PURSES FY AS CF ES 
an imitation of nature; now, who can imi 
tate without confulting the original? But 
to come to what is more particularly the 
object of our inquiries; animal and vegetable 
life are the effence of landicape, and often are 
fecondary objects in hiftorical paintings; even 
the fculptor in his limited province would do 
well to acquire a correctnefs of defign with 
a perfect knowlege of the mufcles of animals. 
But the painter fhould have all this and more; 
he fhould be acquainted with all their vari- 
ous tints, their manner of living, their pe- 
culiar motions or attitudes, and their places 
of abode *, or he will fall into manifeft er- 
rors. 
Plurimus inde labor tabulas imitando juvabit 
Egregias, operumque typos, fed plura docebit 
Natura ante oculos prefens, nam firmat et auget 
Vim genii, ex illaque artem experientia complet +}. 
* That great artift, Mr. Ridinger, of dufburg, exceeds all 
others in the three laft particulars; nothing can equal his 
prints of animals for propriety of attitudes, for a juft idea of 
their way of life, and for the beautiful and natural fcenery 
that accompanies them. His fineft works are, his Wilde 
Thiere, Kleine Thiere, and ‘Fagdbare Thiere; but there are fearce 
any of his performances that can fail giving pleafure to all ad- 
mnirers of nature reprefented as herfelf. 
4 Frefnoy de arte graph. lin. 537+ : | 
Defcrip- 
