Oji Painting. 22 1 



with difficulties is noble, but to conquer is one of the higheft 

 points of human fcUcity. It is in painting as in writing: 

 where difficulties oocur^ they arife from not clearly under- 

 ftanding the fubject. Hence', to be able to reprelent an ob- 

 jedl julciy we mull underftand its fabrication; for it would 

 be in vain to think of drawing the arch of a bridge correctly 

 without knowing how it was keyed or put together, or even 

 i bafkct if we did not know how it was wove. 



We (liall now proceed to confider the pou'er of drawing 

 in a point of view merely ufeful. 



How limited muft their ideas be who confider it as *' the 

 foundation of painting" only ! We know it is fuch : for with- 

 out drawing it would be in vain to think of producing an 

 effe6l ; as mere colour without form mull remain a crude 

 and undiltinguidiable mafs. 



Drawing is not only an accompliflmient the mod elegant, 

 agreeable, and ornamental, but, at the fame time that it is 

 the foundation of painting, is of the utmoft utility to the 

 fculptor, the civil and naval architeft, the engraver, the 

 engineer, the mathematician, and navigator. It alfo aflills 

 the gardener, the cabinet-maker^ the weaver, &c. In Ihort, 

 there is fcarcely a branch of civil fociety that is not indebted 

 to it, from the maker of the iron rails before our houfe to 

 the tea-urn on our table. To it we are indebted for repre- 

 fentations of thofe elegant remains of antiquity that have 

 contributed fo much to the advancement of our knowledge of 

 fine form. Volumes of verbal defcription will never convey 

 io true an idea of a thing as the moll flight (ketch. Hence 

 the fource of much of our knowledge in antiquity, of which 

 language could convey no adequate idea. 



To be able on the fpot to make a (ketch of 'a fine building, 

 beautiful profpett, or any curious produ6lion of nature or of 

 art, is not only a very defirable and elegant accomplifliment, 

 but in the higheft degree entertaining. To treafure up what- 

 ever may occur in our travels, either for future ufe or to iliul- 

 trate converfation, to reprefent the deeds of the great of for- 

 mer ages, to preferve the features of'our mod valued friends, 

 has made this art not only one of the highell embellifhments 

 of our nature, but the delight of all ages. The greateft wri- 

 ttrs have united to praife, and empires to encourage it. It 

 has been in the higheft degree morally ufeful ; and, where it 

 has flouriftied, conferred honour on the country, fn fat% 

 fociety could not fullain ajnore feverc lofs than in being de- 

 prived of it ; as many comforts, and all thole elegancies that 

 aJorii tht pieleut llate uf our being, niuft depart with it. 



