VERLUSTING (n. f.)

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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.

Junius describes the importance and characteristics of magnificence (magnificentie), also called stateliness (statigheid), in an art work. He explains that it should entail modesty (stemmigheid), grace (bevalligheid) and not too much unnecessary ornament (opghepronckte verlustinghe; optoyssel; affectatie) or extreme neatness. As such, these terms for ornament are used in a negative way. 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)

CONCEPTS ESTHETIQUES → beauté, grâce et perfection
SPECTATEUR → perception et regard