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former of thefe is the work of genius, the 

 latter is a mere mechanical knack. The one 

 therefore is admired by the man of tafte the 

 other, except for a moment, only by the ig- 

 norant, and uninformed. 



This is juft the cafe before us. The 

 painter, who choofes a winter-fubject, in ge- 

 neral, gives up compofition, and effect, to 

 mew how naturally he can reprefent fnow, 

 or hoar-froft. It is almoft impoffible to pro- 

 duce a good effect with thefe appendages of 

 winter : they mufl naturally create falfe, and 

 glaring lights , to which the painter generally 

 makes his compolition fubfervient. 



Among the fources of incidental beauty 

 in a foreft, may be mentioned, (what perhaps 

 may appear odd) the felling of timber. If 

 you wifh to fell trees with fome particular 



Mafon's tranflation of Frefnoy, p. 114. " Deception, 



which is fo often recommended by writers on the theory of 

 painting, inftead of advancing the art, is in reality carrying 

 it back to it's infant ftate. The firft eflays of painting were 

 certainly nothing but mere imitations of individual objefts ; and 

 when this amounted to a deception, the artift had accomplifhed 

 his purpofe. 



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