The historie of the vvorld: commonly called, The naturall historie of C. Plinius Secundus. Translated into English by Philemon Holland Doctor of Physicke. The first [-second] tome

CHAP. IIII.

Of Romanes that were excellent Painters. When the art of painting came first into credit and estimati∣on at Rome. What Romans they were that exhibited the pourtraits of their owne victories in pictures. And about what time painted tables made by strangers in forreine parts, were accepted and in great re∣quest at Rome.

AMongst the Romanes also this Art grew betimes into reputation; as may appeare by the Fabij, a most noble and honourable house in Rome, who of this science were syrnamed

Pictores, i. Painters: & the first who was intituled with that addition, painted with his own hand [unspec G] the temple of Salus; and this was in the 450 yeare after the foundation of our city: which pain∣ting continued in our age, euen vnto the time of Claudius Caesar the Emperor, in whose daies the temple it selfe with the painting, was consumed with fire. Next after this, the workmanship of Pacuvius the Poet (who likewise painted the chappell of Hercules in the beast-market at Rome) was highly esteemed and gaue much credit to the art. This Pacuvius was Ennius the Poets si∣sters sonne: and being as he was a famous Tragaedian besides, and of great name vpon the stage, the excellency of his spirit that way, much commended at Rome his handy-work and painting aforesaid. After him, I doe not finde that any person of worth and quality tooke pensill in hand and practised painting, vnlesse haply a man would nominat Turpilius a gentleman of Rome in our time, and a Venetian born, of whose workemanship there be many faire parcels of paynting [unspec H] extant at this day in Verona: and yet this Turpilius was altogether left-handed, and painted therewith; a thing that I doe not heare any man did before him. As for Aterius Labeo, a noble man of Rome, late Lord Pretour, and who otherwise had been vice-consull in Gallia, Narbonen∣sis or Languedoc, who liued to a very great age and died not long since, he practised painting; and all his delight and glory that he tooke, was in fine and smal works of a little compasse: how∣beit he was but laughed at, and scorned for that quality, and in his time the handicraft grew to be base and contemptible. Yet I thinke it not amisse to put downe for the better credit of pain∣ters, a notable consultation held by certaine right honourable personages as touching the Art, and their resolution in the end. And this was the case: Q. Paedius, the little nephew of Q. Paedius who had bin Consull in his time and entred Rome in triumph, him I mean whom C. Caesar Di∣ctator, [unspec I] made co-heire with Augustus, hapned to be born dumb: and Messala the great Oratour, out of whose house the grandmother of this child was descended, being carefull how the boy should be brought vp; after mature aduise and deliberation, thought good that hee should by signes and imitation be trained vp in the art of painting, which counsell of his was approoued also by Augustus Caesar. And in truth, this yong gentleman being apt therto, profited maruellous much therein, and died in his youth. But the principall credit that painters attained vnto at Rome, was, as I take it, by the means of M. Valerius Maximus, first syrnamed Messala, who beeing one of the grand-seigmeurs of Rome, was the first that proposed to the view of all the world, and set vp at a side of the stately hall or court Hostilia, one picture in a table, wherein hee caused to be painted that battel in Sicily wherein himselfe had defeated the Carthaginians and K. Hiero, [unspec K] which happened in the yeare from the foundation of Rome 490. The like also, I must needs say, did L. Scipio, and hung vp a painted table in the Capitol temple, containing his victory and con∣quest of Asia, whereupon he was syrnamed Asiaticus. But (as it is said) Africanus although hee were his owne brother, was highly displeased therewith: and good cause he had to be angry and offended, because in that battell his own son was taken prisoner by the enemy. The like offence was taken also by Scipio Aemilianus, against Lucius Hostilius Mancinus, who was the first that en∣tred perforce the city of Carthage; for that hee had caused to bee set vp in the market place of Rome a faire painted table, wherein was liuely drawne the strong scituation of Carthage; and the warlike means vsed in the assaulting and winning of it, together with all the particulars and circumstances thereof: which Mancinus himselfe in person sitting by the said picture, desciphe∣red [unspec L] from point to point vnto the people that came to behold it; by which courtesie of his hee woon the hearts of the people, insomuch, as at the next election of Magistrates, his popularitie gained him a Consulship. In the publicke plaies which Claudius Pulcher exhibited at Rome, the painted clothes about the stage and Theatre (which represented building) brought this art in∣to great admiration: for the workmanship was so artificiall and liuely, that the very rauens in the aire, deceiued with the likenesse of houses, flew thither apace for to settle thereupon, suppo∣sing verily there had been tiles and crests indeed. And thus much concerning Painters craft, ex∣ercised in Rome.

To come now to forrain pictures, Lu. Mummius, syrnamed Achaicus (for his conquest of Asia) was the first man at Rome, who made open shew of painted tables wrought by strangers, and [unspec M] caused them to be of price and estimation: for when as in the port-sale of all the bootie and pillage gotten in that victorie, king Attalus had brought one of them, wrought by the hand of Aristides, containing the picture only of god Bacchus, which was to cost him six thousand Se∣sterces, Mummius wondering at the price, & supposing that this table had some speciall and se∣cret

propertie in it more than himselfe knew of, brake the bargain, called for the picture again, & would not suffer it to be caried away, notwithstanding Attalus complained much at the hard [unspec A] measure offered vnto him; and so he brought it with him to Rome, and dedicated it in the chap∣pel of Ceres. And verily this I take to be the first painted table of a forreiners making, that euer was set vp in publick place at Rome. But after he had once begun, I see it was an ordinary thing to adorn and beautifie euen the common place also with such like: for vpon this occasion arose that prety scoffe which was giuen by Crassus the Oratour, as hee pleaded vpon a time vnder the old Rostra: for when there was a VVitnesse produced to depose against him, whom hee would seeme to challenge and reproued, whereupon the party replied again and vrged him instantly in these termes, Speake out Crassus, and in the face of all this Court say, what kinde of person you would make me to be? Mary (quoth he again) I take thee to be such an one (pointing directly to a table hanging there by, wherin was painted a certain Frenchman yawning and lelling out his [unspec B] tongue ful ilfauoredly.) In the same Forum or Grand place at Rome there stood sometime the picture of an old sheepheard leaning vpon his crooke, as touching which (for that as it should seem it was very workmanlike made) when a certain Dutch Embassador who beheld it, was de∣manded, at what price he esteemed it; answered short & quick, What a question is that? I would not haue such an one (were he aliue, as I see he is but painted) though he were giuen me for no∣thing. But if I should speake at once, who it was that gaue the greatest countenance vnto such tables in open view, I must needs say it was Caesar dictator, who shrined the pictures of Ajax and Medea in no meaner place than before the temple of Venus Genetrix. Next after him came M∣Agrippa, a man by nature inclined rather to rusticitie than to delights, and more like a rude pea∣sant than a ciuill gentleman. But surely there is extant a worthy Oration of his, and beseeming [unspec C] the principal person of a whole city, as touching the open sale of all painted tables, statues, and images, that were in the hands of priuat men, and the setting of them vp in publicke places for to adorn the city: which no doubt had bin far better than to haue them banished (as it were) and sent as they be into the country, to beautifie manors and retyring houses of pleasure: how∣beit as sterne and grim a sir as he was, he could find in his heart to bestow vpon two tables with the pictures of Venus and Ajax, 12000 sesterces, which he paid vnto the Cyzicenes for them. Al∣so hee had caused to be set in marble stone inchased, within the hotest part of his baths, many rich pictures of a small making, and couched in small tables, the which were taken away but a little before the said baths were repaired. But aboue all that euer were, Caesar Augustus the Em∣peror of famous memory, did set vp in the most frequented or perspicuous place of his Forum [unspec D] or stately hal, two excellent painted tables, one containing the liuely portrait of War, the other of Triumph. He also dedicated the pictures of Castor and Pollux, besides others, whereof I will write in my catalogue of Painters: which he hung vp all within the temple of Iulius Caesar his father. The same Augustus Caesar inclosed within the wall of that Curia, which hee erected and consecrated in the common place called Comitium, two Tables painted; the one resembling the Forrest Nemea, in habit of a woman sitting vpon a lion, she carrieth in her hand a date tree; and there standeth by her an old man resting vpon his staffe, ouer whose head there was a pretty tablet hanging down as a label, from a chariot drawn by two horses, with this inscription, Nici∣as me inussit; i. Nicias inamelled or wrought me with fire: for that verb [inussit] it pleased him to vse. As for the other table, the admirable workmanship therein was this, An old grey-beard ac∣companied [unspec E] with his son, a youth exceeding like his father, saue onely for the difference in age, which appeared in the yong down that sprung vpon his cheeks and chin. A deuise there was be∣sides of an Aegle flying ouer their heads, clasping a drag on within her talons: and as it appeared by the superscription, Philochares was the workman. By which one table (if there were no more but it in the whole world) a man may make an estimate of the infinite power that is in this art, which could cause the Senat & people of Rome to take such pleasure so many yeares together to look vpon Glaucion and his son Aristippus, persons otherwise most base and contemptible, on∣ly in respect of Philochares who painted them. As for Tiberius Caesar the Emperor, albeit hee was a prince of all other least curteous and affable, yet he delighted to hang vp those painted tables [unspec F] within the temple of Augustus Caesar, whereof I mean to write hereafter.

Notes

• VI. M. Sester∣tium.
• Sub veteribus, which some interpret Ta∣bernis.
• Quintilianus▪ reporteth this otherwise.