have treated hiftoiy under circumftances' fo 

 purely local, that Chrift has appeared in the Itorm in a com^- 

 mon fifhing-boat with the tri-colourcd flag flying; and Da- 

 Jila cutting a lock from a huge black peruke ot the end of 

 the lyih centuiy. 



Tvio advantages refult from going to remote hifiory for 

 our fubjecils : one is, it becomes more venerable; another is, 

 -thatlhe inaccuracies oi' cojhane are not fo eafiiy perceived. 



The two divifions of hillory generally rank imder the grand 

 'ilyle^ ar.d what sir Jofliua terms the ornamental, but which 

 from its delighiing in variety is better dcfcribed bv the word 

 fiSureJque, which is oftener applied, and not of fo dcbafing 

 a nature. The piclurefque is founded on an union of the 

 regular and irregular, the grand or fimple, or the regular 

 only : for inftance, the arch of a bridge which is nniform is 

 fimple and grand, but being broken it becomes irregular or 

 pifturefque : decorations of ivy have a fimilar effeft. A head 

 and body fcen in front, with the hair flowing uniformly on 

 each fide, as we fometimes fee in the portraits of Georgione 

 and Titian, is grand : incline the head, and vary the hair on 

 ■ one fide, it changes its charafter to the pi6lurcfque. Similar 

 groups, nay, even fingle figures, perfetlly alike, often cha- 

 racterize the highclt fimplicity of compofition, asiin Ibme of 

 Raphael's pictures, and of which there is a fine inflance by 

 . Titian in the church of the Friars of St. Francis at Venice ; 

 an etching of which, by Le Febre^ is in every one's hand. 

 Poufiin fhowcd it in his landfcapcs, in his buildings, and 

 in the firaight and parallel ftems and uniform foliage of his 

 - trees. The piAurefque, on the contrary, is feen in the con- 

 trafted groups of Rubens ; the crofling and winding of the 

 -.ftems, irregular foliage of trees, and in broken buildings; but 

 ever accompanied ivlth a bentilifvl choke', for, as before ob- 

 ferved, if the pift urefque was to be ieparated from the beauti- 

 .' ful : there would be notiung left worthy the dignity of paintings 

 The grand (lyle require.-; the greateft fimplicity of conduct : 

 the rejection of all things liitle is ncccffary to its completion, 

 not only as to difpofition, form, the minutia2 of colour and 

 effect, liutto the total difregard of all the trickery of penciling : 



above 



7 



