Du Fresnoy's treatise set the ideals norms of French Classicism in painting. His treatise served as a training manual and an intellectual model at the Sun-King's Academy of Painting. It is an  elaboration on the Renaissance theme of "ut rhetorica pictura", applying rhetorical composition principles to painting, thus elevating painting to an intellectual art. Written in Latin (1656) and vastly influential in Europe  it inspired Dryden who paraphrased it into English. This is the first modern translation in French.