Gentlemen may do as they please, the following Method [ndr : pour juger un tableau] seems to Me to be the most Natural, Convenient, and Proper.
Before you come so near the Picture to be Consider’d as to look into Particulars, or even to be able to know what the Subject of it is, at least before you take notice of That, Observe the Tout-ensemble of the Masses, and what Kind of one the Whole makes together. It will be proper at the same Distance to consider the General Colouring ; whether That be Grateful, Chearing, and Delightful to the Eye, or Disagreeable ; Then let the Composition be Examin’d Near, and see the Contrasts, and other Particularities relating to it, and so finish your Observations on That Head. The same Then may be done with respect to the Colouring ; then the Handling, and afterwards the Drawing ; These being dispatch’d the Mind is at liberty carefully consider the Invention ; then to see how well the Expression is perform’d, And Lastly, What Grace and Greatness is spread throughout, and how suitable to each Character.

Every Action must be represented as done, not only as ‘tis possible it might be perform’d, but in the Best manner. In the Print after Rafaëlle, grav’d by Marc Antonio, you see Hercules gripe Anteus with all the Advantage one can wish to have over an Adversary : […]. Daniele da Volterra has not succeeded so well in his famous Picture of the Descent from the Cross, where one of the Assistants, who stands upon a Ladder drawing out a Nail, is so disposed as is not very Natural, and Convenient for the purpose.

Rules may be establish’d so clearly derived from Reason as to be Incontestable. If the Design of the Picture be (as in General it is) to Please, and Improve the Mind (as in Poetry) the Story must have all possible Advantages given to it, and the Actors must have the Utmost Grace, and Dignity their several Characters will admit of : If Historical, and Natural Truth only be intended That must be follow’d ; tho’ the Best Choice of These must be made ; In Both Cases Unity of Time, Place, and Action ought to be observ’d : The Composition must be such as to make the Thoughts appear at first Sight, and the Principal of them the most conspicuously ; And the Whole must be so contrived as to be a Grateful Object to the Eye, both as to the Colours, and the Masses of Light, and Shadow. These things are so evident as not to admit of any Dispute, or Contradiction ; As it also is that the Expression must be Strong, the Drawing Just, the Colouring Clean, and Beautiful, the Handling Easy, and Light, and all These Proper to the Subject. Nor will it be difficult to know Assuredly what is so, unless with relation to the Justness of the Drawing ; but to know in the Main whether any thing is Lame, Distorded, Mis-shapen, ill Proportioned, or Flat, or on the contrary Round, and Beautiful is what any Eye that is tolerably Curious can judge of.

Polydore, in a Drawing of the same Subject [ndr : la descente de la croix] […] has finely express’d the Excessive Grief the Virgin, by intimating ‘twas Otherwise Inexpressible : Her Attendants discover abundance of Passion, and Sorrow in their Faces, but Hers is hid by Drapery held up by both her Hands : The whole Figure is very Compos’d, and Quiet ; no Noise, no Outrage, but great Dignity appears in her, suitable to her Character.

in DU FRESNOY, Charles-Alphonse, De arte graphica liber, Paris, Nicolas Langlois, 1668., p.6 v.38

in DU FRESNOY, Charles-Alphonse, Kurtzer Begriff Der Theoretischen Mahler-Kunst, trad. par GERICKE, Samuel Theodor, Berlin, Johann Michael Rüdigen, 1699., p.18

in DU FRESNOY, Charles-Alphonse et DE PILES, Roger, De Schilderkonst eerst in Latynze Vaerzen Beschreven door C.A. Dufresnoy in't Frans gebragt en met Aantekekeningen verrykt Door den Heer De Piles Nevens een Zaammeuspraak over het koloriet, trad. par VERHOEK, Joannes, Amsterdam, Balthazar Lakeman, 1722., p. 34

in DE PILES, Roger et DU FRESNOY, Charles-Alphonse, The Art of Painting by C.A. DU FRESNOY with Remarks, trad. par DRYDEN, John, London, W. Rogers, 1695., p.15

in DU FRESNOY, Charles-Alphonse, De arte graphica liber, Paris, Nicolas Langlois, 1668., p.10

in DU FRESNOY, Charles-Alphonse, Kurtzer Begriff Der Theoretischen Mahler-Kunst, trad. par GERICKE, Samuel Theodor, Berlin, Johann Michael Rüdigen, 1699., p.12p. 10

in DU FRESNOY, Charles-Alphonse et DE PILES, Roger, De Schilderkonst eerst in Latynze Vaerzen Beschreven door C.A. Dufresnoy in't Frans gebragt en met Aantekekeningen verrykt Door den Heer De Piles Nevens een Zaammeuspraak over het koloriet, trad. par VERHOEK, Joannes, Amsterdam, Balthazar Lakeman, 1722., p.12p. 10

in DE PILES, Roger et DU FRESNOY, Charles-Alphonse, The Art of Painting by C.A. DU FRESNOY with Remarks, trad. par DRYDEN, John, London, W. Rogers, 1695., p.7

in DE PILES, Roger, The principles of painting, under the heads of anatomy, attitude, accident... In which is contained, An account of the Athenian, Roman, Venetian and Flemish schools. To which is added, The balance of painters..., trad. par a painter, London, J. Osborn, 1743., p. 168