Investigation of the nature of art and its genesis in Greek traditions: 832/5.f.31

Materials used in production

Brown ink

Components of the work

Support composed of laid paper
Leaf Size Height 213 mm Width 150 mm

Techniques used in production

Handwriting : Pen and brown ink on laid paper

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: [i] preceding word crossed through in brown ink; [ii] preceding four words crossed through in brown ink; [iii] preceding word crossed through in brown ink; [iv] preceding two words crossed through in brown ink; [v] preceding five words crossed through in brown ink

• Text: A mechanical art, is performed by a knowledge / of scientific rules & practice only. / the Arts of Design being liberal, are performed / not only by scientific rules & practice, but they / must originate from Genius or the power of / producing, perfected by the imitation of nature / inasmuch / of[i] therefore as any one attempts to produce works / of design by scientific rules & practice only / insomuch will they be mechanical. / yet the foundations of Art being in Science / it is absolutely necessary for genius to be / assisted by rules, & which they are & how- / far they may be applied to the Arts of / design is the object of the present enquiry / as we have unfortunately lost the writings of the ancient Artists / if it be allowed[ii] these rules should be sought / in the finest of their remaining works, asses[iii] for as the same cause / produces the same effect, so these being found & / demonstrated works of equal excellence may be produced again / to this end the arts of design having attained / to a higher degree of perfection in Greece than in / any[iv] elsewhere, if we trace the steps, by which / they rose to perfection, always comparting the history of their / improvements, with their works of art, we cannot / fail of understanding their[v] must of necessity know
• Location: Recto
• Method of creation: Brown ink

Inscription present: [i] preceding word crossed through in brown ink; [ii] preceding two words crossed through in brown ink; [iii] preceding word crossed through in brown ink; [iv] preceding three words crossed through in brown ink; [v] preceding six words crossed through in brown ink; [vi] preceding partial word crossed through in brown ink

• Text: on what principles they proceeded / whatever assistance the Greeks might have / derived from the Egyptians in the Arts of design / belongs to the Antiquarian rather than the Artist / to enquire because no advantage could be derived / from it to the latter in the practice of his / profession; the Greeks had an[i] a sort of rude Original Art / amongst themselves which seems to have been the / growth of their own country, like the people of / Otaiheite, those of[ii] (see Cooke's Voyages) those of / the Musquato-shore) the the[sic] Antiquarian Month- / -ly repository) those of Mexico (Warburton's Divine legation of Moses) & other Nation's could[iii] whose / connection could be but distantly traced / Pausanias in Boetica, says the Thespians reveren / -ced from the beginning[iv] Cupid, most of the Gods from the beginning / whose most ancient image was a certain rude / stone, the same Author in Achaica says at / Pharis were 30 square stones which were worship- / ped under the names of so many Gods, he adds / formerly in all the country's of Greece rude stones / were worshipped for Gods & thence the worship / of Statues or Images, hence also says the same / Hermes of the Gods; Daedalus 2 Ages before / the war of Troy is said to have given motion / to his figures by releiving the legs from each[v] / Pausanias wi[vi] says there was in Corinth 2d a / a wood figure of Hercules with a naked / body
• Location: Verso
• Method of creation: Brown ink

Identification numbers

Accession number: 832/5.f.31
Primary reference Number: 38282
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Thursday 20 May 2021 Last processed: Tuesday 13 June 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints