[D'après NOLDUS 2008, p. 5-7:] Amulius était un bon coloriste.

AMULIUS

[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] All that is produced after the thought, is beautiful. That which on the other hand is produced and made by Nature, is not beautiful. Because when someone makes something after the thought, he necessary has to do one of both [NDR: i.e. make a choice]: or he expresses the thought example well and capably, or not, if he does depict it well, then the expressed image will be beautiful; seen that the first and most beauty is to be found in the thought example. If by contrast he does not express the thought example well; then his fabrication after the thought is not worked, but to the contrary it diverges further from the complete beauty of the example. It is then clear that he who makes something after that which has been produced by nature, cannot really make it beautiful: as that which he imagines himself is full of imperfection, and that the first and most beauty cannot be found in there; thus also that which is made after it, necessarily diverges somewhat more from straight beauty.

PLATON

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] At last one should, besides all that has been said thus far, for Painting one should principally work to thoroughly know the nature, power and capacity of the Colors, Oils and Varnishes, with regard to coloring, also knowing how to compose these well and with variety, and pleasantly and modestly placing it on the right place and apply it to each thing in a natural way after the demand of the case; {The nature of the Colors should be understood.} so that one does not show that one has leaned on the beautiful colors or has based the Virtue of his Painting only by the splendor of colors. Similarly one should know, how to mix, treat and apply the colors, both in the dead-coloring and in finishing, and how they will cover the other [colors] in a clear, glowing and beautiful [way] and let them be applied with ease: { The handling of the colors should be understood.} so that they may appear wisely treated and pleasantly colored.

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Of the Beauty and Gracefulness of Human figures, and of what it consists. Without any doubt it is most beneficial to the Art of Painting, to always advance the highest Beauty and perfection of the things that are depicted: Because like those created things please us most, which are beautiful and perfect, as such there is no reason left, why the imitated things should not offer the same gracefulness to the eye of the Spectator. And although one can call many things beautiful in the Paintings, that are ugly and abominable in the natural Life, yes deformed, as such one should only entrust this to the wise and elaborate imitation of the very powerful Art of Painting, and also rather call it fine and artful than beautiful.

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Many amongst the Old and Young have thought that it is not easy to say nor determine what it really is, that we call Beautiful; and that it is not clear to pinpoint, by which Observations, it is to be depicted perfectly and clear: […] And since it cannot be denied that there are also steps in Beauty, and that one finds Beautiful, more Beautiful and even more Beautiful; as such there is no reason to stop us from thinking that a Most Beautiful also exists. When Aristotle was asked what Beauty was, and why all that is beautiful is loved ! he answered: That is the question of a blind man, {Aristotle thought that one should not ask what nature is.} Mister Cats has not dared to explain himself outspokenly about the different types of Beauty, as he utters these uncertain words about it somewhere: They continue to dispute, everywhere they doubt, What it is that one can judge to be BEAUTY in Man, There is barely any people, or it has different grounds, On which someone is thought BEAUTIFUL or UGLY. Especially since the different Peoples are not only different in choosing and approving Beauty, but that we can find some who place the Ugliness and Deformity before the Beauty in contrast to other Judges; such has brought doubt to unstable brains; whether the Beauty exists but in the Choice, or in Fashion, or in a personal reasoning of Men. {In the Choice of Beauty one did sometimes perceive Ugliness as Beautiful.}

Anciens (les)
CATS, Jacob
Modernes (Les)

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] And in order for us to provide some precise advice for the practice of the Art of Painting; after the Explanation of the Muscles, we will explain some cases of Actions and Movements, in which we will point out which Muscles – with name and location – work or rest specifically in such and such an action. With regard to the Muscles of Figures one should always pay attention to the Quality of Persons, namely in Gender, Age and Posture; so that one may provide every type of Figure its character following the general progress of Nature, in a convenient and beautiful manner.

[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Before one moves on to the drawing after the life, it is most important to know, whether the model is adequate, that is beautiful and well-made for a man of his age; which is why we do not think it is useless, to give some indication about it, how it should generally be proportioned to be called beautiful. A beautiful and well-made male model, most of all has a strong and mature posture, to be able to study it better from a reasonable distance. Not too thick or extremely fat; but generally quite muscular. Broad shoulders. Fleshy back. Elevated chest. The hips small, yet sizable nonetheless. The stomach not bloathed. The kneecaps clearly defined. The legs straight: and the feet turned a little outwards. The fingers long, but not pointy. The toes the same, and closed from the big toe onwards. What the face is concerned, that will show itself; and while no character, that is not one in particular, is necessary for drawing after the model, it is not so important. Once such a man has been found, I think he is very convenient to use.

The German translator frequently translates ‘naar het leven tekenen’ with drawing after the model (das Modell nachzeichnen). [MO]

[D'après DE LAIRESSE 1787, p. 66-67:] Par secondes teintes, j’entends celles qu’on met sur les parties éclairées, près du contour, par le moyen desquelles les parties saillantes prennent du relief & se trouvent fondues dans le champ qui leur sert de fond […] puisque le relief ne consiste que dans une espèce de reflet ou de rejaillissement par ricochet de la lumière, qui se porte en arrière, ou une lumière qui tombe de côté, laquelle doit être plus ou moins bleuâtre, suivant que la teinte du nud l’éxige ; car lorsque la chair est jaunâtre, la seconde teinte tirera sur le verdâtre ; si le nud est rouge, la seconde teinte sera violâtre, est lorsque la chair est blanche, la seconde teinte tiendra de l’une et de l’autre, c’est-à-dire, du verd & du violet ; de sorte qu’il est facile de concevoir que cette seconde couleur doit être rompue avec du bleu pur […]

[D'après DE LAIRESSE 1787, p.67-68:] Il y a encore à cet égard une observation à faire, qui contribue beaucoup à la perfection de cette partie ; savoir, qu’il ne faut pas rendre cette teinte trop sombre sur le relief ; car le jour ouvert répand de la beauté & une certaine grandiosité sur les ouvrages de l’art, lorsqu’il n’y a une foible différence entre le clair & la première ombre, qui doit être légère. […] Il y a même des peintres qui se laissent persuader que la seconde teinte du relief doit être totalement sombre, en disant que le grand Mignard a suivi cette méthode ; ce que je nie cependant, quoique le célèbre Bossé prétende prouver, dans son Peintre converti, que Mignard a fait les secondes teintes sur les bords trop sombres.

BOSSE, Abraham
MIGNARD, les

[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, vol. 2, p.111-112:] C’est une vérité qui a principalement lieu dans la peinture, puisqu’on voit que la puissance de cet art affecte le cœur de deux manières différentes ; savoir, par des représentations agréables & honnêtes, & par celles d’idées mesquines & méprisables ; qui les unes & les autres font également un puissant effet, en sens contraire, sur les esprits des spectateurs. Les premiers objets dont il est ici question, attachent & charment l’œil de l’amateur [ndr : spectateur] éclairé, & les autres produisent une sensation désagréable. Il faut donc convenir que par pittoresque, c’est-à-dire, par ce qu’il y a de meilleur & de plus beau dans l’art on ne dit entendre que tout ce qui est digne d’être mis sur la toile ; & que ce qui est mesquin ou mauvais ne mérite pas cet honneur.