The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 6 (of 6)Pliny, the Elder
History
The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 6 (of 6)
Pliny, the Elder
Natural history -- Pre-Linnean works
Ludius too, who lived in the time of the late Emperor Augustus, must
not be allowed to pass without some notice; for he was the first
to introduce the fashion of covering the walls of our houses with
most pleasing landscapes, representing villas, porticos, ornamental
gardening, woods, groves, hills, fishponds, canals,[2089] rivers,
sea-shores, and anything else one could desire; varied with figures of
persons walking, sailing, or proceeding to their villas, on asses or
in carriages. Then, too, there are others to be seen fishing, fowling,
or gathering in the vintage. In some of his decorations there are
fine villas to be seen, and roads to them across the marshes, with
women making[2090] bargains to be carried across on men’s shoulders,
who move along slipping at every step and tottering beneath their
load; with numberless other subjects of a similar nature, redolent of
mirth and of the most amusing ingenuity. It was this artist, too, who
first decorated our uncovered[2091] edifices with representations of
maritime cities, a subject which produces a most pleasing effect, and
at a very trifling expense.
But as for fame, that has been reserved solely for the artists who
have painted pictures; a thing that gives us all the more reason to
venerate the prudence displayed by the men of ancient times. For with
them, it was not the practice to decorate the walls of houses, for
the gratification of the owners only; nor did they lavish all their
resources upon a dwelling which must of necessity always remain a
fixture in one spot, and admits of no removal in case of conflagration.
Protogenes was content with a cottage in his little garden; Apelles
had no paintings on the plaster of his walls; it not being the fashion
in their day to colour the party-walls of houses from top to bottom.
With all those artists, art was ever watchful for the benefit of whole
cities only, and in those times a painter was regarded as the common
property of all.
Shortly before the time of the late Emperor Augustus, Arellius was in
high esteem at Rome; and with fair reason, had he not profaned the art
by a disgraceful piece of profanity; for, being always in love with
some woman or other, it was his practice, in painting goddesses, to
give them the features of his mistresses; hence it is, that there were
always some figures of prostitutes to be seen in his pictures. More
recently, lived Amulius,[2092] a grave and serious personage, but a
painter in the florid style. By this artist there was a Minerva, which
had the appearance of always looking at the spectators, from whatever
point it was viewed. He only painted a few hours each day, and then
with the greatest gravity, for he always kept the toga on, even when in
the midst of his implements. The Golden Palace[2093] of Nero was the
prison-house of this artist’s productions, and hence it is that there
are so few of them to be be seen elsewhere.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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