Seven Discourses on Art | Page 9

and consequently how
ineffectually, instruction is received when forced upon the mind by
others. Few have been taught to any purpose who have not been their
own teachers. We prefer those instructions which we have given
ourselves, from our affection to the instructor; and they are more
effectual, from being received into the mind at the very time when it is
most open and eager to receive them.
With respect to the pictures that you are to choose for your models, I
could wish that you would take the world's opinion rather than your

own. In other words, I would have you choose those of established
reputation rather than follow your own fancy. If you should not admire
them at first, you will, by endeavouring to imitate them, find that the
world has not been mistaken.
It is not an easy task to point out those various excellences for your
imitation which he distributed amongst the various schools. An
endeavour to do this may perhaps be the subject of some future
discourse. I will, therefore, at present only recommend a model for
style in painting, which is a branch of the art more immediately
necessary to the young student. Style in painting is the same as in
writing, a power over materials, whether words or colours, by which
conceptions or sentiments are conveyed. And in this Lodovico
Carrache (I mean in his best works) appears to me to approach the
nearest to perfection. His unaffected breadth of light and shadow, the
simplicity of colouring, which holding its proper rank, does not draw
aside the least part of the attention from the subject, and the solemn
effect of that twilight which seems diffused over his pictures, appear to
me to correspond with grave and dignified subjects, better than the
more artificial brilliancy of sunshine which enlightens the pictures of
Titian. Though Tintoret thought that Titian's colouring was the model
of perfection, and would correspond even with the sublime of Michael
Angelo; and that if Angelo had coloured like Titian, or Titian designed
like Angelo, the world would once have had a perfect painter.
It is our misfortune, however, that those works of Carrache which I
would recommend to the student are not often found out of Bologna.
The "St. Francis in the midst of his Friars," "The Transfiguration," "The
Birth of St. John the Baptist," "The Calling of St. Matthew," the "St.
Jerome," the fresco paintings in the Zampieri Palace, are all worthy the
attention of the student. And I think those who travel would do well to
allot a much greater portion of their time to that city than it has been
hitherto the custom to bestow.
In this art, as in others, there are many teachers who profess to show
the nearest way to excellence, and many expedients have been invented
by which the toil of study might be saved. But let no man be seduced to
idleness by specious promises. Excellence is never granted to man but
as the reward of labour. It argues, indeed, no small strength of mind to
persevere in habits of industry, without the pleasure of perceiving those

advances; which, like the hand of a clock, whilst they make hourly
approaches to their point, yet proceed so slowly as to escape
observation. A facility of drawing, like that of playing upon a musical
instrument, cannot be acquired but by an infinite number of acts. I need
not, therefore, enforce by many words the necessity of continual
application; nor tell you that the port-crayon ought to be for ever in
your hands. Various methods will occur to you by which this power
may be acquired. I would particularly recommend that after your return
from the academy (where I suppose your attendance to be constant) you
would endeavour to draw the figure by memory. I will even venture to
add, that by perseverance in this custom, you will become able to draw
the human figure tolerably correct, with as little effort of the mind as to
trace with a pen the letters of the alphabet.
That this facility is not unattainable, some members in this academy
give a sufficient proof. And, be assured, that if this power is not
acquired whilst you are young, there will be no time for it afterwards:
at least, the attempt will be attended with as much difficulty as those
experience who learn to read or write after they have arrived to the age
of maturity.
But while I mention the port-crayon as the student's constant
companion, he must still remember that the pencil is the instrument by
which he must hope to obtain eminence. What, therefore, I wish to
impress upon you is, that whenever an opportunity offers, you paint
your studies instead of drawing them. This will give you such a