ACHTBAARHEID (n. f.)
TERM USED IN EARLY TRANSLATIONS
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LINKED QUOTATIONS
Quotation
Nu komen wy eyndelick tot de Magnificentie ofte staetelickheyd, die sich ghemeynlick in een welbeleyde Inventie laet vinden, ghemerckt het d’Inventie altijd een sonderlinghe aensienlickheyd toebrenght, dat den Konstenaer bevonden wordt de waerheyd, d’occasie en de discretie omsichtighlick daer in waerghenomen te hebben. Want ghelijck de gantsche Schilder-Konst niet vele om ’t lijf en heeft ’t en sy saecke datse met een sonderlinge stemmigheyd vergeselschapt sijnde, d’aenschouwers door den aenghenamen schijn van een hoogwaerdighe bevalligheyd beroere, soo maghse evenwel niet al te seer op d’opghepronckte verlustinghe van een overarbeydsaeme nettigheyd steunen, vermids de grootsche heerlickheyd des gantschen wercks door sulcken optoyssel verhindert ende vermindert wordt, dies plagten oock de Konstenaers selver d’achtbaerheyt haerer Konste te verliesen, als d’aenschouwers op d’aenmerckinghe van ’t al te sorghvuldighe cieraet beghinnen te vermoeden, dat het maer enckele affectatie, en gheen rechte magnificentie en is, diemen in ’t werck speurt, dat is, als de Konst-vroede aenschouwers beseffen, dat den Konstenaer sijn werck maer alleen met den ghemaeckten schijn van staetelickheyd en niet met de staetelickheyd selver heeft soecken te vervullen. ’t Gebeurt daghelicks dat veele, by gebreck van de kennisse en de ervaerenheyd die tot dese curieuse nauluysterende Konste vereyscht wordt, met eenen gantsch besighen arbeyd kasteelen in de lucht bouwen, op datse benevens andere ghemeyne werck-Meesters niet en souden schijnen langhs de grond te kruypen.
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] Now we finally reach the Magnificence or stateliness, which can commonly be found in a carefully considered Invention, seen that it always provides the Invention with a remarkable distinction, when the Artist is found to have carefully observed the truth, occasion and discretion in it. Because just like the whole Art of Painting does not amount to much unless it is accompanied by a remarkable modesty, moving the spectators by a pleasant appearance of an excellent grace, as such she may not lean too much on a affected amusement of an overworked neatness, as the greatest delight of the whole work is blocked and diminished by such decoration, this tends to also make the Artists themselves loose the respect of her Art, when the spectators begin to suspect the criticism of the all too careful jewel, that it is but affectation, and not real magnificence, that one finds in the work, that is, if the Art-loving spectators understand, that the Artist has tried to fill his work just with the artificial appearance of stateliness and not with stateliness itself. It happens daily that many, lacking the knowledge and experience that is demanded for this curious meticulous Art, busily build castles in the sky, so that they do not appear to crawl on the ground like other common artisans.
In this part of the citation, Junius paraphrases his words from the 1637 Latin edition, which makes it difficult to find the exact translations of the terms that were used in the Dutch edition. I would like to thank Wieneke Jansen (Leiden University) for her precious assistance with regard to the Latin and English translation of this citation. [MO]
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
Staet noch voorder aen te mercken dat de Konst-kenners door dese ghewoonte haerer ooghen niet alleen d’oorspronckelicke taferelen van de naemaelsels vaerdighlick leeren onderkennen; maer datse daer door met eenen oock d’oude wercken van de nieuwe sekerlick weten t’onderscheyden. Men vindt in d’oude stucken een sekere onnaevolghelicke authoriteyt ofte achtbaerheyd der Konste, seght Quintilianus {Lib. viii. Cap. 3.}, die de Schilderijen een sonderlicke aengenaemheyd plaght toe te brenghen.
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] We should furthermore remark that the Art-connoisseurs do not only learn to capably discern the original works from the imitations [NDR: literally: paintings after (an original)]; but that they simultaneously also learn to competently distinguish the old works from the new. In the old pieces one finds a certain inimitable authorithy or respectability of Art, says Quintilianus {…}, that tends to add a special pleasantness to Paintings.
Conceptual field(s)
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Uyt dese ende diergelijcke Exempelen kan dan oock lichtelijck afgenomne worden, hoe gansch ongeoorlooft en schandelijck dat het is, de Achtbaerheyt van soodanighen heerlijcken Const, aen de dienstbaerheydt van allerley schadelijckheden te verhangen, ende alsoo de Const tot aenstoockingh van ondeughden te stellen; {Verachtingh van het misbruyck der Schilder-konst.} even als eertijts de ontuchtige Heydenen deden, die de Constenaers daerom alleen in aensien hielden, om datse hunne Drinck-vaten, en Bachus Kroesen, (daerse doch wonder veel mede op hadden ) met allerley geyle en onkuyssche Beelden wisten te graveren ende te beschilderen.
[suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] From this and similar Examples it can easily be derived, how very unacceptable and shameful it is, to connect the Honorability of such a delightful Art to the servitude of all sorts of condemnable things, and as such aim to evoke the Art as a provocation of vices; {Despicability of the misuse of the Art of Painting.} just as was once done by the indecent heretics, who only esteemed the Artists, because they knew how to engrave and paint their Drink-vessels and Bacchus Mugs (as they had consumed unimaginable amounts of mead) with all sorts of horny and indecent Images.