VERBETERING (n. f.)

CORRECTION (eng.) · CORRECTION (fra.) · VERBESSERUNG (deu.)
TERM USED IN EARLY TRANSLATIONS
/ · EMENDARE (lat.) · EMENDATION (eng.)

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Quotation

Soo is dan de verbeteringhe den eenighen wegh tot de volmaecktheyd; en ’t wordt niet sonder reden staende ghehouden, dat het penceel de Konste soo wel met het uytstrijcken als met het aenstrijcken dienst doet. De verbeteringhe, seght Quintilianus {Lib. X, Cap. 4}, bestaet in ’t toevoeghen, in ’t aftrecken, in ’t veranderen. Het toevoeghen en ’t aftrecken is nerghens nae soo moeyelick, dies plaght sich oock een slecht eenvoudigh oordeel daer in wel genoegh te quijten: ’t Vereyscht daerenteghen dubbelen arbeyd de swellende dinghen te neder te legghen, de sinckende dinghen op te heffen, de verwendelick uytweykende dinghen in te binden, d’onordentelicke dinghen in haere rechte plaetse te herstellen, d’onachtesaemelick verspreydende dinghen aen makander te verknoopen, d’overlustighe dinghen te bedwinghen; want wy moeten niet alleen verwerpen wat ons in ’t eerste wel bevel, maer wy moeten oock uytvinden wat ons van te vooren niet eens in den sin quam. Soo is het oock onghetwijffelt d’aller bequamste maniere van verbetering datmen d’eerste teykeningh voor ettelicken tijd aen d’eene sijde stellen, om ’t werck nae sulcken verpoosinghe wederom in de hand te nemen alsof het yet nieus en van een ander voordghebraght was: Andersins hebben wy te vreesen dat wy op onse versche inventie, als op een nieu gheboren vrucht, al te seer versot sullen blijven.

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] As such the improvement is the only way to perfection; and not without reason it is insisted on, that the brush serves the Art both with the spreading and application [NDR: of paint]. The improvement, says Quintilianus {…}, consists in the adding, the deducting, the changing. The adding and the deducting is not even closely as hard, also a bad simple judgement tends to perform this reasonably well: On the other hand it requires a double effort to put the swelling things down, to uplift the sinking things, to bind the exuberantly diverging things, to restore the disorderly things in their right place, to connect the carelessly dispersed things to each other, to tame the exaggerated things; because we should not only reject that which pleased us at first, but we should also discover that which did not even occur to us before. As such it is undoubtedly the best way of improvement that one puts the first drawing aside for a considerable time, to then take the work again in hand after such a pause as if it is something new and produced by someone else: Otherwise we should fear that we will stay to smitten about our fresh invention, as about a new born fruit [NDR: baby].

Junius describes the artistic process, especially the importance of improvement (‘verbetering’) of one’s own work. The only way to reach perfection is by improving oneself and reflecting. It is necessary for ‘verbetering’ that the artist lays the initial drawing aside for a while, before returning to it and approaching it as if it were something new or by someone else. Improvement can take place through the addition or the removal of certain elements. [MO]

Conceptual field(s)

L’ARTISTE → apprentissage

Quotation

Die gene daer-en-tegen, die andere navolgen ende blijven navolgen, zijn even als die, welcke langs de grondt blijven kruypen, ende uyt vreese van te vallen niet op haer eyghen beenen derven staen, veel min haer selven aenporren om het gene daer andere nalatigh in zijn geweest, te verbeteren, ofte yets toe te voegen. Vande sulcke seght Davincy datse geen Echte Soonen, maer alleen Neven van de Konst en mogen genoemt werden. {Wat Davincy seyde vande gene die nalatigh in de verbeteringh van haer doen waren.} Waerom oock Iunius seght dat sulcke navolgingh een slaefse Imitatie is, den aenkomelingen meer schadelijck dan profijtelijck;

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Those, on the other hand, who imitate others and keep on imitating, are like those who keep on crawling close to the ground, and do not dare to stand on their own feet out of a fear to fall, even less push themselves to improve that where others have been negligent, or to add something. About such [artists] Da Vinci says that they are no real Sons, but may only be called Cousins of Art. {What Da Vinci said of those who were negligent in improving their action.} Why Junius also says that such imitation is a slavish imitation, more harmful than profitable for beginners;

Conceptual field(s)