Invention, in painting, consists prin cipally in three things : first, the choice of a subject properly within the scope of the art ; secondly, the seizure of the most striking and energetic moment of time for representation ; and lastly, the disco very and selection of such objects, and such probable incidental circumstances, as, combined together, may best tend to develope the story, or augment the in terest of the piece. The cartoons of Raffaele, at Hampton Court, furnish us with an example of genius and sagacity in this part of the art, too much to our present purpose to be omitted. We shall describe it in the words of Mr. Webbe. " When the inhabitants of Lystra are about to offer sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas, it was necessary to let us into the cause of all the motion and hur ry before us ; accordingly, the cripple, whom they had miraculously healed, ap pears in the crowd : observe the means which the painter has used to distinguish this object, and of course to open the subject of his piece. His crutches, now useless, are thrown to the ground ; his attitude is that of one accustomed to such a support, and still doubtful of his limbs; the eagerness, the impetuosity, with which he solicits his benefactors to accept the honours destined for them, point out his gratitude, and the occasion of it : during the time that he is thus bu sied, an elderly citizen, of some conse quence, by his appearance, draws near, and lifting up the corner of his vest, sur veys with astonishment the limb newly restored; whilst a man of middle age, and a youth, looking over the shoulder of the cripple, are intent on the same ob ject. The wit of man could not devise means more certain of the end proposed; such a chain of circumstances is equal to a narration ; and I cannot but think, that the whole would have been an example of invention and conduct, even in the happiest age of antiquity." The works of the first restorers of painting may be likewise studied with great profit, so far as relates to invention, composition, and expression. In the executive parts of the art they seldom approach even me diocrity : less able therefore to gratify the eye, the artist applied himself exclu sively to interest the mind of the specta tor. Amongst the frescoes of Giotto, in the church of St. Francis, at Assisi, is one which, from the ingenuity of its invention, seems particularly to claim a place here. The subject is that of a wounded man, who, given over by his physician, is mira culously healed in a vision by St. Francis. The chief group of the picture repre sents the sick man, who, extended on his bed, is looking up with a stcdfast counte nance at the saint, who is laying his hand upon the wound. Two angels ac company St. Francis, one of whom holds a box of ointment. In another part of the picture the physician is represented about to go out of the room door, fol lowed by a woman, evidently a sister or near relative of the wounded man, who, with a taper in her hand, has been con ducting him to the bedside. She is earnestly attentive to what the physician is saying to the father, who has been waiting for them at the outside of the door, and who shews by his gestures, which the tears of the young woman cor roborate, that no hopes are given of his son's recovery.
In the two pictures last mentioned, the different figures admitted were essential to the perfect explanation of the story. Sometimes, however, a group, or figure, which, although not necessary, shall ne vertheless appear naturally, as it were, to grow out of the subject, may be introduc ed with great augmentation of the expres sion and effect of the piece. Such was the pathetic episode of Aristides, so re peatedly imitated in modern times by Poussin, and other painters. A town taken by storm was the subject of this picture, in one part of which an infant was introduced creeping to the breast of its mother, who, though expiring from her wounds, yet expressed the strongest apprehension and fear lest the course of her milk being stopped, the child should suck her blood.
The judicious disposal of the materials furnished by the imagination, or inven tion, in such a manner as best to contri bute to the beauty, the expression, and the effect of the picture, constitutes what is termed composition in painting. And here we must observe, that the different parts of the art, before mentioned, are so intimately connected with, and so depen dant on each other, that the separate dis cussion of them must ever be attended with great difficulty, and necessarily oc casion a freqbent recurrence to similar arguments and principles. Composition is more especially inseparable from the rest, as not only the necessary expres sion of the subject and the forms and dis tribution of the groups, but likewise the consequent lights and shades resulting from such forms and distribution, the contrast and variety of the characters, and even the principal masses of colour, all, in a certain degree, come under the consideration of the artist, even when making his first sketch.
It were in vain to prescribe any other general rule for the distribution of the figures in a picture, except such as is die tated by the peculiar circumstances and character of the story to be represented. Much has been said of the pyramidical group, the serpentine line, the artificial contrast, and, upon doctrines like these, lanfranco, Cortona, Giordano, Maratti, and many others, their predecessors, as well as followers, formed a style better calculated to amuse the eye than to satis fy the judgment : an inordinate but ill directed thirst of variety is the basis of this artificial system ; contrast is succeed ed by contrast, opposition by opposition ; but as this principle pervades all their works, the result.is no variety at all, and their conduct may be compared to that of the voluptuary, who, grasping at every enjoyment which presents itself; acquires satiety instead of pleasure. Each subject, however different its character, is com posed in a manner so similar to the other, that the spectator may view a gallery of such pictures, seldom discovering the subjects they are intended to represent, and without being afterwards enabled to call to mind one prominent feature distin guishing the one from the other.
If Raffaele can be said to have regulat ed his compositions by any particular rule or maxim, it was that of making each as unlike the other as possible, consistent with propriety of expression. Thus, in the cartoon of Christ giving the keys to Peter, the Apostles, all crowding to gether to be witnesses of the action, oc cupy the principal part of the picture, and form a group in profile, the Saviour, although in the corner of the picture, be ing nevertheless rendered evidently the principal figure, by the insulated situa tion given to him, as well as by the ac tions of the Apostles, who all press for ward towards him, as to the centre of at traction. This cartoon is finely contrast ed by the Magnificent composition repre senting the death of Ananias, where the Apostles form a group in the centre, and are all seen in front. That of Peter and John healing the cripple at the beautiful gate of the temple is again strikingly dif ferent from either of its companions, Raf faele having there, with a boldness of which any but a sublime genius would have been incapable, intersected his corn position by the columns of the portico. But though divided, it is true, into sepa rate and almost equal parts, neither the unity of action, nor the expression of the picture, is impaired, whilst the effect pro duced is at once novel and beautiful.