COPY (n.)
TERM USED AS TRANSLATIONS IN QUOTATION
COPIE (fra.)TERM USED IN EARLY TRANSLATIONS
COPIE (fra.)FILTERS
LINKED QUOTATIONS
Quotation
The foundation of Proportion consists in severall particular figures, by which I would have you enter your Drawings ; as the Circle, Ovall, Square, Trangle, Cilinder : Each of these have their effects. […].
{How to draw by Copyes.} Begin your Example, by a Copie or Print, of those severall forms of figures ; as the Sun, full-Moon, […].
{Of severall members of the body.} Then, practise by severall members of the body ; in some Print ; as the Eare, Eye, […].
{Head and shoulders.} The next is by a Print, or Copy of a Head and shoulders of a Man or Woman, […].
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
We do farher add, that for this reason, copies are in Prints much more easily detected, then in paintings ; and by consequence, more facile also to imitate, as using all one kind of Instrument, and fewer ways of expression : But if there be a difficulty in it, thosewhich are Etched in A. F. [n.d.r. : Aqua Forti ] make it most conspicuous ; both because the nature of the plates, and quality of the Waters, and their operations, may sometimes fall out to be so very unlike : But, to discern an Original print from a Copy print (not to speak of such plates as have been retouch’d, and therefore of little value) is a knack very easily attain’d ; because’tis almost impossible to imitate every hatch, and to make the stroaks of exact and equal dimensions, where every the least defect, or flaw in the Copper it self, is sufficient to detect and betray the Imposture, as in that little Descent from the cross of Hanibal Carraccio (already mention’d) is perspicuous, and which it were absolutely impossible to conterfeit. In the mean time, such as are profound, and well knowing, do establish their Judgments upon other particulars of the Art, and the very handling it self.
CARRACHE, Annibale, Descente de croix (gravure d'après)
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
IX. To the former add good Copies, Patterns, and Examples of good Pictures, and other draughts, without which it is almost impossible, that the young Artist should ever attain to any perfection in this Art.
We have wholly pretermitted these for brevity sake, but those that desire to be furnished with any excellent Patterns, Copies or Prints, may have of all sorts, whether of humane shape, perspective design, Landskip, Fowls, Beasts, Fishes, Insects, Plants, Countries, or any other Artificial figures, exquisitely drawn, at very reasonable rates, [...].
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
And as the Description of a Picture is a part of the History of the Master, a Copy, or a Print after such a one may be consider’d as a more Exact, and Perfect Description of it than can be given by Words ; These are of great Advantage, in giving us an Idea of the Manner of Think-of that Master, and this in proportion as such a Print, or Copy happens to be. And there is One Advantage which these have in This matter, which even the Works themselves have not ; And that is, In Those commonly their Other Qualities divert, and divide our Attention, and perhaps Sometimes Byass us in their favour throughout ;
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
A Copy is the Repetition of a Work already done when the Artist endeavours to follow That ; As he that Works by Invention, or the Life endeavouring to Coppy Nature, seen, or Conceived makes an Original.
Thus not only That is an Original Painting that is done by Invention, or the Life Imediatly ; but That is so too which is done by a Drawing, or Sketch so done ; That Drawing, or Sketch not being Ultimately intended to be followed, but used only as a help towards the better imitation of Nature, whether Present, or Absent.
And tho’ this Drawing, or Sketch is Thus used by Another hand than that by which ‘tis made, what is so done cannot be said to be a Copy ; the Thought indeed is partly borrowed, but the Work is Original.
For the same reason if a Picture be made after Another, and afterwards gone over by Invention, or the Life, not following That, but endeavouring to improve upon it, it Thus become an Original.
But if a Picture, or Drawing be Coppy’d, and the Manner of Handling be imitated, tho’ with some liberty so as not to follow every Stroak, and Touch it ceases not to be a Coppy ; as that is truly a Translation where the Sence is kept tho’ it be not exactly Literal.
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
If a Larger Picture be Coppied tho’ in Little, and what was done in Oyl is imitated with Water-colours, or Crayons, that first Picture being Only endeavour’d to be follow’d as close as possible with Those Materials, and in those Dimentions, This is as Truly a Coppy as if it were done as Large, and in the same Manner as the Original.
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
There are some Pictures, and Drawings which are neither Coppies, nor Originals, as being partly One, and partly t’other. If in a History, or large Composition, or even a Single Figure, a Face, or more is incerted, Coppied from what has been done from the Life, such Picture is not intirely Original. Neither is that So, nor Intirely Coppy where the Whole Thought is taken, but the Manner of the Coppier used as to the Colouring, and Handling. A Coppy Retouch’d in Some places by Invention, or the Life is of this Æquivocal kind. I have several Drawings first coppied after Old Masters (Guilio Romano for example,) and then Heightned, and endeavour’d to be improved by Rubens ; So far as His hand has gone is therefore Original, the rest remains pure Coppy. But when he has thus wrought upon Original Drawings (of which I have also many Instances,) the Drawing looses not its first Denomination, ‘tis an Original still, made by two several Masters.
The Ideas of Better, and Worse are generally attached to the Terms Original, and Coppy ; and that with good reason ; not only because Coppies are usually made by Inferiour Hands ; but because tho’ he that makees the Coppy is as Good, or even a Better Master than he that made the Original whatever may happen Rarely, and by Accident, Ordinarily the Coppy will fall short : Our Hands cannot reach what our Minds have conceiv’d ; ‘tis God alone whose works answer to his Ideas. In making an Original our Ideas are taken from Nature ; which the Works of Art cannot equal : When we Coppy ‘tis these Defective Works of Art we take our Ideas from ; Those are the utmost we endeavour to arrive at ; and these lower Ideas too our Hands fail of executing perfectly : An Original is the Eccho of the Voice of Nature, a Coppy is the Eccho of that Eccho.
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
Coppies made by a Master after his Own Work are discoverable by being well acquainted with what that Master did when he followed Nature ; These shall have a Spirit, a Freedom, a Naturalness which even He cannot put into what he Coppies from his Own Work, as has been noted already.
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
Of Prints there are two Kinds : Such as are done by the Masters themselves whose Invention the Work is ; and such as are done by Men not pretending to Invent, but only to Coppy (in Their way) Other men’s Works.
The Latter sort of Prints are always profess’d Coppies with respect to the Invention, Composition, Manner of Designing, Grace, and Greatness. But These Prints may be also Coppied as they frequently are, and to know what are So, and what are Orignals is by being well acquainted with the Hands of the Graver, or Etcher, who in This respect are the Masters, as the Painter from whom They Coppied were to them.
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
When a Painter intends to make a History (for example) the way commonly is to design the thing in his Mind, to consider what Figures to bring in, and what they are to Think, Say, or Do ; and then to Sketch upon Paper this Idea of his ; and not only the Invention, but Composition of his intended Picture : This he may alter upon the same Paper, or by making other Sketches, till he is pretty well determin’d as to that ; (and this is that first Sense in which I said the Term Drawing, or Designing was to be understood.) In the next place his Business is to consult the Life, and to make Drawings of particular Figures, or parts of Figures, or of what else he intends to bring into his Work, as he finds necessary ; together also with such Ornaments, or other things of his Invention, as Vases, Frizes, Trophies, &c. till he has brought his Picture to some Perfection on Paper, either in these loose Studies, or in one entire Drawing. This is frequently done, and sometimes these Drawings are finish’d very highly by the Master, either that his Disciples might be able from them to make a greater Progress in the Grand Work, and so leave the less for Himself to do ; or because he made Advantage of such Drawings from the Person who employ’d him, or some other ; and perhaps sometimes for his own Pleasure.
Of these Drawings of all kinds, those great Masters […] made very many ; sometimes several for the same thing, and not only for the same Picture, but for one Figure, or part of a Figure ; and though too many are perish’d, and lost, a considerable Number have escap’d, and been preserved to our Times, some very well, others not, as it has happen’d : And these are exceedingly priz’d by all who understand, and can see their Beauty ; for they are the very Spirit, and Quintessence of the Art ; there we see the Steps the Master took, the Materials with which he made his Finish’d Paintings, which are little other than Copies of these, and frequently (at least in part) by some Other Hand ; but these are undoubtedly altogether his Own and true, and proper Originals.