The text addresses the challenges of understanding and representing artistic concepts, emphasizing the importance of excusing minor mistakes for the sake of overall virtue and success. It warns that even well-designed works can be marred by many hands, losing their initial beauty. The author concludes by discussing the importance of artistic appreciation and understanding as something that extends beyond basic human endeavors.
To the Reader.
Many things may seem ill-prepared to you. Our communications concerning, cannot possibly remain free of, from what great origin, one might well be able to demonstrate them. For a small brush, unskilled in Artistic Freedom, will in the comprehension of a little line, a Finger or a Hand, or even of lesser importance, attempt to convince each that he understands it thoroughly. And those who do not understand how the small and Incidental Faults by General Virtue, and Welfare of a Thing should be excused and concealed; will assign the Incitive still rationally, a great advantage.
Even all our Readers know how difficult it is to present anything in such Material without criticism; the Modest ones should bear much relief from us. Indeed, it is a well-known fact that the most expensive Wine often overstepped its best Fragrance and Power. Those things must then pass through so many Hands, must surely enter into the same danger. And through however many Incidents, a well-designed Thing can be spoiled, it is well known that it should not need to be stamped into a reasonable Man. Thus, a beautiful Concept loses much of its Success through its Reproduction: And a good Depiction must undergo a thousand dangers through an Artist and not an Amateur Designer; it especially reduced, or wholly altered. Indeed, when all is still relatively fortunate in the Copper engravings, it often resembles a Drunk and Blackened proof from a Printer, with the last hand placed thereon (so I shall speak) all the trouble was resolved. There lies all the Cost; There lies all the Concern; Indeed there lies all the Funding; and there remains no other Profit than a Corsel-hoot, a disappointed Mind, and little Thanks. There is a Damage thereby that cannot be compensated to the Soul, as with himself strongly in to image and strongly assure oneself, to cause no evil by itself.
Thus we conclude that above all that may come to us from the aforementioned thing, that Sensitive People shall be found, who would strike a Gap to Heaven, by giving thanks to the Academia of General Arts say; that no Sciences or Exercises have been given to Humanity, which has a greater Reach towards
*
* *
Translation Notes:
- "Pluys-pens" might refer to a small or fine pen or brush, suggesting an artist tool.
- "Teykenkundige Vryheyd" is translated as "Artistic Freedom," referring to an artist's skill or technique.
- "Corsel-hoot" appears to refer to a specific Dutch term without a direct English translation but suggests something like losing hope or return.