INVENTION. 



■ctUI recal to his memory tlicfe fcenes and vaiied anions impoffibility. Mr. Opie, in his Difcourfe on Invention deli- 

 and combinations of heads and figures, and that diftribution vered in the Royal Academy, fays upon the fame point, 

 and degree of light and fh-idc which he may have obferved " that in the exercife of invention in the imitative arts, all 

 IB nature to be moa afftding ; and, placing them in fitiiations pofiible licence may be granted, and any degree of the ex- 

 proper for his purpofe, he will endeavour to carry their efFed traordinary be indulged, which does not incur the cenfure of 

 to the highefl pomt of perfeftion. His principal difficulty beirg extravagant : provided that the trains of ideas be 

 •will be, as far as relates to the invention, to clear his work pcrfeClly connetted, and the whole confident with itfelf : 

 of whatever is not neccflaiy to difplay its charat\er effec- that there be nothing fufFered to intermix which checks the 

 lively; to feizc upon the mod juft and powerfully defcriptive progrefs of the imagination, expofes the contrivance or il- 

 moment in the occurrence, and, collecling together only lufions, and recals a different fet of principles to the mind." 

 what julUy belongs to it, impart to thofe materials he felects To the verge of this limit the artiil may indulge his fancy, 

 the utmoft degree of intereit pofllble within the boundary and exert his powers. When he goes beyond it, and 

 of his art. launches forth into a world of mere fanciful imagery, he 



He who tells his ftory in the moft natural, and at the may flatter himfeif that he is working wonders, but in fad 

 fame time, dignified method ; v.ho brings forth im.agcs at he will be regarded as a dealer in legerdemain, as one falfifying 

 once intelligent and corred ; and, combining them in an his intelledual powers ; and will only excite ridicule and 

 aijreeable manner, impreffes the mind of an obferver v.ith mere furprife, infteadof that adm.iration which men of found 

 the full fcope of his intention, without evidently exhibiting fcnfe can alone enjoy. The true inventor will feek only for 

 the art he has employed, is certainly entitled to the praife the moft natural and dired means of difclofing his ideas, of 

 ef the greatcll inventor : not lie, who, to be ftriking and imparting that information he wifties to convey, "be it of 

 impofing, compofes attitudes for paflion<i,inilead of allowing what nature it may. Thus Hogarth ranks with the very 

 feehng and nature to govern him ; and fancies, when he has firll among the pofleffors of this almolt god-like quality ; 

 furprifed by ftrong contrail or brilliant colouring, that he notwithilanding his fubjeds were of a low and frequently 

 has effeded the purpofes of art. vulgar call. How admirably fimple, and yet how com. 



Sometimes, indeed, the painter is called upon, like the pletely efFedive, is his figure of a Woman fetting fire to the 

 poet, to tread in fairy ground, and illullrate his fubjed by Map of the World in the Bagnio Scene in the Rake's Pro- 

 images of beings found only in the regions of imagination; grefs ! He evidently meant to convey tlie idea of the mif- 

 but he is not at liberty to indulge his fancy fo freely as the chievous power of female beauty when the pofTefTor of it is 

 poet. Forms defcribed do not -make fo ftrong imprelTions fordid, felfiih, treacherous, and bafe ! Can words convey it 

 on the fenfe as thofe prefented lo the eye by lines and colours; more explicitly J It would be almoft endlefs, and certainly 

 and many a high-flown indulgence of the inventive faculty needlefs, to point out the numerous inilances with which his 

 ■which paifes current, nay, is even allowable in poetry, wou'd works abound of the fame efFedive fimphcity and truth of 

 dwindle into pure grotefque if laid upon canvas, or wrought imagery, which render them fo admirably attrai\ive and 

 in fculpture ; and would more difgutt and difappoint, than ufeful. Sir Jofhua Reynolds, in his pidure of the death of 

 gratify a fcnilble mind. Such is Milton's defcription of cardinal Beaufort, has been equally fuccefsful. Shiikfpeare 

 Deatli. The obfcurity of the language in which this de- informs us that he died in the utmoft agonies of confcience 

 fcription of the all-fubduing fon and paramour of Sin is without any truil in God, any hope of falvation ; the tor- 

 enveloped, alone renders it efFedive in the poem. In painting, tures of his mind convulfing him more than the agonies of 

 it is idle wafte of time to attempt it. body. The painter would only reprefent a man writhing 



« The other fliape, with violent pain ; and therefore, to give another charader 



If fhape it might be called that fliape had none ^"^ ^^"""'"^"V % '^' reprefentat.on, having effeded the ap- 



T^a- -n, ui ■ u • • » V u pearance of lufterinET, he introduced the fiend, "grnininiT 



Diftinr;ui(hable m member, |Oint or limb, f .,, , ,,, r *?,.,>., . . r , S_r '' 



/-, r 1 (\ • I ^ i_ 11 J .1 . fl I r J hornblva ffhaltlv imile, which at once iniorms the obtervcrs 



Or fubllance might be called, that fliadowfeemed, r , ' " ' j u- i .u j • j 



T? u r J -.u » of the agency under which the dyin^ man is tortured, 



r or each teemed either," iir-.i ^Ti ■ i- i i, i u r i ji i ii 



\V ithout this hgure, which has been io louGiy reprobated by 



is language fublimely efFedive of the intention of the poet, many who probably regarded beauty rather than fentimcnt, 



and conveys in its no meaning (when ftrictly examined) an the work would have been merely a reprofentation of a fick 



indiftind and vague idea of the nature of the monfter, juft man dying in pain, and an aflembla^ of beautiful colour-;, 



as the defcription itfelf is cQntradidory and indiilind. Still The fiend decidedly ftanips its charader with his own ; and 



the mint! of the reader is filled with figure and idea fufficient perhaps by a fimilar figure alone, can we be informed of the 



for the poet's purpofe, and the degree of intereft excited by nature of the torments the cardinal endured, without refort- 



the appalhng tremendous circumilances of the moment and ing to the original Gothic mode, of introducing a label from 



in fuccelFion, draws off his attention from dwelling long the mouth or over the head of the figure, 

 enough to difcover the illufion. But once embody the idea In every branch of the art inveiition is demanded, and 



it is made to convey in a pidure, where every image remains without it, tamenefs and inlipidity will be the refult of 



for examination, and meets the eye, not vaguely, for then it the artift's labours. In drawing, in colouring, and in chiaro- 



would be no image, but apart and diftind, and it becomes fcuro, feledion, or that ideal beauty of form, force and 



abfurd ; the (hadow, fubilantial, or fublimity'is overpowered effed on which all lovers of the arts alone delight to dwell, 



by obfcurity. is entirely an effort of invention. To it we owe the bcauti- 



The inventor is at liberty to combine all that is pofiible or ful and fubhme forms of the llatues of the heathen gods, 



probable with all that is real ; or dwell in poffibilities or and the grand ilyle of defign of which Michae! Angclo and 



probabilities alone. There is a limit, however, to his ex- Lionardo daVinci are the parents : the rich, deep, and harmo- 



ertions, which is, that whatever be the nature of liis fubjed, nious ilyle of colouring of Titian, Giorgione, and Rubens; 



it (hould have fiich a degree of unifon with our ideas of ex- the magic fweetnefs of efFed, or chiaro-fcuro, in Correggio, 



iftence, convey fuch an air of real femblance, or be fo com- and the force and brilhancy of it in Rembrandt. To Ra- 



pounded in its parts, as not to Ihock us with an apparent phael, however, it is that the art is indebted for the noblcll 



violation of the laws of nature, or the appearance of Lct»l ufe of invention. His objed always aj'pears to have been tbe 



iliullration 



