Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub
[graphic]
[ocr errors]

Surely, ver needed, or gabelp Raffaelle's

ugh the noble ftructure is

us extraordinary man lay in the

jey of his characters, his judicious upofition, correctness of drawing, purity of

al accommodation of other men's conceptions to ale. Nobody excelled him in that judgment, with anted, to his own obfervations on nature, the energy of Angelo, and the beauty and fimplicity of the antique. 17 e quellion therefore, Which ought to hold the firit rank, Belle or Michael Angelo? it mit be aufwered, that if it is on to him who poffed a greater combination of the higher qualities of the art than any other man, there is no doubt but Ruelle is the ink. But if, according to Longinus, the fabline, being the highest excellence that human compofition can attain to, adundantly compensates the absence of every other beauty, and ages for all other deficiencies, then Michael Angelo demands the preference

→ There we exordiary men carried fome of the higher ex collects of the age degree of perfection than probably her er da letes. There have not been excelled, not equaled inco. Nar of the clues were induced to leave

this

[graphic]

brings the vanifh'd piles to view,
aginary Rome a-new,

dy'd marbles fix our eye;

MISCELLANITS.

s, and to join'd our name

ch long fucceeding ac

ifh, like theirs, our fare and fas

rage

we came

flames

[merged small][ocr errors]

e demands a figh;

wearied we compare,

ith thy lov'd Guido's air,
io's fofter line,

[blocks in formation]

35

Yet

path, endeavouring to furprife and Common or new. When this defire after

ed from mere idlenefs or caprice, it is not worth criticism; but when it has been in confequence of a ad, of a peculiar complexion, it is always ftriking and in. .etting, never infipid.

"Such is the great ftyle as it appears in thofe who poffeffed it at its height, in this, fearch after novelty, in conception or in treating the fubject, has no place." WARTON.

VER.

R. 30. Or feek] This last line is inferior to the three preceding ones: because it paffes from particular images to fomething general.

WARTON.

VER. 33. well-fudy'd marbles] Jervas was fent to Italy at the expence of Dr. Clarke, Member of Parliament for the University of Oxford, of All-Souls College. WARTON.

VER. 37. Carracci's] "Give me a good outline, and bricks in the middle," faid Annibal Carracci. Agostino has left an elegant fonnet on painting. Sir Joshua Reynolds told me he did not think thefe artists exactly characterized by Pope.

WARTON.

VER. 39. How finifb'd] Mr. Mafon has tranflated Fresnoy with elegance and fidelity; and Sir Joshua Reynolds added to the tranflation, learned, useful, fcientifical, and ingenious notes.

[ocr errors]

"Guido," fays Sir Joshua Reynolds, (Difcourfes, p. 155.) "from want of choice in adapting his fubject to his ideas and powers, or in attempting to preferve beauty where it could not be

preferved,

With thee repofe, where Tully once was laid,

Or feek fome Ruin's formidable fhade:

NOTES.

30

While

"If we put thofe great artists in a light of comparison with each other, Raffaelle had more taste and fancy, Michael Angelo had more genius and imagination; the one excelled in beauty, the other in energy. Michael Angelo has more of the poetical inspiration, his ideas are vaft and fublime, his people are a fuperior order of beings; there is nothing about them, nothing in the air of their actions, or their attitudes, or the style and caft of their very limbs or features, that puts one in mind of their belonging to our own species. Raffaelle's imagination is not fo elevated; his figures are not so much disjoined from our own diminutive race of beings, though his ideas are chaste, noble, and of great conformity to their fubjects. Michael Angelo's works have a ftrong, peculiar, and marked character; they feem to proceed from his own mind entirely, and that mind fo rich and abundant, that he never needed, or feemed to difdain, to look abroad for foreign help. Raffaelle's materials are generally borrowed, though the noble structure is his own. The excellency of this extraordinary man lay in the propriety, beauty, and majesty of his characters, his judicious contrivance of his compofition, correctnefs of drawing, purity of tafte, and the skilful accommodation of other men's conceptions to his own purpose. Nobody excelled him in that judgment, with which he united, to his own obfervations on nature, the energy of Michael Angelo, and the beauty and fimplicity of the antique. To the question therefore, Which ought to hold the first rank, Raffaelle or Michael Angelo? it must be answered, that if it is given to him who poffeffed a greater combination of the higher qualities of the art than any other man, there is no doubt but Raffaelle is the firft. But if, according to Longinus, the fublime, being the higheft excellence that human compofition can attain to, abundantly compenfates the abfence of every other beauty, and atones for all other deficiencies, then Michael Angelo demands the preference.

"These two extraordinary men carried fome of the higher excellencies of the art to a higher degree of perfection than probably they ever arrived at before. They certainly have not been excelled, nox equalled fince. Many of their fucceffors were induced to leave

this

While Fancy brings the vanifh'd piles to view,
And builds imaginary Rome a-new,

Here thy well-study'd marbles fix our eye;
A fading Fresco here demands a figh;

Each heav'nly piece unwearied we compare,

35

Match Raphael's grace with thy lov'd Guido's air,
Carracci's strength, Correggio's fofter line,
Paulo's free stroke, and Titian's warmth divine.
How finish'd with illuftrious toil appears!
This fmall, well-polish'd Gem, the work of years!

NOTES.

Yet

this great road as a beaten path, endeavouring to furprise and please by fomething uncommon or new. When this defire after novelty has proceeded from mere idlenefs or caprice, it is not worth the trouble of criticism; but when it has been in consequence of a bufy mind, of a peculiar complexion, it is always striking and interefting, never infipid.

"Such is the great ftyle as it appears in those who poffeffed it at its height, in this, fearch after novelty, in conception or in treating the fubject, has no place." WARTON.

VER. 30. Or feek] This laft line is inferior to the three preceding ones because it paffes from particular images to fomething general. WARTON.

VER. 33. well-fudy'd marbles] Jervas was fent to Italy at the expence of Dr. Clarke, Member of Parliament for the University of Oxford, of All-Souls College. WARTON.

VER. 37. Carracci's] "Give me a good outline, and bricks in the middle," faid Annibal Carracci. Agostino has left an elegant fonnet on painting. Sir Joshua Reynolds told me he did not think thefe artists exactly characterized by Pope. WARTON.

VER. 39. How finish'd] Mr. Mason has tranflated Fresnoy with elegance and fidelity; and Sir Joshua Reynolds added to the tranflation, learned, useful, fcientifical, and ingenious notes.

"Guido," fays Sir Joshua Reynolds, (Difcourfes, p. 155.) "from want of choice in adapting his subject to his ideas and powers, or in attempting to preserve beauty where it could not be preferved,

[graphic]

With thee repofe, where Tully once was laid
Or feek fome Ruin's formidable fhade: 18

NOTES.

MISCELLANIES.

maginary Rome a-new,
y brings the vanifh'd piles to view,
udy'd marbles fix our eye;
are demands a figh;

329

nwearied we compare,

gio's fofter line, with thy lov'd Guido's air,

appears!

warmth divine.

the

P

"If we put thofe great artists in a light of other, Raffaelle had more taste and fancy, M genius and imagination; the one excell in energy. Michael Angelo has mor his ideas are vaft and fublime, his beings; there is nothing about actions, or their attitudes, or the or features, that puts one in m fpecies. Raffaelle's imaginati are not fo much disjoined fr though his ideas are chaft fubjects. Michael Ang marked character; they and that mind for feemed to difdain,

materials are gen his own. The propriety, bea contrivance с tafte, and t

his own p

which h

Micha

To

Ra

ε

[ocr errors]

35

more!

4g paint engage; 55

.m a future age.

at ev'ry feafon fears,

ours for a thousand years.

NOTES.

Thus

red, has in this one point fucceeded very ill. His figures are

engaged in fubjects that required great expreffion; yet his

Judith and Holofernes, the daughter of Herodias, with the Bap

it's

cents,

Head; the Andromeda, and even the Mothers of the Lunohave little more expreffion than his Venus attired by the

Graces."

WARTON.

VER. 40. the work of years!] Frefnoy employed above twenty years in finishing his poem.

POPE.

VER. 43. Strike in the sketch, Gray, in his verfes to Mr. Bentley, has beautifully expreffed and deferibed the perfon and defign: "See, in their courfe, each tranfitory thought,

Fix'd by his touch a lafting effence take;
Each dream, in fancy's airy colouring wrought,
To local fymmetry and life awake."

Works, 4to.

WARTON.

« EdellinenJatka »