by practice only, enable the student in drawing, to place all his objects in due perspective. 679. The art of painting in oil-colours is the most deservedly admired of scientific arts, when carried to perfection. The requisites of a great painter are, Correct drawing, without which, all other art is lost. Just perceptions of grace and beauty. Invention, which implies a perfect knowledge of his subject in all its relations, and a choice of the subject adapted to his art. Composition, or the agreeable distribution, and effective grouping, of his figures and objects, in his rough, preparatory design. Colouring, or the imitation of nature in her happiest moods; and this branch of art avoids all violent transitions and unnatural glares, and renders distant objects less distinct than near ones. 680. Paintings, in regard to their subjects, are called historical, landscape, or portrait: and to the painters, they are divided into schools or countries; As the Italian school, The German school, The French school, And the English school. Each of these schools has treated the practice of painting in its peculiar manner, and each, with exquisite beauty and admirable effect. Obs.-Nothing can be more unlike, than an historical painting of the Italian and Dutch schools; nor than a portrait of the German and English schools; yet, each has its admirers, and distinctive merits. 681. The great masters of the Italian school, were Michael Angelo, Raffaelle or Raphael, Titian, Corregio, the three Carraccis, Carlo Maratti, Carlo Dolci, Guido, del Sarto, Parmegiano, Salvator Rosa, Romana, Caravaggio, Paul Veronese, and Guercino: besides a hundred others, some original, and some copiers of the great masters. The great painters of the German schools were Albert Durer, Holbein, Kneller, and Mengs. 682. Of the Dutch school, were Rembrandt, Gerard Dow, Mieris, Ostade, Polemberg, Berghem, and Wouvermans. Of the Flemish school, were Reubens, Teniers, Jordaens, and Vandyck. The admired painters of the French school, are Claude, Poussin, Le Brun, Le Sueur, Vien, and David. The Spaniards also have had their Murillo, and Velasquez. 683. The eminent painters of the English school, are Hogarth, Wright, Reynolds, Wilson, West, Northcote, Gainsborough, Morland, Barry, Copley, Westall, Devis, Smirke, Tresham, Wilkie, Daniel, Turner, Garrard, Lawrence, Pocock, Bone, Opie, and many others still living, whose works may be seen in the annual exhibitions of the Royal Academy. XXXII. Heraldry. 684. During the Holy Wars, and the ages when close armour was worn, the warriors emblazoned or painted their shields, and wore crests in their helmets, to distinguish them in the field of battle. These were, in subsequent periods, borne as trophies by their families; and the methods of adorning a shield were reduced to a science; still generally used, and, therefore, of consequence to be understood. 685. Heraldry is the art of blazoning or displaying coats of arms, in proper colours and metals, on the shield or escutcheon. The points of an escutcheon are nine; Three on the upper part; of which, the middle is called the chief; that in the right corner, the dexter chief; and that in the left corner, the sinister chief. Three perpendicularly in the middle part of the shield: the first called the honour-point; the second, the fess point; the third, the navel-point. Three points horizontally, at the bottom: the middle one called the base-point the other two, the dexter and sinister base points. 686. Tinctures are armorial colours; as, or, gold; and argent, silver; azure, gules, sable, vert, and purpure; and ermine, and vair. Obs.-These colours are represented on copper-plate prints as follow: 1. Or, is known by small pricks or points. 2. Argent, by the natural whiteness of the pa per, without any strokes or points. 3. Azure, by hatches or strokes across the shield from side to side., 4. Gules, by lines from top to bottom. 5. Sable, by hatches crossing each other. 6. Vert, by hatches from dexter chief to sinister base. 7. Purpure, by hatches from sinister chief to dexter base. 8. Tenne, by cross hatches from right to left, and from left to right. 9. Sanguin, by hatches from right to left, and others from side to side. 687. Of the nine honourable charges, The cross signifies afflictions for religion; The chief denotes that the first bearer was a person in authority; The pale imports him skilled in mining; The bend shews him to have been valiant in war; The inescutcheon shews him to have been one who dis armed his enemy; The chevron declares him to have been the head of his family; The saltier, implies he behaved honorably at some siege; And the bar shews him to have been serviceable in raising fortifications. 688. The lines which compose or bound these charges, are esteemed additional notes of distinction; as, invected, ingrailed, waved, nebulee, imbattled, raguled, indented, &c. They are always mentioned in blazoning; as, a chief invected, a pale ingrailed, a fess indented, &c. 689. The field of the escutcheon, is generally divided into two or more equal parts, by lines across the same; which partition must be mentioned in blazoning. Thus, if a line perpendicular to the horizon divide the shield equally, it is said to be parted, per pale; if the line be parallel to the horizon, it is parted, per fess; if from right to left, it is parted, per bend; and so of any other. 690. Common charges are those figures which are painted within the field of the escutcheon; and they are taken from every kind of beings, natural and artificial. a. Angels, cherubim, &c., denote celerity in business, messengers of peace, &c. b. Men are honourable ensigns, as saints shew that the first bearer was some bishop, &c. Heads shew him to have done service against Saracens, Turks, &c. Hands or arms signify strength and fortitude. Eyes denote his judgment. Legs and feet indicate his swiftness: and the heart knowledge and understanding. c. Beasts of prey are more honourable than beasts of chace. The male is more honourable than the female. The whole is nobler than any of the parts; the natural or proper colour is better than any other. The free and regular posture, than the irregular and constrained. d. Of birds, the female is more honourable than the male, except the cock. Their native colours are better than artificial; and birds of prey, as eagles, falcons, &c., are most honourable. e. Of fishes, the dolphin is the principal; and the most honourable bearing of fish, is nayant, or swimming; the next, springing; and then hauriant, or in an erect posture. f. Insects are rarely borne in arms; but the. Ant denotes industry; and the Bee, a laborious and beneficent person. 691. The postures are of great account; as, couchant, lying down; passant, walking; combatant, fighting; rampant, reared on his right legs to fight; saliant, leaping at; guardant, looking towards you; regardant, looking back or behind: dormant, sleeping; seiant, sitting with the forefeet straight; endorsed, two in a rampant posture, with their backs towards each other. 692. The chiefs, or heads of families, or houses, bear two sorts of charges: a label of three points; and border, which are either plain, compound, indented, &c. For consanguinity, or kinsmen, the differences are according to the branch of a family from which they originally descended. D d |