330 
nature, it vs always found that the painter 
Insensibly falls into a habit of giving. a general 
air to his portraits, as suitable to one person 
as to another, or perhaps properly suited to 
none. 
In the portraits of pailicularlv distinguished 
characters, of men illustrious either for rank, 
virtue, great actions, or exalted talents, ex- 
actitude of representation, whether in beau- 
'ties or defects, cannot he too closely pursued. 
Portraits of such persons are to become the 
'Standing monuments of their high name to 
posterity; and in this instance every thing is 
precious that is faithful. 
The resemblance, as well as every other 
excellence, of a portrait, depends on feature, 
expression, air, colouring, attitude, and at- 
tire. 
The features require to be carefully exa- 
mined and studied by inspection in many dif- 
ferent views, so that at the moment when 
the painter puts his pencil to the canvas, he 
may be possessed not only of the apparent 
form of each particular feature in the view in 
which he represents it, but of its real and 
characteristic form also, the full expression 
of which is not discernible in every view. 
Each particular feature should appear so dis- 
tinctly shaped, as that an exact model of 
the real head could he formed from the pic- 
ture, if requisite; and tiiey must be at the 
same time so blended in the general mass of 
five face, that no one shall obtrude itself oil 
the eye beyond the rest. The peculiar mode 
of touch, or execution, whereby each feature 
is best discriminated, can only be learned 
from practice, and the attentive study of the 
best masters. 
For expression, the student is referred to 
the general rules already given under that 
article. See Expression. In addition to 
which, it is requisite to observe, that the 
greatest care is to be used in a portrait, in 
order that the expression of the features is 
uniform and consistent with each other. Er- 
rors in this respect are among the most fre- 
quent in portrait-painting. The mouth is 
sometimes represented smiling, while the 
eyes are sad, and vice versa, ivc. The 
painter must therefore constantly bear in 
mind the general idea that he has formed of 
the countenance he intends to express, and 
most be watchful of the corresponding forms 
of the features in moments of similar expres- 
sion. The portraits of Titian and Ratlaelle 
are pre-eminent in this point. The same re- 
mark here applied to the various minute 
parts of the face may be extended to ail the 
larger portions of the iigure. The same ex- 
pression must he clearly perceived in the 
motion or direction of the hands, arms, legs, 
and body, that appears to prevail in the 
countenance and turn of the head. It is 
this combination only which can give the 
exact resemblance of the expression of na- 
ture, under the impulse of which no particular 
limb ever deviates from the general intention 
«f the whole body. See Expression, 
The air principally regards the lines of the 
face or figure, the attire of the head or per- 
son, and the stature or make of the general 
form. 
The proper lines of the face or figure de- 
pend on accuracy of drawing, and an enlire 
agreement of the parts of the same form with 
one another. Nothing so entirely disguises 
or alters the appeal ante of an individual 
PAINTING. 
person as the change of head-dress, whether 
it is the adjustment of hair or attiru. The 
greatest attention, therefore, is to be used in 
adapting the arrangement of this part of the 
portrait to the general character of live per- 
son represented. 
'I lie stature and make, in the same man- 
ner, contribute to the force of resemblance 
(as the least observation on nature will teach 
us), and never fail considerably to inlluence 
the air of the person. It is therefore requi- 
site for the truth of portrait, that this part of 
the picture should be as faithfully studied 
from the sitter as the lace itself. 
With regard to the methods of proceedng 
in the execution of a portrait, they have 
been, and are, so exceedingly various in va- 
rious masters, that a discussion of them would 
lead to an endless labyrinth. We shall, 
how ever, select a curious statement of Van- 
dyck’s mode of practice, in the latter time of 
his eminence in this branch of painting, as it 
is related by Du Piles, on the authority of 
Jabac, a man well known to all the lovers of 
the line arts, and a friend of Vandyek, who 
thrice painted his portrait: 
Yandyck’s custom, as Jabac told me, was 
this: lie appointed both the day and hour for 
the person’s sitting, and worked not above an I 
hour on any portrait, either in rubbing in or | 
finishing; so that as soon as the clock in- 
formed him that the hour was out, he rose, 
and dismissed his sitter, appointing another 
hour on some other day. His servant then 
came to clean his pencils, and brought a 
fresh pallet, w hile he was receiving another 
sitter, whose day and hour he had also ap- 
pointed. j 
“ After having lightly dead-coloured the 
face, he put the sitter into some attitude 
w hich he had before contrived ; and on grey 
paper, with white and black crayons, he de- 
signed in a quarter of an hour his shape and 
drapery, which he disposed in a grand man- 
ner, and an exquisite taste. This drawing I 
he gave to skilful persons whom he kept 
about him, to paint from the sitter’s own 
clothes, which at Vandyck’s request were 
sent to him for that purpose. When his 
disciples had done the most they could to 
these draperies, he lightly went over them 
again ; and so in a little time, by his great 
knowledge, displayed the art and truth which 
we at this day admire in them.” 
Nothing varies more quickly, more dis- 
cernibly, or more frequently, than the colour 
of a sitter’s face. Great care must therefore 
be taken to establish an uniform judgment 
of the sitter in this respect also; for t lie co- 
louring of the skin or complexion, being an 
effusion of nature, tending to discover the 
true tempers of persons, exactness of imita- 
tion here becomes essential to the exhibition 
of character. It may be therefore expedient 
to watch the first moments of the appearance 
of colour in the sitter, who, sooner or later, 
from a continuance in one posture, loses 
those spirits, which, at his first sitting down, 
gave to every part of the face a livelier and 
fresher hue. There is no other point of paint- 
ing in which the paradox may be more truly 
asserted, “ that the painter who only paints 
what he sees will never arrive at perfect imi- 
tation.” 
The other classes of painting are sufficient- 
ly denoted by their names, excepting, the 
j last, viz. still life, of which it may be requisite 
; to add that the term is applied to all inani- 
j male objects, but chielly to household furni- 
; lure, ornaments, and instruments of use, &c. 
Sic. Ac. 
Modes and materials of painting. 
The different modes of painting now by 
! use are: 
| Oil painting; preferable to all other me- 
i tliods, as it admits of a perfect gradation of 
i tints in the most durable of all materials, ex- 
; cept those of 
j Mosaic painting ; in which an imitation of 
! objects is produced by the junction of a great 
! number ot small pieces of natural marble cf 
j different colours fixed in stucco, a mortar, so 
j that if the mortar is well prepared, the mo- 
I mmienls of this art may descend to the most 
i remote ages. Some of the w orks of the great 
| Italian masters have been excellently copied 
| in mosaic, and are to be seen in St. Peter’s 
church at Rome. 
Fresco painting; which Is performed with 
| colours diluted in water, and laid on a wall, 
j newly plaistered, with which they incorpo- 
rate, and are sometimes as durable as the 
stucco itself. 
_ Crayon painting; in which colours, either 
simple or compound, are ground in water 
mixed with gum, and made into small rolls- 
of a hard paste, which arc then used on paper 
or parchment. 
Miniature painting; which consists of co- 
lours prepared with water or gum, and laid 
on vellum or ivory. It is of course confined 
to works of a very small size. 
Enamel painting ; which is performed on 
copper or gold, with mineral colours, dried 
by tire. This method is also very durable. 
W ax, or encaustic painting; performed by. 
the mixture of wax with ihe varnish and co- 
lours. 
Painting on glass, too well known to need 
description, and performed by various me- 
thods. 
Painting in distemper; which is with co- 
lours mixed with size, whites of eggs, or any 
thin glutinous substance,, and used on paper, 
linen, silk, board, or wall. 
Painting in water-colours, more properly 
called limning: it is performed with colours 
mixed with water, gum, size, paste, &c. on 
paper, silk, and various other materials. 
1 o these is to be added elydorie painting,, 
consisting of a mixed use of’ oil-colours and* 
water. 
For a full account of some of these methods, 
•=ee their repesetive articles in this work 
I hose of which a farther explanation remains 
to be given are distemper, fresco, oil-painting, 
miniature, mosaic, and the elydorie method 
The three former shall be treated of accord- 
ing to their order in point of time. 
Fresco. Fresco is the most antient of all 
kinds ol paints, the most speedily executed, 
and sometimes the most remarkable for its 
durability. Norden speaks of some ruins of. 
Egyptian palaces, on the walls of which are 
colossal paintings, which are shewn by Winck- 
elman to have been executed in fresco. 
The fragments of antient painting handed 
down to us by the Romans are likewise in 
fresco. Could this stability of colour be cer- 
tain and constant, this mode of art would be 
preferable to all others, particularly in the 
decoration of palaces, temples, or other-Jar^e 
