I　cannot　help　imagining　that　I　see　a　promising　young　painter；　equally　vigilant；　whether　at　home；　or　abroad　in　the　streets；　or　in　the　fields。　　Every　object　that　presents　itself　is　to　him　a　lesson。　He　regards　all　nature　with　a　view　to　his　profession；　and　combines　her　beauties；　or　corrects　her　defects。　　He　examines　the　countenance　of　men　under　the　influence　of　passion；　and　often　catches　the　most　pleasing　hints　from　subjects　of　turbulence　or　deformity。　　Even　bad　pictures　themselves　supply　him　with　useful　documents；　and；　as　Leonardo　da　Vinci　has　observed；　he　improves　upon　the　fanciful　images　that　are　sometimes　seen　in　the　fire；　or　are　accidentally　sketched　upon　a　discoloured　wall。
  The　artist　who　has　his　mind　thus　filled　with　ideas；　and　his　hand　made　expert　by　practice；　works　with　ease　and　readiness；　whilst　he　who　would　have　you　believe　that　he　is　waiting　for　the　inspirations　of　genius；　is　in　reality　at　a　loss　how　to　beam；　and　is　at　last　delivered　of　his　monsters　with　difficulty　and　pain。
  The　well…grounded　painter；　on　the　contrary；　has　only　maturely　to　consider　his　subject；　and　all　the　mechanical　parts　of　his　art　follow　without　his　exertion；　Conscious　of　the　difficulty　of　obtaining　what　he　possesses　he　makes　no　pretensions　to　secrets；　except　those　of　closer　application。　　Without　conceiving　the　smallest　jealousy　against　others；　he　is　contented　that　all　shall　be　as　great　as　himself　who　are　willing　to　undergo　the　same　fatigue：　and　as　his　pre…eminence　depends　not　upon　a　trick；　he　is　free　from　the　painful　suspicions　of　a　juggler；　who　lives　in　perpetual　fear　lest　his　trick　should　be　discovered。
  A　DISCOURSE
  Delivered　to　the　Students　of　the　Royal　Academy　on　the　Distribution　of　the　Prizes；　December；　14；　1770；　by　the　President
  Gentlemen；It　is　not　easy　to　speak　with　propriety　to　so　many　students　of　different　ages　and　different　degrees　of　advancement。　The　mind　requires　nourishment　adapted　to　its　growth；　and　what　may　have　promoted　our　earlier　efforts；　might；　retard　us　in　our　nearer　approaches　to　perfection。
  The　first　endeavours　of　a　young　painter；　as　I　have　remarked　in　a　former　discourse；　must　be　employed　in　the　attainment　of　mechanical　dexterity；　and　confined　to　the　mere　imitation　of　the　object　before　him。　　Those　who　have　advanced　beyond　the　rudiments；　may；　perhaps；　find　advantage　in　reflecting　on　the　advice　which　I　have　likewise　given　them；　when　I　recommended　the　diligent　study　of　the　works　of　our　great　predecessors；　but　I　at　the　same　time　endeavoured　to　guard　them　against　an　implicit　submission　to　the　authority　of　any　one　master；　however　excellent；　or　by　a　strict　imitation　of　his　manner；　to　preclude　ourselves　from　the　abundance　and　variety　of　nature。　　I　will　now　add　that　nature　herself　is　not　to　be　too　closely　copied。　There　are　excellences　in　the　art　of　painting；　beyond　what　is　commonly　called　the　imitation　of　nature：　　and　these　excellences　I　wish　to　point　out。　　The　students　who；　having　passed　through　the　initiatory　exercises；　are　more　advanced　in　the　art；　and　who；　sure　of　their　hand；　have　leisure　to　exert　their　understanding；　must　now　be　told　that　a　mere　copier　of　nature　can　never　produce　anything　great；　can　never　raise　and　enlarge　the　conceptions；　or　warm　the　heart　of　the　spectator。
  The　wish　of　the　genuine　painter　must　be　more　extensive：　　instead　of　endeavouring　to　amuse　mankind　with　the　minute　neatness　of　his　imitations；　he　must　endeavour　to　improve　them　by　the　grandeur　of　his　ideas；　instead　of　seeking　praise；　by　deceiving　the　superficial　sense　of　the　spectator；　he　must　strive　for　fame；　by　captivating　the　imagination。
  The　principle　now　laid　down；　that　the　perfection　of　this　art　does　not　consist　in　mere　imitation；　is　far　from　being　new　or　singular。　It　is；　indeed；　supported　by　the　general　opinion　of　the　enlightened　part　of　mankind。　　The　poets；　orators；　and　rhetoricians　of　antiquity；　are　continually　enforcing　this　position；　that　all　the　arts　receive　their　perfection　from　an　ideal　beauty；　superior　to　what　is　to　be　found　in　individual　nature。　　They　are　ever　referring　to　the　practice　of　the　painters　and　sculptors　of　their　times；　particularly　Phidias　（the　favourite　artist　of　antiquity）；　to　illustrate　their　assertions。　　As　if　they　could　not　sufficiently　express　their　admiration　of　his　genius　by　what　they　knew；　they　have　recourse　to　poetical　enthusiasm。　　They　call　it　inspiration；　a　gift　from　heaven。　　The　artist　is　supposed　to　have　ascended　the　celestial　regions；　to　furnish　his　mind　with　this　perfect　idea　of　beauty。　〃He；〃　says　Proclus；　〃who　takes　for　his　model　such　forms　as　nature　produces；　and　confines　himself　to　an　exact　imitation　of　them；　will　never　attain　to　what　is　perfectly　beautiful。　　For　the　works　of　nature　are　full　of　disproportion；　and　fall　very　short　of　the　true　standard　of　beauty。　　So　that　Phidias；　when　he　formed　his　Jupiter；　did　not　copy　any　object　ever　presents　to　his　sight；　but　contemplated　only　that　image　which　he　had　conceived　in　his　mind　from　Homer's　description。〃　　And　thus　Cicero；　speaking　of　the　same　Phidias：　　〃Neither　did　this　artist；〃　says　he；　〃when　he　carved　the　image　of　Jupiter　or　Minerva；　set　before　him　any　one　human　figure　as　a　pattern；　which　he　was　to　copy；　but　having　a　more　perfect　idea　of　beauty　fixed　in　his　mind；　this　he　steadily　contemplated；　and　to　the　imitation　of　this　all　his　skill　and　labour　were　directed。
  The　moderns　are　not　less　convinced　than　the　ancients　of　this　superior　power　existing　in　the　art；　nor　less　conscious　of　its　effects。　　Every　language　has　adopted　terms　expressive　of　this　excellence。　　The　Gusto　grande　of　the　Italians；　the　Beau　ideal　of　the　French　and　the　GREAT　STYLE；　GENIUS；　and　TASTE　among　the　English；　are　but　different　appellations　of　the　same　thing。　　It　is　this　intellectual　dignity；　they　say；　that　ennobles　the　painter's　art；　that　lays　the　line　between　him　and　the　mere　mechanic；　and　produces　those　great　effects　in　an　instant；　which　eloquence　and　poetry；　by　slow　and　repeated　efforts；　are　scarcely　able　to　attain。
  Such　is　the　warmth　with　which　both　the　ancients　and　moderns　speak　of　this　divine　principle　of　the　art；　but；　as　I　have　formerly　observed；　enthusiastic　admiration　seldom　promotes　knowledge。　Though　a　student　by　such　praise　may　have　his　attention　roused；　and　a　desire　excited；　of　running　in　this　great　career；　yet　it　is　possible　that　what　has　been　said　to　excite；　may　only　serve　to　deter　him。　　He　examines　his　own　mind；　and　perceives　there　nothing　of　that　divine　inspiration　with　which　he　is　told　so　many　others　have　been　favoured。　　He　never　travelled　to　heaven　to　gather　new　ideas；　and　he　finds　himself　possessed　of　no　other　qualifications　than　what　mere　common　observation　and　a　plain　understanding　can　confer。　　Thus　he　becomes　gloomy　amidst　the　splendour　of　figurative　declamation；　and　thinks　it　hopeless　to　pursue　an　object　which　he　supposes　out　of　the　reach　of　human　industry。
  But　on　this；　as　upon　many　other　occasions；　we　ought　to　distinguish　how　much　is　to　be　given　to　enthusiasm；　and　how　much　to　reason。　　We　ought　to　allow　for；　and　we　ought　to　commend；　that　strength　of　vivid　expression　which　is　necessary　to　convey；　in　its　full　force；　the　highest　sense　of　the　most　complete　effect　of　art；　taking　care　at　the　same　time　not　to　lose　in　terms　of　vague　admiration　that　solidity　and　truth　of　principle　upon　which　alone　we　can　reason；　and　may　be　enabled　to　practise。
  It　is　not　easy　to　define　in　what　this　great　style　consists；　nor　to　describe；　by　words；　the　proper　means　of　acquiring　it；　if　the　mind　of　the　student　should　be　at　all　capable　of　such　an　acquisition。　Could　we　teach　taste　or　genius　by　rules；　they　would　be　no　longer　taste　and　genius。　　But　though　there　neither　are；　nor　can　be；　any　precise　invariable　rules　for　the　exercise　or　the　acquisition　of　those　great　qualities；　yet　we　may　as　truly　say　that　they　always　operate　in　proportion　to　our　attention　in　observing　the　works　of　nature；　to　our　skill　in　selecting；　and　to　our　care　in　digesting；　methodising；　and　comparing　our　observations。　　There　are　many　beauties　in　our　art；　that　seem；　at　first；　to　lie　without　the　reach　of　precept；　and　yet　may　easily　be　reduced　to　practical　principles。　Experience　is　all　in　all；　but　it　is　not　every　one　who　profits　by　experience；　and　most　people　err；　not　so　much　from　want　of　capacity　to　find　their　object；　as　from　not　knowing　what　object　to　pursue。　This　great　ideal　perfection　and　beauty　are　not　to　be　sought　in　the　heavens；　but　upon　the　earth。　　They　are　about　us；　and　upon　every　side　of　us。　　But　the　power　of　discovering　what　is　deformed　in　nature；　or　in　other　words；　what　is　particular　and　uncommon；　can　be　acquired　only　by　experience；　and　the　whole　beauty　and　grandeur　of　the　art　consists；　in　my　opinion；　in　being　able　to　get　above　all　singular　forms；　local　customs；　particularities；　and　details　of　every　kind。
  All　the　objects　which　are　exhibited　to　our　view　by　nature；　upon　close　examination　will　be　found　to　have　their　blemishes　and　defects。　　The　most　beautiful　forms　have　something　about　them　like　weakness；　minuteness；　or　imperfection。　　But　it　is　not　every　eye　that　perceives　these　blemishes。　　It　must　be　an　eye　long　used　to　the　contemplation　and　comparison　of　these　forms；　and　which；　by　a　long　habit　of　observing　what　any　set　of　objects　of　the　same　kind　have　in　common；　that　alone　can　acquire　the　power　of　discern