THE ART OF PAINTING. TRUE Poetry the Painter's power displays; The tuneful page with speaking picture charm. 5 10 DE ARTE GRAPHICA. UT Pictura Poesis erit; similisque Poesi 5 Quod fuit auditu gratum cecinere Poetæ ; Quod pulchrum aspectu Pictores pingere curant: Quæque Poetarum numeris indigna fuêre, Non eadem Pictorum operam studiumque merentur. From you, blest pair! Religion deigns to claim Her sacred honours; at her awful name High o'er the stars you take your soaring flight, 16 20 Then round this globe on joint pursuit ye stray, Time's ample annals studiously survey;; And from the eddies of Oblivion's stream Propitious snatch each memorable theme. Thus to each form, in heaven, and earth, and sea, That wins with grace, or awes with dignity, 25 10 Ambæ quippe sacros ad religionis honores Sydereos superant ignes, aulamque tonantis Ingressæ, divům aspectu, alloquioque fruuntur; Oraque magna Deûm, et dicta observata reportant, Cœlestemque suorum operum mortalibus ignem. Inde per hunc orbem studiis coëuntibus errant, Carpentes quæ digna sui, revolutaque lustrant 15 Tempora, quærendis consortibus argumentis. Denique quæcunque in cœlo, terrâque, marique Longius in tempus durare, ut pulchra merentur, 30 To each exalted deed, which dares to claim Such powers, such praises, heaven-born Pair, belong To magic colouring, and creative song. But here I pause, nor ask Pieria's train, 35 Nobilitate sua, claroque insignia casu, candus 25 Enough if there the fluent numbers please, Nor shall my rules the artist's hand confine, 40 *Tis Painting's first chief business to explore, What lovelier forms in Nature's boundless store 45 50 Cum nitida tantùm et facili digesta loquella, 31 Nec mihi mens animusve fuit constringere nodos Artificum manibus, quos tantùm dirigit usus; Indolis ut vigor inde potens obstrictus hebescat, Normarum numero immani, Geniumque moretur : Sed rerum ut pollens ars cognitione, gradatim Naturæ sese insinuet, verique capace Transeat in Genium; Geniusque usu induat artem. +Præcipua imprimis artisque potissima pars est, 35 * I. Of the Beautiful. + I. De Pulchro. |