William Hogarth

a much more useful

the fundamental principles

The principles I mean, are FITNESS, VARIETY, UNIFORMITY, SIMPLICITY, INTRICACY, and QUANTITY;—all which cooperate in the production of beauty, mutually correcting and restraining each other occasionally.

the beauty of the whole

to give an idea of what I mean

The shapes and colors of plants, flowers, leaves, the paintings in butterflies’ wings, shells, etc. seem of little other intended use than that of entertaining the eye with the pleasure of variety.

The ear is as much offended with one even continued note, as the eye is with being fixed to a point, or to the view of a dead wall.

Observe, that a gradual lessening is a kind of varying that gives beauty. The pyramid diminishing from its basis to its point, and the scroll or volute, gradually lessening to its centre, are beautiful forms. So also objects that only seem to do so, though in fact they do not, have equal beauty: thus perspective views, and particularly those of buildings, are always pleasing to the eye.

Thus much of the manner of perspectives adding beauty, by seemingly varying otherwise unvaried forms

It may be imagined that the greatest part of the effects of beauty results from the symmetry of parts in the object, which is beautiful: but I am very well persuaded this prevailing notion will soon appear to have little or no foundation.