Another obfervation he makes, is, that Corregio, in drawing his figures, gave them generally the colours of the objects that he had before him in his own country, as Albert Durer gave to all other nations the coflume of his own. He, however, commends Corregio highly for the invention of a new tafte of defign, unknown before him, which he calls undulation or the waving-line, an elegant improvement (fays he) in painting, and which has not been fince fuccefsfully imitated by any artift. We pafs over in filence our Author's judgment concerning Titian; becaufe, though juft, it contains nothing new or uncommon. His obfervations on the taste of the ancients are inftructive; they are justly unfavourable to the ancient Romans, and they are not to the advantage of modern artists even of the firft clafs; which, allowing them high and illuftrious merit, he places nevertheless in a rank inferior to the ancients. These obfervations are followed by remarks on the Apollo of Belvidera, the Laocoon, the Hercules, the Gladiator, and the Torfo. His remarks are learned, ingenious, and mafterly; and are, perhaps, equal to any thing we have in picturefque criticifm. Thefe noble figures give our Author an occafion of developing his ideas of the fublime: he examines them with attention and tafte, unfolds their respective and characteristical beauties, and fhews the lines and angles of which the contours and parts of these tatues are compofed. But is it not furprifing, that, after having enlarged with rapture on the elegance of the Apollo, the force of the Hercules, the fimplicity of the Gladiator, and the fublime of the Torfo, he fhould, nevertheless, place the painting of the ancients above their fculpture, in the article of defign? We have fcarcely any,-it may perhaps be faid, that there is not one ancient picture remaining which can be looked upon as highly excellent, except the Nozze Aldobrandine; and what we read of the ancient painters in feveral authors (of whom fome will hardly pafs for competent judges of the matter) proves that the high reputation that certain ancient painters acquired, muft perhaps be rather confidered as relative to the degree of progrefs and perfection to which the art was carried in the times in which they lived, than to the real and intrinfic merit of their productions. Mr. MENGS was himself a witnefs of the difcovery of one of the finest ancient pictures now known; and he drew a copy of it towards the latter part of his life. This piece, which reprefents Venus throwing down a parcel of little Cupids from the top of a tree, must be the work of fome eminent artift of antiquity, fince we find the fame fubject reprefented on the medals of Lucilia. In the unanimous opinions of thofe who have feen this famous picture, it is inferior in tafte, expreffion, and defign, even to the ancient statues of the fecond rate, which have come down to to our times; and it is certainly not to be compared with the pictures of Raphael, Guido, and Michael Angelo. Neverthelefs Mr. MENGS affirms, that the pictures of the ancients are fuperior to the best productions of Raphael. He is the only competent judge, perhaps, who has faid fo; and if he had feen the objects of comparison, we fhould refpect his judgment, and receive it as authority. But if he forms his notions of ancient pictures from the accounts of Pliny (who, being merely a naturalift, talks of painters more with the fpirit of a colour-grinder than of a connoiffeur), we must take the liberty to fufpend our affent to them. It is true, indeed, that the ancient ftatues form an argument from induction in favour of the excellence of the ancient paintings; for, if the progrefs of painting in ancient times was proportionable to that of fculpture (which it may or may not have been, for any thing we know with certainty), the judgment of our Author is not to be contefted. We do not. remember that we have seen a head in any picture, which does not seem to fink into vulgarity, when compared with even a copy we once faw of the head of the Apollo of Belvidera. We leave our Author's fragment, relative to the creation and advance bent of the fine arts in Spain to the confideration of those whom it principally concerns. Nor fhall we fay much of the letter to Mr. Falconet, which terminates this first volume. Mr. Falconet had spoken contemptuoufly of the late Abbé Winkelman. This was learned Pedantry fpouting muddy water against Taste and Genius. Our Author might have let the matter pass as we do; - but he was impelled by zeal to avenge his friend. The fecond Volume contains Five Articles ift, A Letter, and the Fragment of a Letter, to Monfignor Fabroni of the Univerfity of Pifa. 2d, A Letter to Don Antonio Pontio 3d, Memoirs concerning the Life of Corregio. 4th, A Difcourfe concerning the Academy of the Fine Arts at Madrid. 5th, Practical Lessons relative to painting. In the first of thefe pieces our Author ftrays again into the region of paradox, which is rarely frequented by vulgar geniuses. Signior Fabroni wrote a differtation on fome ftatues, reprefenting the hiftory of Niobe, that were tranfported from Rome to Florence, and which have been always highly admired by men of tafte. Mr. MENGS fhews, that this admiration has been carried too far, that the groupe in queftion is not fo beautiful as hath been pretended, and he farther affirms, that it is not an original. Hitherto-no paradox; - for fuch a learned and acute obferver as our excellent Author, may have really discovered in this applauded work fome characters of a copy that escape the fagacity not only of a common fpectator, but even of a tolerable connoiffeur. But when he makes a bold step farther, and aflerts, L 3 that that the most celebrated statues of Rome, fuch as the Apollo, the Gladiator, the Hercules, and the Laocoon, whofe fublime and graceful beauty he always fpeaks of with rapture, are also copies of Greek originals that were ftill more excellent, we are quite difconcerted, and feel a kind of anxiety, lefs ignoble perhaps, but yet fomething fimilar to what a mifer feels when a guinea is palmed upon him that wants a penny of its weight. His reafons, however, for this fingular decifion are not derived from any defects that he has noticed in these famous ftatues (and this gives us fome comfort) but moftly from accidental circumftances, and a certain combination of what he calls probabilities, which we do not at all think convincing. In the conclufion of this Letter our Author obferves, that it might be useful to the progrefs of the art, to confider the ancient ftatues we poffefs, only as copies of more perfect originals; as this would excite the emulation of young artifts, and prevent their excufing their faults by attributing them to an exact imitation of the ancient models. This thought fhews fpirit and ambition; it looks, however, fomewhat like the fpirit of Erafmus, who, to promote and facilitate the progrefs of Latinity, undertook to correct the ftile of CICERO. We fhall referve, for another occafion, a farther account of this inftructive work, and of its learned, elegant, and ingenious Author. When we have given him thefe three epithets, we have done juftice only to the smalleft part of his merit. The heart of this admirable artist was as candid, generous, and virtuous, as his pencil was natural, chafte, and fublime. We propofe making the man, as well as the artift, farther known to our Readers, in a future Review. ART. III. EXTRACT of a Letter to Father COTTE, Prieft of the Oratory, Curate of Montmorenci, and Correfpondent Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, cONCERNING A CURIOUS ASTRONOMICAL MACHINE, &c. &c. This Letter was written to Father Cotte, by M. VAN SWINDEN, Profeffor of Philofophy at Franeker in Friesland, and it contains an account of a production of unaffifted genius that almoft furpaffes credibility.—The part of the Letter that relates to this truly furprifing fact, is as follows: "I am now employed in the publication of a pamphlet in the Dutch language on a fingular fubject: it contains the defcription of a very curious machine, which exhibits a complete planetarium or orrery, a moveable planifphere, and reprefents, moreover, all the motions of the moon, the mean motions as well as the true. This machine was invented, calculated, and made by a citizen of Franeker in Friefland, who never had feen any thing of the kind, nor any description, plate, or drawing, that had the leaft relation to fuch an invention. It was owing to the mere unaffift ed ed impulfe of genius. He wrought at it in fecret and in filence, without communicating his defign to any perfon; and applied himself to the study of aftronomy to which he had a propenfity from his early youth, and in which he had made a certain progrefs before he undertook this furprising work. He employed in the ftudy of this science all the hours of leifure that his calling (which is that of a wool-carder) would admit of. I shall here give you a compendious defcription of this machine, which is fuperior to any I have ever seen. I am publishing a still more. ample and circumftantial account of it in Dutch, to acquaint my countrymen with the uncommon merit of this modeft and ingenious man, who has such an eminent title to the applause of the Public. This masterly piece of workmanship confifts, first, of a complete planetarium or orrery, which contains all the principal planets and the moon. Each of these bodies is placed at its proportional distance from the fun, moves in an excentric orbit, according to its true excentricity, and follows, in its motion, the laws of the true anomaly, moving, with more velocity, towards the perihelion, than towards the aphelion: each moves in its periodical time; for the whole machine is kept in motion by a pendulum clock. The moon revolves about the earth, is carried with the earth, in its motion, round the fun, and difcovers her phafes in every part of her orbit. The planetarium is faftened to the cieling of the chamber, and the wheel-work, which is remarkable for its fimplicity, is placed between the rafters and the cieling. The cieling is confequently divided into fix excentric circles, that the fhanks, which bear the fix principal planets may pass through the grooves. The planes of thefe circles are faftened by vices to the rafters. There is also a seventh excentric circle, through the groove of which an index paffes, which points out, every day, the longitude and the declination of the fun, the month and the day of the month, and the fign of the zodiac in which the fun is. Each planet marks its longitude on a circle, which furrounds the groove, through which its thank or fupporter paffes. The places of the nodes, the aphelion and the perihelion, are marked on each of these circles, and to avoid all confufion and obfcurity, the degrees from the afcending to the defcending node are marked on the outfide of the groove, and the others on the infide. Thus it is eafy to perceive, by a fingle look, whether the latitude is northern or fouthern, and the complement of latitude is indicated at every five degrees of longitude. When a perfon is fitting in this chamber, he has only to lift up his eyes, and he fees the whole arrangement and fituation of the planets on the cieling. There is, moreover, an index which points out the day of the week and the hour of the day, as alfo the year, whofe number L 4 changes changes in the night of the 31ft of December. All this is admirably adjusted; but much more remains yet to be defcribed. At the end of this aftronomical chamber there is an alcove, at the fide of which is a cupboard, both of wood. Above the alcove a celeftial planifphere is placed, with feveral dials arranged with fymmetry, two of which are above the cupboard. The principal ftars, the equator, and the ecliptic, are delineated on the planifphere, which moves on its centre in 23 folar hours, 56 minutes and 4 feconds. The fun is placed in the ecliptic, and moves with the reft of the heavens every day; but his proper and annual revolution in the ecliptic is alfo pointed out. The planifphere is bordered by an horizon, fuch as is required for the latitude of Franeker; and different lines indicate the eight principal rhumbs and horary lines. Thus the fpectator fees the fun and ftars rife every day, proceed to the meridian, and fet, as these motions are performed in nature, and the fun likewise producing, by his courfe in the ecliptic, the various seasons and the unequal duration of day and night. At the moment that the fun rifes or fets, he marks upon the horizon the time of the day; and this may be seen every moment of the day by obferving in what horary circle the fun is. The fituation of the ftars alfo, which are above the horizon, may be seen every moment. I proceed to the dials: they are as many in number, as are the objects which are to be reprefented: The Hour of Sun-rife. of the rifing of of her fetting. The place of the Apogée. The diftance of the Moon from her afcending node The distance of the Moon from the phases and age All these dials divided into hours (for the four first objects) Yor into figns and degrees (for the two laft) have only one index. Thefe dials are the moft difficult and the moft ingenioufly contrived parts of this beautiful machine; becaufe none of the indexes have a uniform motion, but have all a motion occafionally |