referred to any true architype
existing either in general or particular nature, must be supported by the
painter's consistency in the principles he has assumed, and in the union
and harmony of his whole design. The excellency of every style, but I
think of the subordinate ones more especially, will very much depend on
preserving that union and harmony between all the component parts, that
they appear to hang well together, as if the whole proceeded from one
mind. It is in the works of art, as in the characters of men. The
faults or defects of some men seem to become them when they appear to be
the natural growth, and of a piece with the rest of their character. A
faithful picture of a mind, though it be not of the most elevated kind,
though it be irregular, wild, and incorrect, yet if it be marked with
that spirit and firmness which characterises works of genius, will claim
attention, and be more striking than a combination of excellences that do
not seem to hang well together, or we may say than a work that possesses
even all excellences, but those in a moderate degree.

One of the strongest marked characters of this kind, which must be
allowed to be subordinate to the great style, is that of Salvator Rosa.
He gives us a peculiar cast of nature, which, though void of all grace,
elegance, and simplicity; though it has nothing of that elevation and
dignity which belongs to the grand style, yet has that sort of dignity
which belongs to savage and uncultivated nature. But what is most to be
admired in him is the perfect correspondence which he observed between
the subjects which he chose, and his manner of treating them. Everything
is of a piece: his rocks, trees, sky, even to his handling have the same
rude and wild character which animates his figures.

To him we may contrast the character of Carlo Maratti, who, in my own
opinion, had no great vigour of mind or strength of original genius. He
rarely seizes the imagination by exhibiting the higher excellences, nor
does he captivate us by that originality which attends the painter who
thinks for himself. He knew and practised all the rules of art, and from
a composition of Raffaelle, Caracci, and Guido, made up a style, of which
its only fault was, that it had no manifest defects and no striking
beauties, and that the principles of his composition are never blended
together, so as to form one uniform body, original in its kind, or
excellent in any view.

I will m