PAIN 
vered, or applied, the ufe of which permitted frequent 
changes in effect, and in arrangement of colours, with 
theaffurance of perfect unifon atthe conclufion, no means 
were wanting which lie could defire for the indulgence of 
the utmoft ftretch of his imagination. 
The event which gave rife to the exercife of painting 
with colours ground and mixed with oil, is fuppofed, with 
great reafon, to have been varnifhing-over pictures paint¬ 
ed with w'ater-colours; which, as they W'ere wrought up 
to the full refemblance of natural objects when the colours 
were dry, were rendered by the varniSh as deep in hue as 
when the materials were wetted to be employed : and thus 
a tone of effeft was fuperadded to the natural and ordi¬ 
nary one, purely artificial, but very engaging; and the 
more fo, when placed in oppofition to the'comparatively 
dull and tame eftedt of the former modes; wdiich of necef- 
fity lacked luftre, as they always dried with a deadened 
furface. 
The difcovery of this very effential advantage to the 
art of painting, which fo readily enabled it to outftep 
whatever had been previously done, has been, by moft 
authors who have written upon the fubjedf, attributed to 
John Van Eyck, in 1410. Though many doubt concern¬ 
ing the accuracy of this opinion, (fee Eyck, vol vii. p. 
142.) yet one thing remains clear, that, till after the 
time in which he lived, oil, as a vehicle for colour, was 
not in general ufe. No doubt can remain, that, if he 
did not actually firft apply it to the purpofe of his art, at 
leaft he firft ufed it effentially and effectually. His appli¬ 
cation of it would not otherwife have made, as Vanman- 
der fays, “ as much noife in the world as the difcovery 
of gunpowder by Bertoldo Schwartz had done near a 
century before nor would a native of Italy have taken 
the trouble of journeying to Flanders, and foliciting the 
friendship and inftrudtions of Van Eyck, as, Vafari fays, 
Antonella da Meftina did, could he have obtained the 
knowledge he fought at the coft of lefs trouble and time. 
Painting, according to Vanmander, the historian of the 
Flemish artifts, had been carried into Flanders about the 
time of Giotto, by fome Flemings, who went for the ex- 
prefs purpofe of learning it; and he fays that “ the mode 
of painting brought from Italy, was with gum and eggs ; 
having been fo pradtifed at Florence at its firft commence¬ 
ment by Cimabue.” It fpread in pradtice among the 
Germans about the fame time; and each of thefe coun¬ 
tries eftablKhed a mode of art, or Style, for themfelves. It 
was in Italy alone, however, that any true perception of 
what was the proper objedt of art appears to have been 
felt, and there it was firft exhibited; and even there it 
dates its principal exertions from one city and its depen¬ 
dencies ; viz. Florence. In this place alone it remained 
pure in its objedt, the delineation of charadter and ex- 
pretlion, with feledtion of form, and Simplicity, and un¬ 
mixed purity of eft’edt. A Style of defign, which, pur- 
fuing the firft inunilfe of the art, viz. the representation 
of events at their moft impreSlive moments, leaves minor 
objects out of consideration, and aims Solely at fulfilling 
its purposes in an intuitive manner upon the mind of an 
obferver. That Style Giotto had founded; it was im¬ 
proved in eSfedt by Maffaccio, Strengthened by Bartolomeo 
della Porta and Leonardo da Vinci, and finally perfedted 
by Raphael and Michael Angelo. 
To this molt important aim of the art the introduc¬ 
tion of oil in painting brought no efficient aid. What 
has been Said of its benefits, applies only to the orna¬ 
mental, or lefs important, applications of it. The ob- 
jedts of the grand Style, viz. beauty of defign, and pu¬ 
rity of expreflion, the weakest materials are capable of 
prefenting to the imagination ; and therefore, notwith¬ 
standing the brilliancy of colour and effedt which was 
afforded by the ufe of oil, it was in great meafure disre¬ 
garded by the Florentines; or, if employed by them, they 
carried into its pradtice the defedtive hues of frefco ; to 
the exception of Leonardo da Vinci, and Fra. Bartolomeo 
della Porta, (born at Florence in 1479,) who followed 
T I N G. 223 
clofely the line of colouring laid down by the former, his 
immediate predeceSSor. To him the art is indebted for 
the firSt conception of the union of true grandeur of Style 
in defign, with a Suitable dignity and depth of colouring. 
The Subjects he chofe were generally of a religious kind, 
which nearly excluded naked figures ; but he amply com¬ 
pensated for that, by the mode in which hecompofed his 
draperies and arranged his groups. Of him Raphael is 
fuppofed to have acquired more information than from 
any other Source, till he had Seen the works of M. Angelo 
in the SiStini chapel. It was Bartolomeo who changed 
the tafte he had imbibed from his matter Pietro Perugiuo, 
and directed it in the courfe wherein he afterwards lur- 
palfed all that the modern art of painting had effedted. 
Michael Angelo was contemporary with Leonardo da 
Vinci ; and furpaffed him in grandeur, in boldnefs of 
conception, and in knowledge of defign; but Leonardo 
was fuperior to him in all the amiable parts of the art. 
Leonardo, pofieffed of a fine imagination, and full of fea¬ 
sibility, devoted himfelf, in painting, to exprels the affec¬ 
tions of the foul; and if, in this Sublime branch of the 
art, he was afterwards furpaffed by Raphael, he had at 
lealt the glory not only of exceeding all the painters who 
went before him, but of purfuing a path which none of 
them had attempted. Michael Angelo, lefs formed to 
experience Sweet affections than vehement paffions, Sought 
in nature what the Strength of man might accompli(li, 
not that which constitutes beauty. He delighted in be¬ 
ing great and terrible, more than in graceful and plea¬ 
ting attitudes. Well acquainted with anatomy, he knew 
more exadtly than any other artift in what manner to ex- 
prefs the joining of the bones of the body, and the of¬ 
fice and infection of the mufcles : but, too eager to dis¬ 
play his knowledge of anatomy, he Seems to have forgot¬ 
ten that the mufcles are foftened by the Skin which co¬ 
vers them ; and that they are lefs vifible in children, in 
women, and in young men, than in confirmed and vi¬ 
gorous manhood. “ In his figures (fays Mengs) the 
articulations of the mufcles are fo eafy and free, that 
they appear to be made for the attitude in which he re¬ 
presents them. The fleShy parts are too much rounded, 
and the mufcles are in general too large, and of too equal 
Strength. You never perceive in his figures a mufcle at 
reft ; and, although he knew' admirably well how to place 
them, their adtion is very frequently inconfiftent with 
their Situation.” 
“ He did not poffefs (fays Sir JoShua Reynolds) fo many 
delightful parts of the art as Raphael; but thole which 
he had acquired w’ere of a more Sublime nature. He Saw 
in painting little more than what might be attained in 
Sculpture ; and he confined it to exadtnefs of form, and 
the expreffion of paffions. He never attempted the lelfer 
elegancies and graces in the art. Vafari fays, he never 
painted but one picture in oil; and refolved never to paint 
another, faying it was an employment only fit for women 
and children. If any man had a right to look down 
upon the lower accomplishments as beneath his attention, 
it was certainly Michael Angelo ; nor can it be thought 
Strange, that Such a mind Should have flighted; or have 
been withheld from paying due attention to, thofe graces 
and embellifhments of art which have diffused Such luftre 
over the works of other painters.” 
Roman School.— Ancient Rome, rich with the works 
brought from Greece, or finished in its own bofom by 
Grecian artifts, handed down in its ruins the remains of 
that glory to which it had been elevated. It was by the 
ftudy of thefe remains that the modern artifts were 
formed: they derived from them the knowledge of de¬ 
fign, the beauty of exq.uifite forms, greatnels of Style, 
and juftnefs of expreffion, carried to that length only 
which did not affedt the beauty of the figure •. from them 
a-lfo they derived the principles of the art of drapery ; and 
they followed thefe principles even while they made the 
drapery of modern paintings more large and flowing than 
what was pradtifed by the ancient fculptors. The Roman 
fchool 
