ÆLIANUS, Claudius ( v. 175-v. 235 )
Quotation
Our poor and needy Life perceiving some casual Things to fall out prosperously, whilst it doth mistake and try, whilst it doth slip, reform and change ; hath out of this same assiduous Reprehension made up small Sciences of ARTS, the which it hath afterwards, by a continual Study, brought to some considerable Degree of Perfection. And therefore Ælian says, so Rude and Imperfect were the first Attemps of this ART, that to avoid the Danger of a Mistake, they were wont constantly to affix to their Works such a clear and discerning Character of distinction, as this is a Horse, an Ox, or a Tree, &c. And what higher Expectations can we derive from a Portrait, or Profile of a Face drawn from the Shadow upon a Wall ; or when we find Gyges, whom Pliny sometime calls the first Painter, born in Lydia, which, as he says, was Tuscania, went into Egypt, found out the ART there, and all his Skill arrived only to some competency of Design, probably with a Coal, or some such coarse Material. From which Sort of Picture they advanced not much further, ‘till some competent Time after, came Polignotus, the first that painted Encaustice, or by Fire ; which was not enameling on Gold, but with hot glowing Irons, to draw, or cast their Design into Wood, or Ivory, and possibly to finish with some slight Shadowing within ; for before that, as Carel van Mander, in his Lives of the Painters observes, the First Pictures were only drawn, and consisted of Out-Lines only, and therefore called Linearis Pictura.
THE next Step they advanced was by the Invention of Cleanthes and Thelephanes, who super-added some Finishing within, and filled their Out-Lines with one Colour, which was only a Piece of Red Potsheard, pounded and fine ground ; First found out, and, as some affirm, us’d by Callias the Athenian.
AND thence, […], they were called Monocromata ; and to the Assistance of these came Higienontes, Dinias and Charmas, who also made Faces with one Colour only.
Quotation
Hoe gantsh grof ende on-volmaeckt de beginselen der Schilder-Konst wel eer gheweest sijn, geeft ons Aelianus te verstaen, als hy {var. Hist. Lib. X. cap. 10.} ghetuyght dat d'aller Oudste Schilders de waere gelijckenisse der naturelicker dinghen soo gantsch erbarmelick plachten af te maelen, dat sy ghedwonghen waeren by elck bysonder Beeldt haerer Schilderyen by te schrijven.
Quotation
Even alsser niets en is dat te gelijck sijn begin en sijn volmaecktheyt t’effens en bekomt, soo zijn oock de Konsten (seyt Arnobius) niet te samen met ons gemoet uyt den Hemel gevallen, maer sy zijn hier op Aerden uyt-gevonden, {De Konsten zijn in haer eerste vinding onvolmaeckt.} en indien voort-ganck des tijts by weynigh en weynigh op-gemaeckt: Even so rauw en onvolmaeckt is oock de Schilder-Konst in haer eerste beginselen geweest; Ja soodanigh, dat de outste Schilders (volgens ’t geene Franciscus Junius uyt Aelianus aenwijst) {Naecktheyt der Schilder-Konst in de beginne.} genootsaeckt waren, by elcke af-beeldinge, de benaminghe met Letteren daerby te schrijven, op datmen mogte bekennen welck een Os, Egel, Paert, of Boom was.
Quotation
Daer is dan eenen sekeren slag van oogen die men met Aelianus {var. Hist. Lib. XIV. Cap. 47.} konstighe of Konst-gheleerde ooghen mag noemen. So en is het oock niet genoegh dat wy ooghen in ons hoofdt heben als andere menschen, maer het is voorder van noode dat wy sulcke oogen sochten te bekomen die nae de maniere van spreken by Cicero {parad. 5} gebruckt eruditi oculi, dat is geleerde ooghen verdienden te worden ghenaemt.
Quotation
Our poor and needy Life perceiving some casual Things to fall out prosperously, whilst it doth mistake and try, whilst it doth slip, reform and change ; hath out of this same assiduous Reprehension made up small Sciences of ARTS, the which it hath afterwards, by a continual Study, brought to some considerable Degree of Perfection. And therefore Ælian says, so Rude and Imperfect were the first Attemps of this ART, that to avoid the Danger of a Mistake, they were wont constantly to affix to their Works such a clear and discerning Character of distinction, as this is a Horse, an Ox, or a Tree, &c. And what higher Expectations can we derive from a Portrait, or Profile of a Face drawn from the Shadow upon a Wall ; or when we find Gyges, whom Pliny sometime calls the first Painter, born in Lydia, which, as he says, was Tuscania, went into Egypt, found out the ART there, and all his Skill arrived only to some competency of Design, probably with a Coal, or some such coarse Material. From which Sort of Picture they advanced not much further, ‘till some competent Time after, came Polignotus, the first that painted Encaustice, or by Fire ; which was not enameling on Gold, but with hot glowing Irons, to draw, or cast their Design into Wood, or Ivory, and possibly to finish with some slight Shadowing within ; for before that, as Carel van Mander, in his Lives of the Painters observes, the First Pictures were only drawn, and consisted of Out-Lines only, and therefore called Linearis Pictura.
THE next Step they advanced was by the Invention of Cleanthes and Thelephanes, who super-added some Finishing within, and filled their Out-Lines with one Colour, which was only a Piece of Red Potsheard, pounded and fine ground ; First found out, and, as some affirm, us’d by Callias the Athenian.
AND thence, […], they were called Monocromata ; and to the Assistance of these came Higienontes, Dinias and Charmas, who also made Faces with one Colour only.
Quotation
Even alsser niets en is dat te gelijck sijn begin en sijn volmaecktheyt t’effens en bekomt, soo zijn oock de Konsten (seyt Arnobius) niet te samen met ons gemoet uyt den Hemel gevallen, maer sy zijn hier op Aerden uyt-gevonden, {De Konsten zijn in haer eerste vinding onvolmaeckt.} en indien voort-ganck des tijts by weynigh en weynigh op-gemaeckt: Even so rauw en onvolmaeckt is oock de Schilder-Konst in haer eerste beginselen geweest; Ja soodanigh, dat de outste Schilders (volgens ’t geene Franciscus Junius uyt Aelianus aenwijst) {Naecktheyt der Schilder-Konst in de beginne.} genootsaeckt waren, by elcke af-beeldinge, de benaminghe met Letteren daerby te schrijven, op datmen mogte bekennen welck een Os, Egel, Paert, of Boom was.
Quotation
Even alsser niets en is dat te gelijck sijn begin en sijn volmaecktheyt t’effens en bekomt, soo zijn oock de Konsten (seyt Arnobius) niet te samen met ons gemoet uyt den Hemel gevallen, maer sy zijn hier op Aerden uyt-gevonden, {De Konsten zijn in haer eerste vinding onvolmaeckt.} en indien voort-ganck des tijts by weynigh en weynigh op-gemaeckt: Even so rauw en onvolmaeckt is oock de Schilder-Konst in haer eerste beginselen geweest; Ja soodanigh, dat de outste Schilders (volgens ’t geene Franciscus Junius uyt Aelianus aenwijst) {Naecktheyt der Schilder-Konst in de beginne.} genootsaeckt waren, by elcke af-beeldinge, de benaminghe met Letteren daerby te schrijven, op datmen mogte bekennen welck een Os, Egel, Paert, of Boom was.
Quotation
Even alsser niets en is dat te gelijck sijn begin en sijn volmaecktheyt t’effens en bekomt, soo zijn oock de Konsten (seyt Arnobius) niet te samen met ons gemoet uyt den Hemel gevallen, maer sy zijn hier op Aerden uyt-gevonden, {De Konsten zijn in haer eerste vinding onvolmaeckt.} en indien voort-ganck des tijts by weynigh en weynigh op-gemaeckt: Even so rauw en onvolmaeckt is oock de Schilder-Konst in haer eerste beginselen geweest; Ja soodanigh, dat de outste Schilders (volgens ’t geene Franciscus Junius uyt Aelianus aenwijst) {Naecktheyt der Schilder-Konst in de beginne.} genootsaeckt waren, by elcke af-beeldinge, de benaminghe met Letteren daerby te schrijven, op datmen mogte bekennen welck een Os, Egel, Paert, of Boom was.
Quotation
Hoe gantsh grof ende on-volmaeckt de beginselen der Schilder-Konst wel eer gheweest sijn, geeft ons Aelianus te verstaen, als hy {var. Hist. Lib. X. cap. 10.} ghetuyght dat d'aller Oudste Schilders de waere gelijckenisse der naturelicker dinghen soo gantsch erbarmelick plachten af te maelen, dat sy ghedwonghen waeren by elck bysonder Beeldt haerer Schilderyen by te schrijven.
Quotation
Daer is dan eenen sekeren slag van oogen die men met Aelianus {var. Hist. Lib. XIV. Cap. 47.} konstighe of Konst-gheleerde ooghen mag noemen. So en is het oock niet genoegh dat wy ooghen in ons hoofdt heben als andere menschen, maer het is voorder van noode dat wy sulcke oogen sochten te bekomen die nae de maniere van spreken by Cicero {parad. 5} gebruckt eruditi oculi, dat is geleerde ooghen verdienden te worden ghenaemt.
Quotation
Even alsser niets en is dat te gelijck sijn begin en sijn volmaecktheyt t’effens en bekomt, soo zijn oock de Konsten (seyt Arnobius) niet te samen met ons gemoet uyt den Hemel gevallen, maer sy zijn hier op Aerden uyt-gevonden, {De Konsten zijn in haer eerste vinding onvolmaeckt.} en indien voort-ganck des tijts by weynigh en weynigh op-gemaeckt: Even so rauw en onvolmaeckt is oock de Schilder-Konst in haer eerste beginselen geweest; Ja soodanigh, dat de outste Schilders (volgens ’t geene Franciscus Junius uyt Aelianus aenwijst) {Naecktheyt der Schilder-Konst in de beginne.} genootsaeckt waren, by elcke af-beeldinge, de benaminghe met Letteren daerby te schrijven, op datmen mogte bekennen welck een Os, Egel, Paert, of Boom was.
Quotation
Our poor and needy Life perceiving some casual Things to fall out prosperously, whilst it doth mistake and try, whilst it doth slip, reform and change ; hath out of this same assiduous Reprehension made up small Sciences of ARTS, the which it hath afterwards, by a continual Study, brought to some considerable Degree of Perfection. And therefore Ælian says, so Rude and Imperfect were the first Attemps of this ART, that to avoid the Danger of a Mistake, they were wont constantly to affix to their Works such a clear and discerning Character of distinction, as this is a Horse, an Ox, or a Tree, &c. And what higher Expectations can we derive from a Portrait, or Profile of a Face drawn from the Shadow upon a Wall ; or when we find Gyges, whom Pliny sometime calls the first Painter, born in Lydia, which, as he says, was Tuscania, went into Egypt, found out the ART there, and all his Skill arrived only to some competency of Design, probably with a Coal, or some such coarse Material. From which Sort of Picture they advanced not much further, ‘till some competent Time after, came Polignotus, the first that painted Encaustice, or by Fire ; which was not enameling on Gold, but with hot glowing Irons, to draw, or cast their Design into Wood, or Ivory, and possibly to finish with some slight Shadowing within ; for before that, as Carel van Mander, in his Lives of the Painters observes, the First Pictures were only drawn, and consisted of Out-Lines only, and therefore called Linearis Pictura.
THE next Step they advanced was by the Invention of Cleanthes and Thelephanes, who super-added some Finishing within, and filled their Out-Lines with one Colour, which was only a Piece of Red Potsheard, pounded and fine ground ; First found out, and, as some affirm, us’d by Callias the Athenian.
AND thence, […], they were called Monocromata ; and to the Assistance of these came Higienontes, Dinias and Charmas, who also made Faces with one Colour only.