NOTES. 95 



In regard to their power of giving peculiar expreffion, no 

 correct judgment can be formed; but we cannot well fuppofe 

 that men, who were capable of giving that general grandeur 

 of character which fo eminently diflinguifhes their works in 

 Sculpture, were incapable of expreffing peculiar pafficns.! 



As to the enthufiaftic commendations beftowed on them by 

 their contemporaries, I confider them as of no weight. The 

 beft words are always 'employed to praife the belt works : Ad- 

 miration often proceeds from ignorance of higher excellence. 

 What they appear to have moft failed in is compofition, both 

 in regard to the grouping of their figures, and the art of dif- 

 pofing the light and fliadow in mafles. It is apparent that 

 this, which makes fo confiderable. a part of modern art, was 

 to them totally unknown. 



If the great Painters had pofTefled this excellence, fome 

 portion of it would have infallibly been diffufed, and have 

 been difcovetable in the works of the inferior rank of Artifts, 

 fuch as thofe whofe works have come dow-n to us, and' which 

 may be confidered as on the fame rank with the Paintings that 

 ornament our public gardens : fuppofrng our modern pictures of 

 this rank only were preferved for the inspection of Connoifleurs 

 two thoufand years hence, the general principles of com- 

 pofition would be ftill discoverable in thoie pictures; however 

 feebly executed, there would be feen an attempt to an union 

 of the figure with its ground, fome idea of difpofing both 

 the figures and the lights in groups. Now as nothing of this 

 appears in what we have of antient Painting, we may conclude, 

 that this part of the art was totally neglected, or more pro^ 

 bably Unknown. 



They might, however, , have produced tingle figures which- 

 approached perfection both in drawing and colouring; they 

 might excel in a Solo, (in the language of Muficians) though 



they 



