The only means by which the paint er can communicate his ideas to the spectator, or in other words, tell his story, are combinations of figures and other visible objects, the representation of gesture, and the expression of counte nance.
As the powers of writing, in the way of narrative, are such as to enable it to convey to the reader a just idea of a suc cession of transactions or events ; where as it cannot by the most laboured de scription give us any other than a confus ed or erroneous notion of the situation of a building. the winding's of a river, the forms of a mountain, or the beauty and expression of a countenance ; so painting, inasmuch as it is incompetent to relate the conspiracy, or record the oration, is proportionably rich in its means of de scription. As description is the most ar duous task of language, so narration is the great difficulty of painting ; a difficulty however not always insurmountable to the artist, who, to a competent know ledge and practice in the several compo nent parts of his art, adds that of judg ment in the choice of his subject, as will presently appear.
In a picture, the artist must necessari ly choose one point of time for his repre sentation ; but the usual doctrine, that a picture can absolutely express no more than this one moment of the story, re quires some illustration, as otherwise the inconsiderate might naturally be led to underrate the powers of communication given to our art. The truth we believe is, that though a picture must represent one moment of time, only, yet in that re presentation, the memorial, as it were, of past moments may be recorded, and the idea of future ones clearly anticipat e ed; and though this doctrine may, upon first sight, appear opposed to generally established opinion, a little reflection will, we are assured, convince any one of its truth.
It will require very little argument to chew, that many of the bodily actions of men do indicate, and, under particular circumstances, demonstrate certain other actions to have taken place previously ; which is certainly expressing the past in the present; nor will it be more difficult to find instances of a present action de noting some future one; that is, express ing the future in the present. A figure
walking, or running, denotes a past, a present, and a future action. 'I he sword of the soldier drawn and lifted up over the neck of the beautiful St. Catharine, de notes a future act or event ; that of her head being severed from her body ; the hardened executioner forcing his sword into the scabbard, after having performed his office, as clearly shews what has gone before.
Two things should concur to render a story eminently eligible for painting. First, the incident or act to be represent ed should be of an unequivocal nature ; such as, when represented, can leave no doubt on the mind of the observer as to its meaning ; and secondly, either the cause of the act, or its probable conse quence, or result, should be such as is capable of being expressed by objects in the picture ; but when both the cause or the end proposed in the act represented, and the consequence of that act, can be made evident to us in a picture, such a picture is a narration, becomes truly a dumb poesy, and creates a most lively interest in our minds, possessing, as it does, those properties which, as Aristotle observes, are necessary-to the perfection of a drama ; a beginning, a middle, and an end.
When we behold a representation of the Corinthian maid tracing the shadow of her favoured youth on the wall, love, the cause of the action, is rendered ap parent by the endearments attending it the consequence, which we are told was the invention of painting, is not evident to one uninformed of the tradition. Not so in dlr. Fuseli's pathetic composition of Paolo and Francesca, from Dante. Here we are at a loss as to no one of these parti culars; the picture in every respect ex plaining itself with as much force; and as unequivocally, as the poem. Love urges the stolen kiss and guilty dalliance, and the consequence is as evidently the de struction of the lovers by the avenging and uplifted hand of the insulted hus band.