On Thursday evening, Mr. Primal's, Professor of Painting, gave his
in- troductory lecture for the season; upon which occasion Mr. SHEE presided for the first time since his election, and was warmly greeted on his entrance.
The lecturer commenced by observing, that in fine art excellence was valu- able only where it tended to please the fancy, to exercise the judgment, and to excite the imagination, by that sort of imitation which exhibited refilled taste and elevation of mind. He divided the art into two branches—the manual, and the intellectual; the first attainable by any one of good capacity with industry and perseverance,.the.secosuirequiring mind and imagination. Painting, he 'continued, "Is not to be taught by words, but by study and practice. When directed to the intellectual, it becomes a liberal art produc- tive of refined delight ; and in this view a knowledge of its principles is re- quisite to the connoissetus The Flemish and Dutch painters (RunEss and REMBRANDT excepted) found pleasure in mere imitation ; and their pro- cess was excellent, considered in itself alone. The Italian school selected from nature, and represented its grandest parts and combinations with in- tellectual feeling. In England, there is nationally no demand for works of art as in Italy ; its patronage is dependent upon individual wealth and taste. The grand style of painting is not confined to religious subjects, but includes, in the operation of its principles, poetical and historical design, portrait, and even landscape, which under its influence loses a merely common appear- ance, none but intrinsically low subjects being excluded. "The great object of the painter's skill is man, said the Professor ; and to the representation of man I shall principally confine my observations." He then proceeded to take a comprehensive view of the history of the art ; observing that its first origin was hidden, and its dawn like the dawn of the morning. The first information respecting it was derived from the Greeks ; though in the time of PH' DIAS the art was so very imperfect that the painters were accustomed to write over their figures the names of the persons intended to be represented. The best productions of this age were probably similar in principle to the paintings found at Herculanwum, Pompeii, Portici, and Rome ; of which there were some beautiful specimens exhibited, of single figures, and one of the celebrated composition, the Aldobrandini Marriage, which manifested the simple exercise of the art almost in a state of perfec- tion. For further information, the Professor referred to PLINY, PAUSA- NIAS, Quistrimast, and to FUSELVS first lecture. Tracing the pro- gress of the art through the Romans, amongst whom it lost much of its sentiment, into the dark ages, where it was degraded to an extreme degree, until its revival under the influence of Catholicism, the Professor took occa- sion to remark, that the advance of high art was not the result of collections of its works made by a nation, but of employment of the artist, who became thence able to improve his style, to amend his faults, and mature his exceL lencies. The first efforts of the revival of art by the spread of Christianity, he resumed, were barbarous and rude, mere hieroglyphics repeated, and con- tinued for a long time, until CIMABUE arose, and restored it from nature. He was succeeded by Gror To, whose works were admirable for nature and feeling. In him revived the spirit of Greek art ; his was a genuine style of historical design, combining breadth, simplicity, and expression, with skill in grouping, but weakness of delineation. The Professor displayed some highly interesting specimens of the works of GIOTTO, which were remark- able for a Raffaellesque style, fine character, and good composition. In them, he said, we see the true source of pathos, and admire them, as we do the works of CHAUCER and DONNE, notwithstanding their quaintness and de- fects. This was the seed-time of art, from whence arose an after-growth of knowledge. Students should visit the fountainhead of early art, and con- template the works of GIOTTO and his disciples. After one hundred years the art attained more technical excellence, but fell into the meretricious
faults of glitter and minuteness; but it again resumed its vigour under
Masaccio, who discarded its puerilities, and once more introduced truth, simplicity, and expression. RAFFAELLE developed the principles of MA... SACCIO ; and from this time commenced the golden age of art. We have not room to follow the lecturer through his interesting observations on art, or into the details of its progress. He remarked upon the character and ex- pression of LEONARDO DA ViNct, and the first introduction by him of chiaroscuro, the nature of which he fully explained. To the sublime genius of MICHAEL ANGELO he paid an ample tribute, alluding particularly to his great works in the SistineChapel as evi dences of his gigantic power the ideality of his compositions, the grandeur and the magnificence of his style, the ima. ginative character of his designs, and the precision and power of his expres- sion. He characterized RAFFAELLE as having attained his art by careful imitation of his master PIETRO PERITGINO ; and observed, that it was hardly possible to avoid drawing a comparison between Mic HAEL ANGELO and RAFFAELLE, although in many respects they were opposite in style ; the former being more recondite, and his art more powerful than agreeable; the latter possessing less vigOur, and addressing himself to the heart. Both, he continued, are standards of style. The Professor next spoke of the Flo- rentine school, as entirely original, and admirable for refinement in histo- rical composition, feeling, expression, and variety, added to simplicity ; and he recommended the study of it as a standard, and as remarkable for pos- sessing what is most wanting in the English school. The Venetian school, he observed, was coeval with the Florentine: GIORGIONE and TITIAN were not the inventors, but the perfecters of the Venetian style of colouring : these great masters united form with colouring, though not in so perfect a manner as the great masters of the Florentine school; but they gave dignity to portraiture. He spoke of T1NTORET with mingled admiration of the number of his works, their rapidity of execution, and regret at the misuse of his splen- did talents, which rendered his works dangerous study. He discriminated the character of the productions of PAUL VERONESE, admiring the splendour of colouring and magnificent composition of his paintings on the ceiling of the Ducal Palace at Venice. He next spoke of CORRECT°, as original in his style and brilliant in his chiaroscuro: praising the breadth of his effects, the depth, sweetness, and mellowness of his colouring, and the grace and beauty of his design : and he summed up the excellences of the Schools of Florence Venice, and Parma,-as uniting the perfection of design, compo. sition, colour, and chiaroscuro ; observing, that a more extended application and a more perfect combination of their principles alone, would produce works of greater worth. The lecturer then traced the art into the melan- choly decline from its "high and palmy state," and reverted to the causes of its decay in different countries. He briefly alluded to its progress in France in Spain, in Germany and the Low Countries, and lastly in Eng- land; ;eking occasion to speak in terms of high praise of HOGARTII both as a moralist and a painter. He dwelt upon the advance of art to its eleva- tion by Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS, and its support by WEST, BARRY, Gams. BOROUGH, ROMNEY, OPIE, and FUSEL'; and concluded a long, valuable, and most interesting lecture, by an allusion to the late melancholy event
which had deprived the Academy of its brightest ornament. He deplored the loss to the art and the nation, with evident feeling, and pronounced a high panegyric upon the late President. The lecture was much applauded, and was calculated to raise the minds of the students to the contemplation of high art. A numerous collection of drawings and prints formed pleasing and useful illustrations to the subject.
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