6 NOTES. 



tatious difplay of academic art. A greater degree of contraft 

 and .variety may be allowed in the picturefque or ornamental 

 flile; but we-mufl not -forget they are the natural enemies of 

 Simplicity, and confequently of the grand ftile, and deftroy 

 -that .folemn majefty, that f oft .repofe, -which Js -produced in a 

 great meafure by regularity and uniformity. 



An inftance occurs to me where thofe two qualities are Ie- 

 parately exhibited by two great Painters, Rubens and Titian; 

 the picture jof Rubens is in the Church of St. Auguftine at 

 Antwerp; the fubject (if that may be called a fubject where 

 no ftory is reprefented) is the .Virgin and infant. Chri ft, placed 

 -high in the picture on a pedeftal, with many faints about 

 them, and as many below them, with others on the fteps, to 

 ferve as a Jink to unite the upper and lower part of the picture. 



The compofition of this picture is perfect in its kind; the 

 Artift has fhewn the greateft fkill in difpofmg and contrafting 

 more than .twenty figures without confufion and without 

 .crouding; the whole appearing as much animated and in 

 .motion as it is pofllble s where nothing is to be done. 



The picture of Titian, which we would oj)pofe to this, is 

 in the Church of : the St. 'Frare at Venice. The peculiar 

 character of this piece .is Grandeur and Simplicity, which 

 proceed in a great meafure from the regularity of the com- 

 pofition, two of the principal figures being reprefented kneel- 

 ing, directly oppofite to each other, and nearly in the fame 

 attitude, this is what few Painters would have had ; the cou- 

 rage to venture; Rubens would certainly have .rejected fo 

 unpidturefque a mode ..of compofition, had it. occurred to him. 



Both thofe pictures are equally excellent in their kind, and 

 may be faid to characterife their refpective authors. There is 

 a buflle and animation in the work of Rubens; a quiet, folemn 

 majefty in that of Titian. The excellence of .Rubens is the 



pidturefque 



