When the arts were in their infancy, the power of merely drawing the
likeness of any object was considered as one of its greatest efforts.

The common people, ignorant of the principles of art, talk the same
language even to this day. But when it was found that every man could be
taught to do this, and a great deal more, merely by the observance of
certain precepts, the name of genius then shifted its application, and
was given only to those who added the peculiar character of the object
they represented; to those who had invention, expression, grace, or
dignity; or, in short, such qualities or excellences the producing of
which could not then be taught by any known and promulgated rules.

We are very sure that the beauty of form, the expression of the passions,
the art of composition, even the power of giving a general air of
grandeur to your work, is at present very much under the dominion of
rules. These excellences were, heretofore, considered merely as the
effects of genius; and justly, if genius is not taken for inspiration,
but as the effect of close observation and experience.

He who first made any of these observations and digested them, so as to
form an invariable principle for himself to work by, had that merit; but
probably no one went very far at once; and generally the first who gave
the hint did not know how to pursue it steadily and methodically, at
least not in the beginning. He himself worked on it, and improved it;
others worked more, and improved farther, until the secret was
discovered, and the practice made as general as refined practice can be
made. How many more principles may be fixed and ascertained we cannot
tell; but as criticism is likely to go hand in hand with the art which is
its subject, we may venture to say that as that art shall advance, its