The Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Knight (Volume 1); Late President of the Royal Academy. Containing His Discourses Idlers a Journey to Flanders and ... Commentary on Du Fresnoy's Art of Painting - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1809. Excerpt: ... DISCOURSE VI. Imitation.--Geniws Besins Where Rules End.--Invention:--Acquired By Being Conversant With The Inventions Of Others.--The True Method Of Imitating.--Borrowing, How Far Allpwable.--Something Tp Be Gathered From EVERY SCBpOL... '.. GENTLEMEN, WHEN I have taken the liberty of addressingyou on the course and orderof your studies, I never proposed to enter into a minute detail of the 'art. This I have always left to the several Professors, who pursue the end of our institution with the highest honour to themselves, and with the greatest advantage to the Students. My purpose in the discourses I have held in the Academy has been to lay down certain general positions, which seem to me proper for the formation of a sound taste: principles necessary to guard the pupils against those VOL. I. L errors, into which the sanguine temper common to their time of life has a tendency to lead them „ and which have rendered abortive the hopes of so many successions of promising young men in all parts of Europe. I wished also, to intercept and suppress those prejudices which particularly prevail when the mechanisn of painting is come to its perfection; and which, when they do prevail, are certain utterly to destroy the higher and more valuable parts of this literate and liberal profession. These two have been my principal purposes; they are still as much my concern as ever; and if I repeat my own notions on the subject, you who know how fast mistake and prejudice, when neglected, gain ground upon truth and reason, will easily excuse me. I only attempt to set the same thing in the greatest variety of lights. The subject of this discourse will be ImiTation, as far as a painter is concerned in it. By imitation, I do not mean imitation in its largest sense, but...