245 
PAINTING. 
with the (lores of nature and of art, has not formed the 
bafis of the work; and if an enthufiaftic feeling of ex- 
yireflion does not pervade every part, and add, with its 
glowing energy, the true and forcible imprefiion of life, 
of motive, and of motion. 
The belt mode of acquiring the practical part of paint¬ 
ing, is certainly, in the firft inftance, to copy the works 
of good painters, under the guidance of an able inftruc- 
tor. Slight, however, in comparifon with the objeCl, is 
all that tuition can afford in this matter. The arrange¬ 
ment of the pallet, the preparation of colours, the general 
principles of their union or oppofition, and confequently 
the order of their molt agreeable arrangements and molt 
powerful effects, together with the belt or readielt mode 
of exercifing the implements of the art, may of courfe be 
communicated and learnt. The mind may be directed to 
feek for refinement in talte of form and colour, and to fe- 
leCt and combine them; but will be taught in vain, un- 
lefs nature has implanted the feeds of difcrimination, of 
judgment, and of talte, itfelf. And, even if fomewhat 
of this fhould be imbibed, vain is every effort to impart 
imagination, invention, or the feeling of expreflion : thel'e 
are qualities, improvable, when poffelfed, by exercife and 
Itudy; but not to be created by the power of man. To 
thole who, poffelfing them, feel the inclination to Itudy 
the art of painting, we would fay, The true mode of 
learning to rival the fuccefsful efforts of the great mailers, 
is not by copying fervilely the furfaces of their works; 
but, when the power of execution is in part obtained, 
endeavour, while copying, to fearch into the principles 
by which compofitions are arranged, and upon which 
their execution is effected ; what are the peculiar features 
of colour, or of handling, that give the character of grace 
and tafte exprelfed in them ; and what peculiar traits of 
imagination molt beautifully and moil j.uftly develop 
their fubjefts, In invefligating pictures with views dic¬ 
tated by fuch defires, it will frequently be found, that 
what appears to fuperficial obfervers mere freaks of fancy, 
mere recreation or indulgence of the pencil, is the refult 
of the moll deeply inventive faculty, and admitted, not 
for pleafure only, but for the moll important purpofes. 
Such, to inftance in a work open every feafon to the in- 
fpeCtion of artifts by the liberality' of the marquis of 
Stafford, is the little vafe in the middle of Titian’s pic¬ 
ture of the Bath of Diana. To the common obferver it 
prefents, as intended, a proper accompaniment to the 
toilet of the goddefs, perhaps a veffel containing perfume, 
no matter whether difpofed-of here or there, provided it 
were introduced ; yet more an ornament than a neceffary 
adjunCt in the compolition : in the eyes of the artill, it is 
beheld as an inftrument of ineftimable value, in preferv- 
ing the brilliancy and richnefs of ftblh in full yet juft 
character, by its own fuperior power of reflection ; and 
producing a brilliant focus to the light of the picture, 
without attracting the eye too powerfully to itfelf; not to 
fpeak of its interrupting, by its beautiful form, the too- 
great regularity of the mafs of (tone-work on which it 
Hands. 
It fhould never be forgotten, that there is v no mode of 
obtaining excellence in painting but by a regular and 
fteady purfuit. Let the original foundation of genius 
and talent be as good as it may, nothing fhort of perfe- 
vering induftry can raile the fuperftrufture. “ There is 
no royal road to geometry,” faid an Egyptian phiiofopher 
to his fovereign, “ I know of no eafy way to become a 
good painter,” was the frequent remark of fir Jolhua Rey¬ 
nolds to his pupils, There is indeed no fliort cut whereby 
the painter may arrive at the end of his courfe, and ef~ 
cape the labours of ftudy and exercife; and of this the 
praCtice of the very greateft artifts are fatisfaftory proofs. 
Apelles, it is faid, never allowed a day to pal's without 
exerciling his art in a greater or lefs degree. The in- 
duftrious exertions of the molt able of the Italian artifts 
are on record; and our own great example, flrjofliua 
Reynolds, is a holt in himlelf: the immenie quantity of 
Vol. XVIII. No. 1239. 
his works amply teftifying his induftry, as well as his at¬ 
tachment to the art. Indeed, without that entire de- 
votednefs which fuperfedes, though it does not exclude, 
all attention to other objeCls, it is impoflible to obtain 
that facility of hand, or intelligence of mind, which re¬ 
forts to the proper fources for a fupply of materials to fill 
the canvas, to improve or embellilh a compofition, to 
fupply deficiencies or correCt defeCts, by a prompt and 
happy recolleClion of the rnoft appropriate objeCls in form 
or colour. 
The power of execution in painting being fecured, the 
next ftep is to invent compofitions, and execute the parts 
from nature; combining them with the principles of the 
art. Then comes the proof, whether the Undent has felt 
in his previous ftudies like an artiit, or only as a man pof- 
fefling no higher qualifications, than thofe with which 
his fellow-mortals in general are endowed. 
When we confider the general extent of the gratifica¬ 
tion and information afforded tty painting, it is extraor¬ 
dinary that a due attention to its principles is not yet ad¬ 
mitted as a portion of polite education ; lince the know¬ 
ledge of them fo evidently increafes the pleafure the art 
is capable of producing: the more particularly when,, 
among the higher claffes of mankind, it forms fo very 
conftant and material a fource of their delights, and is fo 
conllantly alfo a fubjeCl of difcuflion, although arifing 
from, and pretty generally decided by, fenfation, rather 
than reafon ; and neceffarily fo indeed ! “ What can we 
reafon, but from what we know ?” 'Pope has juftly faid ; 
and how can they decide with reafon upon the merits of 
a work, who are ignorant of the principles upon which 
it is conftruCled ? Yet fo much of it is felt to be defi- 
rable, that every gentleman and lady conceives it necef¬ 
fary to learn to draw, regarding the art as worthy of a 
partial devotion of time; but this is generally effected in 
fo inferior a degree, as to leave the polilhed learner ut¬ 
terly uninformed of its higher claims, its worthier ob¬ 
jeCls, and its real utility. 
To be truly a connoiffeur or a judge of the qualities of 
painting when exercifed in its higheft ftyle, requires, not- 
withftanding. the impertinent flippancy of thoufuids of 
pretenders, a peculiar cultivation of mind ; quite as 
much fo as any other art orfcience requires an initiation 
into its principles, to be a judge of its effeCls. Our art, 
however, appealing to the fenfe of fight more than to 
reafon, and producing its effeCls from the reprefentation 
of well-known objeCts, has a great advantage over others, 
in that its end is more eafily comprehended, although the 
principles which govern its praClice are not lefs abftrufe 
and difficult of application. Moft men, therefore, of 
good mental capacities, are capable of underll.mding and 
feeling the grand and general points; fu'ch as of colour, 
whether it be like that of natural objeCls under peculiar 
circumftances; of expreffion ; and if the ftcry be fully 
and clearly exhibited ; and of the general effeCl of the 
chiaro-fcuro, whether it prefent an agreeable furface to 
the eye, &c. but of the fuhtleties of arrangement and 
execution, whereby difficulties arifing from the nature 
and difunion of the materials and parts are overcome; of 
the delicate hues, which are covertly introduced to pro¬ 
duce harmony; and of the art which attaches light to 
light, and dark to dark, to produce mafl'es, without vio¬ 
lating the principles of nature; of thefe things, hidden 
as they are in the myftery of the art, none but an artill 
can well judge. 
This valuable art has, in the courfe of the world, been 
generally regarded as worthy of the greateft honours, and 
its eminent profelfors of a proportional fhare of eftimation 
and rewards. Some of the greateft among men have, at 
different periods,-upheld this opinion of its excellence, 
as its hiftory teftifies; but Pericles, at the head of the 
Athenian republic, was-the firft who duly eftimated its 
value as a national political inftrument; and encouraging 
it, in conjunction with fculpture and architecture, laid, 
in part, the bafis cf the long-continued fame of the city. 
3 R He 
