As to the rise of this branch of the fine arts, we may judge, from the common propensities of our nature, that, to a certain extent, it is likely in every nation to have been nearly coeval with the origin of the nation itself. As soon as society has reached that state of leisure which results from stability of abode, and a plentiful supply of food, na ture is still unsatisfied, and desires to stretch beyond its absolute wants, to seek pleasure in decorating and imitat ing; and human reason soon acquires a sufficient degree of development to suggest the means of gratification. For mankind is the same every where, only differing as sub jected to the influence of different circumstances ; in all ages, and in all parts of the world, we find the same pro pensities, the same objects stimulating his exertion, and giving rise to similar habits and inventions, more or less modified by casual and extraneous causes. To trace the origin of painting, therefore, is in a manner to trace the origin of nations, and to fix the period at which the facul ties of observation and imitation began their exercise. It is in vain to attribute the invention of what is inherent in our nature to the ingenuity of any one people, and to point out the route by which it spread among neighbouring na tions. It must no doubt have advanced by slow degrees to what we may absolutely denominate painting; but the imperceptible approaches to it are apparent in the earliest infancy of society, however rude and savage, which the course of discovery has brought to our knowledge. So as it exists in the wilds of America, at this day, or among the savage islanders of the Pacific Ocean, it doubtless existed among the infant nations of Europe when in a similar state of civilization. Savages appear particularly suscep tible to the beauty of colours, with which we find them de corating their persons, their implements of war and of the chase; modelling and sculpturing the rude effigies of their superstition; bedecking themselves with the brilliant plu mage of birds; and weaving the stained bark into cloth of various designs. The taste for embellishment once be gun, must augment the necessary means with great rapi dity; ingenuity is readily engaged in the service of its gra tification, which nature seems to invite us to pursue by the beauty of all her works. It is enough to instance the brilliant colouring of flowers, which offers so palpable a hint, while the coloured juices of vegetation as readily supply the means of imitating them. The magic of light and shade, we grant, demands an accuracy of observation not to be looked for in the early stages of society ; but in the process of imitation one step naturally clears the way for a progressive advance; nor can we direct our eyes to any object in nature, which does not hold out a lesson to tempt our endeavours, so that we can scarce choose but to proceed from improvement to improvement, unless op posed by extraneous events.
Whether sculpture or painting has the best claim to precedency, appears of very little consequence to inquire; they cannot long have remained separate, and of the two, sculpture seems naturally to point itself out as the readiest means of gratifying the desire of imitation. Some rude attempts to model with clay, and to give a form to wood and stone, appear among the simplest savages ; wherever superstition, under any modification, gained a footing, or wherever notions were acquired of the existence of any in telligence superior to human nature, which engaged their adoration, or excited their dread. Wherever idolatry pre vailed, the art of imitation or design is implied at least ; if it was not the cause, in which idolatry originated, in so far as the various attributes of the mythological personages are concerned; for as the object of fear or adoration could not be present to all its votaries, the only resource was in the representation of it, according to the capacity and in ventive power of the time. These representations, how
ever rude, would, by a natural consequence, not only soon become the direct object of worship, but in time owe the very idea of their nature and attributes to the imagination of the artist, or the extent of his power to imitate the works of his predecessors. Hence all the wild absurdities of the systems of worship recorded of ancient nations.
The Greeks strenuously assert their claim to the inven tion of painting, as to that of every thing else, and have forged many silly fables in support of their pretensions. However justly we may yield them full credit and admira tion for the perfection to which they brought this beauti ful art, (and undoubtedly in their hands it reached a de gree of excellence in taste, execution, simplicity, and sublimity of conception, of which future ages can scarcely boast a parallel,) yet the exercise of the art itself was in existence long before the origin of the Greeks themselves. Imitation, indeed, is so very natural to man, that we shall find all the imitative arts to have been of very ancient in vention ; and of design at least, which constitutes an es sential part both of painting and statuary, we have the authority of the second commandment for its pre-exist ence to any trace of the Greeks as a nation. When Pliny observes, that painting did not exist prior to the siege of Troy, he must have alluded to its higher sphere as a liberal art; seeing that design was in use long before. The state of the art before that period was most likely very rude, and little more than a mere imitation of esta blished forms, which can scarcely be dignified with the appellation of liberal; but however rude it might be, the exercise of the art undoubtedly did exist among the vari ous nations of the East, (as a mere trade to be sure,) until transplanted into the more genial soil of Greece.
.incient History of Painting.
Independent of the desire of imitation as tending to introduce the art of painting; its power of being render ed subservient to another equally stimulating principle in our nature, became the means of a very general extension of the practice, even in the earliest stages of society. We allude to the desire of transferring to posterity some knowledge of the transactions of our own lives, and per petuating the memory and the deeds of our ancestors,— that mysterious principle, which leads us to solicit the feeble gratification of an ideal prolongation of our ex istence, by recording our deeds for the information of posterity. The most natural means that can occur to satisfy this desire, is an attempt to represent the appear ance of the objects or events we strive to record by any means in our power; conscious that a few years must suffice to dissipate for ever the fleeting substance itself, we give at least the shadow to time. Endeavours to at tain this end are common to most nations in a state of in fancy ; and where circumstances have led to its extension or refinement, as with the Egyptians, it becomes a sort of painted language ; which, in the progressive efforts to simplify, and to save time and trouble in the performance, very soon assumes the character of a symbolical represen tation, and ends by giving birth to writing. It depends upon circumstances, whether this event proves favourable or unfavourable to the progress of the art of painting; whether it is led to take a new flight from the useful drudgery of a record, to a more noble destination as a liberal art.