Page:Thoughts on art and life.djvu/136

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

eye, inasmuch as it represents the limits of objects that are near in the same way as those of distant objects ; it does not represent the air which, interposed between the eye and the remote object, conceals that object: but as the veils in draped figures, which reveal the naked flesh beneath them; it cannot represent the small pebbles of various colours beneath the surface of the trans- parent waters.

40.

And thou, painter, who desirest to achieve the highest excellence in practice, understand that unless thou build it on the solid foundations of nature, thou shalt reap but scant honour and gain by thy work; and if thy foundation is sound, thy works shall be many and good, and bring great honour to thee, and be of great profit.

41.

When the work exceeds the ideal of the artist, the artist makes scant progress; and when the work falls short of his ideal it never ceases to im- prove, unless avarice be an obstacle.

42.

He is a poor disciple who does not surpass his master.

43.

He is a poor master whose work is exalted in his

100

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.