and works its
effect itself unseen. It is the proper study and labour of an artist to
uncover and find out the latent cause of conspicuous beauties, and from
thence form principles for his own conduct; such an examination is a
continual exertion of the mind, as great, perhaps, as that of the artist
whose works he is thus studying.

The sagacious imitator not only remarks what distinguishes the different
manner or genius of each master; he enters into the contrivance in the
composition, how the masses of lights are disposed, the means by which
the effect is produced, how artfully some parts are lost in the ground,
others boldly relieved, and how all these are mutually altered and
interchanged according to the reason and scheme of the work. He admires
not the harmony of colouring alone, but he examines by what artifice one
colour is a foil to its neighbour. He looks close into the tints, of
what colours they are composed, till he has formed clear and distinct
ideas, and has learnt to see in what harmony and good colouring consists.
What is learnt in this manner from the works of others becomes really our
own, sinks deep, and is never forgotten; nay, it is by seizing on this
clue that we proceed forward, and get further and further in enlarging
the principle and improving the practice.

There can be no doubt but the art is better learnt from the works
themselves than from the precepts which are formed upon these works; but
if it is difficult to choose proper models for imitation, it requires no
less circumspection to separate and distinguish what in those models we
ought to imitate.

I cannot avoid mentioning here, though it is not my intention at present
to enter into the art and method of study, an error which students are
too apt to fall into.

He that is forming himself must look with great caution and wariness on
those peculiarities, or prominent parts, which at first force themselves
upon view, and are the marks, or what is commonly called the manner, by
which that individual artist is distinguished.

Peculiar marks I hold to be generally, if not always, defects, however
difficult it may be, wholly to escape them.

Peculiarities in the works of art are like those in the human figure; it
is by them that we are cognisable and distinguished one from another, but
they are always so many blemishes, which, however, both in the one case
and in the other, cease to appear deformities to those who have them
continual