The foreste or Collection of histories no lesse profitable, then pleasant and necessarie, dooen out of Frenche into Englishe, by Thomas Fortescue.

¶ Of the excellencie of paintyng. Chapt. 6.

THere hath been, bothe emong the Ro∣maines, and Grekes, moste excellent men, in the skill of Paintyng. And al∣though also in our age, there haue béen deuers, singulerly well practised, and learned in this arte: yet suppose I thē farre to bee inferiours, to these of the olde tyme, and fore passed ages, consideryng what wee reade of their fined labours. As for example, of the twoo tables finished by Aristides, a painter of his tyme renou∣med, and famous, whiche as recordeth Plinie, were boughte by Iulius Caesar, for no lesse price then fower score talentes, onelie to dedicate theim to the goddesse Venus. And assuredlie though Caesar were a verie riche prince, yet was this price excessiue, and greate, conside∣ryng that the talent, as well by the accompte of Budeus, as also of some others, curious in this matter, counter∣poyseth sixe hundred Frenche crounes, now currant: so that Caesar, by this valuation, paide for these two tables 48000. Crounes of good and lawfull monie. It also is written by the saide Plinie, that Attalus king of the lesse Asia, disbursed fullie an hundred talentes, whiche va∣lue, by the first accompte. 60000. Crounes, for one onely table painted by the aboue saide Aristides. We maie in this place then safelie presume, that accordyng to the in∣crease, or decrease, of Prices, the excellencie of these sciences grewe also, or deminished. Brife in those daies paintyng was so muche honoured, that it was reputed in number of the liberall sciences. Plinie ••aieth that the Gréekes in suche sorte accompted of it, that it was not lawfull for anie their seruauntes to learne it: onely the * 1.1 soonnes of greate estates, and honourable personages

were permitted to exercise theimselues, in this practise. So grewe this skill then to be famous, and worthie, and not altogether assuredlie without cause, for that who so therein affecteth to be excellente, of necessitie muste bee learned in manie other matters. Geometrie to hym is requisite to vnderstande his perspectiues: also he shoulde bee learned in the other artes and scieuces, with an ab∣solute knowledge in infinite other thinges, the more perfectlie to order and obserue his proportions, with an assured consideration of the nature of al thinges, as shal bee to the beautie of his woorke, decent and necessarie, throughout to bee skilled as a Poete in all thinges, for that paintyng is nothing els, but a deade or dumme poe∣ste. Besides this, his lineamentes, and proportions must be suche, that the eye it selfe misse and faile therein, in iudgemente, as wee reade it some tymes happened to Zeuxis and Parrasus, both excellent painters, concerning the outwarde shewe, or appearaunce of their woorke. By * 1.2 meane whereof they accorded willingly together, that euery of theym should frame the finest peece he could, to thentent that who so wonde then the price, by common iudgement, should be reputed of the other, for most per∣fect and absolute. Zeuxis then presenteth a perfect péece, a table, in whiche he had with suche skill, and so artifici∣ally depainted certaine bounches, or clusters of Grapes to the quicke, that certaine Sparrowes espiyng it, and supposing they had been grapes, arrested theim to beake thereon, or preie, as is their vsage, which thing appeared merueilous and straunge in all mens iudgmente. Parra∣sus on the other side presented eake a table, on whiche, with suche perfection he wrought had then a Curtaine, that beyng brought to Zeuxis, to iudge or to consider of, (nowe drouned almost in pride, for that he had the poore and senlis birdes deceiued) demed it to bee, that which in déede it was not, stretchyng forth his hand to haue with∣drawen the Curtaine, as though some thynge had been

close hid, or wrought there vnder, saide with loude voice that some man should take awaie the Curtaine. But af∣terward perueiuyng that foulie he had failed, gaue sen∣tence without more that Parrasus was his better, consi∣deryng he had deceiued hym that was maister of his sci∣ence, which was in déede much more, then by some gyle∣full shewe, to drawe or to delude the poore and foolishe birdde. An other tyme this Zeuxis, in like table also de∣painted a yong boye or child, hauyng in his handes a dish well charged with Grapes, with so much art in deede, so well and finely fashioned, that the birddes againe as be∣fore, came fléeyng to beake thereon, whereat Zeuxis as all foreraged, greuing and misliking with that his owne worke saide, if that with equal skill I had depainted also the boye, the birddes with feare would then haue helde thē all a loofe, neither would thei haue been so bold to ap∣proche so nigh the boy. Plinie which recordeth these thin¦ges affirmeth, that Zeuxis was a man of greate wealth in his tyme, for what soeuer he wrought, he neuer solde it, but for price excessiue, reputyng his deuises to bee of suche excellencie, that if he solde theym not at his owne pleasure, he rather would giue theim, then take but lit∣tle for theim, and farther would saie that no money (if he should in deede esteme of his doynges, accordyng to their perfection) were able, in what quantitie so euer, iustlie to value theim. This Zeuxis with suche perfection de∣painted Penelope, that hymself therein, besides others, had most perfect likyng, by meanes whereof, he subscri∣bed these fewe wordes, commended of all menne: more easie shal it be, to all suche as shall beholde this, vnkind∣lie to enuie it, then with filed hande learnedlie to follow it. He besides these did manie other thinges, so perfecte, so absolute, and in suche sort estimed, that Plinie repor∣teth, that euen vntill his tyme, there was reserued of his doyng, a draught of Helena in Rome, as also some o∣ther thinges moste curiously depainted: and yet was

there, as hath Eusebius, from the tyme of his death, till Plinie afterward was, and did these thinges to wryting, by iuste accompte, fiue hundred and eight yeres. The A∣grigentines became suters vnto hym, to frame thē some skilfull purtratie, whiche they might offer vnto their Goddesse Iuno, but he to theim accorded nothing, before (by his commaundemente) thei had presented vnto hym a greate number of naked maides, of rare and comelie beautie, out of whiche he chose fiue, whiche among the reste he déemed to be fairest, and best feutered: who ta∣kyng from euerie of these, that whiche in theim best li∣ked hym, he finished this excellent, and this fore desired peece. Of Parrasus his competitor, straunge matters also finde we: Strabo writeth, that among sundry other thin∣ges, * 1.3 he fashioned in the I••le of Rhodes, a Satyre standing fast by a certaine Columne or Piller, on the highest part of whiche, he had depainted a Partridge: but although this Columne, and Satyre were absolutely doen, yet this Partridge so farre surpaste theim in perfection, that in the iudgement of all men she séemed to haue life, so that without regarde of thother parte of the table, eche man was amased at the excellencie of the birde, whose perfe∣ction in déede was suche and so absolute, that thei placing before the saied table certeine tame Partridges (as pre∣sentlie we may in cages verie easelie kepe theim) began to call, and offered to flie to hym, being as is aboue saied, onely painted. By meane whereof Parrasus besought the Magistrates of Rhodes, that he might with their licence deface and remoue hym, considering it stained the beau∣tie of the other partes of the table, whiche were assured∣lie most famous and excellent. Plinie also writeth of him matters straunge, and merueilous, affirming that some of his woorkes were also fonnde in Rome. And farther addeth that amonge others, sundrie his perfections, he had a subtill or secrete kinde of practise, besides his open and séemely proportions, whereby he gaue men, plainlie

to vnderstande the nature or conditions, of what soeuer he depainted, as is written, he did in the Idoll of the A∣theniens: which in such order and maner he handled, that besides the rare beautie, and excellencie of the subiecte, eche man might sée the ordenaunces, maners, and custo∣mes of the Atheniens: who as he was assuredly a prince in that his arte, so was he in all other thinges of a moste sharpe and fined witte, neither in drawyng his lines, or proportions was he bolder, then he was pleasaunt, with all men, merie and well disposed. Whence he ofte tymes would saie that paintyng had well schooled hym, in the perfecte loare and vsage of wisedome, and knowledge But beyng entered, into the consideration of this mat∣ter, it shall not bee besides the purpose, some thyng to speake in fewe of Apelles, Prince and maister of all o∣ther Painters, as also som what of Protogines, singuler * 1.4 also, and excellent in this arte.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Noble menne onely admit∣ted to painting
• * 1.2

  Zeuxis and Parrasus.
• * 1.3

  Strabo in his 14. booke.
• * 1.4

  Apelles. Protogines.