Quote by Benjamin Haydon

The explanation of the propensity of the English people to portrait painting is to be found in their relish for a Fact. Let a man do the grandest things, fight the greatest battles, or be distinguished by the most brilliant personal heroism, yet the English people would prefer his portrait to a painting of the great deed. The likeness they can judge of; his existence is a Fact. But the truth of the picture of his deeds they cannot judge of, for they have no imagination.

The explanation of the propensity of the English people to p

Summary

This quote suggests that the English people have a strong inclination towards portrait painting due to their preference for tangible facts. Rather than appreciating grand acts or displays of heroism through paintings, they value portraiture because it represents a factual existence that they can grasp and evaluate. The English are portrayed as lacking imagination, making it difficult for them to interpret and understand the artistic depictions of significant deeds portrayed in paintings, hence the preference for portraits.

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By Benjamin Haydon

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