FRANCO, Battista ( v. 1498-1561 )
Quotation
The Thoughts, and Finishings are in a great Measure seen in the Prints of such Works of which Prints are made, nor is a Drawing destitute of Colouring absolutely ; on the contrary, one frequently sees beautiful Tints in the Paper, Washes, Ink, and Chalks of Drawings ; But what is wanting in some respects is abundantly recompenc’d in Others, for in These Works the Masters not being embarrass’d with Colours have had a full Scope, and perfect Liberty, which is a very considerable Advantage, especially to some of them. There is a Spirit, a Fire, a Freedom, and Delicacy in the Drawings of Giulio Romano, Polydoro, Parmeggiano, Battista Franco, &c. which are not to be seen in their Paintings : A Pen, or Chalk will perform what cannot possibly be done with a Pencil ; and a Pencil with a thin Liquid only what cannot be done when one has a Variety of Colours to manage, especially in Oil.
Quotation
If in a Picture the Story be well chosen, and finely Told (at least) if not Improv’d, if it fill the Mind with Noble, and Instructive Ideas, I will not scruple to say ‘tis an excellent Picture, tho’ the Drawing be as Incorrect as that of Corregio, Titian, or Rubens ; the Colouring as Disagreeable as that of Polidore, Battista Franco, or Michael Angelo. Nay, tho’ there is no other Good but that of the Colouring, and the Pencil, I will dare to pronouce it a Good Picture ; that is, that ‘tis Good in those Respects. In the first Instance here is a fine Story artfully communicated to my Imagination, not by Speech, nor Writing, but in a manner preferable to either of them ; In the other there is a Beautiful, and Delightful Object, and a fine piece of Workmanship, to say no more of it.
There never was a Picture in the World without some Faults, And very rarely is there one to be found which is not notoriously Defective in some of the Parts of Painting. In judging of it’s Goodness as a Connoisseur, one should pronounce it such in proportion to the Number of the Good Qualities it has, and their Degrees of Goodness.
Quotation
Of the Goodness of a Picture, &c.
WHerefore callest thou me Good, there is none Good but One, that is God ? Said the Son of God to the young Man who prefac’d a Noble Question with that Complement. This is that Goodness that is Perfect, Simple, and Properly so call’d, ‘tis what is Peculiar to the Deity, and so to be found no where else. But there is another Improper, Imperfect, Comparative Goodness, and no other than this is to be had in the Works of Men, and this admits of various Degrees. This Distinction well consider’d, and apply’d to all the Occurrences of Life would contribute very much to the Improvement of our Happiness here ; it would teach us to Enjoy the Good before us, and not reject it upon account of the disagreeable Companion which is inseperable from it ; But the use I now would make of it is only to show that a Picture, Drawing, or Print may be Good tho’ it has several Faults ; To say otherwise is as absurd as to deny a thing is what ‘tis said to be, because it has properties which are Essential to it.
[…].
If in a Picture the Story be well chosen, and finely Told (at least) if not Improv’d, if it fill the Mind with Noble, and Instructive Ideas, I will not scruple to say ‘tis an excellent Picture, tho’ the Drawing be as Incorrect as that of Corregio, Titian, or Rubens ; the Colouring as Disagreeable as that of Polidore, Battista Franco, or Michael Angelo. Nay, tho’ there is no other Good but that of the Colouring, and the Pencil, I will dare to pronouce it a Good Picture ; that is, that ‘tis Good in those Respects. In the first Instance here is a fine Story artfully communicated to my Imagination, not by Speech, nor Writing, but in a manner preferable to either of them ; In the other there is a Beautiful, and Delightful Object, and a fine piece of Workmanship, to say no more of it.
There never was a Picture in the World without some Faults, And very rarely is there one to be found which is not notoriously Defective in some of the Parts of Painting. In judging of it’s Goodness as a Connoisseur, one should pronounce it such in proportion to the Number of the Good Qualities it has, and their Degrees of Goodness.
Quotation
There are such Peculiarities in the turn of Thought, and Hand to be seen in Some of the Masters (in Some of their Works especially) that ‘tis the easiest thing in the World to know them at first Sight ; such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarotti, Guilio Romano, Battista Franco, Parmeggiano, Paolo Farinati, Cangiagio, Rubens, Castiglione, and some others ; And in the Divine Raffaelle one often sees such a Transcendent Excellence that cannot be found in any other Man, and assures us this must be the Hand of him who was what Shakespear calls Julius Cæsar. The foremost Man of all the World.
There are several others, who by imitating other Masters, or being of the same School, or from whatsoever other Cause have had such a Resemblance in their Manners as not to be so easily distinguish’d, Timoteo d’Urbino, & Pellegrino da Modena, imitated Raffaelle ; Cæsare da Sesto, Leonardo da Vinci ; Schidone, Lanfranco, and others imitated Corregio ; Titian’s first Manner was a close imitation of that of Giorgione ;
Quotation
Of the Goodness of a Picture, &c.
WHerefore callest thou me Good, there is none Good but One, that is God ? Said the Son of God to the young Man who prefac’d a Noble Question with that Complement. This is that Goodness that is Perfect, Simple, and Properly so call’d, ‘tis what is Peculiar to the Deity, and so to be found no where else. But there is another Improper, Imperfect, Comparative Goodness, and no other than this is to be had in the Works of Men, and this admits of various Degrees. This Distinction well consider’d, and apply’d to all the Occurrences of Life would contribute very much to the Improvement of our Happiness here ; it would teach us to Enjoy the Good before us, and not reject it upon account of the disagreeable Companion which is inseperable from it ; But the use I now would make of it is only to show that a Picture, Drawing, or Print may be Good tho’ it has several Faults ; To say otherwise is as absurd as to deny a thing is what ‘tis said to be, because it has properties which are Essential to it.
[…].
If in a Picture the Story be well chosen, and finely Told (at least) if not Improv’d, if it fill the Mind with Noble, and Instructive Ideas, I will not scruple to say ‘tis an excellent Picture, tho’ the Drawing be as Incorrect as that of Corregio, Titian, or Rubens ; the Colouring as Disagreeable as that of Polidore, Battista Franco, or Michael Angelo. Nay, tho’ there is no other Good but that of the Colouring, and the Pencil, I will dare to pronouce it a Good Picture ; that is, that ‘tis Good in those Respects. In the first Instance here is a fine Story artfully communicated to my Imagination, not by Speech, nor Writing, but in a manner preferable to either of them ; In the other there is a Beautiful, and Delightful Object, and a fine piece of Workmanship, to say no more of it.
There never was a Picture in the World without some Faults, And very rarely is there one to be found which is not notoriously Defective in some of the Parts of Painting. In judging of it’s Goodness as a Connoisseur, one should pronounce it such in proportion to the Number of the Good Qualities it has, and their Degrees of Goodness.
Quotation
If in a Picture the Story be well chosen, and finely Told (at least) if not Improv’d, if it fill the Mind with Noble, and Instructive Ideas, I will not scruple to say ‘tis an excellent Picture, tho’ the Drawing be as Incorrect as that of Corregio, Titian, or Rubens ; the Colouring as Disagreeable as that of Polidore, Battista Franco, or Michael Angelo. Nay, tho’ there is no other Good but that of the Colouring, and the Pencil, I will dare to pronouce it a Good Picture ; that is, that ‘tis Good in those Respects. In the first Instance here is a fine Story artfully communicated to my Imagination, not by Speech, nor Writing, but in a manner preferable to either of them ; In the other there is a Beautiful, and Delightful Object, and a fine piece of Workmanship, to say no more of it.
There never was a Picture in the World without some Faults, And very rarely is there one to be found which is not notoriously Defective in some of the Parts of Painting. In judging of it’s Goodness as a Connoisseur, one should pronounce it such in proportion to the Number of the Good Qualities it has, and their Degrees of Goodness.
Quotation
There are such Peculiarities in the turn of Thought, and Hand to be seen in Some of the Masters (in Some of their Works especially) that ‘tis the easiest thing in the World to know them at first Sight ; such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarotti, Guilio Romano, Battista Franco, Parmeggiano, Paolo Farinati, Cangiagio, Rubens, Castiglione, and some others ; And in the Divine Raffaelle one often sees such a Transcendent Excellence that cannot be found in any other Man, and assures us this must be the Hand of him who was what Shakespear calls Julius Cæsar. The foremost Man of all the World.
There are several others, who by imitating other Masters, or being of the same School, or from whatsoever other Cause have had such a Resemblance in their Manners as not to be so easily distinguish’d, Timoteo d’Urbino, & Pellegrino da Modena, imitated Raffaelle ; Cæsare da Sesto, Leonardo da Vinci ; Schidone, Lanfranco, and others imitated Corregio ; Titian’s first Manner was a close imitation of that of Giorgione ;
Quotation
The Thoughts, and Finishings are in a great Measure seen in the Prints of such Works of which Prints are made, nor is a Drawing destitute of Colouring absolutely ; on the contrary, one frequently sees beautiful Tints in the Paper, Washes, Ink, and Chalks of Drawings ; But what is wanting in some respects is abundantly recompenc’d in Others, for in These Works the Masters not being embarrass’d with Colours have had a full Scope, and perfect Liberty, which is a very considerable Advantage, especially to some of them. There is a Spirit, a Fire, a Freedom, and Delicacy in the Drawings of Giulio Romano, Polydoro, Parmeggiano, Battista Franco, &c. which are not to be seen in their Paintings : A Pen, or Chalk will perform what cannot possibly be done with a Pencil ; and a Pencil with a thin Liquid only what cannot be done when one has a Variety of Colours to manage, especially in Oil.