ARTICLE XIII.

A Treatise on ancient Painting, containing ObJervations on the Rife, Progrefs, and Decline of that Art among ft the Greeks and Romans; the high Opinion which the great Men of Antiquity bad of it; its Connection with Poetry and Philofophy; and the Ufe that may be made of it in Education: To which are added fome Remarks on the peculiar Genius, Character and Talents of Raphael, Michael Angelo, Nicholas Pouffin, and other celebrated modern Mafters; and the commendable Ufe they made of the exquifite Remains of Antiquity in Painting, as well as Sculpture. The Whole illuftrated and adorned with fifty Pieces of ancient Painting; difcovered at different Times in the Ruins of old Rome, accurately engraved from Drawings of Camillo Paderni a Roman, lately done from the Originals with great Exactness and Elegance. By George Turnbull, L. L. D. London: Printed for the Author; and fold by A. Millar, at Buchanan's Head, over-against St. Clement's Church in the Strand. 1740. Folio, Pages 183, befide 54 Copper Plates, a Dedication, a Preface, and a Summary of the principal Contents of the Work, which take up 40 more.

TH

HE Author has in his Preface given us a general view of this laboured and expenfive Performance. He has divided it into eight Chap

ters,

ters, his own Account of which is as follows:

In the first Chapter it is obferv'd, that the Arts of Design are very ancient; more ancient than the Fables concerning Apollo, Minerva, Vulcan, the Mufes, and Graces, and confequently than the Story of Dedalus. But whatever may be determin'd with Respect to their Antiquity in Practice, Homer had certainly very perfect Notions of them in all their Parts and Qualities; and a very high Idea of their Power, Extent and Usefulness, not only to charm and please, but to inftruct in the most Important Points of Knowledge. Virgil likewife has not fcrupled to fuppofe not only Sculpture but Painting as anciently in Ufe as the Siege of Troy; and he had the fame Opinion of their Dignity, Utility and Excellence. The beft ancient Philofophers entertain'd the fame Sentiments concerning thofe Arts; their Fitness in particular to teach Human Nature; to difplay the Beauties of Virtue, and the Turpitude of Vice, and to convey the moft profitable Inftructions into the Mind, in the most agreeable Manner. Accordingly they applied them to that noble Purpose, frequently taking the Subjects of their Moral Leffons, from Paintings, and Sculptures, with which publick Portico's at Athens, where the Philofophers taught, were adorn'd. Some Moderns of our own Country, who are own'd to come nearest to the beft Ancients, in agreeable as well as useful Writing, have earnestly inculcated the like Notions of the Polite Arts, and recommended them, together with the Manly Exercises, as neceffary to compleat a truly liberal Education. Thus the Conclufion that is principally aim'd at in this Effay, comes out with a confiderable Degree of Evidence in the first Chapter.

In order to give a juft View of the Excellence and Usefulness of the fine Arts, it is requifite to give a fair Reprefentation of the Perfection to which

they

they have been improv'd at any time. Some may fufpect that Men of fine Imagination have carried thefe Arts farther in Speculation than they have ever been actually brought to, or than they can really be advanced. Those who have conceived, whether from Defcriptions of Poets, or from feeing a few good Pictures, fome Idea of what they may be really able to perform, if duly cultivated and improv'd, will naturally be defirous of knowing what Progrefs they had made in ancient Times; and by what Means and Causes that chiefly happen'd. And in Truth it is hardly poffible to set their Power, Extent, and Merit in a better Light, than by fhewing what they have actually produced. Now this is attempted in the fecond Chapter.

But as it was proper, before he entered upon the History of the Art, to obferve in an Effay chiefly intended to fhew the Usefulness of Painting and its Sifter Arts in Education, that though the more ancient Treatifes on Painting are loft, infomuch that we have nothing preferv'd to us that was exprefly written upon that Subject, except what is to be found in Pliny the Elder, and the two Philoftratus's Works; yet fuch was the ancient manner of Education, and explaining any particular Art and Science, that in their Difcourfes upon Poetry, Eloquence, Morals, and other Subjects, many excellent Remarks are made for the Illuftration of these Subjects upon the different Talents and beft Performances of ancient Painters, the effential Qualities of good Painting, and the Rife, Progrefs, and Decline of that Art: Which Obfervations, when laid together in proper Order, will be found to furnish not only a very full Hiftory of the Art, but a juft Idea of its Usefulness in Education; or for the Improvement of the Art, as well as of the Imagination and Judgment. Accordingly the firft Chapter, our Author tells us, ends with an Obfervation to that Purpose, upon

the

Authorities from which the following Account of ancient Painting is brought, and upon the ancient Manner of uniting all the Arts and Sciences in liberal Education,

In the fecond Chapter an Account is given by way of Parallel of the chief Talents and Qualifications of the more remarkable Painters in the two moft diftinguish'd Ages of that Art, that of Apelles and that of Raphaelle, in which it is fhewn by what fimilar Means and Caufes it advanc'd to fo like a Degree of Perfection at both thefe Periods The Analogy between thofe two Ages of Painting in many Circumftances is indeed furprifing; but it is well vouch'd and not imagin'd; and therefore abstractedly from all other Confiderations, it is, by itself,a Phanomenon well worth a Philofopher's or Polititian's Attention. This History is given by way of Parallel; because it was thought it would not be difagreeable to fee two Ages of the Art, as it were, at one View; but chiefly because it is very difficult to convey clear Ideas of the Talents of Painters merely by Words; and those who are at a Lofs to understand any ways of fpeaking, that are us'd in defcribing the Abilities of any ancient Painter, will be beft fatisfied by having recourfe to the Pictures (or good Prints of them) of thofe Mafters, among the Moderns, to whom the like Qualifications are afcrib'd. In this double Hiftory, frequent Opportunities occur of fetting to view the Connection of the polite Arts with true Philofophy, and their Serviceableness in fhewing the Beauties and Deformities of Life and Manners, and in leading to juft Notions of Nature, and of all the Arts,, and likewife of good moral Conduct, more particularly in drawing the Characters of Apelles, Pamphilus, Euphaanor, Nicias and Metrodorus, and in commenting upon fome Paffages of Cicero and Quintilian, concerning the Progrefs of Painting and Oratory among the O

Greeks,

Greeks, and fome of the Causes and Means of their Improvements.

This Effay is divided into Chapters, because it is neceffary to return again and again to the fame Subject, in order to fet it in various Lights and Views.

And in the third, the fame Subject is refum'd, but purfued in another Manner. It is likewife about the Progrefs of Painting among the Greeks. In it fome of the beft Pictures of the moft celebrated 'ancient Artists are confider'd, fuch as feem'd most proper to fhew the Perfection to which Painting in all its Parts had arriv'd in Greece; to evince the Ex'cellence of the fine Arts; and to confirm the Conclufion that is principally aim'd at, the Connection of Painting with Poetry, and of both with Philofo-phy, which in the End of that Chapter is illuftrated by a Paraphrafe, on what the two Philoftratus's have faid on that Subject in their books of Pictures; to which Reflections a few others are added, upon the equal Extent of Painting with Poetry, and the fimilar Diverfity both thofe Arts admit of, that do likewife no lefs plainly follow from the Examples of ancient Painting, defcribed in this Chapter.

In the fourth, after fome Obfervations upon the Colouring and Drawing of the Ancients, and their Knowledge of Perfpective, fome of the most effential Qualities of good Painting, fuch as Truth, Beauty, Greatness, Eafe, and Grace, are more particularly confider'd. And for this End, two DiaJogues of Socrates, one with a Painter, and another with a Statuary, are examined and commented upon at great Length. After which, feveral Paffages of Ariftotle, Cicero, Quintilian and other Authors, relative to thefe Qualities of good Painting, are explain'd, and in difcourfing on them, Painting having been all along compar'd to Poetry, in order to