IMAGINATION (n.)
TERM USED AS TRANSLATIONS IN QUOTATION
FANTASIE (nld.)FILTERS
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Quotation
{Of Imitation.} The powers of a Painter, is expresses, by Imitation of Naturall things, whereof the most excellent, are ever, the most difficult ; easie to paint deformity.
{In severall graces and abilities.} In your Imitations of Art or Copying, observe to hit the virtues of the Piece, and to refuse the vices ; for all Masters have somewhat, of them both. For, Paintings, may be puft-up, but not stately ; starved in Colour, nor delicate ; rash, not Confident ; Negligent, not Plain. […].
{Of Fancie.} Proficiency of Painting, is purchased, not (altogether) by Imitation, (the common drole-way of ordinary Painters) if you neglect the amendment, by your own generous fancie ; (Est autem proprie Imago rerum animo insidentium). For, he that only follows another’s steps, must (needs) be the last in the race : Lazy Painters study not, the brain : Nature can do much with Doctrine ; but not Doctrine, without Nature : Nature, is of greater Moment : Every Artificer hath a peculiar Grace, in his own worke, agreeing to his Nature ; though many (of the other sort,) owe most to Doctrine.
{Surpassing Imitation.} The force, of Imitation of Nature, is in the Fancie ; which worketh with the more Wisdome. It being an imaginative faculty, or wit, and is set on worke to imagine, what we have seen (or at least made up with some other Sense) being the Print or foot-steps of Sense. It is the treasury of the mind, The darkness of night awakes our Speculations of the day ; when sleep failes, the Mind does, then, digest the conceived things into Order ; that so, the whole invention wants nothing, but the hand of the Artificer, to effect the worke ; and, without Art, to do, Imagination is uselesse ; Fancie supplyes Imitation’s weakness : the property and Office whereof, is to retain those images, and figures, which the Common Sense receives : First, from the exterior sense ; and then transmits it to the judgemnt ; from thence, to the fancie ; and there locked up, and covered in the memory ; and we may alter and move with the re-presentation of things, although it have them not present, which the common Sense cannot have, unlesse present.
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Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
Thus Aglaphontes us’d but one Colour, no more did Nitia the Athenian Painter ; and it was this Relievo also for which the famous Zeuxis became so renound’d : not to insist on Heredices the Corinthian, and Thelophanes the Sicyonian, who were both of them but Monochromists ; and, ‘till Cleophanes came amongst them, no dissemblers, as owning no other Colours but those eminent Contraries ; that is, the lights and the shades, in the true managing whereof, so many wonders are to be produc’d by this Art, and even a certain splendor, and beauty in the touches of the Burin, so as the very Union and colouring it self may be conceiv’d without any force upon the imagination, as we have before observed in these excellent Gravings of Natalis, Rouslet, and Poisly, after Bourdon ; and in what Greuter, Blomart, and some others have done after Monsieur Poussin, Guido Rhene, Cortoon, &c.
BLOEMART, Cornelis
BOURDON, Sébastien
DA CORTONA, Pietro (Pietro Berrettini)
GREUTER, Matthaeus
NATALIS, Michel
POILLY, François de
POILLY Nicolas de
POUSSIN, Nicolas
RENI, Guido
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Quotation
Traveller,
Design is the Expressing with a Pen, or Pencil, or other Instrument, the Likeness of any Object by its out Lines, or Contours ; and he that Understands and Mannages well these first Lines, working after Nature still, and using extream Diligence, and skill may with Practice and Judgment, arrive to an Excellency in the Art.
Friend,
Me thinks that should be no difficult Matter, for we see many whose Inclination carys them to Draw any thing they see, and they perform it with ease.
Traveller,
I grant you, Inclination goes a great way in disposing the Hand, but a strong Imagination only, will not carry a Painter through ; For when he compares his Work to Nature, he will soon find, that great Judgment is requisite, as well as a Lively Fancy ; and particularly when he comes to place many Objects together in one Piece or Story, which are all to have a just relation to one another. There he will find that not only the habit of the Hand but the strength of the Mind is requisite ; therefore all the Eminent Painters that ever were, spent more time in Designing after the Life, and after the Statues of the Antients, then ever did in learning how to colour their Works ; that so they might be Masters of Design, and be able to place readily every Object in its true situation.