350 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO l66g, 



pitch. Such an examination of the best pictures discloses many secrets of that 

 art, for which there are no rules, and gives occasion to discuss many important 

 questions, hitherto not treated of. Among the particulars which have been 

 made public of these conferences, we may find these following: 



First, A general idea of the art of painting; wherein are considered two prin- 

 cipal parts: the one belonging to the theory, the other the practice, and the 

 dexterity of the hand. Where it is observed, that the authors that have written 

 on painting, have not treated of the former part, how considerable soever that 

 be, in regard both of the design and disposition of the pieces. 



Next, an account of seven conferences, six of which were made on as many 

 pieces of Raphael, Titian, Paul Veronese, and M. Poussin, and the seventh on 

 that of the Laocoon. Where are to be met with many curious remarks, and 

 among many others these following: 



M. le Brun considering a piece of Raphael, representing the combat of St. 

 Michael with the devil, observes, that the expression particularly depends on the 

 bodies which environ the figures; affirming, that it sets out the motion and ac- 

 tion in the figure of St. Michael, who seems to have life in this piece : for, 

 as if the air were pressed by the weight of the body descending, it causes what- 

 ever it meets with as more light, to be raised, and drives it on high with vio- 

 lence. 



In another piece, where Titian represents the body of Christ carried to the 

 grave, M. de Champagne the elder observes the dexterity of the master in or- 

 dering the colours and the light. To make the legs of the picture which first 

 presents themselves to stand out, he has wrapped them about with a very white 

 linen sheet, and has clothed Nicodemus, who holds them, with a very vivid and 

 very clear lacca. On the contrary, to sink the rest of the body, he has so dis- 

 posed the light of the picture, that the shadow of Joseph of Arimathea, who 

 helps to support the legs, falls on its head and shoulders ; which contributes to 

 impress on the body the image of death. The arrangement of the colours is also 

 very remarkable in the draperies. For between the green habit of Joseph of 

 Arimathea, and the blue mantle of the Virgin, is the yellow clothing of Mary 

 Magdalen, wherein, what is brown and dusky, is tempered, and borrows of the 

 different colours about it; that the eye may pass by degrees from one of these 

 colours to the other. And because the sleeve of Mary Magdalen, which is of 

 a bright yellow, is near the habit of Nicodemus, which is also of a lively co- 

 lour, the artist, to prevent those two vivid colours from entrenching on each 

 other, has turned up Nicodemus's sleeve against the yellow, so that we pass 

 from the shadow of one of these colours to that of the other. 



The art of the picture^ spoken of in the fifth conference, is no less remarkable. 



