as being pleasant that we should therefore thinke the work-men worth our imitation We have as yet considered the Art of Painting in her first beginnings or rather in her swadling clouts and cradle it followeth now that wee should consider in the next Booke the progresse of this same Art and what hath set her on foot ⸪ THE SECOND BOOKE THE ARGUMENT THe naturall pronenesse which is in us of imitating all manner of things created as it hath ever been furthered and advanced by the ready helpe of our Phantasie so are there many other causes which have strangely cherished up this most forward inclination of our all-attempting natures but among such a great number of severall causes as are known to have promoted these Arts of Imitation wee must needs preferre God the onely fountaine of good things above all the rest whose infinite goodnesse was forthwith seconded by the diligent benevolence of loving Parents seeing they could not thinke their children well provided for untill they had found out for them a good and carefull Master the young men therefore being once by the helpe of their trusty Masters admitted to the secrets of art and being afterwards left to work out the rest by their own industry if they meant to depart from the wholsome precepts of their Teachers were kept in awe by the feare of most severe and strict lawes made against the corrupters of art but if they had on the contrary so much good nature as not to forsake the sinceritie of their first institution then did the Emulation of others that took a good course keepe them also in the right way and because the Ancients in a prodigious plainnesse of art did not so much study to have their workes commended for the choice exquisitnesse of costly colours as for the power and force of art it selfe these emulators also could not but be mindfull of that same simplicitie of art their hearts were in the mean time filled with a wonderfull sweetnesse of art delighting it selfe in this same plaine and prosperous way of emulation and gathering strength out of the manifold and every where obvious use of these arts as also out of the Honourable estimation these arts are held in with all men whereupon having once felt the tickling pleasure of the much desired glory they did merrily resolve on a most confident boldnesse of art remembring alwayes and above all things the Care due unto such grave and serious arts expressing likewise this sollicitude of theirs by a praise-worthy Ingenuitie in calling both artificers and idiots to assist them but as the heat of emulation the desire of glory and other causes here alleadged were much holpen by the publike felicity of peaceable and flourishing times so did the private fortune of the Artificers by I know not what hidden means bring them to a good and joyfull end LIB II. CHAP. I. GOD Almightie and Nature have questionlesse been a maine cause of the wonderfull encrease of these Arts of Imitation Certainly sayth Philostratus * In Prooemio Iconum if any man will speake after the manner of Sophists Picture is an invention of the Gods as well for that same painting which the severall seasons of the yeare doe paint the meads withall as for those things that doe appeare in the skie Would not you thinke the Sophists to be quick-witted and wonderfull eloquent men seeing they cleare such a great point in a few words The medowes forsooth garnished with flowers and the heaven distinguished with severall figures made up of starres and clouds are a sufficient proofe of what they say though it be very certaine that the most pleasant tapestries of the fields doe not so much helpe the Art as they doe delight the spectator that the wit of man hath set forth the constellations after the image of living and lifelesse things that the uncertaine shapes of clouds most commonly are likened unto any thing our wandring minde conceiveth The image of Pallas also knowne by the name of Palladium and all other Statues celebrated by antiquitie as if they were fallen downe from heaven are no warrantable argument to referre these Arts to the Gods none but vaine men tell such tales none but fooles entertain them since it is evident that mighty Kings have taken a singular delight in preparing such false miracles to deceive their miserable posterities withall How odiously tedious was the Citie of Ephesus in vaunting her selfe to bee the keeper of the great goddesse Diana and of the Image which fell down from Jupiter * Act. xix 35. and yet was shee for all her crackling and boasting abused by a statue brought from Alexandria for Ptolemaeus the King having sent every where for the most famous carvers to make secretly an accurat image of Diana when it was finished hee prepared a royall banquet for the Artificers the banquetting-house being first undermined wherefore none of them could escape but all were in the midst of that fatall feast swallowed up by the ruine of the place and so the true authors of the noble worke-manship being taken away it was easie enough for the King to make any one beleeve that such a compleat worke was sent down from heaven see Suidas or rather Isidorus Pelusiota * Lib. IV. epist 207. for Suidas hath borrowed this storie from him § 2. Seeing then that both the Sophisticall and Historicall proofes come to nothing it may seem best that we should returne to the first men the which as Censorinus speaketh * De die natali cap. 4. were created out of Prometheus his soft clay for so did Democritus Abderita first of all hold that men are made out of water and slime this is questionlesse our safest way seeing no wise man doth acknowledge any other Prometheus besides that power of Divine Providence expressed by Moses in the history of the creation see Genes II 7. compared with Lactantius divin instit lib. II cap. 11. see also Tertullian de Resurr carnis Fulgentius lib. II. Mythol Basilius Seleuciae episcopus orat II. Gregorius Nyssenus de Hominis opificio cap. 22. whence it is that the same Gregorius in another place * Orat. I. de Beatitudinibus calleth man an earthen statue and Suidas speaking of Adam saith this same was the first statue the image named by God after the which all the Art of carving used by men receiveth her directions so was then Adam the first statue made by God as Lots wife was the second see Genes xix 26. Remember Lots wife saith our Saviour Luke xvii 32. least therefore wee should quickly forget her shee seemeth to have been turned into a durable materiall for Plinie * Nat. hist lib. xxxi cap. 7. vide quoque Solinum cap. 31. doth mention some kind of salt which after the manner of stone quarreys withstandeth iron although the miraculous preservation of that statue doth not seeme to require that wee should conceive any such durablenesse of I know not what materiall
is needfull that an Artificer should first open the doore of fame unto himselfe before he may looke for any preferment We doe not judge of Statuaries sayth Socrates * Apud Xenophontem lib. III Apomnem making a conjecture of them by their owne words but we beleeve that he shall make the rest well who formerly hath shewed his skill in some other workes of that nature Corn. Celsus urgeth the same No body will have his Picture drawne sayth he * In Epistolà ad C. Julium Callistum but by an Artificer that is approoved of by good experiments § 2. In those Artificers that were commended for an equall force of Art there did very often appeare an unequall power of Fortune as Vitruvius prooveth by many instances Though Artificers sayth he * In praefatione libri Tertii make promise and vaunt of their skill if they have not store of money if they be not known by the ancient renowne of their shoppes if they want popular favour and eloquence the industry of their studies cannot gaine them so much authoritie as to make them be beleeved to know what they professe to know Wee finde this most of all in ancient Statuaries and Painters seeing the memory of none of them could be durable but of such as were graced by commendation and shewed some outward markes of dignitie This was the case of Myron Polycletus Phydias Lysippus and of others that gained a noble fame by means of their Art seeing they got this credit by working for Kings great Cities and noble Citizens Others on the contrarie which had no lesse industrie wit and subtiltie got no name at all because they wrought for ignoble and meane Citizens and it was rather want of Fortune then want of skill that did suppresse and obscure their fame such were Hellas Atheniensis Chiron Corinthius Myagrus Phocaeus Pharax Ephesius Bedas Byzantius and many more Some Painters also wanted Fortune as Aristomenes Thasius Polycles Atramitenus Nicomachus and others in whom there wanted neither industrie studie nor cunning but their owne povertie and their bad fortune that made them yeeld unto their competitors in a partially censured concertation did hinder their dignitie Plinie reporteth * Lib. xxxiv cap. 8. that Telephanes Phocaeus was lesse knowne by reason of the obscuritie of his ignoble dwelling place The same Author doth also witnesse elsewhere * Lib. xxxvi cap. 5. that such excellent workes of Scopas as might have made any other place famous were hardly knowne at Rome seeing a multitude of artificiall things did drowne there the glory of his workes The fame of diverse Artificers is somewhat obscure sayth Plinie againe * Lib. xxxvi cap. 5. and the great number of so many rare workmen doth very often hinder the renown of the most excellent workes of some seeing one alone cannot engrosse all the glorie and so many cannot be named all at once § 3. Seeing then that many Artificers were not so much unlike one unto another in their Art as in their Fortune it may seeme that there was a certaine kinde of ill-conceived opinion which did keepe downe some excellent Artificers and that others on the contrary got credit and authoritie by reason of a loving and favourable opinion The vulgar sort of men sayth Tullie * Pro Roscio comoedo doth most commonly judge many things according to a fore-conceived opinion not according to truth see also Aelianus var. hist lib. I cap. 24. The works of Zeuxis Polycletus and Phidias were much holpen by the fore-conceived opinion of the great skill these Artificers had see Maximus Tyrius Dissertat xxxix The selfe-same passion of our sense sayth Plutarch * Sympos probl lib. v quaest 1. doth not alike moove our minde when it is not accompanied with an opinion that the worke is well and studiously performed See Plutarch himselfe in the sayd place where among many other things belonging to this present discourse he bringeth in a merry tale of Parmeno his pigge THE THIRD BOOKE THE ARGUMENT HAving considered alreadie how Phantasie did help and stirre up our first desire of imitating all manner of things and how many other causes did mightily cherish and advance the sayd eagernesse of our forward natures it followeth that wee should last of all propound how this same inclination rightly inflamed and ordered did attain to the height of a perfect and accomplished Art The ancients observed in Picture these five principall points Invention or Historicall argument Proportion or Symmetrie Colour and therein Light and Shadow as also Brightnesse and Darknesse Motion or Life and therein Action and Passion Disposition or an Oeconomicall placing and ordering of the whole worke The foure first were carefully observed in all sorts of Pictures whether they did consist of one figure or of many Disposition alone was observed in Pictures that had many figures seeing a piece wherein there doe meete many and severall figures shall be nothing else but a kinde of mingle-mangle or a darksome and dead confusion of disagreeing things unlesse they receive light and life by a convenient and orderly disposition Yet did not the ancients think that the perfection of Art consisted in a meete observing of these five points except the whole worke did breath forth a certaine kinde of Grace proceeding out of a decent comelinesse of every point by itself and out of a mutuall accord of all five Wherefore wee could not but enter a little into the consideration of this same Grace the rather because without a full understanding of this Grace it is impossible that any man should examine the true force and value of these most fertile Arts aright LIB III. CHAP. I. INvention doth justly challenge the first and principall place seeing no man though he hath all his colours at hand sayth Seneca * Epist 71. can make a similitude unlesse he be resolved what to paint And whatsoever an Artificer worketh must according to the opinion of Zeno be dyed with the dye of sense Quintil. IV 2. The picture of compleat harnesse sayth Socrates * Apud Stobaeum Serm. de Adulatione though it be delightfull yet is it altogether unprofitable Ausonius speaketh to the same purpose a painted fogge sayth he * Epist 17. delighteth us no longer then it is seene Except it be such a painted mist as is described by the same Ausonius in another place * Edyllio 6. where the Painter doth represent the dimme shade of hellish blacknesse by a painted mist and designeth in it how the ancient Ladies torment the crucified Cupid in hell for having dishonoured them in the times of the Worthies An Artificer therefore must propound unto himselfe what he meaneth to imitate the which in such an infinite variety of things cannot be hard to a man that hath a ready Phantasie yea wee have good cause to feare that he shall rather loose himselfe not knowing what to choose among so many most worthy things The
Plinie * Lib. II. nat bist cap. 26. if peradventure afterwards any one would take upon him to be heire thereof Another doth not stick to prie into the most profound mysteries of Nature neither will he give his mind any rest till he hath in some measure conceived the nature of the floting clouds the cause of thunder lightning and of all those things that above or about the earth doe terrifie the heart of man He goeth about the search of those things with a very great confidence as knowing himselfe to be placed in this stately theater to view and to consider all such wonders of God Anaxagoras being asked to what end he was brought forth answered To behold the Sunne Moone and Heavens see Diogenes Laertius lib. II in the life of Anaxagoras Yea what is man I pray you but a creature approaching neerest unto God as Quintilian * Declamat CCLX speaketh and ordained to the contemplation of the things contained in the world see also Arriani Epict. lib. 1. cap. 6. Dionys Longinus de sublimi orat § 31. I amblichus in Protrept cap. 3. Although now Quintilian and all the other Authors speak very well to the purpose Tullie for all that commeth a great deal neerer to the point we have in hand man himselfe sayth he * Lib. II. de Naturâ Dcorum is borne to contemplate and to imitate the world not being any manner of way perfect but onely a small parcell of what is perfect § 2. As many then as are taken up with this kind of meditations might seeme to goe farre beyond the ordinary sort of men if they likewise were not left behind by them that doe not onely view but also imitate the wonders of Nature The painters sayth S. Chrysostome * Homiliâ in Psalmum L. after the mixing of their colours endeavour to set forth a lively similitude of diverse visible things thus doe they paint reasonable and unreasonable creatures trees warres battels streames of bloud pikes Kings ordinary men they make also a royall throne the King sitting a barbarous enemy throwne downe under his feet the points of speares running rivers goodly medowes to be short they prepare unto the spectators a very pleasant sight whilest they study by the force of their Art to expresse all manner of visible things The words of Isidorus Pelusiota are likewise worth noting the Painters sayth he * Lib. III. epist 161. when they make bodily shapes of things without bodie use sometimes to paint a lone hand which setteth a crowne upon the head of the Princes of this world signifying that this soveraign power is given them from heaven Socrates toucheth also the large extent of this Art when he sayth * Apud Xenophontem lib. III. Apomnem the Painters studie with their colours to expresse hollow and swelling darke and lightsome hard and soft rough and smooth new and old bodies Flowers among all other visible things shew the greatest varietie of colours yet have the Painters attempted to expresse the same as appeareth in the famous painter Pausias who being in love with his Country-woman Glycera was the first that assayed to bring the Art to such a wonderfull varietie of colours as there is to be seene in flowers for beholding sometimes how neatly shee did make garlands and being no lesse ravished with that dexterity ofhers then with her beautie he could not but take the pencill in his hand to strive with Nature it selfe see Plinie xxxv 10. Apelles likewise painted things that can not be painted Thunder and Lightning see Plinie in the same place It may seeme then that Theophylactus Simocatus did cast his eye upon some such like relation when he * Epist 37. maintaineth that Painters undertake to expresse such things as Nature is not able to doe § 3. It remaineth howsoever that among so many Art as doe procure us everlasting glory this Art is none of the meanest And as it is a very great matter to carry in our mind the true images both of living and lifelesse creatures so is it a greater matter to worke out a true and lively similitude of those inward images especially if the Artificer doth not tie his imitation to some particular though never so faire a body but followeth rather the perfection of an inward image made up in his mind by a most earnest and assiduous observation of all such bodies as in their owne kind are most excelling Such as carve images sayth Maximus Tyrius * Dissert VII having gathered all that in severall bodies is reputed to be faire bring it by the means of their art in one singular imitation of a convenient pure and well-proportioned beautie to passe neither shall you find in haste a body so accurately exact as to compare it with the beautie of a statue For the Arts doe ever seeke what is fairest Ovid seemeth to point at this when he doth describe Cyllarus the fairest of all the Centaures he had a pleasing livelinesse in his countenance sayth he * XII Metam and for as much as he was like a man so came his necke his shoulders his hands his brest neerest of all to the praise-worthy images of the Artists Wee are likewise to observe that Philostratus doth very often compare the beauty of the ancient heroicall Worthies with the beautie of artificiall Statues as you may see in his description of Protesilaus Euphorbus Neoptolemus and elsewhere If you doe take a man brought forth by Nature sayth Proclus * Lib. II. in Timaeum Platonis and another made by the art of carving yet shall not he that is made by Nature wholly seeme statelier For Art doth many things more exactly Ovid expresseth the same when he witnesseth * Metam that Pigmalion did carve the snow-white ivorie image with such a luckie dexteritie that it was altogether impossible such a woman should be borne Such Artificers therefore as carry in their mind an uncorrupt image of perfect beautie do most commonly powre forth into their workes some certaine glimmering sparkles of the inward beautie contained in their minds neither may we thinke this to be very easie for according to Apollonius Tyaneus * Epist 19. his opinion that which is best is alway hard to be found out hard to be judged It is also well observed by an ancient Orator * In Panegyr Maxim Const dicto that the imitation of a most absolute beautie is ever most hard and difficult and as it is an easie matter to set forth a true similitude of deformitie by her owne markes so on the contrary the similitude of a perfect beautie is as rarely seene as the beautie it selfe It was not unknowne unto Zeuxis sayth Tullie * In ipso statim initio lib. II. de Invent. that Nature would never bestow upon one particular bodie all the perfections of beautie seeing that nothing is so neatly shaped by Nature but there will alwayes in one or other part
first lines for scorning to give way to them that are more skilfull they betray their owne foolishnesse by the securitie of a wrongfully usurped authoritie The ancients were quite of another minde they followed another way Painters and such as make statues yea Poëts also sayth Tullie * Lib. I de Off. will have their worke considered of the multitude to the end it might he mended in what they see reprehended by many they search therefore most diligently by themselves and with others what faults there are committed in the worke The younger Plinie urgeth the same upon another occasion nothing can satisfie my care sayth he * Lib. VII Epist 17. I thinke still how great a matter it is to publish any thing neither can I perswade my selfe otherwise but that we are to peruse often and with many what wee wish might please all men and alwayes § 2. Besides those there is another sort of men who though they doe not out of a presumptuous arrogance reject this Ingenuous care of mending their workes yet doe they decline it out of a timorous bashfulnesse they want courage and constancy to provoke to exspect the judgement of the world A naughtie shame sayth Horace * Lib. I epist 16. doth conceale the unhealed soares of fooles neither is it without reason that the Poët brandeth them that doe so with the name of fooles seeing every vice is nurtured and quickened by hiding of it sayth Virgil * Lib. III. Georg. As many therefore as by smoothering of their imperfections will not encrease their faults and shame both at once must first studie to finde out and to amend of themselves what is amisse which if they despire to doe let them remember at least that there is exceeding great wisdome in a confessed ignorance as Minutius Felix speaketh * In Octavis and that ordinarily according to M. Porcius Cato his saying * Apud Livium li. xxxiv ab v. c. Such as are ashamed without cause shall not be ashamed when there is cause But of this same preposterous shame something is sayd alreadie cap. x § 2. of this second Booke § 3. All of us naturally are too much in love with our owne workes and selfe-love maketh that seeme gorgeous unto us wherein we our selves be Actors I know not how every man maketh very much of his owne doings So it is you love your owne and I love mine sayth Tullie lib. v. Tusc quaest Wee looke upon domesticke things after a familiar manner sayth Seneca * De Tranquanimi cap. 1. and favour doth then most of all hinder our judgement neither may you thinke otherwise but that wee are sooner overthrowne by our owne flattery then by the flattery of others This was understood by those that were to dedicate the statues of Amazons in the temple of Diana at Ephesus for when they were to dedicate them there they resolved to choose that piece of worke that should be accounted the best by the judgement of all the chiefe workmen there which appeared to them to be that that every one commended to be the best next his owne Plin. xxxiv 8. Seeing then it is naturall to all men to be too much in love with what is their owne there is great cause why wee should shake off this importunate presumption that will not give us leave to looke impartially upon our owne workes The ancient Artificers therefore that have been and are as yet most famous did relie more upon the judgement of other Artists then upon their owne liking So doth Synesius * Epist primâ report that Lysippus made use of Apelles and Apelles likewise made use of Lysippus Praxiteles also being asked which of his marble-workes he did like best answered Those that Nicias hath put his hand to see Plinie xxxv 11. § 4. Nether did they content themselves with Artificers alone but they did moreover desire a confluxe of envious and favourable spectators yea of all sorts of men suffering their workes indifferently to be censured by them all see the younger Plinie lib. VII epist 17. It is reported sayth Lucian * Pro Imaginib that Phidias when he made Jupiter for the Eleans and shewed it the first time stood behinde the doore listening what was commended and discommended in his worke one found fault with the grossenesse of the nose another with the length of the face a third had something else to say and when all the spectators were gone he retired himselfe againe to mend the worke according to what was liked by the greater part for he did not thinke the advice of such a multitude to be a small matter esteeming that so many saw many things better then he alone though he could not but remember himselfe to be Phidias Observe here in the meane while that when they gave unto abject and contemptible men such power over their workes it was not because they hoped to learne something by them that might advance the perfection of Art seeing it is a most idle thing sayth Tullie * Lib. V. Tuscul quaest vide quoque Aelianum lib. ii var. hist cap. 1 6. to exspect great matters from an assembly of those whom we contemne one by one as handy-crafts-men and barbarians Polycletus as we reade in Aelian tooke a fine course to make vulgar wittes understand themselves shewing unto them by a lively example that they were more likely to spoile then to helpe the Art if an Artificer should follow their judgement in all things see Aelianus var. hist lib. xiv cap. 8. The Artificers therefore did not admit their directions generally in every thing but they followed their motions onely in such things as did belong to their profession When Apelles had made any workes sayth Plinie * Lib. xxxv cap. 10. he exposeth them in a place where all that passed by might see them hiding himselfe in the meane time behinde the picture to hearken what faults were noted in his worke preferring the common people a most diligent Judge before his owne judgement and he is reported to have mended his worke upon the censure of a Shoo-maker who blamed the Artificer for having made fewer latchets in the inside of one of the pantoffles then of the other The Shoo-maker finding the worke the next day mended according to his advertisement grew proud and began to find fault with the legge also Whereupon Apelles could not containe himselfe any longer but looking forth from behinde the picture bid the Shoo-maker not meddle beyond the pantoffle which saying of his became afterwards a Proverbe CHAP. XIII THe publike felicitie of times must needs be put in among the causes of the advancement of these Arts seeing it cannot be conceived how the heat of Emulation the desire of glory the diligent care and a great many more of the causes alledged could doe any good without this Felicitie of times neither doe wee hold that the blissefulnesse of the ancient times did principally consist