EMULATIE (n. f.)
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De Poesije ende de Schilder-Konst sijn oock daer in malkanderen gelijck datse haer selven allebeyde meest met d'imitatie besigh houden. Wy sien 't daghelicks hoe niet alleen de Poeten maer oock de Schilders door eenen onderlinghen naer-yver ofte aemulatie de ghedaente der Goden met een stoute handt af-beelden, oock soo besteden sy haeren arbeydt om den mensche met t'saemen 't menschelick bedrijf uyt te drucken.
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Poetry and Painting are also equal to each other, in that they occupy themselves mostly with imitation. We see daily how not only the Poets but the Painters as well because of a mutual envy or emulation portray the shape of Gods with a bold hand, just as they use their labor to express together the human activity.
In this citation, Junius connects emulation to ‘naer-yver’ (envy), but makes a difference. Emulation is used in the practical sense of ‘emulating’ colleagues and is seen as an aspect of the work of painters. Junius refers to the aemulation between Painters (and Poets) amongst themselves. Junius remarks on the similarity between painters and poets : both compete amongst eachother while depicting the Gods, so he sees no difference between painting and poetry here. [MO]
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Den almoghenden God, als wesende den eenighen rijcken springh-ader alles goeds, word hier Godvruchtiglick in d’eerste plaetse gestelt; wiens oneyndelicke goedertierenheydt de herten der Ouders ghestaedighlick verweckt, om goede sorge over haere Kinderen te draeghen, ten eynde dat haere liefste panden ghetijdighlick in handen eenes goeden ende ghetrouwen Leer-meesters overghelevert sijnde, niet allen d’eerste grondslaeghen maer oock d’allerdiepste gheheymenissen der Konste van kinds beenen aen moghten indrinken. Indien het dan gheviel dat de Leerlingen haere leer-jaeren gheeyndight hebben ’t goede voorschrift der Meesters achter den rugghe bestonden te versmijten, ende haer eyghen hoofd tot naedeel van de konst te volghen, so plaght de vreese van strenghe wetten teghen de verdervers der konsten ghemaeckt dese haere onghebondenheyt krachtighlick te betoomen: indien sy daer en teghen van oprechtigheyd haerer eerster onderwijsinghe in het minste niet ghesint waeren af te wijcken, so wierden sy in desen standvastighen loop dapper ghestijft door eenen sekeren Naer-yver ofte Aemulatie, die de wackere verstanden gheen ruste liet ghenieten tot dat sy niet alleen haer Meester achterhaelden; maer ook de Meesters haerer Meesters te boven gingen.
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] The almighty God, being the only rich vein of all things good, is Devoutly placed here in first place; whose endless mercy steadily causes in the hearts of Parents to take good care of their Children, lest their dearest offspring are delivered timely to the hands of a good and loyal Master, may they not only drink in the first principles but also the deepest secrets of Art from childhood on. If it then happens that the Pupils, having finished their period of training, throw away the good instruction of the Master behind his back and follow their own mind to the disadvantage of the art, then the fear of strict laws made against the corruptors of the arts is apt to strongly bound this licentiousness: however, if out of honesty they never intended to deviate from their first instruction, then they are valiantly strengthened in this firm course through a certain envy or emulation, which would not allow the mind to enjoy any rest until they would not only overtake their Master; but also surpass the Masters of their Masters.
In the introduction of the second book, Junius focuses on the education of an artist. After a period of guided instruction by a master, an artist will continue to develop himself individually. During this period, some artists diverge from the basic principles that they were taught by there master. A strong force behind this independent artistic development is ‘na- ijver’ or ‘aemulatie’. Junius describes this force as the drive to be better than all other artists, from the present and past. As such, ‘na-ijver’ or ‘aemulatie’ is both a positive and a negative phenomenon, as it motivates artists to develop themselves albeit sometimes in the ‘wrong’ direction. [MO]
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Ghelijck nu de vreese van strenghe wetten in de verkeerdelick laetdunckende beghinners soo veele te weghe broght, dat sy haer selven ten minsten binnen de schreve hielden, soo wrocht d’Aemulatie (aldus wordt den naer-ijver ofte naevolghenslust gemeynlick gheheeten) noch vele krachtigher inde leersaeme Scholieren, wanneer sy niet alleen door een goedaerdighe ghesegghelickheyd bleven by ’t ghene sy van haere ghetrouwe onderwijsers ontfanghen hadden, maer wanneer sy boven dien d’aller beste wercken haerer meesters en ander Konstenaeren door een rusteloose eergierigheyd sochten t’overtreffen. De naevolghenslust is krachtiger dan de straffe en vreese die uyt de wetten ontstaet, seght Tacitus Annal. III. Cap. 15.
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Just like the fear of severe laws stirred so much in the conceited beginners, that they at least kept themselves within the limits, as such the Emulation (as one commonly calls the envy or desire to imitate) is far more powerful in the studious Pupils, when they would not just stay within the kind reasonability of that which they had received from their loyal teachers, but when they would moreover try to surpass the very best works of their masters and other artists because of a restless pride. The desire to imitate is more powerful than the punishment and fear that springs from the laws, says Tacitus (…).
Junius discusses the advantage of competition amongst artists. He coins the term ‘aemulatie’ and its equivalents ‘na-ijver’ and ‘naevolghenslust’ to describe the need and habit of artists to try to surpass the (best) works of other artists, including their masters. In particular, he suggests that emulation may be the source of greater progress than following the strict rules of the trade. [MO]
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Themistius gaat noch verder, ’t Is den mensche aengheboren, seght hy {orat.3), nae sijn uyterste maght te besorghen, wat met een sekere soorte van aemulatie uytghevoert moet worden; ghelijck het in ’t teghendeel met sijne nature overeenkomt sorghlooslick te verrichten, wat sonder eenighte aemulatie ghemackelick toegaet, ’t maeckt ons traegh ende naelatigh, wanneer ons yet sonder eenen med-begheerder te doen staet: Ons gemoed wordt daerenteghen verweckt om hoogher op te stijghen, als het andere soeckt te boven te gaen. Dewijl het dan blijckelick is dat de kloeckste verstanden doorgaens henen door d’ontijdelicke prickelen der aemulatie tot grooter saecken krachtighlijkck worden aenghedreven, soo volght daer uyt dat het een ghewis merck-teycken van een swaer ende onlustigh ghemoed is, wanneer sich yeman door de groote menighte der gener die met eenene sonderlinghen ernst nae de volmaecktheyd eenigher Konsten trachten niet bewogen en vindt om ’t selvighe mede te doen.
Het Tweede Boeck, Capittel V.2, p.96
d’Aemulatie koestert de verstanden, seght hy [NDR: Velleius Paterculus] {sub finem libri primi hist.}
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Themistius goes even further, It is innate to man, he says {…}, to complete with the utmost capacity, that which has to be executed with a certain kind of emulation; likewise, to the contrary it coincides with his nature to execute carelessly those things, which ensue without any emulation, it makes us slow and negligent, when we have to do something without a competitor: To the contrary, our mind is provoked to rise higher, when it attempts to surpass the other. While it is obvious that the brightest minds are usually driven to great things through the untimely incentives of emulation, as such it follows that it is a clear sign of a heavy and unwilling mind, when someone is not moved by the great crowd of those who with an extraordinary seriousness aim at the perfection of some Arts to do the same as well.
Junius cites Themistius, who discussed the role of human nature in the behavior of artists. On the one hand, man has an innate drive to surpass others, called ‘aemulatie’ (emulation). On the other hand, if there are no competitors, man becomes negligent and slow. As such, ‘aemulatie’ is described as an innate quality of artists. The English edition (1638) does not include the citation from Themistius. [MO]
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ende overmids onsen volgh-lust altemet door een heymelicke nijdigheyd, altemet door een rechtvaerdighe verwonderingh gaende ghemaeckt wordt, soo plaght oock het ghene wy met den hooghsten yver naeiaeghen, sijne hooghste volmaecktheyd vroegh te bekomen. Maer dan valt het ons heel swaer by die volmaecktheyd te blijven; ghemerckt eenigh dingh nae den ghemeynen loop der nature plagt te deynsen, als het niet meer voord en kan.
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] The emulation cherishes the minds, he says {…}, and while our desire to imitate is activated either because of secretive annoyance, or because of a justified amazement, as such that which we chase after with the greatest diligence tends to obtain its highest perfection early on. But then it is very hard on us to keep up with this perfection, seen that a thing tends to recoil to the usual flow of nature, if it cannot move forward anymore.
Junius discusses the origin of ‘aemulatie’ (emulation). He uses ‘(nae)volgh(ens)lust’ as equivalent for ‘aemulatie’. Emulation can either have a negative origin, which he describes as secretive annoyance or envy, or a positive one, described as ‘verwondering’ (amazement). It is furthermore of interest that Junius mentions the consequences of emulation: reaching perfection (‘volmaaktheid’), which might be difficult to keep up. [MO]
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Alhoewel nu d’oude Konstenaers buyten twijfel door de hitte haeres volgh-lusts en door d’onverdraeghelicke onwederstaenlicke prickelen des naer-yvers krachtighlick tot een gantsch ernstighe oeffeninghe deser Konsten aengedreven wierden, nochtans moghen wy niet dencken dat dese Konsten aleen door d’onderlinghe Aemulatio der Konstenaeren ghevoordert sijn gheweest, maer wy houden ’t daer voor dat den grooten naem van vele welsprekende mannen de wackere gheesten der Konstenaeren met eenen oock opgheweckt heeft om yet wat te verrichten ’t welck dierghelijcke eere verdienen mocht.
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Although the old Artists were without a doubt driven forcefully by the heat of their desire to imitate and by the unbearable irresistible incentives of envy towards serious practice of these Arts, still we should not think that these Arts have only advanced through the mutual Emulation of Artists, but we insist that the great name of many eloquent men have simultaneously incited the alert minds of Artists to do something which might deserve such an honor.
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Die gene dan de welcke door den volstandigen ernst harer Aemulatio d’eenvoudigheyd der ouder wercken gheluckighlick hadden uytgedruckt, vonden haere herten so dapper daer in verghenoeght, dat haer ghemoed door de soete vermaeckelickheydt der Konste eenmael gheketelt sijnde, sich niet en ontsach den aller swaersten arbeyd t’ondergaen, op hope dat het de loffelicke eygenschappen der ouder Meesters door een onbedwonghen naevolginghe naerder en naerder souden treffen;
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Those who had expressed the simplicity of the old works by the sufficient seriousness of their Emulation, found their hearts so bravely pleased in this, that their mind, once moved by the sweet amusement of Art, did not spare itself from taking on the most heavy labor, hoping that it would approach the lovely characteristics of the old masters further and further by an unrestricted imitation;
This is one of the few instances in which Junius uses the latin spelling of the term: Aemulatio. The Latin edition is much shorter in this section of the text. [MO]