On Fahting^ I05 



permuted a longer life : however, he did enough to furnilh 

 the hint to the V'enetian fchool. 



In whatever way we may difpofe our group, the principal 

 figure ought to be rendered confpicuous, either from filua-i. 

 tion, colour, drapery, light, or from all theie combined. To 

 -talk about " efi"e<^^ of light and fliade," and thereby attempt 

 to juftify an imnropriety, would be reducing painting lo a 

 ftyle merely ornamental indeed! and make paintings of no 

 life beyond flopping a hole in the wall. 



As in the drama the hero of the piece has a greater part to 

 fuftain to diftinguifh him, lb ours muft, as it were^ lord it 

 over all the other objefts. 



Nor paint confpicuous on the foremoft plairx 

 Whate'tr is falfe, impertinent, and vain; 

 But, like the tragic mufe, thy luftre throw 

 \Vhere the chief adlion claims its warir.cft glow. 



Masox's Fresnoy, 



It muft not be underflood that the principal figure (liould 

 be more laboured or finilhed ; that would deftroy the unity 

 ■which ought to prevail through the whole. In formino; our 

 groups, the greateft mafs ought to be in the middle, and the 

 little or fcattercd parts placed on the edges to give the whole 

 a lightncfs; while fome places require to be left blank for 

 the fake of rcpofe — for, though our picture fliould be filled, it 

 fhoidd not be crowded. As we muft alio feck to obtain pro- 

 fundity proportioned to the greatnefs of the group, we flnouki, 

 to give the whole a plcafing air from a variety in its form, 

 avoid placing the figures in a file. Rubens, whofe art in 

 grouping his figures is great, fometimes runs into exccfs by 

 attaching them too much together, lb as to make tiiem appear 

 to cling as infeparable; but, as before obferved, his vices 

 icach us what is right, 'J'he golden mean muft form the 

 obje(^l of our puriuit, we lliould avoid a monotony of forms 

 as well as too great a contrail ; a number of extremilies fol- 

 low ing each oihcr in the fame line will generally produce a 

 bad eife(!-.t. We (liould alii) avoid fiiowing them in the fame 

 point of view. Pouflin's Sacranjent of Baptiftn is an excel- 

 lent e.xample, where many figures are pointing, all di tiering 

 from each other. 



In exhibiting the naked ve are bound to fliow the moll 

 hcatitifiil parts, which is, generally (peaking, all the joints. 

 'Jhe neck and (boulders in the male of^ii form a fine mafs 

 in a group. But, above all, we (liould never conceal the cx- 

 trcnmie«5, from the power of exprcfiion thcv difplay, as well 

 ^s the rooui they allow for the (kill and abilities of the artift. 



