Elements of Art, a Poem: In Six Cantos; with Notes and a Preface; Including Strictures on the State of the Arts, Criticism, Patronage, and Public Taste |
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admiration ambition amongst ancient appears ardour Artist Author beauties behold character Cicero claim colouring connoisseur considered Correggio criticism defects dignity display divine Dublin eazel effect endeavour Euphranor example excellence exhibition expression fame fancy favour feeling fire Genius glory grace graphic Greeks Guercino honour hope imitation impression India Paper influence judgment labours Laocoon Large Paper Large liberal Line means merits Michael Angelo mind modern Muse Nature neglect o'er object observation painter painting palette Paper Large Paper passion patriot pencil perfection perhaps Phidias picture Pliny poet poetry powers praise precept prejudice pride principles productions pursuit qualities racter Raphael refinement Rembrandt respect Reynolds RICHARD COLT HOARE rise rival Roman School Rubens scene School sculpture sense sensibility shew skill spirit splendour sublime superior talents Taste terrestrial animals Timanthes tion Titian toil triumph truth vigour Virtù virtue vulgar WILLIAM MILLER zeal
Popular passages
Page 38 - As Fancy opens the quick springs of Sense, We ply the Memory, we load the brain, Bind rebel Wit, and double chain on chain, Confine the thought, to exercise the breath; And keep them in the pale of Words till death...
Page 78 - Great wits sometimes may gloriously offend, And rise to faults true critics dare not mend. From vulgar bounds with brave disorder part. And snatch a grace beyond the reach of art, Which, without passing through the judgment, gains The heart, and all its end at once attains.
Page 12 - Nothing is denied to well-directed labour: nothing is to be obtained without it. Not to enter into metaphysical discussions on the nature or essence of genius, I will venture to assert that assiduity unabated by difficulty, and a disposition eagerly directed to the object of its pursuit, will produce effects similar to those which some call the result of natural powers.
Page 194 - Such faults may be said to be the ebullitions of genius; but at least he had this merit, that he never was insipid, and whatever passion his works may excite, they will always escape contempt. What I have had under consideration is the...
Page 43 - The imputation of novelty is a terrible charge amongst those who judge of men's heads, as they do of their perukes, by the fashion, and can allow none to be right but the received doctrines.
Page 161 - Arts," with a series of pictures, illustrative of the progress of man towards civilization and science. To complete this extensive work, he devoted himself to poverty and seclusion for seven or eight years ; subsisting on means scarcely adequate to the support of nature in the humblest station ; and by its exhibition to the public when finished, he obtained, as the whole reward of his labours, — five hundred pounds ! ! ! Nor did the affluence of honours compensate for the penury of profit : notwithstanding...
Page 298 - I mention this, because our Exhibitions, while they produce such admirable effects by nourishing emulation, and calling out genius, have also a mischievous tendency, by seducing the Painter to an ambition of pleasing indiscriminately the mixed multitude of people who resort to them.
Page 8 - C'est en vain qu'au Parnasse un temeraire auteur Pense de 1'art des vers atteindre la hauteur. S'il ne sent point du Ciel 1'influence secrete, Si son astre en naissant ne 1'a forme poete, Dans son genie etroit il est toujours captif. Pour lui Phebus est sourd, et Pegase est retif.
Page 15 - It is of no use to prescribe to those who have no talents; and those who have talents will find methods for themselves — methods dictated to them.