VEELVERWIGH SCHILDERYE (expr.)
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Quotation
Die ghene onder en tusschen dewelcke het teyckenen langh ghenoegh en met eenene vlijtighen ernst gheoeffent hebben, moghen ’t hier by niet laeten blijven en d’aenghevoanghene Konste ten halven niet laeten steken; aengesien de Teycken-konst (alhoewelse met goed recht voor een gantsch ghewightigh point en voor den eenighen ghebaenden wegh tot de Schilder-Konst en d’andere Bootser-konsten gheouden wordt) maer alleenlick een aenleydinghe tot yet grootsers schijnt te wesen. De verwen hebben een sonderlinghe kracht om onse ooghen tot sich te trecken, seght Plutarchus {In Pericle circa ipsum initium}, vermids ’t menschelicke ghesicht door de bloeyende lieffelickheyd der selvighen krachtighlick opgheweckt ende ghespijst wordt. Ghelijck het oversulcks uyt ons voorighe bewijs lichtelicken is af te nemen, dat een welgheproportioneerde Teyckeningh de waere ghelijckenisse der afgheteyckender dinghen ghenoeghsaemlick uyt-druckt; soo en magh men evenwel de schaduwe deser onvolmaeckter ghelijckenisse met de levendighe volmaecktheyd van een veelverwighe Schilderye in ’t minste niet verghelijcken.
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Meanwhile those who have practiced drawing long enough and with a diligent seriousness, can leave it to this and not abandon the commenced Art halfway; since the Art of Drawing (although she is thought with good reason to be a very important point and the only common road towards the Art of Painting and the other Imitation-arts) appears to only be occasion for something bigger. The colours have a remarkable power to draw our eyes towards them, says Plutarchus {…}, as the human sight is strongly excited and fed by its blooming loveliness. Just like it is therefore easy to deduct from our previous evidence, that a well-proportioned Drawing delightfully expresses the true similitude of the drawn things; as such one may nevertheless not compare the shadow of this imperfect similitude in the least with the living perfection of a Painting with many colours.
Junius states that the (art of) drawing (tekenen, tekenkunst) is the basis for Painting (schilderkunst) and for the other arts that consist in imitation. However, he argues that an artist should never be satisfied by only producing drawings, as the colours (verf) add enormously to the impact of a painting. The liveliness of a painting with many different colours (veelverwigh schilderij) is much closer to perfection than a drawing. As such, the effect of colour is connected to the liveliness of a painting. In this citation, ‘verf’ should be translated as colour. In the Latin edition (1637), this term is described as 'diversissimorum colorum'. In the English edition, Junius refers to the collection of the earl of Arundel. This reference is missing in the Latin and Dutch edition. [MO]
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
De Schilder-Konst bestaet voornaemelick in de Coleuren; seght Philostratus {In proemio Iconum.}; alhoewel sy ’t daer by niet en laet blijven; maer ghelijckse in de eenverwighe Schilderyen haere sonderlinghe kracht openbaert, soo schijntse nochtans in de veelverwighe stucken een gantsch andere Konst te sijn; vermids sy ons de schaduwen aenwijst; sy vertoont het onderscheyd, ’t welcke men in ’t gelaet van eenen rasenden, bedruckten, verheughden mensche plaght te bevinden; sy onderwindt sich de kracht van de glinsterende ooghen-straelen nae te boetsen, ’t welck den Ghiet-konstenaeren ondoenlick is;
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] The Art of Painting mainly exists in the colours, says Philostratus {…}; although they do not leave it to this; but like she shows her remarkable power in the one-colour Paintings, as such she nonetheless appears to be a very different Art in the multi-coloured pieces; as it shows us the shadows; it shows the difference, which one tends to find in the face of a raging, dejected, happy man; it makes an effort to imitate the power of the twinkling eyes, which is impossible for the Cast-artists [NDR: Sculptors in bronze].
Junius discusses colour (kleur) as one of the main elements of painting (schilderkunst, schilderij). He distinguishes between monochrome paintings (eenverwigh schilderij) and polychrome paintings (veelverwigh schilderij). Unlike sculptors, painters are able to depict the shadow and different facial expressions. [MO]