PROPORTIONEEL (adj.)
TERM USED IN EARLY TRANSLATIONS
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Quotation
Wat nu de Konst-maetighen proportionele uytdruckinghe der ghevondener stoffe belanght, de selvighe wordt in verscheydene autheuren verscheydenlick ghenaemt; docht voornaemelick wordtse in Philostratus en vele andere schrijvers door de naemen Symmetrie, Analogie ofte Harmonie te verstaen ghegheven; dies heeft oock den jonghen Philostratus dese dry benaeminghen bequaemelick t’saemen ghevoeght. De oude wijse Mannen hebben mijnes dunckens, seght hy {in proemio Iconum}, vele gheschreven van de Symmetrie der Schilder-konste, mids ons eenighe sekere wetten ontrendt d’Analogie vanalle bysondere leden voorstellende, even als of het niet ghenoegh en waere dat de Konstenaers eenigh lichaemelicke beweghinghen bequaemelick nae haer begrijp souden uytdrucken, het en waer saecke dat sich de Harmonie haeres wercks binnen de naturelicke maete besloten hield, want de Nature (wanneerse ons naemelick een rechtsinnighe en welghestelde beweghinge vertoon) en wil gheenssins erkennen het ghene van sijnen eyghenen aard en maete beghint af te swerven. Ghelijck wy dan uyt dese woorden ghenoeghsaemlick verstaen dat de Griecksche naemen van Symmetrie, Analogie, Harmonie even het selvige beteyckenen, soo is het evenwel t’eenemael onseker ende onghewis wat Latijnschen naem dat men daer voor heeft. Het woordt Symmetrie heeft gheenen Latijnschen naem, seght Plinius Lib. XXXIV.nat.hist.Cap.8.. Nochtans schijnt den jonghen Plinius dit woordt uytghedruckt te hebben met den naem Congruentia ofte AEqualitas, dat is, medevoeghlickheyd ofte ghelijckvormigheyd. Indien nu het hoofd ofte eenigh ander deel, het welck van sijne statue afgheruckt is, voorghestelt wierd, seght hy {Lib. II. Epist.5.}, ghy en soudt misschien de medvoeghlickheydt ende ghelijckvormigheyd des gantschen wercks daer uyt soo lichtelick niet konnen afnemen, niet te min soudt ghy daer uyt konnen oordeelen of die ghedeelte in sich selven aerdigh ghenoeg is.
[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.
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. [MO]
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
Gelijck wy het oversulcks daer voor houden, dat de stucken van d’oude Meesters met allerley loffelicke deughden rijckelick vervult waeren; soo ghelooven wy mede vastelick, dat de prijswaerdigheyd haere wercken voornaemelick bestond in den roem van de seldsaeme proportionele eenvoudigheyt die in d’oude stockbeelden ende schilderijen met de nature selver schijnt te strijden.
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Just like we therefore believe that the pieces of the old Masters were abundantly filled with all sorts of praiseworthy virtue; as such we steadily believe, that the praiseworthiness of their works mainly consisted of the fame of the rare proportional simplicity that appears to compete with nature itself in the old statues and paintings.
Anciens (les)
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
Ten vierden moet een Schilder oock seer wel de Anatomie, ofte de uyt en inwendige gestalte, ende verdeelinge van ’s Menschen beeldt verstaen: {Oock in de Menschkunde of Anatomie ervaren weten.} Hy moet daer van weten de juyste proportioneele Natuer-maet, en ontledinge van yder deel ten opsicht van ’t geheel, gewicht en tegen-gewicht in ’t bewegen. Veranderlijckheydt van alle soo natuerlijke als gemaeckte Actien, gelijck daer zijn gaende, staende, sprekende, wijsende, loopende, springende, werpende, torssende, treckende, staende, buckende ende andere ontelbare doeningen meer. Hoe die bewegingh door de Musculen of Spieren {Musculen.} worden uytgevoert, en hoe die van gedaente en bysonder gebruyck zijn, waerse in dese of gene Actie het meeste gewelt doen, ende sich sien laten.
[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Fourthly a Painter should also understand the Anatomy very well, or the external and internal posture and distribution of the Human figure: {Should also be experienced in the Anatomy.} From this he should know the right proportional size in Nature, and the analysis of every part in regard to the whole, the weight and counter-weight in its movement. The variability of all natural and composed Actions, as for example going, standing, speaking, pointing, walking, jumping, throwing, carrying, pulling, standing, bowing and countless other actions. How this movement is carried out by the Muscles {Muscles.}, and how these are in appearance and specific use, where they put the most effort in one or another Action, and show themselves.