PAINTING- 
as followers, formed a style better calcu- 
lated to amuse the eye than to satisfy the 
judgment; an inordinate but ill directed 
thirst of variety is the basis of this artificial 
system ; contrast is succeeded by contrast, 
opposition by opposition ; but as this princi- 
ple pervades all their works, the result is 
no variety at all, and their conduct niay be 
compared to that of the voluptuary, who, 
grasping at every enjoyment which presents 
itself, acrpures satiety instead of pleasure. 
Each subject, however different its charac- 
ter, is composed in a manner so similar to 
the other, that the spectator may view a 
gallery of such pictures, seldom discovering 
the subjects they are intended to represent, 
and without being afterwards enabled to 
call to mind one prominent feature distin- 
guishing the one from the other. 
If Raffaele can be said to have regu- 
lated his compositions by any particular 
rule or maxim, it was that of making each 
as unlike the other as possible, consistent 
with propriety of expression. Thus, in the 
cartoon of Christ giving the keys to Peter, 
the Apostles, all crowding together to be 
witnesses of the action, occupy the princi- 
pal part of the picture, and form a group 
in profile, the Saviour, although in the cor- 
ner of the picture, being nevertheless ren- 
dered evidently the principal figure, by the 
insulated situation given to him, as well as 
by the actions of the Apostles, who all press 
forward towards him, as to the centre of 
attraction. This cartoon ik finely con- 
trasted by the magnificent composition re- 
presenting the death of Ananias, where the 
Apostles form a group in the centre, and 
are all seen in front. That of Peter and 
John heating the cripple at the beautiful 
gate of the temple, is again strikingly dif- 
ferent from either of its companions, Raf- 
faele having there, with a boldness of which 
any but a sublime genius would have been 
incapable, intersected his composition by 
the columns of the portico. But though di- 
vided, it is true, into separate and almost 
eqral parts, neither the unity of action, 
nor the expression of the picture, is im- 
paired, whilst the effect produced is at once 
novel and beautiful. 
In the process of painting, design may 
properly be said to follow next after com- 
position j for although this part of the art 
is, in a certain degree, requisite, even in 
making the first rough sketch, it is not until 
afterwards that the artist exerts his utmost 
powers to give that exact proportion, that 
beauty of contour, and that grace and dig- 
nity of action and deportment to his figures 
which constitute the perfection of design; 
that which was first only hinted at is now 
to be defined : a few rude and careless 
lines wore sufficient in the sketch to indi- 
cate the general attitude arid expression of 
the figure, now the utmost precision is re- 
quired, not only in tlie outline pf the naked 
parts, but even in the delineation of the 
most complicated windings of a lock of 
hair, or the intricate folds of a drapery. 
A very high degree of excellence in design, 
is perhaps justly considered the greatest 
difficulty of painting. Many of the works 
of Raffaele, and his school, leave nothing to, 
be desired on the score of composition and 
expression. Colouring was carried to its 
highest pitch by Giorgione and Titian ; chi- 
aro-senro by Coreggio, Rubens, Rembrant, 
and others of the Dutch school ; but any 
thing approaching to perfection of design, 
if we except some of the figures of the 
great Michael Angelo, is rarely to be wit- 
nessed in the productions of modern art. 
The noble works of Grecian sculpture still 
remaining, sufficiently declare the decided 
superiority of the ancients in this particu- 
lar; a superiority indeed which the most 
enlightened judges have never ventured to 
dispute. 
The light clothing of the Grecian youth, 
which only half concealed the forms it co- 
vered, whilst it allowed full scope to the 
action and growth of the limbs ; their cere- 
monies, their athletic games and dances, 
frequently performed naked ; the great re- 
spect in which the arts of design were held 
amongst them, insomuch that the most 
beautiful of both sexes aspired to become 
the models of tlie painter or the sculptor : 
alt these advantages. Independently perhaps 
of some others which might be named, the 
artists of antiquity exclusively enjoyed, 
and we cannot tlierefore be surprised that 
their Ihinds were better stored with the 
ideas of fine form, and that they were bet- 
ter enabled to discriminate between the 
different degrees of beauty, and the varie- 
ties of character in the human frame, than 
is the lot of modern artists unaided as they 
are by such opportunities of study. 
The most perfect knowledge of form, 
however, only constitutes a part of that 
branch of painting which we term design : 
the art of fore-shortening, by which a limb, 
or a figure, although only occupying a dimi- 
nished space on the canvas, is rendered, in 
appearance, of its full length and magiii-. 
tude, is an equally indispensable object of 
