22 (J Royal Academy. 



veral fine works of the masters of this school were commented 

 upon, for exemplification : particularly the Peter Martyr and 

 St. Laurence of Titian, and the celebrated awful picture of Tin- 

 toretto ; where the expression of twilight, eclipse, or what pre- 

 cedes a storm, an earthquake, a hurricane, displays all the powers 

 of chiaroscuro. — In the pictures of Paolo Veronese, on account 

 of that gaiety of mind which ever led him to represent large as- 

 semblies, chinro-scuro is in a great measure absorbed in variety 

 of colours. But the highest summit of perfection in light and 

 shadow was to be found in Corregio; design, composition, and 

 colour, were all subordinate to his chiaroscuro: he expanded 

 its powers through heaven and earth. The Professor gave a 

 masterly character of Corregio. — The rest of the lecture was oc- 

 cupied by observations upon hack-grounds : it would be tedious 

 to follow him with any degree of minuteness. The great advan- 

 tage Poussin's pictures derive from them, and their total neglect 

 by Raphael and Michael Angelo, were observed. — A picture 

 might become sublime and pathetic, by an appropriate back- 

 ground; by this, also, a sublime and pathetic picture might be- 

 come more interesting. The figure of a female, seated on a rock, 

 %vould express little more than insipidity; the genius of Reynolds 

 had elevated its character, by the contrast of a boisterous ocean 

 in the back-ground. The genius of Reynolds, likewise, in the 

 figure of a female contemplating the moon upon the lucid waters, 

 had amalgamated elegance with sympathy and desire. — In the 

 course of the observations upon the back-grounds, it was re- 

 marked, that the Apollo Belvidere and Jupiter, of Phidias," 

 were never formed for a room, and that we might very frequently 

 discover how far an artist had penetrated his subject, by his choice' 

 of scenery. 



Thursday, March 19. — The Professor began by observing, that 

 the commencement, the progress, the finish, the reputation of 

 an artist's work depended upon the faculty of Invention. — The 

 first demand from invention was a complete whole ; the second, 

 that it should clearly tell its own tale — for, as a poem would be 

 little entitled to praise that depended for its light upon annexed' 

 notes, so a painting would deserve little reputation that required' 

 illustration from a commentary. The Professor divided subjects 

 for the practice of invention into three classes ; 1st, positive, 

 advantageous, commensurate; 2dly, negative, uninteresting in 

 themselves and depending upon the genius of the artist ; and 

 3dly, repulsive — that cannot pronounce their own meaning, on 

 which the genius of the artist is wasted, and which never make 

 impression, or stamp a .work with perspicuity. 



With respect to the first ; without much boldness of invention, 

 it draws its subjects firom the lap of nature; such are the Ma- 

 donas 



