DISCOURSES.

I

DI

An ESSAY

On the whole

ART of CRITICISM

as it relates to

PAINTING.

Shewing how to judge.

I. Of the Goodness of a Picture;
II. Of the Hand of the Master; and
III. Whether 'tis an Original, or a Copy.

II.

An ARGUMENT in behalf of the
SCIENCE of a

CONNOISSEUR;

Wherein is fhewn the

DIGNITY, CERTAINTY, PLEASURE,
and ADVANTAGE of it.

Both by Mr. RICHARDSON.

LONDON:

Printed for W. CHURCHILL at the Black Swan in Pater-
Nofter-Row. 1719.

Prek 4.

CONTENTS

Of the Effay on the Art of Criti-
ticifm.

THE Introduction.

P. I

Of the Goodness of a Picture, &c. I

II

No Picture without Some Faults. 12

Two ways of Judging; Directly from the

Thing it felf, and Obliquely by Autho-

rity. The Latter of these I meddle

not with.

15

17

20

Avoid Prejudices.

And certain Improper Arguments.

No regard to be had to what Perhaps the

Mafter intended, but Judge from what

appears.

24

26

27

Establish Rules.

An Abftract of Thefe.

Be acquainted with the Beft things. 33

Of the Sublime.

34

Befides that Goodness which confifts in a

Conformity to the Rules of Art, there

is Another Kind, and That is as the

Thing anfwers the Ends.

A 2

39

The

The Principal End of Painting is the Im-

provement of the Mind; and next to

That Mere Pleasure.

40

In what Proportion the feveral Kinds,

and Parts of Painting answer the

Ends.

44

A Picture, or Drawing fhould be con-

fider'd Diftinctly.

51

53

ibid.

And with Method, and Order

What Order beft to be obferv'd.

A Scale of Merit propos'd.

ADiffertation on a Half-Length Portrait

of V.Dyck.

55

57

73

On a Hiftory of N. Pouffin.

A fhorter way of confidering a Picture Ex-

emplified upon one of Annibale Caracci.94

W

*

Of the Knowledge of Hands.

A

In all Pictures, and Drawings, the

Thought, and the Hand is to be confi-

der'd

98

No two Men Think, and Act alike. 100

There is a real Difference therefore in

the Works of the feveral Mafters. 102

And that Difcernable.

But in Some more than in Others. ibid.

103

The way to Know Hands is to get an Idea
of the Mafters.

From Hiftory.

UT

107

108

From

7110

From their Works.

Cautions to be obferved in the Ufe of the

Former.

III

Obfervations on the Ufe of the Other, 116

The Mafters have Differ'd from Them

felves as well as from Each Other;

All their feveral Manners therefore

must be known.

Some Account of Thefe.

Care must be taken that the Works on

which we form our Ideas of a Mafter

be Genuine.

119

120

140

What Helps a Beginner may have in this

particular.

142

Requifites to a Connoiffeur in Hands.

1. To be acquainted with the History of

Painting, and of the Mafters. 147
2. To be able to form Clear, and Juft I-
deas.

148

3. Particular Application.

ibid.

Of Originals, and Copies.

The feveral Kinds, and Degrees of

Thefe.

Equivocal Works.

150

175

The Question whether a Picture, or a

Drawing is an Original or a Copy fta-

ted

179

180

Arguments to be rejected.

The