VERSMOREN (v.)
FILTERS
LINKED QUOTATIONS
Quotation
Apelles wist sich uytnemende wel te maetighen in alle het ghene de Konst aengaet: Dies hield hy het mede ongheraedsaem, d’ooghen der aenschouwers, door de vroolickheyd van aenporrende heldere Coleuren al te seer te verwecken; maer hy plaght sijne volwrochte stucken door eenen onnaevolghelicken treck met sulcken dunnen inckt over te vernissen, dat d’al te groote gloeyenheyd der verwen daer door verdooft wierd, dat sijne stucken door dit middel van stof en vuyligheyd beschermt waeren, en datmen t’overstrijcksel des selvighen inckts maer allen van naeby konde beseffen. Hy heeft reden ghenoegh daer toe ghehadt, seght Plinius {Lib. xxxv Cap. 10.}, want hy den luster sijner glimmender Coleuren een weynigh socht te versmooren en te verdonckeren, wel wetende dat den glants der selvigher d’ooghen der aenschouwers soo lichtelick niet en konde verveelen, wanneer sy de klaer glinsterende verwen maer alleen van verde als door een spieghel-steen besichtighden.
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Apelles knew oustandingly well to moderate in all that the Art is concerned: As such he thought it also unadvisable to seduce the eyes of the spectators too much with the cheerfulness of stimulating bright colours; but he tended to varnice his completed pieces with an inimitable stroke with such a thin ink, that the excessive glowing of colours was tempered by it, that his pieces were protected from dust and dirt by this substance and that one could only perceive the covering with this ink from up close. He has had reason enough for it, says Plinius {…}, as he attempted to smother and darken the lustre of his shining colours a little bit, knowing well that the glow of it would not so easily bore the eyes of the spectators, when they only look at the brightly sparkling colours from a distance as through a mirror-stone.