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| Jean-Louis Ernest Meissonier Young Man with Book 1860s oil on panel Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
"This conceived presence of antient, and the true presence of moderne masters will do us more good, if wee doe constantly beleeve, that the estimation of these present and following times dependeth on the judgement of those whom we made choice of for the reforming of our works. 'It is impossible that hee should entertaine any abject and meane thoughts, who knoweth that all ages will speak of him,' sayth Mamertinus. 'Verily so it is,' saith Quintilian, 'they do inforce their mindes to great things, who account not only the present age, but the memory of all posterity, to be the space of an honest life, and the race of their glory.' Whosoever therefore doth with an heroical minde conceive the true image of the glory that is to come, and looketh for a perpetuall and unchangeable fruit arising not out of a poor reward, but out of the contentment of his mind, delighting it selfe in the contemplation of Art, the same shall easily bee perswaded to spend that time in framing magnificent Images and inventions, which others bestow upon idle spectacles, uncertaine wanderings, wastefull dice, unprofitable discourses, a sleepy drowsinesse, and unseasonable banquets. 'It is a singular gift of providence,' sayth Quintilian, 'that honest things should take us most of all.'"
– from Book Three (chapter one) of The Painting of the Ancients by Franciscus Junius, first published in English in 1638 – edited by Keith Aldrich, Philipp Fehl and Raina Fehl for University of California Press, 1991
Several magnificent Images and inventions of the sort advocated by Junius are set out in reproduction below –
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| Bacchiacca Portrait of a woman with a book of music ca. 1540-45 oil on panel Getty Museum, Los Angeles |
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| Gregorio Martínez after Michelangelo Tityus enchained ca. 1590-96 oil on canvas Prado, Madrid |
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| Marie Laurencin Bacchante 1911 oil on canvas Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| Lorenzo Lotto Rest on the flight into Egypt with St Justina ca. 1529-30 oil on canvas Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| Antonio Molinari St Sebastian and St Irene ca. 1695 canvas Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| Friedrich Paul Nerly Fountain in St Peter's Square, Rome ca. 1860 oil on canvas Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva Quirinal Horse Tamers with Fountain, Rome 1911 watercolor, gouache Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| William Young Ottley Old Testament warriors 1796-97 wash drawing British Museum |
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| Jean-Baptiste Santerre Two Actresses 1699 canvas Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| Pietro Tempesta Bucolic landscape 17th century oil on canvas private collection |
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| Gerard ter Borch Portrait of Catarina van Leunink ca. 1654 oil on canvas Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| David Teniers Shepherd 1650s oil on canvas Hermitage, Saint Petersburg |
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| René Bouvet Brooch ca. 1902 gold, coral, mother-of-pearl, diamond, ruby, pearl British Museum |