But while his failures show the danger of dogmatism in art
criticism, Smollett is careful to disclaim all pretensions to the
nice discernment of the real connoisseur. In cases where good
sense and sincere utterance are all that is necessary he is
seldom far wrong. Take the following description for example: -
"You need not doubt but that I went to the church of St. Peter in
Montorio, to view the celebrated Transfiguration by Raphael,
which, if it was mine, I would cut in two parts. The three
figures in the air attract the eye so strongly that little or no
attention is paid to those below on the mountain. I apprehend
that the nature of the subject does not admit of that keeping and
dependence which ought to be maintained in the disposition of the
lights and shadows in a picture. The groups seem to be entirely
independent of each other. The extraordinary merit of this piece,
I imagine, consists not only in the expression of divinity on the
face of Christ, but also in the surprising lightness of the
figure that hovers like a beautiful exhalation in the air."
Smollett's remarks about the "Last Judgement" of Michael Angelo,
(that it confuses the eye as a number of people speaking at once
confounds the ear; and that while single figures are splendid,
the whole together resembles a mere mob, without subordination,
keeping, or repose) will probably be re-echoed by a large
proportion of the sightseers who gaze upon it yearly.
