4^)ove all, if our fubied is lofty, we muft be careful not to 

 admit any thought that is Irifling or mean; a fault many o£ 

 the old mailers are not entirely free from. 



The drapery fliould partake of the fame great charafter: 

 all the minuie parts muft be rejected, the folds ihould be. 

 broad and fimple, poflefs an eafy communication, and grace- 

 fully follow each other as by chance. 



The application of thofe ftyles muft depend on the nature 

 of the fubjcft all together; the choiqe of the Roman fchool 

 required a fmiplicitv of conduct which muft necelfarily run 

 through the whole pifture. The fubie6ts of the Cartons 

 would fuffer by a deftruiSlion of the unity, from changing the 

 charader of any part : the unaffecSled compofition, folemnity 

 of colour, the broad and funple folds of the draoery, form a 

 whole that would be deftroyed by attaching fhowy colour, or 

 changing the charafter of the compofition or drapery to the 

 picturefque. But fportive fcenes, feafts, proceilions, and 

 marriage ceremonies, fuch as were principally chofen by the 

 \'enetians, perfeftly agree with that piclurefque efieift arifing 

 from fplendour of colour, oppofition of light and iliade, con- 

 traft, and variety of draperies. 



This chara6ler appears to arife (as before obferved) out of 

 the very nature of the fubjetSl. Who that wKhcd to repre- 

 sent an allaflination would introduce fplendid colours, or 

 great vivacity of light ? On the contrary, would he not ra- 

 ther ufe fad and folemn ones, with darknefs, obfcurity, and 

 great depth ? 



What has reduced the Venetian fchool is want of ex- 

 prcftion. Paul Veronefe, in his plfture of Mary Magdalen 

 anointing the feet of Jcfus, has made it a mere eating-match 

 of Veiieiian fenators; aild Tintoret, in his Marriage .it Cana, 

 has made the company fcarcciy notice the miracle of turning 

 the water into wine. 



True hillory (hould never have its gravity difturbed I)y any 

 improbable or imiioflihle circumftance. \\niat can be more 

 abiurd than liaphacl's Hying apolUes in the Atlila, the an- 

 gels in the t)attle of Conftanline, or St. Cecilia in the fame 

 })icl:ure with St. Paul, St. John, St. Auguftin, and Mary 

 Magdalen? The fame artift in the School of Athens has 

 confounded all tlic circumllances of lime and i)lace. How 

 unlike is the conduil of a great modern artift, who, in bring- 

 ing together a number of great chaiac^fers that lived at re- 

 mote periods from each other, has wifely placed them in 

 Klyfium ? Ill the picture by 'I'itian, in the church of 'St. 

 l-'raueis iu Vuiicc (formerly alluded to), we Had ihc Virgin 



C 3 aiiJ 



