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mere power of imitation : in the Rembrant, 

 it arose from the artist's choice of such ef- 

 fects of light and shadow, as alone, would 

 raise our admiration ; and, likewise, from 

 seeing those effects applied in such a man- 

 ner as to soften all the crudeness of objects 

 in themselves disgusting, without destroying 

 their naturalness. When he painted sub- 

 jects of a higher and more serious kind, the 

 buildings which he introduced, like the 

 dresses of his figures, are capriciously in- 

 vented, and of a style peculiar to himself. 

 He troubled himself very little about their 

 beauty, symmetry, or proportion ; his aim 

 was effect, which they are admirably calcu- 

 lated to produce : but however capricious 

 and singular, they never appear frittered 

 or unconnected ; for those great principles 

 of union and breadth, which he so eminent- 

 ly possessed, made him attend to forms, as 

 far as those principles were concerned. His 

 buildings, therefore, with all their singula- 

 rities, have often an air of gran deur as well 

 as of richness, which they would lose, if se- 

 parated from all that accompanies them ; 



