Excerpt: ...to say they are in general perfectly frightful, is to use the gentlest expression. I invariably trace, in these productions, their individuality is the cause of their unsuccess; and the incapacity to even see Nature generally, which must be necessary before they can paint her so. Thus to abstract as it were her beauties, and to form one general idea of them, in that abstract, is to enlarge the sphere of our understandings, and invest our works with that intellectual grandeur which alone lifts them above the ...
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Excerpt: ...to say they are in general perfectly frightful, is to use the gentlest expression. I invariably trace, in these productions, their individuality is the cause of their unsuccess; and the incapacity to even see Nature generally, which must be necessary before they can paint her so. Thus to abstract as it were her beauties, and to form one general idea of them, in that abstract, is to enlarge the sphere of our understandings, and invest our works with that intellectual grandeur which alone lifts them above the efforts of common minds, by the nobleness of conception, and a higher 44 degree of excellence: while the student may be assured that his reputation will become permanent and universal, from this system of contemplating Nature in the abstract, and ennoble all he undertakes. His picture will have a mental effect over all that is mechanical. Dr. Johnson has most ably explained the hypothesis, so much urged by his friend, of the necessity of generalizing our ideas of Nature, when he says, 'It is not to examine the individual, but the species; to remark general properties and large appearances: he does not number the streaks of the tulip, nor describe the different shades of the forest; he is to exhibit in his portraits of nature such permanent and striking features, as recall the original to every mind; and must neglect the minuter discriminations, which are alike obvious to vigilance and carelessness.' The idleness of laborious finish, opposed to the overwhelming majesty of breadth, cannot be better explained. 45 ON RULES. Rules are not principles: Polite learning is only a more specious ignorance: it may do something to make a connoisseur, but will never make a practical painter; while a little knowledge of principles will go farther to make a connoisseur! A foreign philosopher says, 'A thinking man is a depraved animal.' Both rules and principles are the healthy results of thought, notwithstanding.
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Add this copy of The Use of a Box of Colours, in a Practical to cart. $350.00, fair condition, Sold by Between the Covers-Rare Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester City, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 1842 by Tilt and Bogue.
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Seller's Description:
Fair. First edition. Tall octavo (7 x 10.25"): [8], 81, [7] pp.; with 12 leaves of plates (6 colored). A poor copy of a very interesting treatise with 12 lithographic plates. Although its covers have gone missing, the text block is sound and complete, all edges gilt; with foxing to the endpapers and to the plates at the back. Of particular interest are the lithographic plates, as they are patented by Charles Hullmandel, author of the classic treatise on lithography, "The Art of Drawing on Stone." The plates are bound out of order: 1-9, 11, 12 and 10.
