90,  tna  which  time  be  data  the  commencement  of
hit  hittiwy,  and  limply  gutea  that  he  added  mach
ta  the  Bit  of  painting,  inch  u  opening  the  moutb,
ihowing  the  teelh,  improiing  tlie  foldi  of  disperien,
painting  tranipareDt  veati  for  women,  or  giving
tfaem  Tmrioui  coJoured  bcad-dieatea,  Anitotle
apeaki  of  the  gmeiel  characttu  of  the  deiign  and
Ei|iR*uon  of  PolyRnottu,  Lucian  of  the  caloni ;  in
«hkb  mpectt  bom  wrjtenawaid  him  the  higbut
prwML  Ariitotle  (c  2),  ipeaking  of  imitation,
remarka  that  it  miut  be  either  luperior,  ioferior,  or
equal  to  id  model,  which  b«  illiutratei  by  the  caiea
of  three  painten :  "  FalyguoKu,"  ho  layi, "  painli
nni  beUec  than  they  are,  Pauaon  wane,  and
Dionjaiiu  u  they  are."  Thii  paange  allndet  eri-
deully  to  the  geneial  quality  of  the  deugn  of
Polygnolaa,  which  appean  to  haro  been  of  an  ex-
alted and  ideal  chaiacts. In  aoother  paiiage  (c
6)  be  iHaki  of  him  as  an  iyaMt  Ifioypi^t,  or
>D  eieeltent  dalincalDT  of  moral  character  and  ei-
prenion,  and  aailgai  him  in  thii  leapect  a  com-
pieta  inperiorily  oiet  Zeuxia. From  tbe  nwage
in  Laeian,  wa  nmy  infer  that  Polygnotni,  Euphn-
Dor,  Apaliei,  and  Action,  were  the  beat  colouiuta
among  the  andenti  according  to  tbe  general  opinion
(JipioTw  Pfirirrt  •tpinai'icu  ri  xp^l"""^  "'i  *"-
Kwifar  roifurftu  H)v  MSdAV  alrrm'). He  noticei
also  in  the  aame  paiiage  the  truth,  the  elegance,  and


n  chapter),    (i,
25—31,  DiaL  i^Biag. j. e.)

Tha  r*'"'i"g  of  the  destruction  of  Troy  (and  Iha
other  wai  •imilarinttyle)  leemi  tofaaie  aonlained
three  rowi  of  fignna,  with  the  namei  of  each  written
near  them,  in  dialinct  groDpa,  coiering  the  whole
wall,  each  telling  it)  own  itory.bnt  all  contributing
to  rekto  the  tale  of  the  deatruetion  of  Troy. It  ii
erid^n  fnan  this  description  that  we  cantkot  decide
upon  cither  the  merit*  or  the  demerita  of  the  eom-
positioii,  from  the  principle  of  art  which  guide  the
lulei  of  eompDsituin  of  modeni  timea. Neither
pcfqieetin  aci  eompoailioii,  aa  a  whole^  ace  to  be
eipactod  is  tacb  waAi  at  thaat^  fw  tfaay  did  not


PICTURA. S09

eonilitnta  nngle  eompoaitioni,  nor  wai  any  imily

of  time  or  action  aimed  at ;  they  were  painted
biatoriei,  and  each  group  wai  no  further  connected
with  it)  contignoua  group),  than  that  they  all
tended  to  illuitmta  diflerentiactaafthe  tameiloiy,

Polygnotua  hai  been  termed  the  Michel  Angela
of  antiquity. 