Of EXPRESSION.

WHATEVER the general character of the story is, the picture

must discover it throughout, whether it be joyous, melancholy, grave, terrible, &c. The nativity, refurrection, and afcenfion, ought to have the general colouring, the ornaments, back-ground, and every thing in them riant, and joyous, and the contrary in a crucifixion, interment, or pietà. [The Bleffed Virgin with the dead Chrift.]

But a diftinction must be made between grave, and melancholy, as in the copy of a holy family which I have, and has been mentioned already; the colouring is brown, and folemn, but yet all together, the picture has not a difmal air, but quite otherwife. I have another holy family of Rubens, painted as his manner was, as if the figures were in a funny room: I have confidered what effect it would have had, if Rafaelle's colouring had been the fame with Ruben's on this occafion, and doubtlefs it would have been the worfe for it. There are certain fentiments of awe, and devotion, which ought to be raised by the firft fight of pictures of that subject, which that folemn colouring contributes very much to, but not the more bright, though upon other occafions preferable.

I have seen a fine inftance of a colouring proper for melancholy fubjects in a pietà of Van Dyck: that alone would make one not only grave, but fad at firft fight; and a coloured drawing that I have of the Fall of Phaeton, after Giulio Romano, fhews how much this contributes to the expreffion. It is different from any colouring that ever I faw, but fo adapted to the fubject, as to anfwer to the great idea that idea that every one that knows Giulio muft have of him. There are certain little circumftances that contribute to the expreffion. Such an effect the burning lamps have that are in the

carton of healing at the beautiful gate of the Temple; one fees the place is holy, as well as magnificent.

The large fowl that are feen on the fore-ground in the carton of the draught of fishes have a good effect. There is a certain feawildness in them that contributes mightily to exprefs the affair in hand, which was fifhing. They are a fine part of the fcene.

Pafferotto has drawn a Chrift's head as going to be crucified, the expreffion of which is marvelloufly fine; but excepting the air of the face, nothing is more moving, not the part of the cross that is seen, not the crown of thorns, nor the drops of blood falling from the wounds that makes, than an ignominious cord which comes upon part of the fhoulder and neck. Raffaello Borghini, in his Ripofo, in the Life of Pafferotto, has given an account of this drawing, which, with others of that mafter (by him alfo fpoken of) I have.

The robes, and other habits of the figures; their attendants, and enfigns of authority, or dignity, as crowns, maces, &c. help to exprefs their diftinct characters, and commonly even their place in the compofition. The principal perfons and actors must not be put in a corner, or towards the extremities of the picture, unless the neceffity of the fubject requires it. A Chrift, or an apoftle, muft not be dreft like an artificer or a fisherman; a man of quality must be diftinguished from one of the lower orders of men, as a well-bred man always is in life from a peafant. And fo of the reft.

Every body knows the common, or ordinary diftinctions by drefs but there is one inftance of a particular kind which I will mention, as being likely to give ufeful hints to this purpofe, and morcover very curious. In the carton of give the keys to St. Peter, our Saviour is wrapped only in one large piece of white drapery, his left arm and breast, and part of his legs naked; which undoubtedly was done to denote him now to appear in his refurrection body, and not as before his crucifixion, when this drefs would have

been

been altogether improper. And this is the more remarkable, as having been done upon fecond thought, and after the picture was perhaps finifhed, which I know, by having a drawing of this carton, very old, and probably made in Rafaelle's time, though not of his hand, where the Chrift is fully clad; he has the very fame large drapery, but one under it that covers his breast, arm, and legs down to the feet. Every thing elfe pretty near the fame with the carton.

That the face, and air, as well as our actions, indicates the mind, is indifputable. It is feen by every body in the extremes on both fides. For example; let two men, the one a wife man, and the other a fool, be feen together dreffed, or difguifed as you pleafe, one will not be mistaken for the other, but diftinguished with the first glance of the eye; and if thefe characters are ftamped upon the face, so as to be read by every one when in the utmost extremes, they are fo proportionably when more, or lefs removed from them, and legible accordingly, and in proportion to the fkill of the reader. The like may be obferved of good, and ill-nature, gentleness, rufticity, &c.

Every figure, and animal muft be affected in the picture, as one fhould fuppofe they would, or ought to be. And all the expreffions of the feveral paflions, and fentiments must be made with regard to the characters of the perfons moved by thern. At the railing of Lazarus, fome may be allowed to be made to hold fomething before their noses, and this would be very juft, to denote that circumftance in the story, the time he had been dead; but this is exceedingly improper in the laying our Lord in the fepulchre, although he had been dead much longer than he was; however, Pordenone has done it. When Apollo fleas Marfyas, he may exprefs all the anguifh, and impatience the painter can give him, but not fo in the cafe of St. Bartholomew. That the Bleffed Mary fhould fwoon away through excefs of grief is very proper to fuppofe, but to throw her in fuch a pofture as Daniel da Volterra has done in the defcent

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