[D'après NOLDUS 2008, p. 67-68:] 25 Cependant, si cela convient au sujet, des artistes habiles ont l’habitude d’introduire dans leurs Histoires une abondance {Qu’il faut enrichir ses Ordonnances.} de Chevaux, Chiens, ou d’autres Bêtes domestiques et aussi des animaux et oiseaux des forêts. Mais il est particulièrement agréable de regarder des jeunes Gens de bonne allure, de belles Demoiselles, des Vieillards, des Femmes mûres et toutes sortes d’Enfants qu’ils soient nouveau-né ou adolescents. 26 À côté de cela, il faut des Paysages et architectures des décorations, gréements et ornements et maintes et agréables fantaisies enrichissantes, tout cela pour créer une belle Harmonie entre tout ce qui est bienséant dans le domaine de la Peinture, comme en témoignent des Auteurs modernes notamment, Léon Battista Alberti {Léon était un Florentin ; il a écrit autour de 1481.} et Rivius, qui s’y est beaucoup intéressé {Le livre du mathématicien Gualtherus Rivius a été imprimé en 1547.}

ALBERTI, Leon Battista
RYFF, Walther Hermann

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] As such the old Masters observed these five chief principles very closely in their Paintings. I. The Historical content, that is often called the Invention or also the argument. II. The uniformity, which one commonly calls the Proportion, symmetry, analogy and harmony. III. The colour or the colouring; and in this they tend to carefully distinguish the light and shadow, as well as the sheen and darkness. IV. The life; which exists in the Action and Passion, or (to speak more clearly) in the skilled depiction of the characteristics that one discerns in the unmovable things, as well as in the lively expression of the movements that one perceives in the movable things, when these do or suffer something considerable. V. The arrangement, that one commonly tends to call the Disposition or Ordinance.

In the introduction to the third book, Junius introduces the five main principles (hoofdstukken) that the old masters followed in their work. The second of these principle is ‘gelijkmatigheid’ (uniformity), which can also be called by one of its synonyms: Proportion, Symmetry, Analogy and Harmony. In the second chapter of Book Three the differences between these synonyms are discussed at length in the following chapters. [MO]

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] What the Artificial proportional expression of the found material is concerned, it is called differently by different writers; but mainly it is described by the name Symmetry, Analogy or Harmony in Philostratus and many other writers; as such the young Philostratus has also capably connected these three terms. In my opinion the old wise Men, he says {…}, have written a lot about the Symmetrie of the Art of Painting, by proposing us some certain laws regarding the Analogy of the separate members, as if it were not enough that the Artists would express some movements of the body capably after their understanding, it was then necessary that the Harmony of their work would stay within the natural size, because Nature (namely when it shows us a rightful and well-composed movement) does not want to recognize at all that which is starting to stray from its own character and size. Just as we understand from these words that the Greek terms Symmetry, Analogy and Harmony more or less mean the same, as such it is likewise uncertain and unclear which Latin term is used for it. The word Symmetry, says Plinius Lib. XXXIV. nat.hist. cap. 8. Nevertheless the young Plinius appears to have expressed this word with the term Congruentia or AEqualitas, that is correspondence or uniformity. If the head or any other member, which is torn off a statue, is depicted, he says {…}, you would perhaps not easily deduct the correspondence or uniformity of the whole work, nevertheless you would be able to judge from it whether the part itself is good enough.

PHILOSTRATOS
PLINIUS, L'Ancien
PLINIUS, Le Jeune

Junius extensively discusses the different terms that are used to describe the aspect of proportion in a painting. This paragraph serves as the introduction for further exploration of the different terms, although some of them are only mentioned in this citation. The terms that are mentioned are: symmetry (symmetrie), analogy (analogie), harmony (harmonie), Congruentia, Aequalitas, medevoeghlickheyd and uniformity (gelijkvormigheid). Junius mentions the Greek origins of the first three terms and suggests that Congruentia and Aequalitas might be their Latin equivalents, as suggested by Pliny jr. The two Dutch terms are Junius’ own invention. This citation is of interest, as it shows Junius’ search for and understanding of artistic terms. In the Latin edition, Junius uses the Greek term for harmony: 'αρμονια. [MO]

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] What the word Analogy is concerned, some have called the word analogy Proportion in Latin, says A. Gellius {…}, As such the learned Quintilianus does not appear to find this term wrong; those who have recently translated the term Analogy from the Greek to the Latin, he says {…}, call it a Proportion. (…) In order for us not to busy ourselves too long with a reasonable translation of these three words, as such we will leave it to this, only adding to it, that the Painters appear to have borrowed these terms Analogy and Harmony from the Proportion that is observed by the Math-artists [NDR: mathematicians] and the Sing-artists [NDR: singers]; since this Analogy or Proportion is nothing else but a certain law of numbers, after whose instruction the Artists set all their works.

GELLIUS, Aulus
QUINTILIANUS

In continuing the discussion about the terminology regarding the principle of proportion, Junius states that analogy (analogie) is often translated as proportion (proportie) by Latin authors. He goes on to explain that analogy, proportion and harmony (harmonie) are closely related to mathematics and music and that it boils down to a law of numbers. In the Latin edition (1637), Junius only uses the Greek term: 'αρμονια. [MO]

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] The beauty of the body exists in a certain Symmetry that the parts of the body have with each other and with the whole, says Stobeaus Ecolog. Ethic. Cap. 5. A body, which is beautiful in all its parts, is thought to be much more beautiful, than the separate beautiful parts that form the body by means of an orderly compliancy, says St Augustinus Lib. III. Dulciloqu. Cap. 26. Because if the one or the other of our bodyparts, being cut off from the rest, are looked at on their own, says Dionys. Longinus {…}, it will not have any importance; as the true perfection only exists in the correspondence of all the parts; namely, once they have become a body by means of their mutual resemblance, they are immediately from all sides captured in it by the hand of Harmony.

AURELIUS AUGUSTINUS (Saint)
LONGINUS, Dionysius
STOBAEUS, Joannes

Junius connects the esthetical concept of beauty (schoonheid) to that of symmetry (symmetrie). He refers to the human body, in which all the different parts should be in harmony (harmonie) with each other. Junius does not refer directly to art in this extract. The citation from St Augustine, where this term occurs, is missing in the English edition. [MO]

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] While it is certain that the true beauty of the natural bodies can only be found in the propriety of this Harmony, as such it follows undeniably from this as well, that the true imitation of these bodies consists mainly in the observation of this Harmony. All parts of a statue have to be beautiful says Socrates apud Stobaeum Serm. I. we do not insist so much on the nice neatness of each separate part in the Colossal works, but we tend to pay much more attention to the beauty of the whole production, says Strabo Lib. I. Geogr. Those imitations are thought to be the most ridiculous, says Galenus {…, that generally neglect the resemblance that they observe in many parts. Parrhaisus, Polycletus and Asclepiodorus have been the first and principal founders and observers of this Symmetry. Parrhaisus was the first who gave the Art of Painting its appropriate Symmetry. Plin. XXXV.10. Polycletus observed the Symmetry very dilligently. Plin XXXIV.8. Asclepiodorus approached his work so masterfully, says the same Plinius {…}, that Apelles used to be greatly amazed about the Symmetry that he applied in it.

APELLES
ASCLEPIODOROS
GALENUS, Claudius
PARRHASIUS (Parrhasios)
PLINIUS, L'Ancien
POLYKLEITOS
STOBAEUS, Joannes
STRABO

[BLANC J, 2006, p. 306] Varier les mets redonne de l’appétit, tout comme l’œil s’amuse de nombreuses choses différentes. Mais veillez à ce que cette variété n’entraîne pas de contradictions et qu’il y demeure une aimable « harmonie ».

[BLANC J, 2006, p. 445] Terpsichore a traité du beau coloris, Melpomène des lumières et des ombres. Il reste encore à parler de leur ordonnance unie et de leur disposition conjointe. Il est habituel de parler de ce secret de l'art en l'appelant "économie", ce qui signifie, pour le coloris, à peu près la même chose que les mots de symétrie, d'analogie, d'harmonie et de proportions pour l'art de la proportion, ou que l'unisson et la séduisante mélodie pour la musique. Cette économie suppose en effet une certaine pureté et une forte entente dans le rassemblement des couleurs, une bonne façon de les disposer -que nous appelons l'art des bouquets- et une disposition convenable des lumières et des ombres. Il faut ajouter à cela les avancées, les échappées, les modelés et les raccourcis.

[D'après DE LAIRESSE 1787, p. 108-110:] Le meilleur moyen pour prévenir ce désagrément, c’est de se retirer dans un lieu tranquille, muni de papier & de crayons ; & après qu’on aura arrêté la grandeur du champ que doit remplir la composition qu’on se propose de mettre sur la toile, on commencera par en indiquer les plans & par fixer le point de vue […] Ensuite on recueillera ses esprits pour examiner le sujet qu’on projette d’exécuter, ainsi que la manière la plus convenable de le disposer, de même que de grouper les principaux personnages […] Quant aux accessoires, on ne fera que les indiquer par des points jusqu’à ce qu’on mette ensemble la composition ; car lorsque les principaux objets sont bien placés, les autres suivent d’eux-mêmes la disposition générale. Ce travail étant fini, on le reprendra pour examiner avec soin ce qu’on aura fait, en commençant de nouveau par les principales figures, & en considérant quelle est la passion qui doit les faire agir […] de quelle manière elles doivent contraster entr’elles […] On tracera tout cela sur un autre morceau de papier […] examiner quelles figures doivent rester nues, quelles autres ont besoin d’être drapées ; ce qui demande un caractère noble ou commun ; pour passer ensuite à la disposition générale des couleurs locales & à leur harmonie : de cette manière, on parviendra à terminer l’ouvrage avec une grande facilité sans se fatiguer la mémoire

[D'après DE LAIRESSE 1787, p. 212:] Un peintre d’histoire, pour parvenir à la perfection, doit d’abord avoir une connaissance bien approfondie des meilleurs historiens & poëtes, ainsi que de l’antiquité. Il faut de plus qu’il soit doué d’un esprit poétique […]NDR : la grâce de] L’esprit poétique est nécessaire pour mettre de l’harmonie dans le coloris du tableau. Cependant ces qualités ne suffisent pas pour produire un bon ouvrage, si l’invention & la composition ne concourent pas à en former un bon ensemble […]

[D'après DE LAIRESSE 1787, p. 322:] La disposition des couleurs l’une à côté de l’autre, ou l’une sur l’autre, [NDLR : avec une bonne harmonie] est donc, ainsi que la méthode de les rompre & de les fondre ensemble, la seule partie sur laquelle on ait négligé jusqu’à présent de jeter quelque lumière […]

[D'après DE LAIRESSE 1787, p. 353:] La principale attention [ndlr : disposition] à porter dans l’harmonie, consiste à placer toujours du sombre contre du clair, & du clair contre du sombre.

[D'après DE LAIRESSE 1787, p. 357:] Cette harmonie est produite par l’opposition des couleurs tendres & sourdes, avec, avec des couleurs fières & brillantes ; dont l’union soit telle que ces couleurs paroissent naturellement produites l’une par l’autre.

[D'après DE LAIRESSE 1738, p. 466:] Altho’ in the Chapter touching the Deities and their Qualities, we shall treat of the Colours proper to them, we must, on this Occasion, say something previous, and shew, how the Colours ought to be placed and handled, in order to create a perfect Harmony. You must not herein, by any means, be known by flaring, strong, and glittering Colours. I am of Opinion, that on this Occasion, nothing suits better than the Union of Colours ; because it is agreeable to the Eye, causes a fine Relief, and contains something uncommon, even supernatural.

[D'après DE LAIRESSE 1787, vol. 2, p. 589:] Il y a trois choses essentiellement nécessaires dans un bon tableau de fleurs ; savoir, 1° le choix des plus belles fleurs ; 2° une bonne disposition & une agréable harmonie ; 3°un pinceau délicat & moëlleux ; c’est-à-dire, que les fleurs ne doivent pas être communes, petites & vilaines ; mais belles, grandes & rares, ou du moins estimées ; soit qu’on les arrange dans une corbeille, ou qu’on les place droites dans un vase, elles doivent toujours conserver leurs qualités & leurs formes […]. Il faut aussi que les plus belles occupent la principale place, & puissent faire le plus d’effet ; de sorte que par un heureux mêlange, les unes servent à augmenter la beautés des autres, & qu’il résulte une belle harmonie qui satisfasse l’œil […].

[D'après DE LAIRESSE 1738, p. 631-632:] The Grace of well-etch’d or engraved Print consists, First, in a bright Light and dark Shade ; by which I understand, that the faint Hatching on the lighted Parts be kept almost imperceptible, and the shady Touches contrarily strong and dark. Secondly, that the Naked, or Carnations, be hatched fine and somewhat dull, and the Draperies courser and rougher, according to their Qualities ; yet all without any Outline, either on the light or shaded Side, even so that the Extremities be only formed by the Tint of the Grounds against which they come. But to give the Work the greatest Perfection, and shew the Judgment [ndr: understanding and knowledge] of the Master, the Tints of the Colours should also appear as much as possible : Yet as a Print does not so intirely consist of fine Ordonnance, beautiful Figures, elegant By-works, and neat cut or etch’d Strokes, as in a good general Harmony, so this Harmony ought to be principally studied.