AFSETSEL (n. n.)
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Quotation
Soo hebben wy noch voorder te letten op ’t ghene ons Plinius voorhoudt; dat daer naemelick nae ’t uytvinden van ’t licht en schaduwe, noch yet anders tot de Konst is toeghevoeght, ’t welck men ’t schijnsel ofte het afsetsel noemt, Dit schijnsel wierd Tonos ghenaemt, seght hy {Lib. xxxv. Cap. 5.}, om dat het tussen ’t licht en schaduwe tusschen beyden loopt, ende uyt beyde schijnt te ontstaen. Wat de verdrijvinge ende het verschiet der verwen belanght, het selvighe wierd Harmoge geheeten. Dies schijnt oock het woord Tonus alleenlick uyt te wijsen d’uytwerckinghe van een gheweldigher licht; wanneer naemelick het eene of het andere deel der Schilderye, ’t welck ghenoeghsaemlick schijnt verhooght te wesen, noch krachtigher verhooght wordt; mids te weghe brenghende het gene het welck ghenoegh scheen af te steken, nu maer alleen voor een schaduwe dient, om het ghene van te vooren af-stack noch meer afstekende te maeken. Doch hier van hebben wy in de voorgaende afdeylinghe ghehandelt.
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] As such we should pay more attention to that which Plinius tells us; namely that after the invention of the light and shadow, something else was added to the Art, which one calls the glow or the contrast [NDR: problematic translation of the term afsetsel], This glow is called Tonos, he says {…}, because it sits between the light and shadow and appears to originate from both. What the diminuition and the degradation of the colours is concerned, this is also called Harmoge. The term Tonus also appears to point to the execution of a mightier light; namely when some or another part of the Painting, which appears to have been heightened sufficiently, is heightened even more powerful, causing that that which appeared to stand out sufficiently, now only serves as a shadow, to make that which stood out before stand out even more. Yet we have talked about this in the previous part.
The suggested translation is problematic with regard to the translation of the terms 'afsetsel', 'verdrijving' and 'verschiet', which are translated here as contrast, diminuition and degradation (of colours). The user is advised to reconsider these translations carefully. [MO]
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
Die ghene dan de welcke haere ooghen door de daghelicksche oeffeningh van een ghestaedighe opmerckinghe tot dese onmoeyelicke vaerdigheyd van een onwedersprekelick oordeel ghebraght hebben, plagten de meeste kracht haerer Konst-kennisse daer in voornaemelick te bewijsen, datse d’originelen staends-voets van de copijen weten t’onderscheyden. d’Oorspronckelicke wercken die de treffelicke Meesters nae ’t leven selver ghemaeckt hebben, worden alhier door de naem van originele stucken te verstaen ghegeven; de copijen daer en teghen en sijn anders niet dan d’afteyckeninghen, ofte uytdrucksels, ofte afsetsels, ofte naemaelsels diemen nae ’t oorspronckelicke stuck heeft afgheteyckent en naeghemaelt. De rechtsinnighe Konst-kenners plaghten oversulcks ind’oorspronckelicke stucken de volkomene kracht van een levendige bevalligheyd te vernemen; daerse nochtans in de naemaecksels maer allen in de ghebrekelicke lammigheyd van een ontleende welstandigheyd ghewaer te worden. Daer is altijd een bevallighe lustigheyd in alle origineelen te vinden, segt Dionisius Halicarnassensis {In Dimarcho.}, de ghecopieerde stucken daer en teghen, al sijnse noch soo wel uytghedruckt, plagten uyt het een of het ander uyt te wijsen het welck al te seer bearbeydt sijnde uyt de nature niet en schijnt voord te komen. […]
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Those who have developed their eyes to this tireless ability of an incontradictable judgement through the daily practice of a steady observation, tend to demonstrate the most power of their knowledge of art by knowing to immediately distinguish the originals from the copies. The original works that the competent Masters have made after life itself, are understood here wit the term of original pieces; the copies on the other hand are nothing else than the drawings after it, or the offprints, or casts, or paintings after it that one has drawn or painted after the original piece. The frank Art-connoisseurs tend to perceive the complete power of a lively gracefulness in the original pieces; while they only become aware of the defective wretchedness of a flawed lifelessness in the fakes. There is always a graceful pleasure to be found in all the originals, says Dionisius Halicarnessensis {…}, the copied pieces on the other hand, as competently expressed as they may be, tend to show by one element or another that is too cultivated, to not be originating from nature. […]
The Dutch terms afteykeningh, uytdrucksel, afsetsels and naemaelsel, all referring to a copy after the original, are difficult to translate directly to English. I have chosen to use a descriptive translation, which should only serve the user as a suggestion. [MO]