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. VIII. [unspec K]

¶ The antiquitie of Painting, and the seuerall ages wherein the famous Painters liued. A suruey of excellent Pictures, and the Artificers that made them, together with * 1.1 the prices that their workmanship was valued at: and no∣table pictures to the number of 305.

NOw will I after a cursorie sort run through all the famous professors and Artizans in this kind, and that with as great breuity as possibly I can; for the scope I haue proposed to my selfe tends another way: and therefore let not the Reader think much if I do but touch the names of some, as it were passing by, and by occasion of others whose catalogue I meane to [unspec L] deliuer. Howbeit, in making this hast, my purpose is not to omit any excellent piece of worke which is worth the remembrance and relation, whether the same be extant at this day, or lost and perished. Where I must aduertise the readers, that in this argument my meaning is not to stand much vpon the authoritie of Greeke writers, who indeed deliuer no certitude, nor agree in their records as touching this point (notwithstanding that they would seeme diligent in that behalfe) and namely, in that they haue written, That the excellent painters flourished so many Olympiads after the famous Imageurs; and haue nominated for the first and chiefe to haue li∣ued in name, about the time of the 90 Olympiad: whereas this is for certain reported, that Phi∣dias himself was a painter in the beginning, and that the noble shield of Minerva in Athens was by him painted: besides, this is confessed and resolued vpon for a truth, that Panus his brother [unspec M] liued in the 83 Olympias, and painted the inside of the said shield; who also in another scut∣chion of Minerva, which Colores the apprentice of Phidias had made; as also in making the statue of Iupiter Olympius, wrought with the said Colores and helped him. But what should I dwel long in this matter? Is there any doubt made, that Candaules King of Lydia, the last of the race and

family of the Heraclidae, who also was commonly caled Myrsilus, bought the painted table which [unspec A] contained the battell of the Magnetes, and paid for it to Bularchus (the painter or workman ther∣of) as much gold as it came to in weight. See of what price and estimation pictures were euen in those daies! And needs it must be that this hapned about that age wherein K. Romulus liued: for the said K. Candaules died in the 18 Olympias; or as some write, in that very yeare that Romu∣lus departed this life: at what time this skill of painting (if I be not much deceiued) was in great request euery where, and growne already to an absolute perfection. Which being gran∣ted, as of necessitie it cannot be denied, euident and apparent it is, that the originall and begin∣ning of this art, was much more antient: and that those painters who vsed one colour and no more in their plain draughts called Monocromata (to wit, Hygiaenon, Dinias, and Charmas) liued a good while before, although it be not recorded in any writer in what age precisely they flou∣rished: [unspec B] as also that Eumarus the Athenian painter, who deuised first to distinguish male and fe∣male in painting; and besides, vndertook to draw with his pensill the proportion & shape of any thing that he saw; together with Cimon the Cleonaean, who followed his steps, and practised his inuentions, could not chuse but by al congruity & consequence be of more antiquity than Bular∣chus aforesaid, or the reign of Romulus & Candaules: this Cimon deuised the works called Catagra∣pha, i. pourtraits and images standing by as and side-long: the sundry habits also of the visage and cast of the eie, making them to look, some backward ouer their shoulders, others aloft, and some againe downward: his cunning it was to shew in a picture, the knitting of the members in euery ioint: to make the veins appeare how they branched and spread: and besides, the first hee was that counterfeited in flat pictures, the plaits, folds, wrinckles, and hollow lappets of a [unspec C] garment. As touching Phanaeus the brother of Phidias, hee painted also the battell betweene the Athenians and the Persians, vpon the plains of Marathon; for now by this time were pain∣ters furnished in some sort with colours to their purpose; and the art was growne to such perfe∣ction, that in the picture resembling the said battell, the full personages were pourtraied most liuely, of the captains on both sides, to wit, Milciades, Callimachus, and Cynegyrus, for the Atheni∣ans; Datis also and Artaphanes, for the Barbarians or Persians.

Notes

• * 1.1

  This argumēt or title rea∣cheth to many chapters fol∣lowing.