POLYGNOTOS ( Ve siècle av. J.-C. )

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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

Zeuxis, Polygnotas, ende Euphranor hebben met eenen sonderlingen arbeyd ghesocht haere stucken behoorlicker wijse te beschaduwen ende met eenen levendighen gheest in te aessemen; soo plaghten sy mede daer nae te staen datse in haere verdiepsels ende verhooghsels den oppersten lof boven d’andere Meesters moghten verwerven. Philostr. Lib. II. Cap. 9. De vita Apollonij.

Quotation

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 ;

Quotation

Aristote {L. de Poet. c. 6} le [ndr : Zeuxis] reprent aussi de n’avoir pas exprimé comme Polygnotus les mœurs, ny fait comprendre les passions, quoy que Pline {L. 35. c. 9. & 10.} dise qu’elles étoient visibles dans sa Penelope qui fit un de ses chefs-d’œuvres […]. Le peintre Aristide est le premier de tous qui se servit de la Morale dans sa profession, & qui sçeut pendre l’Ame avecque ses pensées aussi bien que le corps, par l’expression visible de tous les mouvemens interieurs ; les couleurs dont il [ndr : Aristide] se servoit estoient neantmois trouvées un peu rudes de son tems.

Quotation

I will add but one way of Expression more, and that is, plain Writing.
Polygnotos, in the Paintings made by him in the Temple of Delphos, wrote the Names of those whom he represented.
The old
Italian, and German Masters improv’d upon this ; the Figures they made were Speaking Figures, they had Labels coming out of their Mouths with that written in them which they were intended to be made to say ; but even Rafaëlle, and Annibale Carracci, have condescended to Write rather than leave any Ambiguity, or Obscurity in their Work : Thus the Name of Sappho is written to shew ‘twas She, and not one of the Muses intended in the Parnassus : And in the Gallery Farnese, that Anchises might not be mistaken for Adonis, Genus unde Latinum was written.

Quotation

Jae maer, seggen sy, daer is een sekere maniere van Schilderen die by d'oude noyt ghebruyckt en wiert. 't Schijnt alhier vry wat slots te hebben, dat sy 't exempel der oudheyt vorwenden; maer wat voor een oudtheyt is het doch daer op sy haer selven beroepen? 't is immers ongheloovelick dat sy haer selven 't exempel van d'aller uyterste oudtheydt voorstellen overmidts het hun niet onbekent is, dat Phidias ende Apelles vele dingen in 't werck te passe ghebrocht hebben die de voorighe Meesters noch niet en verstonden; oock soo en konnen die gene de Konst van Praxiteles ende Protogenes niet prijs-waerdich achten, dewelcke meynen dat men sich aen de wercken van Calamis ende Polygnotus, sonder yet daerin te veranderen, hadde behooren te verbinden. Iae maer, segghen sy wederom, daer heeft voor den tijdt van dese groote Meesters een veel een-voudigher maniere van doen den hooghsten prijs ghevoert.

Quotation

Jae maer, seggen sy, daer is een sekere maniere van Schilderen die by d'oude noyt ghebruyckt en wiert. 't Schijnt alhier vry wat slots te hebben, dat sy 't exempel der oudheyt vorwenden; maer wat voor een oudtheyt is het doch daer op sy haer selven beroepen? 't is immers ongheloovelick dat sy haer selven 't exempel van d'aller uyterste oudtheydt voorstellen overmidts het hun niet onbekent is, dat Phidias ende Apelles vele dingen in 't werck te passe ghebrocht hebben die de voorighe Meesters noch niet en verstonden; oock soo en konnen die gene de Konst van Praxiteles ende Protogenes niet prijs-waerdich achten, dewelcke meynen dat men sich aen de wercken van Calamis ende Polygnotus, sonder yet daerin te veranderen, hadde behooren te verbinden. Iae maer, segghen sy wederom, daer heeft voor den tijdt van dese groote Meesters een veel een-voudigher maniere van doen den hooghsten prijs ghevoert.

Quotation

Aristote {L. de Poet. c. 6} le [ndr : Zeuxis] reprent aussi de n’avoir pas exprimé comme Polygnotus les mœurs, ny fait comprendre les passions, quoy que Pline {L. 35. c. 9. & 10.} dise qu’elles étoient visibles dans sa Penelope qui fit un de ses chefs-d’œuvres […]. Le peintre Aristide est le premier de tous qui se servit de la Morale dans sa profession, & qui sçeut pendre l’Ame avecque ses pensées aussi bien que le corps, par l’expression visible de tous les mouvemens interieurs ; les couleurs dont il [ndr : Aristide] se servoit estoient neantmois trouvées un peu rudes de son tems.

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

Maer merckt hier eens de archlistighe eergiericheyt der Atheniers, dewelcke dese Eer-kroon der AEgyptenaren gaeren tot hun trecken souden, en haer die lof toe-eygenen dat sy voor de eerste Vinders van dese Konst gheacht soude worden, het welck hier uyt te waerschijnelicker is, om dat sy gemeenelick haer eygen Natie daer in vorderlijck waren, voornementlijck wanneer yemant tot een rouwe, en noch onbesneden Konste, yet aenghenaems of cierlijcx toe deed', die sy dan als voor de eerste Vinder hielden. Op die maniere gaet het hier met Polygnotus toe, om dat hy het Graveeren met gloeyende yseren op Yvoor en Lorchen-boomen-hout gevonden heeft […].

Quotation

Zeuxis, Polygnotas, ende Euphranor hebben met eenen sonderlingen arbeyd ghesocht haere stucken behoorlicker wijse te beschaduwen ende met eenen levendighen gheest in te aessemen; soo plaghten sy mede daer nae te staen datse in haere verdiepsels ende verhooghsels den oppersten lof boven d’andere Meesters moghten verwerven. Philostr. Lib. II. Cap. 9. De vita Apollonij.

Quotation

Zeuxis, Polygnotas, ende Euphranor hebben met eenen sonderlingen arbeyd ghesocht haere stucken behoorlicker wijse te beschaduwen ende met eenen levendighen gheest in te aessemen; soo plaghten sy mede daer nae te staen datse in haere verdiepsels ende verhooghsels den oppersten lof boven d’andere Meesters moghten verwerven. Philostr. Lib. II. Cap. 9. De vita Apollonij.

Quotation

Jae maer, seggen sy, daer is een sekere maniere van Schilderen die by d'oude noyt ghebruyckt en wiert. 't Schijnt alhier vry wat slots te hebben, dat sy 't exempel der oudheyt vorwenden; maer wat voor een oudtheyt is het doch daer op sy haer selven beroepen? 't is immers ongheloovelick dat sy haer selven 't exempel van d'aller uyterste oudtheydt voorstellen overmidts het hun niet onbekent is, dat Phidias ende Apelles vele dingen in 't werck te passe ghebrocht hebben die de voorighe Meesters noch niet en verstonden; oock soo en konnen die gene de Konst van Praxiteles ende Protogenes niet prijs-waerdich achten, dewelcke meynen dat men sich aen de wercken van Calamis ende Polygnotus, sonder yet daerin te veranderen, hadde behooren te verbinden. Iae maer, segghen sy wederom, daer heeft voor den tijdt van dese groote Meesters een veel een-voudigher maniere van doen den hooghsten prijs ghevoert.

Quotation

Zeuxis, Polygnotas, ende Euphranor hebben met eenen sonderlingen arbeyd ghesocht haere stucken behoorlicker wijse te beschaduwen ende met eenen levendighen gheest in te aessemen; soo plaghten sy mede daer nae te staen datse in haere verdiepsels ende verhooghsels den oppersten lof boven d’andere Meesters moghten verwerven. Philostr. Lib. II. Cap. 9. De vita Apollonij.

Quotation

Maer merckt hier eens de archlistighe eergiericheyt der Atheniers, dewelcke dese Eer-kroon der AEgyptenaren gaeren tot hun trecken souden, en haer die lof toe-eygenen dat sy voor de eerste Vinders van dese Konst gheacht soude worden, het welck hier uyt te waerschijnelicker is, om dat sy gemeenelick haer eygen Natie daer in vorderlijck waren, voornementlijck wanneer yemant tot een rouwe, en noch onbesneden Konste, yet aenghenaems of cierlijcx toe deed', die sy dan als voor de eerste Vinder hielden. Op die maniere gaet het hier met Polygnotus toe, om dat hy het Graveeren met gloeyende yseren op Yvoor en Lorchen-boomen-hout gevonden heeft […].

Quotation

Aristote {L. de Poet. c. 6} le [ndr : Zeuxis] reprent aussi de n’avoir pas exprimé comme Polygnotus les mœurs, ny fait comprendre les passions, quoy que Pline {L. 35. c. 9. & 10.} dise qu’elles étoient visibles dans sa Penelope qui fit un de ses chefs-d’œuvres […]. Le peintre Aristide est le premier de tous qui se servit de la Morale dans sa profession, & qui sçeut pendre l’Ame avecque ses pensées aussi bien que le corps, par l’expression visible de tous les mouvemens interieurs ; les couleurs dont il [ndr : Aristide] se servoit estoient neantmois trouvées un peu rudes de son tems.

Quotation

I will add but one way of Expression more, and that is, plain Writing.
Polygnotos, in the Paintings made by him in the Temple of Delphos, wrote the Names of those whom he represented.
The old
Italian, and German Masters improv’d upon this ; the Figures they made were Speaking Figures, they had Labels coming out of their Mouths with that written in them which they were intended to be made to say ; but even Rafaëlle, and Annibale Carracci, have condescended to Write rather than leave any Ambiguity, or Obscurity in their Work : Thus the Name of Sappho is written to shew ‘twas She, and not one of the Muses intended in the Parnassus : And in the Gallery Farnese, that Anchises might not be mistaken for Adonis, Genus unde Latinum was written.

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

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 ;