The Paragone: Painting Moves the Senses More than Poetry
Painted gods draw worship; the poet raises his objection against the painter
The transcribed prose argues that painting stirs the senses more directly than poetry: it recalls a painter whose figure made every viewer yawn, and lascivious pictures that aroused their beholders, while painted images of gods receive continual vows, prayers and pilgrimage from distant provinces that no writing can command. The page then opens section [26], the poet's objection that the painter's art is worshipped only for the thing it represents, to which the painter retorts and claims nature has favoured the painter above the poet. No drawing appears; the leaf carries only the fair-copy text of Melzi's compilation.
On this page
Painting stirs the senses more powerfully than words
The passage claims painting moves the senses faster than poetry, granting that an orator may move a crowd to tears or laughter but insisting that is rhetoric, not poetry. It cites a painter whose figure made onlookers yawn as long as they watched it, and lascivious images that incited their viewers, effects poetry cannot produce.
Objection of the poet against the painter [26]
Section [26] has the poet argue that painting is adored not for the painter's virtue but for the thing it represents. The painter replies by asking why the poet's own words do not make the very letters that contain them worshipped, and concludes that nature has more favoured the painter, so the favoured one's works deserve more honour.