not only known to the friends o f the perfon who pojfejj'ed it , and
who took to himfelf , for having given his proteBion to that Artift
the praifes due to his talent , hut it was the publick that decided ,
that compared thefe works , that fe t the value upon their merit, and
one might be fure o f a judgement regulated by its true fenfations, for-
the voice o f the People is never any thing elfe ; it was the Painter’s
bufmefs to endeavour at moving them ; and as Athens efteemed
talents more than riches , the A r tift, to acquire them, had need only
o f cultivating the A rt which made him shine and ranked him among
the Citffins of the greateft credit in the Republick . Being to work
for the Public only , who is feldom in a hurry to enjoy , becaufe it
is fure to exift for ever , he was at liberty to employ as much time
as he pleafed in his compofttions ; he could fee , learn , examine
and did not lofe his reputation and his time in executing slowly, but
in executing ill ■■ hence painting fewer pieces , the Artift did not exbauft
his fpirit upon a multitude o f different works , but employed his whole
ftrength upon a fmall number ; he did left , but he did better.
We may alfo remark that the Greeks had the good fenfe to reprefent
nothing but t ’oeir Hiftories , or Fables , which were a fort o f
Hiftory ; as they inhabited a fmall Country , and as every one inter
efted himfelf in Publick Affairs, each Citffen had his eye upon the
other, and their great men were known to them fu ll as well as their
Gods . Sculpture preferved the remembrance o f their features , the relation
o f their aBions was in every mouth , and their memory in every
heart , thus the Painter who was to reprefent the great aBions they
had done , was fure o f engaging the attention o f a People jealous of
the reputation o f thofe who had ferved them well , and whofe glory
reftcBed a luftre upon them.
A t Athens the Cuftoms were as fixed as the language, the laws,
and the way o f thinking ; they were dreffed , they [poke , they conduBed
themfelves nearly by the fame principles , in the time o f Pericles
, as in that o f Harmodius and Ariftogiton , so that Painting executed
for one age loft none o f its value in the fueceeding ages ,
whereas among us , a man dreffed as in the reigns o f Charlemain, or
Edward
n e to it pas deftinée à décorer feulement un habitation p r iv é e , mais
elle é toit confacrée à la décoration des V ille s ; un bon Peintre étoit
alors une chofe commune à toute la te r re . Pa r là le chef-d’oe uvre d’un
A r t if te enterré dans un appartement , ne le faifoit pas feulement
connoître aux amis d’ un poiTeifeur, qui eut ofé prendre , des juftes
louanges accordées à fon talent , le droit de le p ro tég er : c ’é to it
le Public qui d é c id o it, c ’é to it lu i qui comparoit les o u v ra g e s , c ’étoit
lui qui appré c io it le mérite & l ’on é toit fûr d’être jugé par le fen-
tira en t, ca r la v o ix du Peuple n’ eft jamais autre chofe ; c ’ é to it au
Peintre à trou v er les moyens de l ’ ém o u v o ir ; & comme Athènes
eftnnoit encore plus les talens que les richelfes , F A r tif te , pour les
acquern- , n’a v o it befoin que de cu ltiv e r l ’A r t qui le fa ifoit b r ille r ,
& 1 ég a lo it aux Cito yen s les plus accrédités de la R ép u b liq u e . N ’a yant
a tra v a ille r que p ou r le P u b lic , qui eft rarement preffé de jo u ir , parce
qu’il eft alfuré de v iv r e tou jou rs , il é to it le maître d’employer à
fes compofitions to u t le temps qu’ il y jug eo it nécelTaire; il p o u v o it
v o i r , apprendre, s’in ftru ire , & ne perdoit pas fon crédit ou fon temps
en faifant lentement , mais en faifant mal : delà v en oit que faifant
moins de T a b le au x , le Peintre n’épuifoit pas fon efprit dans une multitude
d’ouvrages différens, mais em p lo yo it toutes fes forces dans un
p e tit nombre: il faifoit moins , mais il fa ifo it m ieu x .
O n peut encore obferver que les Grecs a vo ien t le bon fens de
ne Peindre que leurs hiftoires ou leurs fables , qui étoient elles mêmes
une forte d h ifto ire s . Comme ils habitoieat un p e tit pais & que
tou t le Monde s’y intéreflbit aux affaires publiques , tous les Cito yens
a voient les y eu x les uns fur les autre s, & leurs grands hommes leur
étoient tou t au moins auffi connus que leurs D ieu x : la Sculpture con-
fe rv o it le fouv enir de leurs t ra its , le ré c it de leurs adions é to it dans
toutes les bouches , & leur mémoire dans tous les coeurs ; ainfi le
Peintre qui a vo it à repréfcnter les belles chofes qu’ils avoient faites
é toit aiTuré d’ intérelfer des P eu p le s, jaloux de la réputation de ceux
qui Favoient bien fe rv i & dont la gloire réja illiflbit fur l u i .
Les Coutumes ne changoient pas plus dans Athènes que la langue
, les lo i x , & la façon de p en fe r . O n y é to it h a b illé , on parloit.
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