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1 1 6 C o l l e c t i o n o f E t r u s c a n , G r e e k a n d R o m a n A n t i q u i t i e s
r a f is a few firms , and thofe very fm p le ; hut as, foon as Talus
had put him in pojfejjion o f this new Method , he was able to
difplay his G en iu s , and make known thefe beauties which h s A r t created
• I t is then moft probably to the Athenians , w>ho invented the
W h e e l, and were the firft who made ufe o f it , that we are mdebted
for the greateft part o f the forms we admire , and in which
one can eafily fe e that tafte and elegance, which diftinginshes this Peopie
nbo-ve all others .
Eucbirus , a relation o f Ded alus , according to Ariftotle ( I 'A ) , mvente
Painting in Greece ; fo r what fa y s Plato , from the Works o f Dedalus
, one may judge what one muft think o f the paintings o f Euchirus
, which muft have heen ft ill more barbarous than his Statues ; he
fpeaks o f them in this manner (29); ” Our Statuary’s affure us , that
„ i f Dedalus at this time was to produce works like unto thofe^ which
” gave him fo much reputation , he would he turned into ridicule ,
"and Paufanias , at the fame time (30) that be acknowledges there i^is
fomething divine in them , allows them to have been monftrous . The
Attempts o f Eucbirus and o f the Painters who imitated him , as we
shall fee prefently , were not lefs deformed , and you faw in them
rather the defire o f reprcfenting the things , than the things they
meant to reprefent.
I t was in Corinth ( ¡ 1 ) that the daughter o f Dibutades o f Sicyone,
made the firft portrait ; having obferved that the shadow o f her Lover
was 'traced upon the W a ll , when he was between it and the
lamp which lighted them , she tried and fucceeded in fixing that
shadow whofe outline she follow’d exaBly with a pencil , which probably
gave the idea o f the fir ft Monochromate . Dibutades was a P o tt
e r ', be contrived to f i l l this outline with the Clay o f which be
made bis Pbtfes , and to pu t it into the fire with them to give
it more coififtance , which was the fir ft model . A s this ingenious
A r tijl
(28) Eucbir Dædali cognatus , in Griecia pi-
Bur am invenit, ut Arijìoieìi placet. Plin. Lib. v i i .
cap. 55.
(29 ) Plato in Flipp. maj.
(30) Paufiin. Lib. x i . pag. 9 1 . , 48.
( 3 1 ) Terra fingere & argilla fimilitudhe.f ,
D i-
R e c u e i l d ’A n t i q u i t e s E t r u s q u e s G r e c q u e s e t R o m a i n e s i 1 7
ce nouveau moyen , il put déployer fon génie , & faire connoître
les beautés que fon Art pouvoit créer : c’ eft donc probablement
aux Athéniens, qui inventèrent le Tour & furent les premiers à le
mettre en ufage , que nous devons la plus grande partie dès formes
que nous admirons à préfent , & dans lesquelles on reconnoit
aifément le goût & f élégance qui diftinguent ce Peuple par deffus
tous les autres.
Euchir parent de Dédale inventa, fuivant Ariftote (28), la Peinture
en Grece : parce que dit Platon des ouvrages de Dédale on peut
bien juger ce qu il faut penfer des Peintures d’ Euchir qui devoient
être encore bien plus barbares que les Statues de ce premier ; voici
comme il en parle (29) ” nos Sculpteurs alfurent que fi Dédale fai-
„ foit aujourdhui des ouvrages pareils à ceux qui lui ont donné tant
„ de reputation, il pafferoit pour ridicule; & Paufanias (30) en y re-
connollfant quelque chofe de Divin avoue pourtant qu’ elles étoient
monftreufes. Les effais d’Euchir & des Peintres qui l’imiterent , ainfi
que nous le verrons bientôt, n’étoient pas moins difformes, & l’on y
reconnoilfoit plutôt l’énvle de repréfenter les chofes, que les chofes
qu’ils vouloient repréfenter.
C’eft dans Corinthe (31) que la fille de Dibutades de Sicyone fit
le premier portrait; ayant remarqué que l’Ombre de fon amant fe peignoit
fur le mur, quand il étoit entre lui & la lampe qui les éclairoit,
elle effaya & réuflit à fixer cette Ombre fugitive dont elle fuivit exade-
ment tous les traits avec un crayon : ce qui donna vraifemblablement
l’idée du premier Monochromate. Dibutades qui étoit Potier de terre,
imagina de remplir ce contour avec f argille dont il faifoit fes
Vafes, & de le mettre au feu avec eux, afin de lui donner plus de
confiftance; ce qui fit le premier modèle . Comme cet Artifte ingé-
I I g g nieux
Dibutades figulus p-rhms invenit Corimbi f ilU opera; fecit , & cum cateris fìBHibus induratum igni propoquA
capta amore '¡uvenis , 'ilio abeunte peregre , um- fu it ; eumque fie’,-vatum in Nympb<eo , donec Corinhram
ex fade ejus ad lucernam in pariete lineis dr- thum Mummius everteret , tradunt , Plinius Lib.
cumficripfit : quibus patcr ejus imp’rejja argilla typum xxxv. cap. 1 2.
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