[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] We would have a lot to say to this, but [NDR: it is the case that] we deem it more urgent to insist some more on that which we touched upon before; namely that the things which are judged the best in the most excellent Artists, are almost inimitable; the mind, the inventiveness, that one calls invention, the untamed ease in working, and all that which cannot be implanted by the rules of Art.{…} As such this difficulty is here most useful of all; as the thought of this difficulty stimulates us to more attention; so that we then begin to understand the most excellent Artists a bit better, no longer scrolling over their works with careless observation, but we focus our eyes carefully on every specific part of their works, and we mainly understand the immense power of her virtues from that which makes it impossible to imitate it. {…}

QUINTILIANUS

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Just like a knowledgeable and ingenious Artist tends to find out capably what deserves to be painted, as such he tends to also weigh his own strengths carefully, namely whether he is capable to produce that which he draws by hand. Take a matter, says Horace {…}, that coincides with your powers; also let your shoulders slowly experience what they are able to carry or not. He who does not mistake in his choice, it will never again lack him in perspicuitys and clarity of a bright level.

HORATIUS

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] It is certainly so and we believe that a fine and able Artist should above all aim for an experience of natural things: Not that we intend to lock him up in a vault somewhere, to break his head on different Geometrical tests; even less that he would go through the experience of so many contrasting opinions of the natural Philosophers by himself, in order to perfectly understand the true nature of all sorts of passion and movements: This is not the opinion: Because we think it is enough that he finds out through a daily observation how the manifold situations and commotions of our mind change and startle the gesture of our face. Every commotion of our mind, says Cicero {…}, receives a certain feature from nature, which one may interpret as the special and particular feature of this commotion.

CICERO, Marcus Tullius

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Whenever it happens that he finds himself in a group in which some people are clearly startled, one would immediately believe from his attentive seriousness that he has sought out such a situation, to read from the eyes of the startled peopled the manifold appearance of wrath, love, fear, hope, blame, happiness, trust and such movements. Although the Art-loving great Masters made the most work and study of this, nonetheless they sometimes also tend to free some time to attempt the Art of Virtue, the natural Philosophy, several Histories, Poetical embellishements, as well as the Mathematical sciences: Since although it is clear that the ethics, natural Philosophers, History-writers, Poetes and mathematicians are unable to make any Painter [sic]; nonetheless the knowledge of these Arts brings forth so much, that the Artists who manage quite well in these sciences are thought to be better and more perfect Painters.

This excerpt does not occur in the Latin edition of 1637. [MO]

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] It serves as an answer, that our feeling would not only be weakened by it, although it is known to us that some Masters have become acceptable Painters without the assistance of the other Arts and sciences; seen that we are not discussing the common ‘mass producers’ here, but only the real Artists; who, in our opinion, ought to be learned smart numbers; that is, men of such an outstanding mind and diligence, that it appears that Nature and Art have been combined for its perfection.

Junius defines what an artist (‘kunstenaar’), distinguishing between those who produce art works by the dozen (‘dozijnwerker’) and true artists. The difference lies in their level of knowledge (‘verstand’) and diligence (‘naarstigheid’), although he acknowledges that some masters (‘meester’) have managed to become reasonably good without this. Only the combination of nature and art will lead to perfection in art. Junius states his intention to only talk about these true artists in his text. This excerpt does not occur in the Latin edition of 1637. [MO]

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] …A painter tends to simultaneously easily discern the great number of so many and different colours, which he has in front of himself in order to compose his Portrait, and busy himself with an able hand and eye amongst the proposed wax-paints and his commenced work. Because just like one only has to deal with some certain letters in writing one or the other word, without messing up the whole ABC, as such one only needs to apply the most necessary colours, after the demand of an Artful judgement, to compose a Painting, without suddenly flinging the whole number of so many different paints blindly on the painting. Only those Painters are thought to be the best, says Greg. Nazianzenus {…}, who paint the true and lively similitude of the created things in their paintings: the Others on the other hand, who show nothing but a painted storm in their works after the vain mixing of many rather good and entertaining colours, as they diverge further from the true Art-practice, as such one may not give them this honest name with any appearance of reason.

GREGORIUS NAZIANZENUS
SENECA

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] A sincere Artist takes the most delight in the fullness of an abundant and undiminished matter: Because he believes that it coincides best with the freedom of his noble and unrestricted mind, that together with the unrest of his working head, the energy of his Art-practice would also connect with an ornate argument. It pains his alert truthful mind, when they propose him a barren and poor Invention; and like he always wishes for a satisfying material, as such he attempts to capably order and produce the spatiousness of the whole material in general and all the parts of it in particular, after the demands of their situation; while it cannot be unknown to him, that excellence of his mind as well as the experience of his Art demonstrates itself most in the abundance of the depicted things;

Junius discusses how an artist should best approach the subject (materie, argument, stof) of a painting, without neglecting its width. He can use different qualities, such as his freedom (vrijheid), mind (verstand) and experience (ervarenheid), to order the story to the best circumstances and come to a pleasing wholesome result (welstand). This section is not included in the Latin edition of 1637. [MO]

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] From this it follows, that the paintings that surpass the lovely sweetness of all sorts of painted works, that far surpass human understanding and Art; paintings that are said to be purely produced by an unmentionable, inimitable, supernatural, divine Artistic Act, have to contain something in them, which cannot be obtained from the diligent difficulty of the Art-rules; but that, having observed the free spirit of the brave Artists how nature tends to playfully adorn in such a wide variety of things, attemps to obtain the same in the imitation of nature.

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Furthermore, the other small Fruit growing in the earth [ndr: beets, carrots etc.] should attempted to be done after the life, because the Loving Artist who wants to practice himself in this, should always be inclined to generally observe the life with attention, so that – if he has to do without the life – he could help himself by means of his trained imagination, because it is impossible to describe everything here. But before we end this Chapter, we should first remark, especially for the Fruits, that one should not make them always of one Colouring, especially when the same thing is depicted several times in one piece, like in Fruit pieces, in which an Apple, Pear, Apricot nor Prune is not the same as the others, but always different, one a bit more yellow, greener, redder, and so on, than the other, which is a pleasure to behold and shows the mind of the Artist.

This section is more succinct in the English translation and the selected terms are missing. [MO]

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Further we should also pay attention in this general part that one will not take the true practice of Painting on in a light manner, before one has a good understanding of the Theoretical knowledge of Drawing, Building, perspective and the likes. {That one should first practice Theory and then Practice.} The Old Masters who aimed at perfection, tended not to call themselves Artists, before they had prepared their inquisitive mind with a general knowledge of different Arts and sciences that are connected to the Art of Painting.

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Junius describes the true Artist in a very different manner, when he describes him in such a way. {Description of a true Art-practitioner.} An Artist has to be a careful, attentive, decisive and alertly clever Man, who has been given a large understanding through the knowledge of various Sciences; because it is quite impossible that someone could bring forth a remarkable invention, unless he has been imprinted with the main grounds of the rightful learnedness from his early childhood on:

JUNIUS, Franciscus

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Having understood all the necessary knowledge and sciences that a wise Painter should try to possess, and obtain, we can easily guess why it is that so few can reach the Perfection of a Universal Master; {Why so few become great Masters.} seen that many only begin to understand after a lot of work what is necessary for the Wisdom of a great Master in the Art of Painting; practicing an eternal number of difficulties regarding the rules of art, which seem impossible to him to ever comprehend, as such they will again step back or change after seeing this imaginary head of Medusa, in a stone of despair and stoniness , so that they remain who they are and were, not moving a foot out of fear for the knowledge that is necessary for perfection, to pass by someone else. Yet all of this should not keep a sensible Artist away, as many will not reach the true Mastery, but rather only touch upon it: {What this should mean for a inquisitive mind.} because the more the science of an art is less common, the more delicious it excels in the eyes of all Men; and although we cannot obtain the perfection of an Art, it is nonetheless praiseworthy, to have reached a step or two higher than another: Yes although we know that others have been great Giants in Mastery and that we are but small little men in comparison, and that they have been able to see many and far things, as such one should try to climb on their shoulders through diligence, so that one, if possible, may be able to look a little further than they have looked.

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] […] as Seneca nicely proposes to us in his Letters, when he describes the nature of an honorable Painter as follows: It is easier for an Artist (he says) to paint than to have painted, the serious concern that occupies him regarding the whole situation of his Work finds a common pleasure in the action itself: The Happiness of those who lay the completed Work aside, is not nearly as big; they now enjoy the Happiness of their art, while before they enjoyed the Art itself, namely as long as they are still painting. All this teaches us that one rather does, than having done.

SENECA

The citation from Seneca is not included in the English translation, which means that the selected terms do not occur. [MO]

[BLANC J, 2006, p. 186] Les peintures qui appartiennent au troisième et plus haut degré sont donc celles qui montrent aux hommes les mouvements et les volontés les plus nobles des créatures raisonnables, qui ne se réduisent pas à un mouvement animal, ce qui explique que les artistes les plus capables de le représenter sont aussi les plus rares.

[BLANC J, 2006, p. 430] {La beauté est dans l'idée de l'artiste}

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] But if we let all these Medical thoughts go; we have to learn from all that has been said, that there is a great difference between the movements that are made without the Will and with the Will; {Distinction between movements.} since in that which one wants, one usually has more ability, more diligent Action and Fury, than in the simple actions, which are often executed from the general Train of Thoughts outside our Thinking. Because of this an Artist should take care that – in the depiction and expression of the Actions and movements – that he provides his Figures with such Actions and movements, as coincides with the Will, Soul and Intention that he wants his Figures to have: So that he may show his own thoughts and those of his Figures to the Spectator through his art. And that everyone with his own considerations in mind, may complete those things for himself, which appear to be impossible for the art to add to the action of the Figures.

[D'après DE LAIRESSE 1787, p. 249-250:] Le peintre en mettant sur la toile une action quelconque, n’est pas tenu aux mêmes loix que l’historien qui en fait le récit entier, depuis le principe jusqu’à la fin. L’artiste choisit le moment qui lui paroît le plus intéressant & le fait qu’il peut représenter sous un même point de vue.

[D'après DE LAIRESSE 1787, p. 337:] Il est nécessaire qu’un bon peintre ait une connoissance approfondie de la nature & des qualités de ces draperies ; car, quelque petites que puissent être ses figures, il faut qu’il faut qu’il sache indiquer l’étoffe dont elles sont vêtues.

[D'après DE LAIRESSE 1787, p. 454:] Il est malheureux de voir que la plûpart des peintres, dont la théorie de l’art est fondée sur la géométrie, la pratique sur l’expérience, & l’exécution sur l nature dont elle est une imitation, portent si peu d’attention sur ces trois moyens dont dépend toute leur réputation, & qu’ils négligent sur-tout d’observer la manière dont les objets sont esclairés […]

[D'après DE LAIRESSE 1787, vol. 2, p.28:] Un bon peintre doit être prudent dans la disposition & dans le choix de son ouvrage, en observant avec soin la nature du local ; afin que son art ne serve pas à interrompre l’ordre de l’architecture, mais contribue plutôt à le lier ensemble, en jetant sur ses paysages, qu’il veut paroître vrais & naturels, d’autant plus de lumière du jour qui tombe dans l’appartement ; car sans cette sage précaution ses ouvrages ne paroitront jamais que des tableaux, & n’offriront pas la moindre illusion. La seconde observation (qui sert à ajouter une grande beauté aux ouvrages [ndr : ornement] de l’art) a pour objet le bon choix de ce qu’on appelle Pendans & quoique personne n’ignore ce qu’on entend par le mot Pendans, beacuoup de monde cependant s’en forme une fausse idée ; car l’on s’imagine, en général, que c’est dans une uniformité de conception & de disposition des objets, de coloris & de clair-obscur que consiste leur principale qualité.