The pleasure arising from the contemplation of a fine picture, is augmented by the very circumstance of its en gaging a sense in its service which is gratified, and serves to fix the mind, that might otherwise have refused atten tion to any call upon its abstractive powers at that parti cular moment ; for there is no faculty less under control than " the wayward realm of thought :" but the simple exercise of the sense of seeing is in itself a pleasing grati fication, although it requires the irritation produced by any obstruction to its use, to make us sensible that we had plea sure in the exercise of it. The story told by a fine picture we read with pleasure—we enjoy the interest of the history itself—the genius of the artist—the excitement to imagi nation—the surprise at the happy illusion of the art—that music to the eye produced by an harmonious combination of forms and colours—the repose and concentration of the subject—the pleasure in 'sympathising with the feelings that animate the actors in the scene; in short, we have a feast which is exquisite, in proportion to the powers' of partaking of it. We are not called upon, as in narration, to exercise fatigue of memory—the whole genius of "the painter lies spread out before us—there is nothing to en feeble the effect, as often happens in reading a poetic de scription, where the imagination seldom fails to outrun the words, and divine what is likely to follow. Our guess may or may not be accurate, but, in either case, the effect is injurious.
Upon this subject Lord Karnes observes, that " 6 a good historical picture makes a deeper impression than words can, though not equal to that of theatrical action. Painting seems to possess a middle place between reading and act ing: in making an impression of ideal presence, it is not less superior to the former than inferior to the latter." He adds, " It must not, however, be thought, that our pas sions can be raised by painting to such a height as by words A picture is confined to a single instant of time, and cannot take in a succession of incidents ; its impres sion, indeed, is the deepest that can be made instanta neously, but seldom is a passion raised to any height in an instant, or by a single impression. Our passions, those es pecially of the sympathetic kind, require a succession of impressions; and, for that reason, reading and acting have greatly the advantage by reiterating impressions without end. Upon the whole, it is by means of ideal pre sence that our passions are excited ; and till words pro duce that charm, they avail nothing; even real events en titled to our belief, must be conceived present and passing in our sight before they can move us." Elements of Criticism.
This icite!ation of impressions necessary to rouse our feelings, which Lord Kan es states as the peculiar advan tage deni«1 to painting, we are not disposed to admit the deficient y of ; in so far as (very moment we bestow upon the coriemplation of a picture, is an endless reiteration of whatever impression it is calculated to excite. Words ad mit of change of expression; but if a picture conveys the same sentiment with all the advantages peculiar to the art, the actual presence, as long as the mind is willing or ca pable of attention, is certainly equivalent in effect to any possible variety of expression. A painter, it is true, cannot state a sequence of facts or events ; he cannot put his sub ject into different points of view; but he can select the best possible moment of action, the striking event upon which the whole tenor depends—he can call to his aid every con comitant circumstance that admits of simultaneous pre sence, and display them with all the attractive magic of his art—lie may stamp on our minds an indelible impres sion of the effects resulting from human actions, either good or bad—he can show, with a truth and precision of which language is incapable, that peculiarity in our na ture which commands the involuntary confession of the most secret workings of our bosom—which displays the character as a moral being, and all the changes and blend ings of our passions, told with unerring accuracy by every feature of our countenance. Well may it be called
the mirror of the mind, which it is the painter's peculiar province to hold up to view.
So much were the Greeks aware of the assistance to be derived from this engine, in giving a wished-for tendency to the public mind, that they made it an established prin ciple of their policy, to encourage the exhibition of pic tures in all places of public resort. They neglected no opportunity of bringing the representation of heroic ac tions, as well as the remarkable events of their national history, under the eyes of the people. By infusing a gen eral taste for the line arts among the different classes of society, they trusted to strengthen the hands of govern ment—to sustain, in all, the sentiments of love for their native country, of admiration and pride in the glorious deeds of their ancestors, with a due veneration for their deities. And, doubtless, it would have its effect.
The Roman Catholic priesthood, at a later period, with the vigilance which characterized their proceedings, did not fail to avail themselves of the influence to be derived from dexterously addressing the eyes as well as the ears of their flocks ; gaining credit for the legends of departed saints, by the masterly paintings in which the stories were portra) cd. For we willingly admit the truth of the facts, the striking features of which are presented as pass ing before our eyes. They trusted, by this means, to maintain the sway over the public mind aimed at by them selves, who were the living aspirants to the sainthood. The devout and ignorant Catholic, kneeling down before the pictures of holy men, which invited his notice in every corner of their churches, how could lie refuse belief ? he lamented the sufferings of the martyr, and hoped to be ad mitted to a share of the reward which awaited him in another world : every altar presented to his view some memorable event in the life of our Saviour, or of the first ministers of our faith, all calculated to foster the great ob jects of belief. But to minister to these ends, the art of painting must be so far advanced in the road to perfection, as readily and impressively to tell its story ; and by its ex cellence to attract admiration, engage the mind, and in duce the study of the subject, so as to di aw out its intended effect. In fact, it is as much to the works of the great pain ters, as to the eloquence of their pastors, or their acquaint ance with the Bible itself, that we are to attribute the belief of Scripture history among the lower orders of the Catholic persuasion.