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his Design was very Correct, can by no means ftand in Competition with Coreggio, who was Defective in that Particular, because the Latter had Grace and Greatness, which the Other had

not.

And thus too it is feen that Drawings (generally speaking) are Preferrable to Paintings, as having those Qualities which are moft Excellent in a Higher Degree than Paintings generally have, or can poffibly have, and the Others (excepting only Colouring) Equally with them. There is a Grace, a Delicacy, a Spirit in Drawings which when the Mafter attempts to give in Colours is commonly much diminish'd, both as being a fort of Coppying from those First Thoughts, and because the Na

türe

ture of the Thing admits of no better.

There are Other Confiderations relating to Pictures, Drawings, and more particularly to Prints; But as These are Intirely Diftinct from that of their Goodnefs as Works of Art, and are only concerning their Value to the Buyer, or Seller, fuch as the Condition they are in, their Rarity, or other fuch like Circumftances; Tho' These things are of Importance on fome Occafions they are Foreign to the Subject of my prefent Difcourfe, and fo 'tis enough juft to have mention'd them.

Whatever we look upon therefore fhould be confider'd Diftinctly, and Particularly, and not only Teen in General to be Fine, or Not, but wherein 'tis One, or the Other. Most of Our Writers have been

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very fuperficial in This refpect; They have faid where a Picture of fuch a Mafter was, and have told us the Subject, and bestow'd certain Epithets upon it, as that it was Divine, Surprizing, or that such a Figure feem'd to be Alive, and the like; and this without distinction to Works of very Different Characters, but the fame General Difpofitions serve for all; to that we can have no Clear Idea of them from thofe Authors; and I don't doubt but most of those that look upon Pictures, or Drawings take in fuch Imperfect, Unform'd, and Confus'd Ideas; If we are Pleas'd or Difpleas'd, if our Minds are Improv'd, or Hurt, we should obferve from what Caufe this has happen'd; What Part of Painting has the Mafter fucceeded, or been Defective in, and to what

De

Degree? Or is this Owing to the Subject, rather than to the Manner of Treating it, and how far? Such, and the like confiderations will help to give us Clear, and Diftinct Ideas of the Work, and the Master, which a good Connoiffeur fhould always form in his Mind. And the better to do this he should

Laftly, Obferve Method, and Order in his way of Thinking; not mixing, and jumbling Oblervations of different kinds, but going on Gradually from one thing to another, Difpatching the Arft before we embarras our Selves with any other.

Gentlemen may do as they pleafe, the following Method feems to Me to be the moft Natural, Convenient, and Proper. Before you come fo near the Picture to be Confider'd as to

look

you

look into Particulars, or even to be able to know what the Subject of it is, at least before take notice of That, Obferve the Tout-enfemble of the Maffes, and what Kind of one the Whole makes together. It will be proper at the fame Distance to confider the General Colouring; whether That be Grateful, Chearing, and Delightful to the Eye, or Difagreeable; Then let the Compofition be Examin'd Near, and fee the Contrasts, and other Particularities relating to it, and fo finish your Obfervations on That Head. The fame Then may be done with respect to the Colouring; then the Handling, and afterwards the Drawing; These being dispatch'd the Mind is at liberty carefully confider the Invention; then to fee how well the Expreffion is perform'd, And Lastly, What

to

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