Neither do I speak so badly of Flemish painting because it is all bad, but
because it tries to do so many things at once (each of which alone would
suffice for a great work) so that it does not do anything really well.
"Only works which are done in Italy can be called true painting, and
therefore we call good painting Italian, for if it were done so well in
another country, we should give it the name of that country or province.
As for the good painting of this country, there is nothing more noble or
devout, for with wise persons nothing causes devotion to be remembered, or
to arise, more than the difficulty of the perfection which unites itself
with and joins God; because good painting is nothing else but a copy of
the perfections of God and a reminder of His painting. Finally, good
painting is a music and a melody which intellect only can appreciate, and
with great difficulty. This painting is so rare that few are capable of
doing or attaining to it. And I further say (which whoever notes it will
consider important) that of all the climates or countries lighted by the
sun and the moon, in no other can one paint well but in the kingdom of
Italy; and it is a thing which is nearly impossible to do well except
here, even though there were more talented men in the other provinces, if
there could be such, and this for reasons which we will give you. Take a
great man from another kingdom, and tell him to paint whatever he likes
and can do best, and let him do it; and take a bad Italian apprentice and
order him to make a drawing, or to paint whatever you like, and let him do
it; you will find, if you understand it well, that the drawing of that
apprentice, as regards art, has more substance than that of the other
master, and what he attempted to do is worth more than everything that the
other ever did.
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