De Quincy on Imitation in the Fine Arts. 599 



scenery has become as rare as enclosed fields, and trees planted 

 in rows, were in former times. 



The modern, or natural, style could not have existed in gardens 

 in an age and in a country where the general scenery was left 

 in its natural wildness ; because there could not then have been 

 any other kind of scenery to contrast with it. 



No scenery or object of any kind can be prized by human 

 nature without reference to some ideas associated in the mind. 

 Natural scenery, however beautiful, where it is the only scenery 

 of a country, can never be admired by the inhabitants as such, 

 without reference to some ideas already existing in their minds, 

 and which they may have obtained from reading, or from study- 

 ing the art of sketching landscapes. A country wholly com- 

 posed of natural scenery, can never exhibit those great con- 

 trasts produced by art, which are found in a country where 

 natural scenery prevails, and artificial scenery is only occasion- 

 ally met with; or in one where artificial scenery abounds, and 

 natural scenery is of rare occurrence. The scenery which is 

 comparatively rare, in either case, whether natural or artificial, 

 will be considered as the most beautiful, and as indicating wealth 

 and refinement in those who possess it. It thus appears that 

 the claim both of the ancient and modern styles to be reckoned 

 fine arts is entirely relative ; not depending on any quality of 

 their own, but on their scarcity or abundance relatively to the 

 general surface of the country in which they exist. 



It has been observed that, of the two styles, that which has 

 the greatest claim to be considered a fine art is the geometric 

 manner ; but the natural style has also certain claims, which it 

 would be unfair not to notice. The chief of these is the power 

 of selection possessed by the artist, who may imitate scenery of 

 a kind not to be met with in a given locality, and hence, to a 

 certain extent, produce landscapes which could; not be con- 

 founded with the common landscapes of the country. If he 

 carried this so far as to introduce only exotic trees and shrubs, 

 and, at the same time, to mark every part of the scenes he pro- 

 duced by art, in such a manner as that, while they resembled 

 nature, they could never be mistaken for fortuitous productions, 

 he will have gone as far towards rendering landscape-gardening 

 a fine art as the nature of things renders it possible to do. 



Before our readers decide as to which of these styles has the 

 greatest claim to be considered as a fine art, we request them to 

 reflect on the influence of novelty and fashion, and to consider 

 how very few persons there are who judge of any object of 

 taste whatever, with reference to any other quality than the 

 latter. It is commonly objected to the ancient style, that it is 

 unnatural ; by which appears to be meant that it is not like wild 

 nature; but, with the same propriety, all clothing might be de- 



Q a 4 



