Excerpt from A Course of Lectures on Drawing, Painting, and Engraving, Considered as Branches of Elegant Education: Delivered in the Saloon of the Royal Institution, in Successive Seasons, and Read Subsequently at the Russell InstitutionPatronage is the proper nutriment of arts, but it should be patronage founded on solid common sense, and on feelings refined by contemplation, or, like dele terious food, it will excite bad habits, and unwholesome usages, in those who receive it. He, therefore, who endeavours on such subjects, to form the judgments of those, who by their rank or opulence, destined to be the patrons of imitative art, is essentially serving its professors, he is rendering an important benefit to the country. An artist may labour for years, and without ceasmg to produce works of real excellence, but it is all in vain, unless he find persons qualified to appreciate his powers, and, on the other hand, when youthful talent begins to show its dawn ings, the well-informed patron may greatly assist to guide and direct its course, till it arrive at meridian splendour.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.