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 ON THE 
 
 THEORY OF PAINTING, 
 
 SEC. &c.
 
 ON THE 
 
 THEORY OF PAINTING; 
 
 TO WHICH IS ADDED AN 
 
 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS, 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO PAINTING IN WATER-COLOURS, 
 
 PRECEPTS. 
 
 BY T. H. FIELDING, 
 
 TEACHER OF PAINTING IN WATER-COLOURS TO THE SENIOR CLASSES AT THE HONOURABLE 
 EAST-INDIA COMPANY'S MILITARY SEMINARY, ADDISCOMBE ; 
 
 Author ofa" Synopsis of Perspective," Sfc. $fc. 
 
 SECOND EDITION, ENLARGED. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR, 
 
 BY 
 
 W. H. ALLEN & CO. LEADEN HALL STREET; AND 
 SMITH, ELDER & CO. CORNHILL 
 
 1836.
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed by J. L. Cox and SONS, 75, Great Queen Street, 
 Linco!n'-Inn Fields.
 
 Art 
 Library 
 
 1YD 
 
 3J3O 
 
 r- 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THE chief effect of improvement in arts 
 and sciences is in their simplification, and 
 consequent greater diffusion, giving" in- 
 creased advantages to subsequent writers, 
 who may condense more than their prede- 
 cessors, and at the same time be equally well 
 or better understood. The business, there- 
 fore, of an Author is to endeavour to keep 
 pace with the philosophical attainments of 
 the age, which continually requires increased 
 precision, a shorter method of reasoning, 
 and logical deductions as conclusive as those 
 
 which
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 which arc purely geometrical. Such deduc- 
 tions, however, cannot be hoped for, or even 
 attempted, in a work on Painting, as there 
 is no written language in which pictorial 
 ideas can be definitively expressed. Perhaps 
 the Author, aware of this great difficulty, 
 may be thought too brief in those places 
 which relate to the philosophy of the art; 
 but if, where he may not have succeeded 
 in conveying definite ideas, he may have 
 supplied matter worthy of thought, he trusts 
 that his work will be of some benefit to the 
 Amateur, the Artist, and general reader. 
 
 The Author has essayed to place some 
 things in a new point of view, and although 
 he has borrowed freely, he believes that 
 much original matter will be found, useful 
 towards directing the student to a right 
 
 method
 
 PREFACE. XI 
 
 method of estimating the difficulties of this 
 art, and for assisting to remove most, if not 
 all, by shewing that the mind must perform 
 what too many think is to be accomplished 
 by the hand. 
 
 In the practical part, a copious set of tints 
 is arranged as an Index, in order to save as 
 much as possible the time usually devoted to 
 the elementary department of colouring : to 
 these the student can refer, as he would to 
 a dictionary for the explanation of a word. 
 The assistance afforded by a few careful in- 
 spections of this Index will make the student 
 acquainted with a greater number of mixed 
 colours, than he would probably acquire in a 
 practice of many months. 
 
 The Author begs to add, that he does not 
 attempt the difficult task, of superseding the 
 
 necessity
 
 Xll PREFACE. 
 
 necessity of a teacher in the practical part, 
 believing it impossible to lay down in writing 
 a code of rules sufficient to supply the place 
 of oral communications, or to explain the 
 manner of doing some things, that depend 
 entirely on a facility of hand acquired by 
 long practice, and which must be seen to be 
 understood.
 
 TO 
 
 WILLIAM STANLEY CLARKE, ESQ , CHAIRMAN, 
 JAMES RIVETT CARNAC, ESQ., DEPUIY CHAIRMAN, 
 
 WILLIAM ASTELL, ESQ. 
 
 CAMPBELL MARJORIBANKS, ESQ. 
 
 WILLIAM WIGRAM, ESQ. 
 
 HON. HUGH LINDSAY, 
 
 JOHN MORRIS, ESQ. 
 
 JOHN THORNHILL, ESQ. 
 
 GEORGE RAIKES, ESQ. 
 
 SIR ROBERT CAMPBELL, BART. 
 
 JOHN G. RAVENSHAW, ESQ. 
 
 JOSIAS DU PRE ALEXANDER, Esg. 
 
 NEIL B. EDMONSTONE, ESQ. 
 
 JOHN MASTERMAN, ESQ. 
 JOHN PETTY MUSPRATT, ESQ. 
 HENRY ALEXANDER, ESQ. 
 JAMES L. LUSHINGTON, ESQ., C.B. 
 SIR WILLIAM YOUNG, BART. 
 GEORGE LYALL, ESQ. 
 RUSSELL ELLICE, ESQ. 
 RICHARD JENKINS, ESQ. 
 WILLIAM B. BAYLEY, ESQ. 
 PATRICK VANS AGNEW, ESQ. 
 JOHN SHEPHERD, ESQ. 
 
 DIRECTORS 
 
 FOR MANAGING THE AFFAIRS 
 
 THIS WORK, 
 ON THE THEORY OF PAINTING, 
 
 IS, 
 
 WITH DEFERENCE AND RESPECT, 
 INSCRIBED, 
 
 MOST OBEDIENT AND HUMBLE SERVANT, 
 
 THEODORE H. FIELDING. 
 
 Addiscotnbe, Oct. 1st 1835.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Preface ix 
 
 Explanation of terms used in Painting 9 
 
 Introductory and General Remarks 17 
 
 Design, Composition, and Invention 37 
 
 Chiaro-Scuro 50 
 
 Colouring 68 
 
 On the Picturesque 92 
 
 On Beauty, Grace, and Expression Ill 
 
 Introduction to the Practice of Painting in Water- 
 Colours, and use of Index / 
 
 General Precepts 149 
 
 Description of the Plates, with Critiques, &c 162
 
 ON THE 
 
 THEORY OF PAINTING. 
 
 EXPLANATION 
 
 OP 
 
 TERMS USED IN PAINTING. 
 
 ACCESSARIES are adjuncts introduced into a 
 picture, to give relief and beauty, without being 
 absolutely necessary to the subject represented. 
 
 ACCIDENTS, ACCIDENTALS, are lights, objects, 
 or small groups of objects, &c., suggested by 
 convenience, and introduced as after-thoughts, 
 not having been included in the original com- 
 position of the picture. These assist materially 
 the effect, but are too trifling to be enumerated 
 
 B in
 
 10 EXPLANATION OF 
 
 in the construction of the picture ; as smoke, 
 drops of water on flowers, lights amongst clusters 
 of leaves, weeds, c. 
 
 ANTIQUE is a term applied to paintings and 
 statues, basso relievos, medals, intaglios, or en- 
 graved gems, such as were wrought by the 
 Greeks and Romans, from the time of Alexander 
 the Great until the commencement of the dark 
 ages. It was previous to this period that the 
 arts had been carried to the greatest perfection 
 among the Greeks and Romans. 
 
 ATTITUDE, in painting, comprehends all the 
 motions of the body, and disposition of the limbs 
 of a figure. From the attitude we learn the 
 action in which a figure is engaged, and some 
 of the sentiments supposed to be felt by it. 
 The choice of attitudes ought always to be such 
 as to display the most beautiful parts of the 
 figure, and to give grace to the action, and is 
 one of the principal excellencies and difficulties 
 of grouping. 
 
 BREADTH.
 
 TERMS USED IN PAINTING. 1 1 
 
 BREADTH. By this word we generally imply 
 that the lights and shadows, also colours, are 
 arranged in masses, by which grandeur of effect 
 and expression is obtained. Correggio excelled 
 in this impressive quality. Breadth is completely 
 destroyed by small detached lights and shadows, 
 scattered irregularly throughout the picture. 
 
 BACK-GROUND is a term given to the space 
 behind a portrait or group of figures, and upon 
 its happy arrangement depends much of the effect 
 of a picture. Sir Joshua Reynolds was extremely 
 fortunate in his choice of back-grounds, which 
 are generally elegant and appropriate ; and the 
 value that Rubens placed on this too frequently 
 neglected part may be learned by the following 
 anecdote. Being requested to take a young artist 
 under his instruction, he was informed, by way 
 of recommendation, that the youth had already 
 made some progress in the art, and would be able 
 to assist him considerably in painting his back- 
 grounds. Rubens replied, that if he were really 
 
 B 2 capable
 
 12 EXPLANATION OF 
 
 capable of painting back-grounds well, he required 
 very little instruction. 
 
 CHARGED is a term frequently applied to an 
 exaggerated outline or attitude, exceeding the 
 natural proportions or position of a figure, and 
 is applicable to many of the designs of Fuseli as 
 well as some others, though there are few speci- 
 mens of it in the ancient statues. 
 
 MIDDLE TINT, as the words imply, are those 
 tints which are equally removed, or nearly so, 
 from light or darkness. 
 
 DISTEMPER is a mode of using colours mixed 
 with any kind of size or other glutinous sub- 
 stances, and was in use before the discovery of 
 oil painting in A.D. 1410. Of this mode the 
 cartoons of Raffaelle are the finest remaining 
 specimens. 
 
 DRYNESS implies that meagreness of style and 
 contour which was the defect of the early painters 
 in oil, the colouring hard and flat, the outline stiff 
 and ungraceful. The paintings found in some 
 
 of
 
 TERMS USED IN PAINTING. 13 
 
 of the Egyptian tombs are extreme specimens of 
 this term. 
 
 ELEGANCE expresses that happy union of skill 
 and taste, where an artist embellishes objects in 
 form and colour without departing from the pro- 
 priety of nature. That this quality does not 
 always depend upon correctness of outline, the 
 works of Correggio and Sir J. Reynolds have 
 strongly evinced. 
 
 FORESHORTENING. When any figure, or por- 
 tion of a figure, or any other object, is so placed 
 that its length appears diminished, it is called 
 foreshortening. Thus a figure extending an arm 
 towards the spectator, the arm becomes fore- 
 shortened. 
 
 FRESCO is a mode of painting with water- 
 colours on plaister or mortar before it becomes 
 quite dry, when the colours, being incorporated 
 with the plaister, retain their freshness for ages. 
 Of this mode several specimens are yet in exis- 
 tence, discovered in Herculaneum and Pompeii. 
 
 GROTESQUE
 
 14 EXPLANATION OF 
 
 GROTESQUE is a term applied to those paintings 
 where the imagination has been consulted instead 
 of natural forms, as in subjects like the temptation 
 of St. Anthony, where non-descripts of the most 
 uncouth shapes are depicted. Formerly the term 
 was principally given to the antique paintings or 
 ornaments which were discovered on the sides 
 of grottos, and which were usually of this 
 class. 
 
 GROUPING is a combination of figures, animals, 
 or objects. 
 
 HARMONY, as applicable to painting, means 
 the proper agreement with each other of colours, 
 lines, lights, and shades, and indeed all the com- 
 ponent parts of a picture. 
 
 LOCAL COLOURS are those which most pre- 
 dominate, belong to, and particularly characterize 
 any object or part of a picture. 
 
 MANNER is the characteristic style of an artist 
 by which his works are generally known; but by 
 
 adhering
 
 TERMS USED IN PAINTING. 15 
 
 adhering too closely to one mode of painting, 
 the works of an artist become too mannered. 
 This is a great fault when carried far. 
 
 RELIEF, in painting, is the proper detachment 
 of one object from another, as a figure from its 
 ground, &c., so as to give to every portion of 
 the picture the character of truth and nature with 
 distinctness. 
 
 STYLE cannot be better defined than it has been 
 by Sir J. Reynolds, who says, that " in painting, 
 " style is the same as in writing; a power over 
 " materials, whether words or colours, by which 
 " conceptions or sentiments are conveyed." 
 
 TONE is most commonly used to denote the 
 depth or brilliancy of a painting, and is very 
 generally used in place of harmony. Thus, if 
 some part of a painting be said to be out of tone 
 with the rest, it is meant that either the colours, 
 lights, or shadows, do not agree with the sur- 
 rounding tints, or do not truly represent the 
 
 distance
 
 EXPLANATION, &c. 
 
 distance at which the objects ought to appear. 
 The word tone is also often used for the prevailing 
 hue of a painting, representing the impression of 
 particular effects.
 
 INTRODUCTORY 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 
 
 AMONG the great number of artists that have 
 lived since the revival of painting, it is remarkable 
 how few stand in the first class of their profes- 
 sion. For this there must be a cause not wholly 
 consisting in the difficulties of the art ; and one 
 cannot but be of opinion, that some mistake has 
 constantly pursued this large majority, and pre- 
 vented them from perceiving in what the chief 
 intention of painting consists, as very many, with 
 minds powerful and competent to the greatest 
 exertions, have failed. 
 
 That it has difficulties when carried to any ex- 
 tent
 
 18 INTRODUCTORY AND 
 
 tent will readily be admitted, if we consider that 
 a proper knowledge of it includes an acquaintance 
 with the external, and often internal properties of 
 all visible things, and these under every possible 
 aspect and impression. 
 
 There can be little doubt but that one great 
 source of error arises from believing the art to 
 be something that depends only on a ready use 
 of the hand ; that a brilliant or a subdued set of 
 colours, a rich fulness of penciling, and some 
 other things included under what is technically 
 termed handling, compose the chief excellencies 
 of painting; in short, placing in the manipulations 
 of the art its sole merit. 
 
 To the success of those who continue under 
 this misapprehension there is an impassable bar- 
 rier, at which, with diligence, they are not long 
 in arriving; but for those who, fortunately escaping 
 this wrong notion, have been persuaded that 
 the intention of painting is altogether an effort 
 of the mind and not of the ringers, an unlimited 
 
 progress
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 19 
 
 progress and constant improvement is opened, 
 ending only with their lives. 
 
 The Artist certainly has to learn the fluent 
 use of his means, as persons learn to write; but 
 he should not make so fatal a mistake as to con- 
 sider the means as the end, but whilst learning 
 the language of his profession, at the same time 
 he must endeavour to find out those principles in 
 all things that have any similarity in their uses, 
 and which may be suitable to all the various 
 classes of living beings, as well as lifeless matter 
 operated upon by Nature. 
 
 Quintilian (lib. vii. cap. 10) appears to have 
 known this, for he observes that, " by several 
 " examples, the order and connexion of things 
 " must be shewn; that by continual practice we 
 " may still pass on to things of like nature, for 
 " it is impossible to explain all things that can 
 " be imitated by art, neither is there any painter 
 " that has learned to imitate all things, but having 
 " once perceived the true manner, he will easily 
 
 " obtain
 
 20 INTRODUCTORY AND 
 
 " obtain the similitude of such things as come 
 " before him." Now this " true manner" is of 
 infinite importance : nor can it be obtained by 
 any labour of the hand, being dependant alone 
 on judgment, or a right mode of seeing and think- 
 ing ; and when we are so fortunate as to hit this 
 happy method, we discover that Nature's prin- 
 ciples of working are based upon the most perfect 
 and solid reason. Such is the yielding resistance 
 offered to the elements by every plant, with a 
 sufficient and appropriate adjustment, as the plant 
 increases ; giving a similarity and beautiful fitness 
 of construction to all vegetable matter. We find 
 this in every thing that Nature does, from her 
 chemical operations on what is considered inert 
 matter, to the construction of the most intelligent 
 beings ; and it is the discovery of this reasoning- 
 power in the formation of things at which we 
 must aim, for without it all the mechanism of 
 lines and colours, or dexterity of hand, will be 
 labour in vain. 
 
 This
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 21 
 
 This kind of knowledge is obtained from 
 Nature only. There is another kind, which is 
 to be gained from studying the works of our 
 predecessors ; and by observing carefully how 
 they arranged their materials for a picture, we 
 speedily learn that some modes are better than 
 others, and that in all the different modes, a very 
 accurate attention to the lineal and aerial per- 
 spective is one prominent and leading feature ; 
 that the proprieties and decorum of life are 
 always observed. If one of a group be repre- 
 sented speaking, others who are near him are 
 not also represented speaking; or if some are 
 inattentive, they are removed a little way from 
 the chief actors. 
 
 The feelings and passions are also to be ex- 
 pressed with a suitableness to the character of the 
 figure depicted : thus the griefs and pleasures of 
 the humbler classes must partake in a proper 
 degree of their boisterous nature ; yet we are not 
 entirely to cut them off from the power of expres- 
 sing
 
 22 INTRODUCTORY AND 
 
 sing themselves with grace, and even sometimes 
 with elegance. In the same manner, although we 
 give to the higher classes their characteristic 
 suavity and gentleness of demeanour, we must 
 add to this, on some extraordinary occasions, 
 more energy of action than the strictest decorum 
 perhaps might allow to their rank. But in all 
 these things neither the painter nor the poet can 
 have any limitation pointed out to him : that tact 
 proceeding from a highly cultivated mind, which 
 by increased sensibility more readily receives 
 impressions, tells both poet and painter that he 
 can only succeed on one grand principle, and 
 that success in their art will depend, as Cicero 
 says when speaking of oratory, on their insight 
 into the nature of mankind and all the powers of 
 humanity. 
 
 The knowledge of colours, and the various 
 modes of using them, is not the end, but rather the 
 beginning of painting. They are the artist's lan- 
 guage ; fortunately an universal language, which 
 
 all
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 23 
 
 all nations can read. He must learn to express 
 himself in it with ease, distinctness, simplicity, 
 and gracefulness, and he must be careful that 
 the whole intention of the picture is expressed in 
 a temperate and chastened style, as far removed 
 from ostentatiousness and affectation as from 
 mawkish insipidity ; infusing a proper degree of 
 energy, and yet not too much, for even in a storm, 
 or the raging of the most vehement passions, a 
 sober dignity is to be preserved. By these means 
 the finer distinctions of character may be marked, 
 which in a more vulgar style would be entirely 
 lost or unseen. 
 
 Dryden, criticising in dramatic writers the ab- 
 sence of this necessary sobriety (and probably 
 alluding to Nat. Lee), says, " Another had a great 
 " genius for tragedy : following the fury of his 
 " natural temper, he made every man and woman 
 " too stark raging mad ; there was not a sober 
 " person to be had for love or money. All was 
 " tempestuous and blustering. Heaven and earth 
 
 " were
 
 24 INTRODUCTORY AND 
 
 " were coming together at every word, a mere 
 " hurricane from beginning to the end, and every 
 " actor seemed to be hastening on to the day of 
 " judgment." 
 
 This exuberance, or more strictly speaking, 
 vulgarity, so disagreeable to nature, and the few 
 whose opinions being formed upon philosophical 
 principles are alone worthy of attention, can only 
 be checked by frequent practice in copying, which 
 will strengthen the memory, correct the eye, and 
 aid in forming a style : also the mind, by this kind 
 of practice, if we may be allowed an expression 
 borrowed from our art, becomes toned down to a 
 healthy state ; its redundancies are corrected ; 
 wrong ideas, like chaff, are thrown to the surface 
 and discarded imperceptibly ; a precision and 
 terseness in the language of the art is gained, hav- 
 ing for its foundation a modest simplicity, to which 
 grace and elegance most readily unite, making 
 altogether that best compound of skill recom- 
 mended by Horace, in which art is not perceptible. 
 
 A very
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 25 
 
 A very frequent anomaly is found in some who 
 can judge well of the works of others, yet who can 
 neither perform well, nor say on what principles 
 they found their judgment. These we generally 
 find ascribe the success of the fortunate to some- 
 thing not acquired, but innate, which they call 
 genius; forgetting, or never having learned, a 
 valuable precept of Sir J. Reynolds, that whatever 
 is done well is done by some certain rule, other- 
 wise it could not be repeated ; an observation 
 containing so much truth, so much instruction, 
 and so strongly inculcating the necessity of me- 
 thod, that it ought always to be remembered. 
 
 This rule for doing well is only to be found in 
 the works of those who have become eminent, 
 and from them we must borrow, as the largest 
 stock of individual knowledge is small, when com- 
 pared with the grand bulk or treasury of human 
 learning which has been transmited to us in 
 various ways ; and from this we must continue to 
 borrow until we may be able to restore the debt. 
 
 c If
 
 2C INTRODUCTORY AND 
 
 If we can then add a few grains, or a single 
 grain of information to that already amassed, 
 whether it be in painting or any other science, 
 society will have received an advantage. 
 
 As the improvement of any of the sciences or 
 arts carries also improvement to all the rest,* it 
 would be of some advantage to them, and cer- 
 tainly of great and beneficial use to painting, were 
 it allied to classic literature by academic honours 
 in our Universities. Music and poetry have there 
 their professors, and it may be hereafter discovered, 
 what to many is already known, that a knowledge 
 of drawing and painting can assist some of the 
 most important sciences. 
 
 An orator, who will well examine the princi- 
 ples on which a good picture is constructed, may 
 find many valuable hints which written precepts 
 cannot supply. The medical practitioner, in the 
 study of pathology, has to depend much on a 
 
 refined 
 
 " There is no art which is not either the parent or near relation of 
 " another." Tertullian.
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 27 
 
 refined power in the discrimination of colours 
 and tints, with their various gradations. How fre- 
 quently he learns more from these than any thing 
 the patient can tell him ! Perhaps, whilst young, 
 he may be startled by the deceptive appearance 
 which mere change of dress will give ; as when 
 a florid patient has increased the colour in his 
 face to more than a hectic flush, by simply 
 putting on a dress of a powerfully contrasting 
 colour, and by other changes of a similar 
 nature. 
 
 That the study of Nature is calculated to give 
 the truest ideas on subjects of the greatest utility, 
 needs no enforcing; yet we cannot resist the satis- 
 faction of giving a remarkable fact in illustration. 
 
 "When Smeaton and his predecessors had tried 
 in vain to make a permanent light-house on the 
 Eddystone rocks (which lie out in the sea about 
 fifteen miles from the coast), after considering with 
 dismay the rapid destruction of prior edifices, a 
 happy idea occurred to him, by the adoption of 
 
 c 2 which
 
 28 INTRODUCTORY AND 
 
 which he has been rewarded in the duration of his 
 building up to the present time. He had the good 
 fortune to perceive it necessary, in a place where 
 Nature works with terrific force, to oppose those 
 convulsions with one of her own forms, and dis- 
 carding the prejudices of science in the search, he 
 took our strongest tree, a tree grown in the same 
 climate, and amidst similar storms, for his instruc- 
 tor and his guide. " He conceived the idea of his 
 " edifice from the bole of a large spreading oak. 
 " Considering the figure of the tree as connected 
 " with its roots, which lie hid below the ground, 
 " Mr. Smeaton observed that it rose from the 
 " surface with a large swelling base, which at the 
 " height of one diameter is generally reduced by 
 " an elegant concave curve, to a diameter less by 
 " at least one-third, and sometimes to half its 
 " original base ; hence he deduced what the shape 
 " of a column of the greatest stability ought to be, 
 ' to resist the action of external violence, when 
 '' the quantity of matter of which it is to be com- 
 
 " posed
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 29 
 
 " posed is given;" adding, were it wanted, addi- 
 tional proof, that whatever is successfully attained 
 in any of the arts or sciences has its first elements 
 taken from Nature. 
 
 An Architect without a very refined knowledge 
 of drawing, must be classed among the handicraft 
 occupations of stonemason and bricklayer; for 
 architecture is nothing more than drawing or de- 
 sign made manifest in some kind of building 
 materials, added to a practical knowledge of the 
 materials employed. 
 
 In the splendid ruins of ancient temples, and the 
 more perfect remains of gothic structure yet exist- 
 ing, there are abundant and intrinsic evidences of 
 the draughtsman and builder being one person. 
 The perfect unity of design and execution which 
 pervades these remains, is alone sufficient to prove 
 it ; and it must be regretted, for the sake of archi- 
 tecture, that at the present day the draughtsman 
 and builder are so frequently separate persons, as 
 the odium, should there because for any, is too 
 
 easily
 
 30 INTRODUCTORY AND 
 
 easily shifted from one to another, and the merit, 
 when it exists, is either too much divided to 
 possess any real value, or perhaps absorbed by the 
 one least entitled to it. 
 
 Painting is the least generally understood of all 
 the arts and sciences, and the reasons are obvious. 
 The first arises out of the absence of a well regu- 
 lated instruction in those places where instruction 
 in all liberal knowledge ought to abound ; where in 
 every other department of knowledge it is most 
 abundant; and where, if the proper study of paint- 
 ing or designing could be added, some students, 
 by it, might be induced to think, when all other 
 branches of learning, human and divine, had been 
 tried in vain, and thus occupy some of those hours 
 devoted by many to pursuits of a much less meri- 
 torious description.* 
 
 The exquisite charms of poetry and music ren- 
 der them worthy of all the honours they receive 
 in our universities ; and were painting as gene- 
 rally 
 
 " Fropter ignorantium artis, virtutes obscurantur." Vitruviua, B. v.
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 31 
 
 rally understood, it would be equally favoured, 
 for it has also its peculiar uses and charms. Its 
 pleasures are conveyed to the mind through the 
 sight a sense that affords to us the purest and 
 least alloyed of all our enjoyments ; and most are 
 aware, that knowledge acquired by vision is more 
 perfect, and more lasting, than any which is ac- 
 quired by the other senses. 
 
 In a publication of the present year, painting is 
 denounced for its abuse, by nations of freer habits 
 than our own. On this plea, many of the Greek 
 and Latin classics might, with far greater reason, 
 be also forbidden, which are still openly read and 
 studied in all our public and private schools as 
 well as the Universities ; yet he would be called a 
 weak logician, who argued that we ought to reject 
 the benefits of literature, because it has been so fre- 
 quently degraded by a licentiousness, too apparent 
 in many of the best classic and other authors. 
 
 Another cause of the want of information on 
 painting exists in the great difficulty of finding 
 
 good
 
 32 INTRODUCTORY AND 
 
 good works for reference or study. Copies of the 
 best writers in poetry or prose are to be had every 
 where, and at prices that all can command. The 
 best musical compositions are as easily obtained, 
 and the value of an opera or concert ticket will 
 also command specimens of the first performances 
 in execution. It is not so with painting : the 
 best are only to be found in the galleries of 
 princes, the richest amateurs, or metropolitan 
 exhibitions. To become acquainted with these, 
 much valuable time must be employed, attended 
 with expensive journies. Thus it is evident that 
 the chief works of art, as well as the true power 
 that painting possesses, can never, in the present 
 state of things, be so generally known as to include 
 them under the items of cheap or common know- 
 ledge. 
 
 When Alexander ordered that all the Macedo- 
 nian nobility should study this art,* he might 
 have (in addition to a real love for it, doubtless 
 
 produced 
 
 * Pliny, Book xxxv, chapter ] 0.
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 33 
 
 produced by seeing the works of his favourite 
 Apelles), some ulterior views or intentions, as to 
 its uses in perfecting that invaluable qualification 
 in an officer, the military coup d'ceil, on which not 
 seldom depends the safety both of armies and of 
 nations.* 
 
 Although our zeal would not carry us so far as 
 to make it compulsory, nor, like that of the Athe- 
 nians in their admiration of painting, forbid the 
 study of it to people of servile condition, yet we 
 should be glad to see it so understood among the 
 well educated, that the feelings of even very mo- 
 derate judges might less frequently be offended 
 by the sight of works too often beneath contempt, 
 
 but 
 
 * It is in the tempest and in war that the perfect naval officer displays 
 the value of that highest degree of tact, which the cultivated mind only 
 can receive from experience, when a single glance of the eye, followed by 
 one short monysyllable of command, is to give life or death to hundreds of 
 human beings placed under his care and protection; and that drawing is 
 the most valuable study for this refinement and instantaneous discrimination, 
 which the eye must absolutely possess on extraordinary occasions, needs no 
 proof. Cicero was aware of it when he said, " How many things do 
 painters (pictores) see, whether in shadows or in the highest lights, which 
 are not seen by us !" Lib. ix. Academ. qusest.
 
 34 INTRODUCTORY AND 
 
 but still to be found in many of the houses of the 
 opulent. 
 
 We shall conclude these general remarks by a 
 partial extract from a talented writer in the 
 Edinburgh Review for June 1829, on " Military 
 " Education." He says, speaking of drawing, 
 44 independently of the practical applications of 
 44 this art, it is a most important engine for im- 
 " proving the faculty of observation as to all 
 " objects of sight, and increasing the power of 
 44 memory for such object. The truth is, that to 
 44 see clearly what exists, is an art to be acquired 
 44 only by practice and experience. It is, in fact, 
 44 thus only that all our senses are matured in 
 44 those who possess the perfect use of them ; nor 
 44 do we say too much when we aver, that the art 
 " of seeing is never acquired in perfection for any 
 " class of objects, except by him who has acquir- 
 " ed the power of representing them through 
 44 drawing. They who have not reflected on the 
 " subject may be startled at such an assertion; 
 
 44 but
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 35 
 
 " but, in reality, it is more the accurate know- 
 " ledge or discernment of forms that constitutes an 
 " artist, than any mechanical power in representing 
 <e them. Whatever ordinary spectators may sup- 
 " pose their knowledge of the form of any definite 
 " object, of a piece of architecture for example. 
 " a tree, or an animal, is in truth very vague and 
 " imperfect, and he who will make the trial, so as 
 " at length to draw what he was used to look at, 
 " will soon convince himself that this is rigidly 
 " true. * * * The case is like that of the 
 " student of natural history, who habitually sees 
 " a multitude of plants or insects that escape the 
 " ignorant, though they may be equally present 
 " to the eyes of the latter, on which, in reality, 
 " they make no more impression than on the eyes 
 " of the quadruped. Nothing, indeed, is pro- 
 " perly or really seen, which does not convey a 
 " distinct and definite idea, that may be recalled 
 " or described in all its detail by the observer; 
 " and it is a metaphysical truth, that what is 
 
 commonly
 
 36 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 
 
 " commonly called a defective memory, is often 
 " nothing but defective observation, or the want 
 " of impressions originally definite and com- 
 " plete." 
 
 We may venture to add, that if the study of 
 this art had no other recommendation than these, 
 of improving the faculties of observation and 
 memory, and of inducing a habit of thinking more 
 deeply on the visible works of the creation, and 
 through them of their great Creator, it would 
 still be worthy the fostering care granted to the 
 sciences, at those seats of learning, whose fiat 
 stamps them with a more current value, and 
 generally sanctions their pretensions in society.
 
 DESIGN, COMPOSITION, 
 
 AND 
 
 INVENTION. 
 
 IN some writers on painting, each of these words 
 is made to comprehend the other two; by others, 
 a separate department is given each of them : as 
 the outline to design, the placing of figures, 
 groups, &c. to composition, and the whole inten- 
 tion of the picture in all that relates to the story 
 or subject, to invention. 
 
 Of the outline little more can be said, than that 
 it ought to be perfect as to form, and agreeably 
 varied, so that there may be a sufficient and pro- 
 per contrast kept up throughout the piece. Per- 
 fection of outline is a circumstance that rarely 
 
 happens
 
 38 DESIGN, COMPOSITION, 
 
 happens in any picture : indeed, some artists have 
 been so indifferent on this head, that it might be 
 taken for a branch of the art beneath their atten- 
 tion ; whilst others have been so solicitous, as to 
 produce in their works th^ hard appearance which 
 characterizes the earlier epochs of painting. That 
 the outline should be as correct as possible need 
 not be enforced ; but it most assuredly is a great 
 fault, to display it so strongly as to destroy the 
 effect of those higher departments to which it is 
 only the first grade; for outline alone, where 
 correctness is all that is sought, may be called 
 mechanical, whilst the rest, in most cases, has to 
 proceed entirely from the mind. 
 
 In arranging the outline or subject, we call to 
 our aid what is understood by composition, which 
 is so employed as to permit every interesting 
 object to be sufficiently developed, concealing, or 
 sinking into some kind of obscurity, those things 
 which are least necessary to the story. 
 
 If the subject be historical, the principal per- 
 sonages
 
 AND INVENTION. 39 
 
 sonages should be so placed that they and their 
 actions may be clearly understood. They are not 
 to be crowded ; or if it be necessary that they 
 should be surrounded by a multitude, they are to 
 be separated from the mass by having the chief 
 light placed on them, and by leaving an opening 
 in the group in order to display this light, and 
 with it the chief actors in the picture. The 
 remainder of the figures are to receive light in 
 proportion to the share they have in the general 
 conduct of the piece. 
 
 Landscape outline, or composition of outline, 
 seems to be of little consequence, if we may judge 
 from the practice of some of our best landscape 
 painters ; and perhaps it may be from this circum- 
 stance that so few of the landscape painters have 
 excelled. Not fully aware of the ulterior charms 
 in this department, they have been discouraged by 
 the absence of initiatory beauties in the outset : 
 for it not unfrequently happens that a view yields 
 little more than a straight light, separating the 
 
 distant
 
 40 DESIGN, COMPOSITION, 
 
 distant land from the sky ; yet a subject as barren 
 as this will afford to the adept in chiaro-scuro and 
 colouring, an opportunity of shewing his strength, 
 as we sometimes see produced out of such simple 
 materials, extremely vivid, interesting and scien- 
 tific pictures. An outline that is well diversified 
 and in a natural manner, will always be more 
 agreeable to the eye than a repetition of lines 
 without variety ; for the sight is as soon displeased 
 or fatigued with monotony and repetition of forms, 
 as the ear is with the continual recurrence of the 
 same sounds ; and where the outline is deficient, 
 the artist has to compensate for it by a judicious 
 arrangement of colours with light and shade. 
 
 Much stress has been laid on the pyramidal or 
 other modes in the arrangement of lines ; but 
 that arrangement which best conducts the sight 
 perspectively through the picture to the places 
 of interest, and which happens to be the best 
 adapted to the subject, is the only universal rule 
 that can be given. A small number of rules for 
 
 an
 
 AND INVENTION. 41 
 
 an infinite variety of subjects must very often be 
 in error. 
 
 " Composition, taken generally," says Sir Joshua 
 Reynolds, " is the principal part of invention, and 
 " is far the greatest difficulty the artist has to 
 " encounter. Every man that can paint at all 
 " can execute individual parts : but to keep those 
 " parts in a due subordination, as relative to a 
 " whole, requires a comprehensive view of the art, 
 " that more strongly implies genius than, perhaps, 
 " any other quality whatever." 
 
 We cannot but be of opinion, that the landscape 
 painter has often to draw more largely from his 
 own resources than the painter in any other branch. 
 If this idea be correct, he has more frequent oppor- 
 tunities of shewing greater powers in the imagina- 
 tive part of the art. He has the privilege of intro - 
 ducing every created thing in nature that may 
 serve his purpose, and of adding historical anec- 
 dote of the highest interest, or a pastoral story of 
 the humblest kind. He may pourtray his figures 
 
 D with
 
 42 DESIGN, COMPOSITION.. 
 
 with all the energy that is suitable to the scene, or 
 he may sink them into any degree of insignificance 
 that their occupations seem to require: in short, he 
 may make more episodes than is allowable in the 
 composition of a picture which is purely historical. 
 Simplicity of construction in every branch of 
 painting will be found the best mode of making a 
 powerful impression. This simplicity is discover- 
 able in all our best historical pictures, where the 
 greatest number of figures exist, as in the Cartoons 
 of Raffaelle, where the chief interest is confined to 
 a very small number of actors. In the pictures 
 of ' St. Paul preaching at Athens,' and the' Death 
 of Annanias,' the most unlearned in painting will 
 be able to point out those parts which only have 
 the greatest interest : the rest are merely acces- 
 sories, giving support to the principal action of the 
 piece by their expression and attitudes. 
 
 Richardson, in his treatise on painting, describes 
 several pictures under the head composition, but 
 which might have been described with more pro- 
 priety
 
 AND INVENTION. 43 
 
 priety under that of chiaro-scuro, did he not 
 include in the word composition almost every 
 thing belonging to the completion of a picture. 
 " In the ' Descent from the Cross,' by Rubens," he 
 says, " the Saviour is the principal figure. This 
 " being naked and about the centre of the picture, 
 " would have been distinguished as the heighten- 
 " ing of this mass of light : but not content with 
 " that, and to raise it still more, this judicious 
 " master has added a sheet in which the body lies, 
 " and which is supposed to be useful to deliver it 
 " down safely, as well as to carry it off afterwards. 
 " But the main design is what I am observing, 
 " and for that it is admirably introduced." 
 
 In the following extract from the same writer, 
 it will be seen that he allows colour, also, a prin- 
 cipal place in composition. " Sometimes a figure 
 " has to hold a place which does not sufficiently 
 " distinguish it ; in that case, the attention must 
 " be awakened by the colour of its drapery or part 
 " of it, or by the ground on which it is painted, 
 
 D 2 "or
 
 44 DESIGN, COMPOSITION, 
 
 " or some other artifice. Scarlet, or some vivid 
 " colour, is proper on such occasions. I think I 
 " have met with an instance of this kind from 
 " Titian in a * Bacchus and Ariadne :'* her figure 
 " is thus distinguished, for the reason I have given. 
 " And in a picture by Albano, our Lord is seen at 
 " a distance as coming towards some of his disci- 
 " pies, and though a small figure, is nevertheless 
 " the most apparent, in the picture, by being placed 
 <f on a rising ground, and painted upon the bright 
 (t part of the sky, just above the horizon." 
 
 The readiest way of making the composition of 
 a picture complete, certainly is that adopted by 
 Rubens, and recommended by Sir J. Reynolds ; 
 which is, instead of being content with a mere 
 outline, or an outline finished in light and shade, 
 to paint the whole subject slightly from the first. 
 
 He says : " This method of painting the sketch, 
 " instead of merely drawing it on paper, will give 
 " a facility in the management of colours and in 
 
 " the 
 
 * Now in the National Gallery.
 
 AND INVENTION. 45 
 
 " the handling, which the Italian painters, not 
 " having this custom, wanted. By habit, he will 
 " acquire equal skill in doing two things at a 
 " time, as in doing only one. 
 
 " An artist, as I have said on another occasion, 
 " if possible, should paint all his studies, and 
 " consider drawing only as a succedaneum when 
 " colours are not at hand. This was the practice 
 " of the Venetian painters, and of all those who 
 " have excelled in colouring. Correggio used this 
 " manner. The method of Rubens was to sketch 
 " his composition in colours, with all the parts 
 " more determined than sketches generally are. 
 " From this sketch scholars advanced the picture 
 " as far as they were capable, from which he 
 " retouched the whole himself. 
 
 " The painter's operation may be divided into 
 " three parts : the planning, which implies the 
 " sketch of the general composition ; the trans- 
 " ferring that design to the canvas ; and the 
 " finishing or retouching the whole. If, for dis- 
 
 " patch,
 
 46 DESIGN, COMPOSITION, 
 
 " patch, the artist looks out for assistance, it is in 
 " the middle stage only that he can receive it : 
 " the first and last operations must be the work 
 " of his own hand." 
 
 The rules of composition for historical, as well 
 as landscape paintings, are most quickly learned 
 by inspecting the large works of the best mas- 
 ters ; and when these cannot be seen, good prints 
 will give valuable information. Annibal Carracci 
 was of opinion, that a perfect composition should 
 not have more than twelve figures ; that out of 
 these might be made three groups, and that more 
 would destroy the grandeur of the piece. 
 
 In composition of all kinds, if any thing imper- 
 tinent be introduced it will distract, and if of any 
 amount, destroy the subject; the artist, there- 
 fore, must be cautious that his figures pay atten- 
 tion to the chief interest of the piece. If a figure 
 be made to look out of the picture it becomes 
 ludicrous: as in a picture by Rubens, where 
 satyrs are represented dancing, a female looks at 
 
 the
 
 AND INVENTION. 47 
 
 $ 
 
 the spectacle in a manner that adds considerably 
 to the grotesque air of the whole ; and in a picture 
 by Titian, one of the panthers which draws the 
 car of Bacchus fixes a single eye on the spectator, 
 and considerably enlivens the animal and the sub- 
 dued part of the picture where it stands. This 
 picture of * Bacchus and Ariadne ' is in the Na- 
 tional Gallery, as has been before noticed. 
 
 Variety of attitudes is to be studied for the sake 
 of contrast : but rather than carry this too far, as 
 Rubens has certainly done in his picture repre- 
 senting the Fall of the Damned at the Last Day, it 
 would be much better to preserve the simplicity 
 of the early painters, who seldom attempted more 
 than a natural and unconstrained attitude. 
 
 Perhaps the shortest definition we can give of 
 invention is, that it consists in arranging those 
 ideas which the mind has amassed in its various 
 studies, and in making fresh combinations out of 
 old materials. Thus it will be evident, that an 
 artist must not only study diligently the works of 
 
 others,
 
 48 DESIGN, COMPOSITION, 
 
 others, but should also be in the habit of much 
 and appropriate reading ; for it is plain, that he 
 who gathers most ideas must have the greatest 
 powers of invention, and the most refined inven- 
 tion can only proceed from a mind very highly 
 cultivated. 
 
 Dryden, in his parallel between poetry and 
 painting, gives, in his lively manner, the first place 
 to invention ; and, as absolutely necessary to both, 
 he states, " yet no rule was, or ever can be 
 " given, how to compass it. A happy genius is 
 " the gift of Nature : it depends on the influence 
 " of the stars, say the astrologers; on the organs 
 " of the body, say the naturalists; it is the par- 
 " ticular gift of heaven, say the divines, both 
 " Christians and Heathens. How to improve it, 
 " many books can teach us ; how to obtain it, 
 " none ; that nothing can be done without it, all 
 " agree. Tu nihil invitd, dices faciesve, Minerva." 
 
 Without invention, a painter is but a copier 
 and a poet but a plagiary of others. Both are 
 
 allowed
 
 AND INVENTION. 49 
 
 allowed sometimes to copy and translate ; but, as 
 our author Fresnoy, on painting, tells you, " that 
 " is not the best part of their reputation."..." Imi- 
 " tators are but a servile kind of cattle, or at least 
 " the keepers of cattle for other men : they have 
 " nothing which is properly their own." 
 
 Under this head (Invention) is placed the dis- 
 position of the work, and such harmonious ar- 
 rangement of all things, that the story of the 
 picture may be perfect, and entirely devoid of 
 whatever can distract the attention from the prin- 
 cipal purpose of the artist.
 
 CHIARO-SCURO. 
 
 THE extraordinary power which the eye pos- 
 sesses, of excluding all other things when bend- 
 ing its greatest strength of vision on any particular 
 object, or part of an object, is highly interesting, 
 and has here to be considered, being the leading 
 principle upon which chiaro-scuro is based. 
 
 If the object be darker than the surrounding 
 matter against which it is seen (in painting called 
 the ground), it will, on a close scrutiny, appear 
 encompassed by a faint halo of comparative light, 
 affording, in the greatest darkness which is not 
 total, a distinct view of the outline of the object, 
 by a double operation. First, by the halo above 
 mentioned ; and secondly, by an appearance of 
 increased or greater darkness at the edges of the 
 
 object,
 
 CHIARO-SCURO. 5 1 
 
 object, than farther within the outline or near its 
 centre. Should the object or figure be lighter 
 than its ground, the converse of the whole takes 
 place : for the ground which is in contrast with 
 the object will then be darkest round its outline, 
 and the edges of the object will be lighter than 
 its centre. Although all feel the benefit, few are 
 aware of this admirable property in the eye, de- 
 pendant alone on its internal structure. That 
 reflection from the back of the figure has nothing 
 to do with it, may be shewn by attaching a small 
 piece of dark paper to a larger piece not so dark, 
 or the contrary, and then looking on either with 
 attention for a few moments when placed at a 
 convenient distance, having in remembrance that 
 the greater the distance the less distinctly will 
 this effect be seen, on account of the intervening 
 column of air, which always operates in the usual 
 manner of aerial perspective. 
 
 This quality in the laws of vision is invaluable, 
 when we consider the great safety and protection 
 
 afforded
 
 52 CHIARO-SCURO. 
 
 afforded by it in dubious light or darkness; 
 doubtless given alike to all creatures that see (per- 
 haps most powerfully to animals which prowl by 
 night), and in which we perceive another proof 
 of the infinite wisdom that the Almighty has em- 
 ployed in the construction of the universe, and of 
 the incomprehensible means he has used for the 
 safety and well-being of all his creatures. That 
 these operations of the eye are mechanical, we 
 believe cannot be doubted ; but we have not yet 
 met with any work in which some of these nicer 
 phenomena of vision are reduced into any thing 
 like a satisfactory theory ; and perhaps they must 
 ever remain amongst the innumerable circum- 
 stances which are as much beyond our finite 
 capacities as the production of a blade of grass. 
 Still we may gain much by studying the activity 
 of the eye, its conclusive mode of reasoning, or 
 rather the vast power it has, when cultivated, of 
 forming true conclusions, apparently without the 
 necessity of reasoning, proceeding from that 
 
 power
 
 CHIARO-SCURO. 53 
 
 power which we may call unconscious know- 
 ledge. These things, well considered, will ad- 
 vance the artist in the study of his arduous pro- 
 fession, much more than the common-place atten- 
 tions which are too frequently paid to the mere 
 manipulations of the art, as it is on these niceties 
 of light and shade that the picture has to depend 
 for all that is to give life, and the piquancy to that 
 portion of the effect which comes under the head 
 chiaro-scuro. 
 
 Without this knowledge, the artist must conti- 
 nually fall into error ; for on many occasions, he 
 might be led to believe that shadows appear per- 
 fectly equal, or lights of the same brilliancy on a 
 level surface. Knowing this to be the fact, and 
 representing them so, he would represent an un- 
 natural appearance : for although abstractedly it 
 is the case, yet we do not see them in this manner, 
 and to the eye things only exist as they are seen ; 
 therefore, before we attempt to represent any thing 
 we must be aware of the manner in which we see it. 
 
 As
 
 54 CHIAROSCURO. 
 
 As we can only see distinctly that which appears 
 in the centre of vision, all other objects are seen by 
 indirect rays, consequently less distinctly. This 
 may be one cause of the seeming inequality of 
 shadows, lights, and colours ; but the cause why 
 two colours in opposition, or a light and shadow, 
 should appear more intense by juxtaposition, does 
 not so readily manifest itself. Indeed, so strongly 
 does contrast bring out colours, that any pale 
 colour may be rendered visible by having its pro- 
 per contrast near it, or invisible, by the absence of 
 the contrasting colour; and a set of graduating 
 shades may be so arranged, that the sight will 
 easily embrace in a direct view several of them at 
 once and the effect of increased and decreased in- 
 tensity where they join will be apparent in all at 
 the same time, taking the appearance of the deli- 
 cate shadows in the flutings of a Doric column. 
 Cover with two pieces of paper all the shades ex- 
 cept any one, and the shade tint under examina- 
 tion will be immediately restored to its equal or 
 
 level
 
 CHIARO-SCURO. 55 
 
 level appearance : a condition which it always 
 actually preserves, but which cannot be detected 
 whilst the rest are visible.* 
 
 The words chiaro-scuro are commonly trans- 
 lated " light and shade ;" but a better interpreta- 
 tion, perhaps, might be " light-obscure," as the 
 term is used not only to express the lights and 
 shadows of a picture, but also all those colours 
 which have a sombre effect, and which cannot be 
 called absolutely dark. 
 
 It is the intention of a good picture to tell its 
 story distinctly and intelligibly, avoiding all things 
 that will disturb the attention. This, without a 
 good knowledge of chiaro-scuro, cannot be done ; 
 for, unless the artist strictly adheres to the leading 
 principles of this department of the art, his 
 labour will be thrown away. His first endea- 
 vour must be to obtain unity of light and shade, 
 by so massing his lights and most agreeable 
 colours on the chief part of the picture, that 
 
 the 
 
 * " Contraria juxta seposita, roagis elucescunt."
 
 56 CHIARO SCURO. 
 
 the eye may dwell on it with undisturbed satis- 
 faction. 
 
 If in a picture a variety of objects are given of 
 equal light, and scattered at regular intervals over 
 the piece, it approaches in some degree the nature 
 of a chess-board, where the alternations of black 
 and white are so exact in size and power, that the 
 eye wanders over the surface, finding not a single 
 point of interest on which it can rest. 
 
 The quantity of dark shade usually allowed in 
 painting is about one-quarter ; another quarter is 
 allowed for light, and the remainder for middle 
 tint. But this rule is not absolute, depending on 
 the nature of the subject and the impression to be 
 conveyed. 
 
 Rembrandt allowed a much greater proportion 
 to his dark tints, in order to gain the greatest pos- 
 sible brilliancy for his lights ; and he carried his 
 method so far, that the spectator is frequently im- 
 pressed, on beholding many of his works, with 
 the idea of a dungeon into which the light pene- 
 trates
 
 CHIARO SCURO. 57 
 
 trates with difficulty, throwing an expression of 
 sadness over the whole, sometimes unsuited to 
 the subject, and always depressing to the feelings. 
 In many excellent pictures we see the greatest 
 part occupied by middle tint, with very little of 
 positive light or dark ; and in others we find a 
 preponderating quantity of light. Each of these 
 methods is, of course, intended to convey parti- 
 cular feelings or impressions. 
 
 It is considered necessary to have two or three 
 groups of light ; but they must be varied in their 
 size, form, and degrees of power, and the breadth 
 of the shadows is to be so well preserved, that 
 they may serve as places of repose to the eye, 
 separating the groups of chiaro-scuro from each 
 other. 
 
 Frederico Baroccio, Carlo Bonone, Guercino, the 
 Carracci, and others, desirous of rivalling the great 
 variety of tints which Correggio has employed 
 and so exquisitely blended by his pencil, depended 
 to such an extent on the proper distribution of 
 
 E light
 
 58 CHIARO SCURO. 
 
 light and shade, that in order to obtain an accurate 
 composition in their chiaro-scuro, they followed the 
 method used by him, in forming small statues of 
 clay or wax, arranging the positions, attitudes, 
 and foldings of the draperies, grouping them 
 according to the disposition they were to hold in 
 the picture, and lastly, subjecting them to an 
 artificial light, in order to choose the best effects. 
 
 When unity of light is carried to so great an 
 extreme, as we often find in some of the pictures 
 of Rembrandt (magical as they all are), repose is 
 almost lost by the eye being continually recalled 
 to this isolated light, and it is to prevent this sin- 
 gleness that other groups of light are admitted. 
 
 If the secondary light be made of nearly the 
 same strength as the primary, it should not 
 approach it in size. The rest are to be more 
 diminished, both in form and size; and again, 
 from these should be spread out those accidental 
 lights which prevent monotony in the shadows, 
 add interest to the portions of the picture which 
 
 without
 
 CHIARO SCURO. 59 
 
 without them might become insipid, and make the 
 reposes useful in carrying forward the story, or in 
 giving episodes in character with the whole. 
 
 By the term " repose" is simply implied those 
 parts of the picture, either in deep shadow or 
 middle tint, where lights, shadows, and colours, 
 are so subdued, that the eye can rest upon them 
 without fatigue, after the excitation produced by 
 the brilliancy and effect of the principal parts. 
 
 However objects may be scattered throughout 
 the picture, they are to be so grouped and col- 
 lected together, that although each is to have its 
 particular light and shadow, yet the lights should 
 generally mass together as well as the shadows. 
 To illustrate this, Titian refers to the effect on a 
 bunch of grapes, where each grape has its own 
 light and shade, yet it forms only one member of 
 a mass, and the whole mass, considered as such, 
 has only one light side and one dark, causing an 
 unity of effect that is always agreeable. 
 
 It is by masses of light that the eye is prevented 
 E 2 from
 
 CO CHIARO-SCURO. 
 
 from dissipating its powers in a vague and un- 
 settled wandering over the surface of the picture ; 
 and we must endeavour to fix it by a satisfactory 
 combination of chiaro-scuro, by a harmony and 
 contrast of colours, and by opposition of shade tint, 
 or of obscure colours which may have the same 
 effect, sufficiently wide to prevent the masses of 
 light from crowding into the eye, at the same time 
 making what is called a repose between the lights. 
 These groups of shadows are to be so managed 
 that the unity of light may be preserved. 
 
 A picture may be considered as a collection of 
 foci, or points of vision, holding their places in a 
 series of gradations, and subject to one great con- 
 trolling focus, the centre of effect; itself composed 
 of innumerable foci of various colours and degrees 
 of light. These united make the chief light ; the 
 second and tertiary are to be subject, and inferior 
 in power as they descend in the scale of the great 
 total ; and their minor, or accidental lights, should 
 be so arranged, that they do not hurt the breadth 
 
 or
 
 CHIAROSCURO. 61 
 
 or repose of each mass. So that we might almost 
 pronounce each collection of light in itself a whole 
 picture, but by its connexion and subordination 
 making an essential part of a greater picture. 
 Wouvermans, Wynants, Claude, Cuyp, and many 
 others, finished their works so well in this respect, 
 that any small portion taken out of one of their 
 pictures would explain that it was a portion from 
 the work of an eminent master. 
 
 The following extract from Sir Joshua Reynolds 
 is too valuable to be omitted. "The Dutch painters 
 " particularly excelled in the management of light 
 " and shade, and have shewn in this department 
 " that consummate skill which entirely conceals 
 " the appearance of art. Jan Steen, Teniers, 
 " Ostade, Dusart, and many others of that school, 
 " may be produced as instances, and recom- 
 " mended to the young artist's careful study and 
 " attention. The means by which the painter 
 " works, and on which the effect of his picture 
 " depends, are light and shade, warm and cold 
 
 " colours.
 
 62 CHIARO-SCURO. 
 
 " colours. That there is an art in the manage- 
 " ment and disposition of those means will be 
 " easily granted, and equally certain, that this 
 "art is to be acquired by a careful examination 
 " of the works of those who have excelled in it. 
 
 " I shall here set down the result of observa- 
 " tions which I have made on the works of those 
 " artists who appear to have best understood the 
 " management of light and shade, and who may 
 " be considered as examples for imitation in this 
 " branch of the art. 
 
 '' Titian, Paolo Veronese, and Tintoret, were 
 " among the first painters who reduced to a sys- 
 " tern, what was before practised without any 
 " fixed principle, and consequently neglected 
 " occasionally. From the Venetian painters Ru- 
 " bens extracted his scheme of composition, which 
 " was soon understood and adopted by his coun- 
 " trymen, and extended even to the minor 
 " painters of familiar life in the Dutch school. 
 
 " When I was at Venice, the method I took to 
 
 " avail
 
 CHIARO-SCURO. 63 
 
 " avail myself of their principles was this : When 
 " I observed an extraordinary effect of light and 
 " shade in any picture, I took a leaf of my pocket- 
 " book and darkened every part of it in the same 
 " gradations of light and shade as the picture, 
 " leaving the white paper untouched to represent 
 " the light, and this without any attention to 
 " the subject or to the drawing of the figures. A 
 " few trials of this kind will be sufficient to give 
 " the method of their conduct in the management 
 " of their lights. After a few experiments I 
 " found the paper blotted nearly alike. Their 
 " general practice appeared to be, to allow not 
 " above a quarter of the picture for the light, 
 " including in this portion both the principal and 
 " secondary lights ; another quarter to be as dark 
 " as possible, and the remaining half kept in 
 " mezzo-tint, or half shadow. 
 
 " Rubens appears to have admitted rather 
 " more light than a quarter, and Rembrandt much 
 " less, scarce an eighth. By this conduct Rem- 
 
 " brandt's
 
 64 CHIARO-SCURO. 
 
 " brandt's light is extremely brilliant, but it costs 
 " too much ; the rest of the picture is sacrificed 
 " to this one object. That light will certainly 
 " appear the brightest which is surrounded with 
 " the greatest quantity of shade, supposing equal 
 " skill in the artist. 
 
 " By this means you may likewise remark the 
 " various forms and shapes of those lights, as well 
 " as the object on which they are flung : whether 
 " a figure, or the sky, a white napkin, animals, 
 " or utensils, often introduced for this purpose 
 " only. It may be observed, likewise, what por- 
 " tion is strongly relieved, and how much is 
 " united with its ground ; for it is necessary that 
 " some part (though a small one is sufficient) 
 " should be sharp and cutting against its ground, 
 " whether it be light on a dark, or dark on a light 
 " ground, in order to give firmness and distinct- 
 " ness to the work; if, on the other hand, it is 
 " relieved on every side, it will appear as if inlaid 
 " on its ground. Such a blotted paper, held at a 
 
 " distance
 
 CHIARO SCURO. 65 
 
 " distance from the eye, will strike the spectator 
 " as something excellent for the disposition of 
 " light and shadow, though he does not distinguish 
 " whether it is a history, a portrait, a landscape, 
 "dead game, or anything else; for the same 
 " principles extend to every branch of the art. 
 
 " Whether I have given an exact account, or 
 " made a just division of the quantity of light 
 " admitted into the works of those painters, is of 
 " no very great consequence. Let every person 
 " examine and judge for himself: it will be suffi- 
 " cient if I have suggested a mode of examining 
 " pictures this way, and one means at least of 
 " acquiring the principles on which they wrought." 
 
 In the above quotation we find an objection to 
 figures and objects appearing as if inlaid in their 
 grounds, that is, to their being surrounded by light 
 or shade, in such manner as to make them stand 
 from those parts of the picture which join them. 
 Many of the older masters did this to a great 
 degree, and some of the pictures of Raffaelle, 
 
 Leonardo
 
 66 CHIAROSCURO. 
 
 Leonardo da Vinci, and others, are not without 
 this fault. Albert Durer, and the whole of his 
 school, had it in excess. If we cannot have rich- 
 ness of chiaro-scuro and detail at the same time, 
 it is better to sacrifice a portion of the latter for 
 the sake of the former, than to lose the splendour 
 of effect, which is got by blending appropriate 
 masses of light into masses of shadow. 
 
 Some relief is necessary ; and our rule should 
 be, to preserve the most beautiful or interesting 
 portions of the picture in sufficient relief, and to 
 sink the rest into the neighbouring masses of mid- 
 dle tint or dark shadow ; thus we gain a fulness 
 and richness of chiaro-scuro, that holds a much 
 higher rank in painting than a meagre detail of 
 forms, and is more in accordance with the laws 
 of vision ; and as Sir J. Reynolds says, when 
 recommending the higher excellences, " If you 
 " compass them, and compass nothing more, you 
 " are still in the first class. We may regret the 
 " innumerable beauties which you may want : 
 
 " you
 
 CHIARO-SCURO. 67 
 
 " you may be very imperfect, but still you are an 
 " imperfect artist of the highest order." 
 
 Perhaps the force of a well-constructed chiaro- 
 scuro is most seen in the works of Correggio. 
 Fuseli describes the harmony of Correggio as en- 
 tirely dependant on his splendid management of 
 light and shade, and that his effect owes nothing 
 to the colouring, notwithstanding the exquisite 
 hues he employed ; and also compares those won- 
 derful effects to the " bland central light of a 
 " globe imperceptibly gliding through lucid demi- 
 " tints into rich reflected shadows." 
 
 Correggio's compositions are always so com- 
 plete, that his pictures, whether of the largest or 
 smallest size, are perfect in unity of effect.
 
 COLOURING. 
 
 OF the nature of colours, nearly all we know is, 
 that they exist in various tinted rays, which com- 
 bined make pure or colourless light. Could the 
 artist be made acquainted with their physical or 
 first cause, and how objects receive their colours, 
 he might obtain some advantages, for they are not 
 so splendidly and lavishly displayed throughout 
 the works of Nature without some great meaning, 
 otherwise their existence would seem only for our 
 amusement instead of instruction. 
 
 The language of colours is infinitely expressive, 
 and their expression and intention have to be well 
 studied for much important knowledge is often 
 conveyed to the mind by the finer gradations of 
 which they are capable. It is by colours that 
 
 the
 
 COLOURING. 69 
 
 the nicest judgment is quickened, and by these 
 nature acts upon our most refined perceptions and 
 sympathies. We see health developed in colours 
 that cannot be mistaken ; we find the emotions of 
 the soul expressed in appropriate tints ; the warm 
 flush of all the ardent passions, or the pallid tints 
 of sickness, of terror, with all the concurrent hues 
 of sadness, impressively increased in the cold blue 
 whiteness of the dead. 
 
 This analogy pervades the whole system of Na- 
 ture. The gloom of the approaching storm is ex- 
 pressed by the same melancholy appearance, and 
 in its commencement is gently indicated to the 
 spectator by a gradual diminution of that healthy 
 tint which Nature possesses in her quietness. 
 Again, the cheerful tranquillity of an autumnal or 
 summer's eve is shewn by an harmonious arrange- 
 ment of the richest and sweetest colours that can 
 be found ; all those which are generally pro- 
 nounced to be unpleasing and expressive of the 
 harsher feelings are banished, and the scene, 
 
 whether
 
 70 COLOURING. 
 
 whether at sea or on shore, amongst mountains, 
 rocks, or forest glades, appears to rejoice in one 
 universal expression of gladness, such as colours 
 only can indicate, and those in the hands of one 
 who has long and successfully studied their use. 
 They are, as Opie says in one of his lectures, " the 
 " sunshine of art that clothes poverty in smiles, 
 " and renders the prospect of barrenness itself 
 " agreeable, while it heightens the interest and 
 " doubles the charms of beauty." 
 
 A picture should be an assemblage of warm 
 and cold colours, with all the gradations between 
 the two, so disposed by the assistance of lights 
 and shadows as to form large masses of tints, 
 some opposing, others agreeing with each other. 
 These are again divided into smaller masses, also 
 opposing and agreeing; and this is continued, 
 one within another, until every appearance of con- 
 trivance is lost, and the whole together takes that 
 harmonious and artless appearance, which so ex- 
 clusively belongs to natural effects. At the same 
 
 time,
 
 COLOURING. 71 
 
 time, the whole piece is so subjected to the first 
 intention, that whatever impression or sentiment 
 was to have been conveyed, is fulfilled by all 
 things in the picture working together for one end. 
 
 If the subject be cheerful the colours must be so, 
 and the sombre greys, purple, black, dark reds, or 
 browns, must be very sparingly used : these tints 
 are better suited to subjects of a sullen or dismal 
 aspect. If the picture is to represent a cold at- 
 mosphere, no more warm colours are to be used 
 than are sufficient to give force to the colder tints ; 
 and where a warm effect is to be produced, the 
 contrary method must be pursued. The warm and 
 glowing style of colouring is so generally esteemed, 
 that Sir Joshua Reynolds gives directions in his 
 admirable lectures for no other method. 
 
 In his notes on Du Fresnoy he observes : " The 
 " predominant colours of the picture ought to be 
 " of a warm mellow kind, red or yellow, and no 
 " more cold colour should be introduced than will 
 " be just enough to serve as a ground, or a foil to 
 
 " set
 
 72 COLOURING. 
 
 " set off and give value to the mellow colours, and 
 " never should itself be a principal. For this a 
 " quarter of the picture will be sufficient. The 
 " cold colours, whether blue, grey, or green, are 
 " to be dispersed about the ground or surround- 
 " ing parts of the picture, wherever it has the ap- 
 " pearance of wanting such a foil, but sparingly 
 " employed in the mass of light." 
 
 In another place he gives the same instruc- 
 tions. " It ought, in my opinion," he says, " to 
 " be indispensably observed, that the masses of 
 " light in a picture be always of a warm mellow 
 " colour, yellow, red, or yellowish white, and 
 " that the blue, the grey, or green colours be 
 " kept almost entirely out of these masses, and 
 " be used only to support and to set off the warm 
 " colours ; and for this purpose a small proportion 
 " of cold colours will be sufficient." 
 
 It cannot but be well understood by every one, 
 that Sir Joshua, in these general rules, recom- 
 mends that method which is most consonant to 
 
 nature,
 
 COLOURING. 73 
 
 nature, and consequently best calculated to meet 
 the public eye. With his knowledge, and the 
 opportunities he had of seeing the best works, it is 
 impossible but that he should be well aware of all 
 the powers and properties of colours, and that by 
 a judicious arrangement every variety of atmos- 
 phere, from absolute cold to its opposite, heat, 
 might be with equal propriety represented, and 
 with equal force. 
 
 It is well known to artists, that certain colours 
 must be opposed or united to others, to produce 
 any given or required effects : in other words, 
 that particular combinations and oppositions of 
 colours will produce certain results and impres- 
 sions on the mind, founded in the propriety of all 
 natural appearances. Their effect on the eye, 
 considered only as an organ, is mechanical ; for 
 when the sight has been fatigued by resting long 
 on one colour, the opposite colour (its contrast) 
 serves as a repose, as darkness relieves the eye 
 when weakened with too much light, and the 
 
 F converse.
 
 74 COLOURING. 
 
 converse. If the operations on the organs of 
 vision be carried on by action upon substance, 
 as fibre, &c., which appears to be most probable, 
 then we may attempt to explain the effect of co- 
 lours and their contrasts, by comparing the effect 
 of a colour long seen, or seen in a large quantity, 
 and the consequent weariness of the sight, to the 
 fatigue which the muscles of the body feel when 
 some particular set have been long engaged in 
 one continued exercise ; and the sense of rest or 
 relief that the eye gains, by contemplating the 
 opposite to the colour which caused its weariness, 
 may be compared to the rest and satisfaction of 
 the body, on commencing an exercise which calls 
 into action another set of muscles or limbs, the 
 opposite to those already fatigued. Such is the 
 relief the eye feels in contemplating purple after 
 yellow, green after red, black after white, &c. 
 or the reverse. Again, when many of these con- 
 trasts are brought together in a violent or harsh 
 manner, the sight is distracted, and may, by a 
 
 bad
 
 COLOURING. 75 
 
 bad painting, be made to feel as much fatigue 
 as that which is produced in the body by calling 
 into violent action all the muscles of the frame 
 at the same moment. We here speak only of 
 that sight which has been cultivated, which is wide 
 awake to all the charms of the visible creation, and 
 not of that which sees things and scarcely knows 
 that it sees them. 
 
 Aware of the above facts, the artist gets rid of 
 many difficulties in the construction of his picture. 
 He must avoid monotony, or a too frequent repeti- 
 tion of the same colour ; he will also be careful not 
 to fill his picture too full of contrasts, the opposite 
 error to monotony, but should reserve the power- 
 ful stimulus of contrast for those parts of his pic- 
 ture which he wishes to make of interest and to 
 bring into life. 
 
 The skilful mixture of chiaro-scuro with colouring- 
 is irresistible ; for the artist can with certainty fix 
 the eye of the spectator on any part of his picture by 
 these alone, even when divested of subject or story. 
 
 r2 It
 
 76 COLOURING. 
 
 It is not an easy task to lay down an absolute 
 theory of colouring, when we consider the diffe- 
 rent styles used by different masters, all of whom 
 are considered good, yet differing so greatly that 
 we can hardly institute any comparison between 
 them. 
 
 Amongst the greatest colourists, we must enu- 
 merate Titian, Pordenone, Rembrandt, Rubens, 
 Giorgione, Jacomo Bassano, Correggio, Jordaens, 
 Tintoret, Paolo Veronese, Vandyke ; and so few 
 among the landscape painters, that one might be 
 justified in believing that good colouring in land- 
 scape is of more difficult attainment than in his- 
 torical painting. In this department Claude Lor- 
 raine, Gaspar Poussin, Salvator Rosa, Hobbima, 
 Rysdall, and a few others are to be included. 
 
 It was Titian's practice to have all his lights of 
 a warm yellowish hue, as if enlightened by the 
 setting sun ; others have made their highest lights 
 of a pure white : so that a picture by Titian, as Sir 
 J. Reynolds observes, makes all others that may 
 
 happen
 
 COLOURING. 77 
 
 happen to be near it, of a grey, or cold appear- 
 ance. 
 
 In landscape, Titian's method has been followed 
 by some with much success. His distances pos- 
 sess that sparkling and clear effect which is found 
 under the best state of atmosphere, and his fore- 
 grounds have an individuality about them, which 
 proceeds from the brown and earthy colours he 
 employed in the front of his picture. 
 
 Claude Lorraine, who is generally esteemed as 
 the head of the landscape painters, gained his 
 brilliancy in skies sometimes by an artifice that is 
 not always sufficiently concealed. Where he has 
 avoided it, his skies are equally splendid and 
 more easily contemplated. We allude to his prac- 
 tice of occasionally placing a very dark object 
 near the sun. This certainly produces the utmost 
 light that colour is capable of giving ; but the very 
 intense opposition thus created is always painful 
 if it make any approach to nature, and moreover 
 destroys all the rest of the picture, notwithstand- 
 ing
 
 78 COLOURING. 
 
 ing the greatest skill which may be employed to 
 counteract the evil. Many artists have followed 
 him in this mode of creating a strong light in the 
 sun or sky, but very rarely with his success ; and 
 where the success is not eminent the failure is 
 invariably great. 
 
 The Venetians have always been considered the 
 first colourists, although some of them, as Tintoret, 
 Paolo Veronese, and a few others, were suspected 
 by Sir Joshua Reynolds to have painted for no 
 other purpose than to be admired for their expert- 
 ness in the use of colours, and the display of that 
 art which ought always to be concealed. 
 
 There is in the paintings of this school a 
 brilliancy of light, supposed to spring from the use 
 of pure and unmixed colours, in the first operations, 
 which being repeated with a certain degree of 
 transparency, produced that internal light so 
 essential to brightness. 
 
 In his lights, Titian used rich and glowing 
 colours, avoiding dark masses of shade in those 
 
 portions
 
 COLOURING. 79 
 
 portions of the figure which were naked. He 
 always gave in his portraits the most power to 
 those features capable of the greatest expression, 
 as the mouth, the eyes, and nose. His colours 
 were few and simple, but he knew well how to 
 arrange them. It has been stated as his opinion, 
 that any one desirous of becoming a good colourist 
 must be well acquainted with three colours, viz. 
 white, red, and black. He also knew, as well 
 as Giorgione, the value of the three primitives, 
 azure, red, and yellow : that the first belongs to 
 shadows, that yellow is the representative (in 
 colour) of light, and that red is their connecting 
 link. This gradation is perceived to the greatest 
 advantage in those fine evening skies, where we 
 see the yellow tints of the horizon about the sun 
 graduated into rose tint, and this again into the 
 azure of the zenith. 
 
 Leonardi da Vinci reduced the number of colours 
 to two, white and black, the representatives of 
 light and darkness ; and between them made a 
 
 gradation
 
 80 COLOURING. 
 
 gradation of six colours, as white, yellow, green, 
 red, blue, black. Modern artists have, however, 
 reduced this number to five, if we include white 
 and black ; but as these are generally not consi- 
 dered colours, there will only remain the three 
 primitives, blue, red, and yellow. These only 
 are called primitives, as with them all other tints 
 and colours may be made ; and also, without any 
 one of the three, nothing like the colour left out 
 can be produced by the other two, even if we 
 admit white and black. It is also remarkable, 
 that the mixture of any two will make an opposite 
 or perfect contrast to the colour left out ; as with 
 blue and yellow we obtain green, the contrast to 
 red ; with red and blue we have purple, the con- 
 trast to yellow ; and lastly, by mixing red and 
 yellow, orange is created, the contrasting colour 
 to blue : again, if we mix the three together in 
 certain proportions, black is the product; or 
 mixed in other proportions, a shade tint is gained, 
 suitable to any of the tints or colours which can 
 
 be
 
 COLOURING. 81 
 
 be produced : and however the Venetian, Italian, 
 and Flemish artists might theorize, we see in their 
 practice that they understood the above scale in 
 its utmost perfection ; for in splendour, harmony, 
 and judicious contrast, all that colours can do they 
 have apparently achieved. 
 
 We have given below a table of contrasts, which 
 may be varied ad infinitum by subdivision of tints, 
 and also by difference in degrees of light, or depth 
 of each tint, or its opposing colour. 
 
 Colours arranged in contrast. 
 
 YELLOW Purple. 
 
 Yellow Orange Blue Purple. 
 
 Orange BLUE. 
 
 Red Orange Blue Green. 
 
 Dark Orange* Olive Green. 
 
 RED Green. 
 
 Russet Brownf ...Dark Green. 
 
 Red Purple Yellow Green. 
 
 Dark Purple Brown. J 
 
 The 
 
 * Raw Umber. f Madder Brown. J Vandyke Brown.
 
 82 COLOURING. 
 
 The cool tints are those made with blue and 
 yellow, or blue and red ; the warm colours are 
 those composed of yellow and red. But many 
 tints may have blue in them without being cold, 
 as some of the greys, autumnal greens, &c. 
 
 The colours of the rainbow also seem to be made 
 from the three primitive colours. The following 
 is the order in which they stand, with Sir I. New- 
 ton's proportions, taking the whole at 360 parts : 
 -Violet 80, Red 45, Orange 27, Yellow 48, 
 Green 60, Blue 60, Indigo 40. 
 
 There are two modes by which grandeur in 
 colouring may be obtained, which are widely dif- 
 ferent. One consists in reducing the colours 
 nearly to a state of light and shade, according to 
 the practice of the Bolognese school ; the other, 
 by preserving the colours in a forcible and bril- 
 liant condition, as practised by the artists of Flo- 
 rence and Rome. The distinct colours, blue, red, 
 and yellow, of the Roman school, have a striking 
 eftect, and from their opposition make an impres- 
 sion
 
 COLOURING. 83 
 
 sion of magnificence, widely differing from that 
 which is caused by the monotonous tints of the 
 Bolognian school : yet both are founded in sim- 
 plicity, and it is hard to say which is the most 
 impressive. These critiques on the different modes 
 of grandeur in colouring agree essentially with 
 similar opinions expressed by Sir J. Reynolds, 
 from whom we shall borrow an extract on the dif- 
 ferent modes of attaining harmony. He says : 
 " All the modes of harmony, or of producing that 
 " effect of colours which is required in a picture, 
 " may be reduced to three; two of which belong 
 " to the grand style, and the other to the orna- 
 " mental. The first maybe called the Roman 
 " manner, where the colours are of a full and 
 " strong body, such as are found in the ' Trans- 
 " figuration ;' the next is that harmony which is 
 " produced by what the ancients called the cor- 
 " ruption of the colours, by mixing and breaking 
 " them till there is a general union in the whole. 
 " This may be called the Bolognian style; and it 
 
 is
 
 84 COLOURING. 
 
 " is this hue and effect of colours, which Ludovico 
 " Carracci seems to have endeavoured to produce, 
 " though he did not carry it to that perfection 
 " which we have seen since his time in the small 
 " works of the Dutch school, particularly Jan 
 " Steen, where art is completely concealed, and 
 " the painter, like a great orator, never draws the 
 " attention from the subject on himself. The last 
 " manner belongs properly to the ornamental style, 
 " which we call the Venetian, being first practised 
 " at Venice ; but it is perhaps better learned 
 " from Rubens. Here the brightest colours pos- 
 " sible are admitted, with the two extremes of 
 " warm and cold, and those reconciled by being 
 " dispersed over the picture, till the whole appears 
 " like a bunch of flowers. 
 
 "As I have given instances from the Dutch 
 " school, where the art of breaking colour may be 
 " learned, we may recommend here an atten- 
 " tion to the works of Watteau for excellence in 
 " this florid style of painting. 
 
 " To
 
 COLOURING. 85 
 
 " To all these different manners there are some 
 " general rules that never must be neglected. 
 " First that the same colour which makes the 
 " largest mass, be diffused, and appear to revive 
 " in different parts of the picture ; for a single 
 " colour will make a spot or blot. Even the dis- 
 " persed flesh colour, which the faces and hands 
 ' occasion, requires a principal mass, which is 
 " best produced by a naked figure : but where 
 " the subject will not allow of this, a drapery ap- 
 " preaching to flesh colour will answer the purpose ; 
 " as in the ' Transfiguration,' where a woman is 
 *' clothed in drapery of this colour, which makes 
 " a principal to all the heads and hands of the 
 " picture: and for the sake of harmony, the colours, 
 " however distinguished in their light, should be 
 " nearly of the same simple unity in their sha- 
 " dows; and to give the utmost force, strength, 
 " and solidity to the work, some part of the 
 " picture should be as light, and some as dark 
 " as possible. These two extremes are, then, 
 
 " to
 
 86 COLOURING. 
 
 "to be harmonized and reconciled to each 
 " other. 
 
 " Instances when both of them are used may be 
 " observed in two pictures, which are equally emi- 
 " nent for the force and brilliancy of their effect. 
 " One is in the cabinet of the Duke of Rutland, 
 " and the other is in the Chapel of Rubens at 
 " Antwerp, which serves as his monument. In 
 " both these pictures he has introduced a female 
 " figure dressed in black satin, the shadows of 
 " which are as dark as pure black, opposed to the 
 " contrary extreme of brightness, can make them. 
 
 " If to these different manners we add one more, 
 " that in which a silver grey or pearly tint is pre- 
 " dominant, I believe every kind of harmony that 
 " can be produced by colours will be compre- 
 " bended. One of the greatest examples in this 
 " mode is the famous ' Marriage at Canaa,' in St. 
 " George's Church at Venice (now in the Louvre 
 :< in Paris), where the sky, which makes a very 
 " considerable part of the picture, is of the lightest 
 
 " blue
 
 COLOURING. 87 
 
 "blue colour and the clouds perfectly white: 
 " the rest of the picture is in the same key, 
 " wrought from this high pitch. We see likewise 
 " many pictures of Guido in this tint; and, indeed, 
 " those that are so are in his best manner. Female 
 " figures, angels, and children were the subjects 
 " in which Guido more particularly succeeded ; 
 " and to such, the cleanness and neatness of 
 " this tint perfectly corresponds, and contributes 
 " not a little to that exquisite beauty and delicacy 
 " which so much distinguishes his works. To 
 " see this style in perfection we must again have 
 " recourse to the Dutch school, particularly to 
 " the works of the younger Vandervelde and the 
 " younger Teneirs, whose pictures are valued by 
 " connoisseurs in proportion as they possess this 
 " excellence of a silver tint. Which of these 
 " different styles ought to be preferred, so as to 
 " meet every man's ideas, would be difficult to 
 " determine, from the predilection which every 
 " man has to the mode which is practised by 
 
 " the
 
 88 COLOURING. 
 
 " the school in which he has been educated ; 
 " but if any pre-eminence is to be given, it must 
 " be to that manner which stands in the highest 
 " estimation with mankind in general, and that 
 " is the Venetian style, or rather the manner of 
 " Titian, which simply considered as producing 
 " an effect of colours, will certainly eclipse with 
 " its splendour whatever is brought into competi- 
 " tion with it. But as I hinted before, if female 
 " delicacy and beauty be the principal object 
 " of the painter's aim, the purity and cleanness 
 " of the tints of Guido will correspond better, 
 " and more contribute to produce it, than even 
 " the glowing tint of Titian." 
 
 The following passage from Mr. Burke's work 
 on the ' Sublime and Beautiful' contains many ex- 
 cellent hints for a delicacy in the use of colours that 
 we do not remember to have seen elsewhere, and 
 which are worthy of much consideration. Speak- 
 ing of beauty in colour he says : " As to the colours 
 " usually found in beautiful bodies, it may be 
 
 "somewhat
 
 COLOURING. 89 
 
 " somewhat difficult to ascertain them, because 
 " in the several parts of nature there is an 
 " infinite variety. However, even in this variety, 
 " we may mark out something on which to settle. 
 " First, the colours of beautiful bodies must not 
 " be dusky or muddy, but clean and fair. Se- 
 " condly, they must not be of the strongest kind. 
 " Those which seem most appropriated to beauty 
 " are the milder of every sort ; light greens, soft 
 " blues, weak whites, pink reds, and violets. 
 " Thirdly, if the colours be strong and vivid, 
 " they are always diversified, and the object is 
 " never of one strong colour : there are almost 
 " always such a number of them (as in variegated 
 " flowers), that the strength and glare of each is 
 " considerably abated. In a fine complexion 
 " there is not only some variety in the colouring, 
 " but the colours, neither the red nor the white, 
 " are strong and glaring : besides, they are mixed 
 " in such a manner, and with such gradations, 
 " that it is impossible to fix the bounds. On the 
 
 G " same
 
 90 COLOURING. 
 
 " same principle it is, that the dubious colour in 
 " the necks and tails of peacocks, and about 
 " the heads of drakes, is so very agreeable. In 
 " reality, the beauty both of shape and colouring 
 " are as nearly related, as we can well suppose 
 " it possible for things of such different natures 
 " to be." 
 
 In concluding this division of our work we must 
 remind the student, that without a judicious and 
 extremely careful use of contrasts, he cannot ob- 
 tain any thing of purity or delicacy in colouring. 
 Astronomers are now aware that the true colour of 
 a star can only be known in the presence of its 
 contrast ; yet many ages had passed before they 
 found out this simple fact, namely, that the class 
 to which a delicate colour belongs can only be 
 known by bringing near it the tint or colour from 
 which it is farthest removed in its nature : a cir- 
 cumstance long known to the best artists, and 
 confirmed by the following experiment, which 
 also proves, at the same time, that there are mul- 
 titudes
 
 COLOURING. 91 
 
 titudes of colours whose very existence is unknown 
 to us, until their contrasts bring them within the 
 scope of our limited powers of vision. 
 
 When a fine gradation of colour has been made 
 on paper and carried into pure water, that part 
 which is invisible, having no other apparent tint 
 than clear, unsullied paper, will appear, on placing 
 the opposing or contrasting tint by its side, of a 
 wedge-like shape. The broadest part will be 
 where the tint which is brought into sight is 
 strongest ; the point will be the weakest, and 
 will touch the contrasting colour ; and the whole 
 wedge of colour will again vanish on taking away 
 the contrast. If the graduated colour be yellow, 
 the purple, its contrast, should be placed on a 
 separate paper, cut to a perfectly straight edge, and 
 then placed on the graduated colours.
 
 PICTURESQUE. 
 
 THE most general meaning given to the term 
 " picturesque" is, that wildness which nature 
 exhibits in her neglected state ; as the unrestrain- 
 ed growth of vegetable matter, pools of water, 
 forsaken gravel-pits, ruins of castles and abbeys 
 with all their rich accompaniments, and that ap- 
 propriate variety of forms which is implied by the 
 word " picturesque." 
 
 But if we take this word in a sense often given 
 to it, as applicable to any subject having sufficient 
 material for an agreeable picture, it might be ne- 
 cessary to include every natural, and very many 
 artificial objects; for it is remarkable, how the 
 most unpromising scenes may be wrought into 
 
 good
 
 PICTURESQUE. 93 
 
 good pictures by proper attention to the chiaro- 
 scuro, especially in the skies. 
 
 Gerrard Lairesse says, that a good sky in 
 painting is a proof of very great talent : and certainly 
 much depends on it, as a view in the fens or 
 marshes, where the distance is bounded by a 
 straight line and the front a level plain, will be- 
 come picturesque with a judiciously-arranged sky 
 and suitable light and shade upon the land ; or the 
 most formal piece of architecture on a smooth 
 lawn, with other objects equally prim, may be 
 made into an agreeable picture, merely by the aid 
 of a powerful chiaro-scuro, and that infinite 
 variety of natural colours, with their gradations 
 and oppositions, which may at all times be called 
 to our assistance in subjects of difficulty ; for 
 where nature has done nothing every thing rests 
 with the artist; even where nature has been 
 most bountiful, he must well consider before he 
 can copy what he sees and form it into a complete 
 picture. 
 
 Whether
 
 94 PICTURESQUE. 
 
 Whether the term " picturesque" can be applied 
 to the highest class of painting has been disputed. 
 Sir J. Reynolds, speaking on this subject, says : 
 " The works of Michael Angelo and Raffaelle 
 " appear to me to have nothing of it, whereas 
 " Rubens and the Venetian School may almost be 
 " said to have nothing else. Perhaps 'picturesque' 
 " is somewhat synonimous to the word * taste/ 
 " which we should improperly apply to Homer or 
 " to Milton, but very well to Pope or Prior. I 
 " suspect that the application of these words is to 
 " excellencies which are incompatible with the 
 " grand style." But, in conclusion, he adds, 
 that he is not quite certain that the restrictions he 
 has made to the general application of the word 
 " picturesque" are quite valid. 
 
 Simplicity and variety constitute the leading 
 principle of the picturesque. To obtain grandeur 
 there should be much simplicity. Where variety 
 abounds it approaches, and generally becomes, 
 what is termed beautiful in landscape. 
 
 Among
 
 PICTURESQUE. 95 
 
 Among the best painters of sylvan scenery we 
 must reckon Rysdale, Hobbima, Waterloo, and 
 Swanevelt. The number of objects which they 
 brought into their pictures was limited only to 
 such incidents as the woods afforded. Sometimes 
 a cottage or a mill partially appeared, with a foot- 
 path, a stile, a mill-race, or clear pool of still 
 water underneath the shade of some huge oak, 
 inverting the landscape in its darkened mirror. 
 All these things they duly studied, and gave to 
 them the truth and finish of unadorned nature. 
 
 It would almost seem that a distinct faculty is 
 required to perceive and comprehend those ideas 
 which are called picturesque ; for the great Dr. 
 Johnson has shewn, that reading, however vast, 
 will do little towards creating that ardent love and 
 admiration for the Creator's grandest works, un- 
 less there be a predisposing cause, which we some- 
 times call " taste" or "genius," or an " additional 
 ' faculty." In his journey through the Western 
 Isles of Scotland he says : " The hills are almost 
 
 " totally
 
 96 PICTURESQUE. 
 
 " totally covered with dark heath, and even that 
 " appears checked in its growth. What is not heath 
 " is nakedness ; a little diversified now and then 
 " by a stream rushing down the steep. An eye ac- 
 " customed to flowery pastures and waving har- 
 " vests, is astonished and repelled by this wide 
 " extent of hopeless sterility. The appearance is 
 " that of matter incapable of form or usefulness, 
 " dismissed by Nature from her care, disinherited 
 " of her favour, and left in its original elemental 
 " state, or quickened only with one sullen power 
 " of useless vegetation." How much of happiness 
 and real enjoyment the good Doctor lost by not 
 possessing that " additional faculty," I leave those 
 to say, who have viewed the splendid and sublime 
 wastes of Scotland under a different feeling. 
 
 Strictly speaking, it will rarely happen that 
 embellished scenery can be admitted among the 
 truly picturesque. The pencil prefers those scenes 
 where Nature has been undisturbed for ages, 
 where all things are untrimmed. The figures in 
 
 such
 
 PICTURESQUE. 97 
 
 such scenes must be peasants in their usual garb ; 
 cattle, such as cattle naturally are, not the high- 
 bred prize ox, nor the elegant race-horse saddled 
 ready for a start with his party-coloured rider.* 
 
 When buildings occur, they should shew as 
 little of art as possible : therefore the humble 
 cottage, with its straw or heathy thatch over- 
 grown with weeds and mosses, is more picturesque 
 than the finished mansion ; yet the finest speci- 
 mens of architecture when in ruins, and decorated 
 with those adjuncts which nature in a series of 
 years will invariably supply, are to be classed 
 among the most picturesque subjects. 
 
 In England, embellished scenery possesses a 
 grace which no other country can boast of, and 
 has great claims to 'admiration, on account of its 
 utility as well as pictorial beauty. 
 
 The oak, unequalled in other countries, is here 
 a striking object, and the richest ornament of our 
 
 parks 
 
 * All animals, however high their condition, become picturesque when in 
 violent action.
 
 98 PICTURESQUE. 
 
 parks or forests when varied by all its brilliant 
 autumnal tints, whether on the foreground or in 
 the distance, where the forms taken by large 
 masses of oaks are of the noblest kind. In every 
 other species of vegetable life there is a freshness 
 of verdure in the spring, and in the autumn a 
 rich assemblage of colours, which cannot be sur- 
 passed and are rarely seen elsewhere. This, to- 
 gether with the protection which private property 
 has received from our insular position, affording 
 an opportunity of improvements being continued 
 through successive generations, with all the con- 
 sequent additions of experience, has given to 
 English park-scenery much of the picturesque 
 and of grandeur, if not of the sublime. In many 
 parks trees have been allowed to stand until they 
 have assumed all the pictorial qualities that decay 
 generally gives to them. A naturalist (Lawson 
 on ' Orchards '), lamenting in feeling language the 
 decay to which trees are subject, among other 
 things speaks of hollow and rotten trees, with 
 
 dead
 
 PICTURESQUE 99 
 
 dead arms, withered tops, curtailed trunks co- 
 vered with moss, and dying branches, &c. Had 
 he been seeking for picturesque objects his tone 
 would have been different ; for it is to be regret- 
 ted, that utility is not always the test of the 
 picturesque. 
 
 It does not follow, because a tree is dead or 
 disfigured, that it is picturesque ; but it is so, 
 rather, on account of the scenery with which it is 
 associated. In forests, where we mostly find 
 such objects, we also find all the proper accom- 
 paniments. In village scenery we frequently see 
 the old cottage or farm-house sheltered by their 
 coeval trees, and it is the whole together which 
 makes the picturesque. A dead tree placed on a 
 smooth lawn, in front of a handsome mansion, 
 would not be tolerated by its most enthusiastic 
 admirers, being here too much out of place. 
 
 Among trees, the ash, the mountain ash, the 
 birch, and abele, are the most elegant. Virgil 
 justly, when speaking of the ash, calls it "frtwi- 
 
 nus
 
 100 PICTURESQUE. 
 
 nus in sylvis pulcherrima" the most beautiful of 
 the forest ; but as a picturesque tree it will not 
 compare with the oak, particularly when in a 
 state of decay or aged : in health and full vigour 
 gracefulness is its characteristic. 
 
 The beech, in its most perfect condition, has a 
 grandeur to which the ash and elm never attain. 
 Its extended and leafy head, supported upon a 
 trunk that is finely formed, often variegated with 
 moss and other excrescences, upon a bark which 
 is always of an agreeable hue, together with other 
 strong features, make it well worthy the attention 
 of the draughtsman. 
 
 The elm partakes much of the oak in appear- 
 ance, and unites some of its grandeur with a 
 lightness of foliage peculiar to itself. Usually 
 growing upright and to a great height, it gives 
 dignity to the landscape around it. 
 
 The white poplar with large leaves (better 
 known as the abele) is a magnificent ornament 
 either to park or forest. It has the light grace- 
 fulness
 
 PICTURESQUE. 101 
 
 fulness of the ash, united to the wide-spreading 
 and massive dignity of the beech. The trunk 
 most frequently rises to a great height before any 
 branches are thrown out ; the bark is of light 
 ashy grey, generally banded with dark patches 
 in the manner of the birch. The mosses which 
 grow on the abele are always of a rich colour, 
 that contrast well with both foliage and bark, and 
 we have no inhabitant of the forest that surpasses 
 it in height, grandeur, or beauty of form, when 
 it is pleased with the soil on which it stands ; 
 but the softness of the timber will always prevent 
 it from being a favourite in plantations, where the 
 utile, is preferred to the dulce. 
 
 We are much surprized how this tree should 
 have escaped the acute notice of Mr. Gilpin in 
 his excellent work on forest scenery, whilst he 
 was describing with such accuracy other poplars 
 of much less beauty. 
 
 Our limited space will not permit us to notice 
 the whole list of trees and shrubs, which are all 
 
 worthy
 
 102 PICTURESQUE. 
 
 worthy of attention, each for some peculiarity of 
 character or colour, especially in autumn, when 
 a portion of their leaves have fallen, and the rest 
 become tinged with the hues of the season : as 
 the light tawny of the plane-tree; the varied 
 yellows, yellow greens, and browns of the oak ; 
 the bright yellow of the hazel ; dull brown of the 
 sycamore ; pale yellow of the maple ; tawny 
 green of the elm ; the pale lemon yellow of the 
 ash ; and in late autumn, the deep and bright 
 reds of the beech and wild cherry-tree, &c. 
 
 At this season of solemn grandeur we see dis- 
 played the richness and grace of those combina- 
 tions and groupings, both in form and colour, 
 which Nature uses in her forest scenes. Such 
 impress the mind with a sense of awe, of which 
 the Druids were well aware, when they esta- 
 blished their sacrifices and their divinities in the 
 woods. 
 
 Nor dissimilar are the sensations occasionally 
 felt in passing over extensive mountains and wastes, 
 
 where
 
 PICTURESQUE. 103 
 
 where the wanderer finds himself separated from 
 the world, the sole tenant of the wilderness, hold- 
 ing communion with a solitude and silence almost 
 oppressive. But it is in these places that the 
 artist and poet must seek the sublime as well as 
 the most picturesque impressions, not in formal 
 street perspective, with a re-iteration of doors and 
 windows, or amidst the artificial groves of the 
 landscape gardener. 
 
 Amongst the sources of the picturesque which 
 belong almost exclusively to Great Britain, are 
 those effects produced by the occasional heaviness 
 of our atmosphere, arising from the natural humi- 
 dity of the climate, giving to distances an obscu- 
 rity in some places, whilst at the same moment, 
 in others, there will be a distinctness equalling 
 the clearness produced by an Italian sky. This 
 allows to artists the liberty of enlightening such 
 parts of the distance as are agreeable in character : 
 others, which are not so, may be suffused with 
 vapour, or hidden by a partial shower of rain, or 
 
 rendered
 
 1 04 - PICTURESQUE. 
 
 rendered gloomy by the shadows of clouds. That 
 haziness, so frequent in our islands, which, with- 
 out destroying, throws a thin veil over the whole 
 of harmonizing power, gives to the picture a 
 repose, frequently more grateful to the eye than is 
 effected by a brilliant atmosphere, where the sharp 
 outlines and distinct colours often produce a 
 painful species of detail throughout the land- 
 scape. 
 
 The months of September, October, and No- 
 vember, shew the most picturesque effects. In 
 the mornings and evening we have then more of 
 what the artist calls air-tint. We see masses of 
 shadow cast into large breadths by the lowness of 
 the sun, creating a rich and quiet tone of repose 
 wherever they fall. Their richness is occasioned 
 by the faint marking of colours and forms, when 
 seen through the deep misty greys of an autumnal 
 morn or eve ; yet so harmoniously blended, as to 
 leave unbroken and undisturbed the necessary 
 repose of the picture. The lights are more bril- 
 liant
 
 PICTURESQUE. 105 
 
 liant by this contrast, and mark with the greater 
 precision the character of every object. 
 
 The colours of vegetation, in these months, 
 partake more of light than the deep monotonous 
 greens of early summer, when the woods and fields 
 wear all one livery, and of a colour, although 
 agreeable, not gay. In the autumn the colours are 
 of a more varied and cheerful nature. Even the 
 colours of buildings seem to have changed with 
 the season ; and we now find in views of towns or 
 villages, when seen not too far off, all the modifi- 
 cations of red, brown, orange, buff, greys, white, 
 &c., contrasted by an universal pearly shade-tint, 
 which throws a whole city into differently-shaped 
 masses of chiaro-scuro, most frequently so con- 
 veniently disposed, that the eye sees with remark- 
 able precision, objects which, under a more ele- 
 vated sun, become in a manner indistinct, from 
 their multitude, and the distracting glare of light 
 which in one universal stream descends on the 
 whole scene. 
 
 ii We
 
 106 PICTURESQUE. 
 
 We find in mountain scenery a great diversity 
 of outline, but not all equally good. When seen 
 against the sky, they should have nothing either 
 formal or fantastic, but be continued in irregularly 
 undulating lines, which are always beautiful, and 
 occasionally broken by abrupt or precipitous de- 
 scents. Amongst the finest forms the pyramidal 
 takes the lead, being that which unites in itself 
 the first principles of grandeur, strength, and 
 magnitude. In painting, these lines should not be 
 too distinctly marked, but partake of that filmy 
 texture which belongs to distant objects. The 
 pyramidal form may also be reversed and made 
 very picturesque ; as, for example, the straight 
 line of a bridge crossing the inclined lines of a 
 deep ravine which meet towards the bottom of a 
 picture ; but this can only be used with effect 
 near the foreground or in the middle distance. 
 
 Nothing can be more beautifully picturesque 
 than the light, floating colours of the mountains. 
 They are continually changing, sometimes from a 
 
 pale
 
 PICTURESQUE. 107 
 
 pale sunny yellow to the hue of the peach bloom, 
 and this converted most magically into the violet 
 and azure of the mountain shades ; the whole 
 again reconverted with variegated splendour into 
 lights, shadows, and colours equally illusive, by 
 the prismatic effect of some thin vapour arising 
 from the earth. The shadows of clouds passing 
 over the sides of mountains add also greatly to 
 their grandeur, by producing that breadth and 
 unity of shade-tint so essential to their character. 
 
 The features in a foreground, to be picturesque, 
 should be strongly marked. What is picturesque 
 in a distance is not so on a foreground, where the 
 colours and forms are well made out. Objects on 
 the foreground, to be picturesque, should be so 
 disposed, that their lights, shadows, colours, &c. 
 may contrast agreeably those of the distances. 
 
 Where a large mass of shade is wanted, trees 
 will supply it ; if warm browns or greys, the 
 trunks of trees or rocks may be made subservient ; 
 or if the grey or azure of the distant tints are to 
 
 H 2 be
 
 1 08 PICTURESQUE. 
 
 be opposed, the autumnal colours of foliage may 
 be used, of which there is abundant choice. 
 
 In broken earth a great variety of ochres and 
 browns are to be found, and for red, black, white, 
 brown, and grey, cattle will furnish all that can 
 be required ; or for the more positive colours, as 
 scarlet, yellow, and blue, figures clothed in these 
 tints, and in appropriate positions and action, 
 can be introduced to fill up the arrangement of the 
 picture. 
 
 The sea with its shores is an inexhaustible study, 
 presenting in itself an endless choice and variety 
 of effects. In certain states of the atmosphere 
 there is a beautiful mingling and interchanging of 
 colours on the surface of the ocean, breaking and 
 making agreeable, sometimes, even the monotony 
 of a calm. 
 
 With an increase of wind, the same scene 
 which before was merely pleasing becomes highly 
 interesting. The waves are crested with foam, 
 vessels take every possible attitude, and receive 
 
 all
 
 PICTURESQUE. 100 
 
 all the varieties of light as the shades occasioned 
 by the clouds pass away. The distant and dark 
 blue sea assumes as it approaches an olive green, 
 sometimes a drab colour or other hues of gayer 
 tint, with every imaginary shape and size of waves 
 rolling in ceaseless change, making the sea alone, 
 even without the accompaniment of sands or cliffs, 
 a highly picturesque subject. 
 
 A storm at sea adds sublimity to the picturesque. 
 Those enormous collections of clouds, the harbingers 
 
 ' O 
 
 of thunder, the subdued pale grey lights which 
 edge the under-clouds, the lurid tints, as of flame 
 seen through a black veil, the scattered and torn 
 fragments in the zenith hastening to a junction 
 with the larger masses, and the darkened colours 
 of the sea in its agitation mingling with the sky, 
 contain all the elements of the sublime. Here 
 even a ship of war of the largest class seen moving 
 through the flying foam, with its light sails spread 
 against the deepening gloom, its tall spars bending 
 before the tempest, is grandly picturesque ; when 
 
 alone,
 
 110 PICTURESQUE. 
 
 alone, and at rest in a quiet harbour, it has not 
 the least claim to the term. 
 
 Marine views may have their interest greatly 
 increased by rocks, sands, and their characteristic 
 figures ; boats on shore, birds which frequent the 
 ocean, sea- weed, pieces of wreck, nets, baskets, 
 fishermen's huts, and all their usual accompani- 
 ments.
 
 ( 111 ) 
 
 B E A U T Y, GRACE, 
 
 AND 
 
 EXPRESSION. 
 
 THE opinions of all civilized nations have 
 tended to establish certain forms and colours as 
 beautiful, and these most generally are founded 
 on the perfection of the object to which the term 
 is applied. 
 
 Some will not admit the existence of abstract 
 beauty. Amongst them we find Voltaire, who 
 very unfairly omits every thing that might go 
 against his opinion. He states the whole matter 
 as entirely relative ; that things esteemed beauti- 
 ful in Paris might not be so esteemed in London, 
 and that a toad will consider the perfection of 
 
 beauty
 
 112 BEAUTY, GRACE, 
 
 beauty as resting among toads, &c. He also 
 descends to sarcasm; but sarcasm is not argu- 
 ment. 
 
 The Greeks, when establishing their ideas of 
 beauty in the human figure, appear to have taken 
 for their guide a very simple rule as a first prin- 
 ciple, and refined on it until they were enabled 
 to produce those perfections of form and expres- 
 sion, which have been allowed through successive 
 ages as standards of beauty, of grace, and subli- 
 mity. They saw that, in the human countenance, 
 a depressed forehead, a flat nose, and projecting 
 mouth, is too nearly allied to the brute formation, 
 and that a gradation might be traced from the 
 lowest animals, through the dog, monkey, ouran- 
 outang, negro, and Tartar, up to the European, 
 or, as termed by physiologists, the Caucasian 
 variety, in the great family of mankind. They 
 found in the Caucasian variety, that the head 
 above the eyes is large, and well developed, par- 
 ticularly towards the front and in the forehead, 
 
 and
 
 AND EXPRESSION. 113 
 
 and that the face comparatively is small, and falls 
 perpendicularly from the cranium, the face oval, 
 nose moderately prominent, the mouth small, the 
 chin well rounded, &c. To these forms they 
 found added an intellectual energy and moral 
 perception, capable of such extensive cultivation 
 and refinement, as to warrant them in supposing 
 that, as the facial line is elevated, in the same 
 proportion intelligence increases. Following this 
 rule, they have given to those heads which they 
 wished to possess the greatest dignity, a coun- 
 tenance nearly perpendicular; and in their statues 
 of the gods they have carried this rule so far as 
 to make the forehead project beyond the face, 
 thus attaining the farthest possible remove from 
 the formation of the lower animals. 
 
 It is this refinement which is termed ideal 
 beauty, and which we can only well understand 
 by examining their statues, where we shall find 
 that perfections which never exist altogether in 
 any one individual are collected into a perfect 
 
 whole,
 
 ] 14 BEAUTY, GRACE, 
 
 whole, making an aggregation of beauties which 
 are constantly to be found in nature, but never 
 altogether in the most favoured individual. 
 
 From this it appears that the Greeks did not 
 go upon vague notions; they seem to have worked 
 upon a great leading principle, and by doing so 
 have gained the suffrages of the whole civilized 
 world. And we find that beauty, whether ab- 
 stract or relative, is judged by that created being 
 which possesses the greatest reasoning power, to 
 consist in those forms capable of the highest state 
 of intellect, and also best fitted to perform all 
 the duties of its position in the world, by being 
 composed of those medial forms which are equally 
 removed from redundancy or attenuation. 
 
 Thus we might be justified in asserting the 
 existence of abstract beauty. Or it may be 
 asked, whether the opinion of the being best 
 fitted to reason and judge shall have weight, or 
 whether by subtilizing we are to grant an equal 
 right to those beings which have no reason, des- 
 cending
 
 AND EXPRESSION. 115 
 
 cending in this extraordinary spirit of liberality 
 through the first dawnings of animal or vegetable 
 life into lifeless matter, as no point can be assign- 
 ed where we are to stop, until we might conclude 
 with certain philosophers, that the qualities of all 
 material things are ideal, and in this manner arrive 
 at the monstrous absurdity, that it is quite indiffe- 
 rent whether an object be loathsome or lovely. 
 
 It is certain that, in all the species of created 
 beings, there are particular states of perfection 
 which may be called beautiful for want of a 
 better term. But it is also certain, that some 
 beings are more perfect than others, and that 
 man surpasses them all ; therefore, in the human 
 figure are we to look for those lines and forms 
 which we call beautiful, a word for which the 
 Greeks, having no equivalent, used others, com- 
 prehending many more excellencies than our own. 
 As Sir J. Reynolds observes : " It is from rei- 
 " terated experience, and a close comparison of 
 " the objects in nature, that an artist becomes 
 
 " possessed
 
 116 BEAUTY, GRACE. 
 
 '* possessed of the idea of that central form, if I 
 " may so express it, from which every deviation 
 " is deformity. But the investigation of this 
 " form, 1 grant, is painful : and I know but of 
 " one method of shortening the road ; this is, by 
 " a careful study of the works of the ancient 
 " sculptors, who being indefatigable in the school 
 " of nature, have left models of that perfect form 
 " behind them which an artist would prefer as 
 " supremely beautiful, who had spent his whole 
 " life in that single contemplation. 
 
 " This laborious investigation, I am aware, 
 " must appear superfluous to those who think 
 " every thing is to be done by felicity and the 
 " powers of native genius. Even the great Bacon 
 " treats with ridicule the idea of confining pro- 
 " portion to rules, or of producing beauty by 
 " selection. A man cannot tell, says he, whether 
 " Apelles or Albert Durer were the more trifler, 
 " whereof the one would make a personage by 
 " geometrical proportions, the other by taking 
 
 " the
 
 AND EXPRESSION. 1 1 7 
 
 " the best parts out of divers faces to make one 
 " excellent. * * * The painter, he adds, must do 
 " it by a kind of felicity and not by rule. 
 
 " It is not safe," continues Sir Joshua Rey- 
 nolds, " to question any opinion of so great a 
 " writer and so profound a thinker as undoubt- 
 " edly Bacon was ; but he studies brevity to ex- 
 " cess, and therefore his meaning is sometimes 
 " doubtful. If he mean that beauty has nothing 
 "to do with rule, he is mistaken. There is a 
 " rule obtained out of general nature, to contra- 
 " diet which is to fall into deformity. Whenever 
 " any thing is done beyond this rule, it is in 
 " virtue of some other rule which is followed 
 " along with it, but which does not contradict it. 
 " Every thing which is wrought with certainty is 
 " wrought upon some principle ; if it is not, it 
 " cannot be repeated. 
 
 " If by felicity is meant any thing of chance 
 " or hazard, or something born with a man and 
 " not earned, I cannot agree with this great 
 
 " philosopher.
 
 1 1 8 BEAUTY, GRACE, 
 
 " philosopher. Every object which pleases, must 
 " give us pleasure upon some certain principles ; 
 " but as the objects of pleasure are almost infinite, 
 " so their principles vary without end, and every 
 " man finds them out, not by felicity or success- 
 " ful hazard, but by care and sagacity. 
 
 " To the principle I have laid down, that the 
 " idea of beauty in each species of beings is an 
 " invariable one, it may be objected, that in 
 " every particular species there are various central 
 " forms which are separate and distinct from each 
 " other, and yet are undeniably beautiful ; that 
 " in the human figure, for instance, the beauty of 
 " Hercules is one, of the Gladiator another, of 
 " the Apollo another, which makes so many 
 " different kinds of beauty. 
 
 " It is true, indeed, that these figures are each 
 " perfect in their kind, though of different charac- 
 " ters and proportions, but still none of them is 
 " the representation of an individual but of a 
 " class. And as there is one general form which, 
 
 " as
 
 AND EXPRESSION. 1 19 
 
 " as I have said, belongs to the human kind at 
 " large, so in each of these classes there is one 
 " common idea and central form, which is the 
 " abstract of the various individual forms belong- 
 " ing to that class. Thus, though the forms of 
 " childhood and age differ exceedingly, there 
 " is a common form in childhood and a common 
 " form in age, which is the more perfect as it is 
 " more remote from all peculiarities. But I 
 " must add, further, that though the most 
 " perfect forms of each of the general divisions 
 " of the human figure are ideal, and superior to 
 " any individual form of that class, yet the highest 
 " perfection of the human figure is not to be 
 " found in any one of them. It is not in the 
 " Hercules, nor in the Gladiator, nor in the 
 " Apollo, but in that form which is taken from 
 " all, and which partakes equally of the activity 
 " of the Gladiator, of the delicacy of the Apollo, 
 " and the muscular strength of the Hercules ; 
 " for perfect beauty in any species must com- 
 
 " bine
 
 1 20 BEAUTY, GRACE, 
 
 " bine all the characters which are beautiful in 
 " that species. It cannot consist in any one to 
 "the exclusion of the rest; no one, therefore, 
 " must be predominant, that no one may be 
 " deficient." 
 
 In another place Sir Joshua adds : " Thus, 
 " among blades of grass or leaves of the same 
 " tree, though no two can be found exactly alike, 
 " the general form is invariable. A naturalist, 
 " before he chose one as a sample, would examine 
 " many ; since, if he took the first that occurred, 
 " it might have by accident, or otherwise, such 
 " a form, as that it would scarce be known to 
 " belong to that species he selects, as the painter 
 " does the most beautiful, that is, the most 
 " general form of perfect nature." 
 
 It was the opinion of Mr. Burke, that smooth- 
 ness is of great importance in the constitution of 
 every beautiful object. He says : " It is a quality 
 " so essential to beauty, that I do not now re- 
 " collect any thing beautiful that is not smooth. 
 
 " In
 
 AND EXPRESSION. 121 
 
 "In trees and flowers smooth leaves are beauti- 
 " ful ; smooth coats of birds and beasts are 
 " beautiful, &c. A very considerable part of the 
 " effect of beauty is owing to this quality, 
 " indeed the most considerable ; for take any 
 " beautiful object and give it a broken and 
 " rugged surface, and however well formed, if 
 " it want not this, it becomes more pleasing 
 " than almost all the others without it. This 
 " seems to me so evident, that I am a good deal 
 " surprized that none who have handled the 
 " subject have made any mention of the quality 
 " of smoothness, in the enumeration of those 
 " that go to the formation of beauty ; for, indeed, 
 " any ruggedness, any sudden projection, any 
 " sharp angle, is in the highest degree contrary 
 " to that idea. 
 
 " But as perfect beautiful bodies are not com- 
 " posed of angular parts, so their parts never 
 " continue long in the same right line. They 
 " vary their direction every moment, and they 
 
 i " change
 
 122 BEAUTY, GRACE, 
 
 " change under the eye by a deviation continually 
 " carrying on, but for whose beginning or end you 
 " will find it difficult to ascertain a point. The 
 " view of a beautiful bird will illustrate this ob- 
 " servation. * * * I have before me the idea 
 " of a dove, it agrees very well with most of the 
 " conditions of beauty. It is smooth, and its 
 " parts are (to use that expression) melted into one 
 " another: you are presented with no sudden 
 " protuberance through the whole, and yet the 
 " whole is continually changing. * * * lean 
 " strengthen my theory in this point, by the 
 " opinion of the very ingenious Mr. Hogarth, 
 " whose idea of the line of beauty (the serpentine) 
 " I take in general to be extremely just; but the 
 " idea of variation, without attending so accurately 
 " to the manner of the variation, has led him to 
 " consider angular figures as beautiful. These 
 ** figures, it is true, vary greatly, yet they vary 
 " in a sudden and broken manner; and I do not 
 " find any natural object which is angular, and at 
 
 " the
 
 AND EXPRESSION. 123 
 
 " the same time beautiful. Indeed, few natural 
 " objects are entirely angular." 
 
 The ancients (we speak of the times of Apelles) 
 divided painting into five principal parts ; inven- 
 tion, symmetry, colour (including chiaro-scuro), 
 expression, and disposition : yet they appear to 
 have thought a sixth necessary, or rather essential 
 to the completion of the whole, for however cor- 
 rectly the five first were observed, without grace, 
 which we have termed the sixth, they deemed 
 the whole of any work of art imperfect. This 
 grace was to be obtained by a becoming propriety 
 in every separate point, and again, by a concor- 
 dance or mutual agreement of all the five. 
 
 Grace seems to be a part of beauty, for it is cer- 
 tainly the highest state of perfection to which 
 whatever is beautiful can arrive. It makes beauty 
 more lovely by a delicacy of expression in action, 
 form, and mind. It is a quality readily perceived 
 but difficult of explanation, without the presence 
 of those works which contain the only language 
 
 i 2 by
 
 124 BEAUTY, GRACE, 
 
 by which we can understand this indescribable 
 perfection, as a careful contemplation of the Medi- 
 cean Venus, the Apollo Belvidere, the Antinous, 
 and others will best shew. In these we shall find 
 lines possessing more or less of the ellipsis in such 
 endless varying forms, from every point of view, 
 that the geometrician and writer are equally 
 baffled in attempting a description of them. 
 
 Grace requires simplicity ; constraint and affec- 
 tation destroy it. Almost all the actions of children 
 were thought by Sir J. Reynolds to possess this 
 quality, and that gracefulness left them when the 
 lessons of the dancing-master commenced. In 
 support of this opinion he might have quoted 
 Cicero, who in his first book De Oratore, adds, 
 " Roscius often says in my hearing, that a 
 " graceful propriety is the principal point of art, 
 " and this is the only thing which cannot be pro- 
 " ducedbyart." 
 
 Grace may be considered as the harmonious 
 accordance of the action with the agent ; therefore 
 
 that
 
 AND EXPRESSION. 125 
 
 that grace which is becoming in the female form 
 would be unsuitable to the male : in man it must 
 have something more of dignity. This nice dis- 
 tinction was so well understood by Raffaelle, that 
 he may be said to have possessed the whole quality 
 in its fullest extent ; and the following passage 
 taken from Mr. Roscoe's excellent translation of 
 the history of painting in Italy by the Abate Luigi 
 Lanzi, gives us a great idea of the power that Raf- 
 faelle had attained in this essential and fascinating 
 department of the art. " Another quality which 
 " Raffaelle possessed in an eminent degree was 
 " grace, a quality which may be said to confer an 
 " additional charm on beauty itself. Something 
 " might, perhaps, be advantageously added to the 
 " forms of his children and other delicate figures 
 " which he represented, but nothing can add to 
 " their gracefulness ; for if it were attempted to 
 " be carried further, it would degenerate into 
 " affectation, as we find in Parmegiano. His Ma- 
 " donnas enchant us, as Mengs observes, not 
 
 " because
 
 126 BEAUTY, GRACE, 
 
 " because they possess the perfect lineaments 
 " of the Medicean Venus or of the celebrated 
 " daughter of Niobe, but because the painter in 
 " their portraits and in their expressive smiles has 
 " personified modesty, maternal love, purity of 
 " mind, and in a word, grace itself. Nor did he 
 " impress this character on the countenance alone, 
 " but distributed it throughout the figure in its 
 " attitude, gesture, and action, and in the folds 
 " of the drapery, with a dexterity which may be 
 " admired but can never be surpassed. His free- 
 " dom of execution was a component part of his 
 " grace, which indeed vanishes as soon as labour 
 " and study appear ; for it is with the painter as 
 " with the orator, in whom a natural and spon- 
 taneous eloquence delights us, while we turn 
 " away with indifference from an artificial and 
 " studied harangue." 
 
 Grace should be extended to expression. A 
 figure, a statue, or a plant may stand gracefully, 
 or they may be moved or represent motion grace- 
 fully,
 
 AND EXPRESSION. 127 
 
 fully, but it is only when expression is added 
 to grace, and both superadded to beauty, that 
 the latter becomes perfect. 
 
 Expression, we are of opinion, should be held 
 as the highest department of painting. Some 
 give to invention the first place, whilst others 
 grant it to composition : yet without expression, 
 the finest works of art are nothing more than a 
 heap of lifeless matter; with it, the representa- 
 tion of the most insignificant insect or plant 
 starts into life, and we regard it with correspond- 
 ing feelings. 
 
 In short, expression is to be found in all things. 
 Things inanimate express their qualities, the 
 state of atmosphere, and other adventitious cir- 
 cumstances under which they are seen. In 
 human beings and the lower animals expression 
 displays passion under its two great divisions, 
 pleasure and pain, to one of which every sentiment 
 or emotion approaches more or less remotely. It 
 is not sufficient to represent them correctly in 
 
 outline,
 
 128 BEAUTY, GRACE, 
 
 outline, for much more is required to shew that 
 the draughtsman is not a mean observer of nature. 
 The animal must have life: some passion, active 
 or passive, must be represented, and this must be 
 carried throughout. Not only the eyes, nostrils, 
 mouth, ears, carriage of head, neck, limbs, and 
 body, are to feel the identical passion, but even 
 the very hair must denote the quiescent or active 
 intention of the animal's feelings ; and this not in 
 a vulgar, extravagant, or confused style, but 
 with that energy of which Nature just infuses 
 a quantity sufficient to awaken every nerve as 
 much as the occasion requires, in like manner 
 as she adjusts the strength of a tree or plant, 
 from the principal stem upwards to the finest 
 ramifications, where strength only is wanted to 
 support a single leaf. 
 
 It is in expression that painting shews its 
 greatest power. In poetry the feelings have to 
 be moved by an indefinite, and sometimes a 
 vague phraseology : and as no two imaginations 
 
 are
 
 AND EXPRESSION. 129 
 
 are alike, so will the images vary in different 
 minds ; for the best poets can do no more than 
 refer to " monuments of Grecian art," with 
 " ivory limbs," &c., from Ovid downwards. 
 
 In sculpture we seek in vain for those pale or 
 lurid colours indicating the angry passions, or 
 those more harmonious which belong to kindness 
 and all our better feelings. These have their 
 cheerful and happy hues, which no language but 
 that of colours can attempt to express. The artist 
 makes no reference to " lillies and roses," but 
 uses the infinity of tints as they are used by Na- 
 ture, for expression and distinction. 
 
 Beauty, grace, and expression, may be found 
 separately ; but the union of all is to be attempted, 
 and the artist is fortunate who can create this 
 union in his works. Nor must he be dissatisfied 
 if he do not discover the superlative line of de- 
 marcation between beauty and ugliness, grace or 
 affectation, or between expression and insipidity, 
 for this line will always remain as indistinct as the 
 
 edge
 
 130 BEAUTY, GRACE, &c. 
 
 edge of a light bordering on shadow ; we see both 
 mixed in the penumbra, but where either begins 
 or ends no one can say.
 
 ( 131 ) 
 
 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS, 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO PAINTING IN WATER-COLOURS. 
 
 ALMOST all who study painting are glad to 
 exercise themselves occasionally, during the ab- 
 sence of their teacher, in the cultivation of a talent 
 which unites in an eminent degree the agreeable 
 with the useful ; yet often these wishes are ren- 
 dered fruitless by very small impediments, and we 
 are sensible how frequently the best intentions 
 are set aside by causes which appear so trifling, 
 that we are almost unwilling to acknowledge their 
 power or influence. Whilst copying a drawing, 
 it will often happen that the pupil meets with a 
 tint which he has not before seen mixed, and has 
 
 no
 
 132 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 
 
 no one near of whom he can ask advice. This diffi- 
 culty immediately produces greater trouble than he 
 can account for in proceeding with the tints with 
 which he is acquainted : of. course he becomes 
 fatigued, and begins to suspect (perhaps unjustly) 
 that painting is a science for which he has no 
 taste, that he is deficient in corporeal industry or 
 mental energy, when, in fact, no one of these sup- 
 positions may be right. 
 
 Those who have long practised painting are 
 aware how important it is to obtain in their pic- 
 ture certain tints and hues, before they can arrive 
 at, or even approach their intention, or feel in any 
 way secure of the successful termination of their 
 labour : and it not uncommonly occurs that these 
 are the tints which most hinder the student ; 
 tints which possibly require the greatest delicacy 
 in their construction, which may hold much im- 
 portance in balancing, connecting, or contrasting 
 the remainder of the picture, or which may be 
 essential for sustaining the truth and purity of 
 
 the
 
 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 133 
 
 the light, the origin of all colours, receiving a 
 tint according to its peculiar season or other in- 
 fluences, as of silver grey under the influence 
 of clouds and wind, or of gold from an evening 
 sun in a splendid summer's sky. The gradation 
 and clearness of shadows, the piquancy of effect, 
 and all those different hues that indicate not only 
 the seasons, but the variable impressions made 
 by an ever-changing atmosphere, will depend 
 entirely on a set of tints, the truth of which are 
 to be carefully kept up, to ensure an equal pre- 
 cision in the intended picture. 
 
 The arrangement of the different specimens has 
 been made to keep together, as much as possible, 
 tints that resemble each other, and also that may 
 be used together in the same parts of the picture, 
 as greys, greens, &c. ; and although it was found 
 impossible to follow very exactly the above order, 
 it is hoped that the classification will prove suffi- 
 ciently regular to admit of immediate reference. 
 As the arrangement of the Index will explain it- 
 self
 
 134 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 
 
 self best by a careful inspection of its pages, there 
 have only to be added a few points or cautions 
 respecting the general use and application of 
 colours; first noticing, that the varieties of each 
 mixture have not been carried beyond three, pre- 
 suming that this number will be found sufficient 
 to ensure the certainty of finding, if not the exact 
 tint sought, at least some one so nearly resembling 
 it, that a satisfactory clue will be obtained for its 
 composing colours. 
 
 In use, all colours, tints, or shades, whether 
 light or dark, should be made moderately liquid 
 on the palette or plate, before they are taken up 
 into the brush for application ; for the surface of 
 paper, when seen through a powerful lens, being 
 not much unlike a straw-yard or stubble-field 
 that has been well trampled, it becomes abso- 
 lutely necessary that the colours should be laid 
 on the paper in as fluid a state as the requisite 
 depth of 'tint and preservation of forms will per- 
 mit, in order that the interstices may be well 
 
 filled,
 
 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 135 
 
 filled, and produce that solidity of colour which 
 we see pervading every object in nature. 
 
 We must here be allowed to offer a caution 
 only necessary to be remembered by very young 
 beginners, viz. not to make up a larger quantity 
 of any tint than may be wanted, or be adequate 
 to cover amply the spaces intended ; for when it 
 has to be adapted to some other part of the draw- 
 ing by the addition of other colours, if the tint 
 should have been made too abundantly on the 
 plate, there must be a corresponding abundance 
 of the additional colours to effect a change, which 
 not only consumes much time and colour, but is 
 also exceedingly fatiguing. The Author has, in 
 the course of his practice, occasionally seen as 
 much tint made up for a space not the size of a 
 small wafer, as would have covered a large sheet 
 of drawing-paper. Such a process increases the 
 labour of painting more than a hundred-fold ; or 
 rather, if continued, creates insuperable difficul- 
 ties. A few, even not so young in practice as 
 
 those
 
 136 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 
 
 those above contemplated, perhaps, may derive 
 some advantage from these remarks ; for it is 
 certain that nothing adds more to the difficulty of 
 colouring, than an improper adaptation of the 
 quantities of tints to the places for which they are 
 intended. 
 
 It occurs not unfrequently, that the brush will 
 hold in the residue of a colour that has been used 
 a sufficient quantity for the next application, after 
 it has received a small portion of another colour to 
 make the proper change in its appearance, and 
 by this not small economizing of time, and of 
 mental as well as manual labour, the ennui arising 
 from a useless mixture of large quantities of colour 
 is avoided, the drawing advances, and the ener- 
 gies of the pupil are not dissipated in strenuous 
 nothings. The neglect of the foregoing cautions 
 produces two remarkable effects, by which the 
 works of the unpractised are readily known. 
 When the colours have not been properly liqui- 
 fied, the drawing takes a dry and dusty appear- 
 ance,
 
 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 137 
 
 ance. The contrary fault occasions an insipidity 
 of forms and thinness of colour surrounded by 
 dark edges, insurmountable until the sponge has 
 cleared them wholly away. 
 
 It may be thought that the Author descends too 
 minutely into detailed instruction, in stating that 
 a palette or plate should be perfectly dry before 
 colours are rubbed upon it ; but he has seen some 
 few students, possessing every necessary quali- 
 fication for a draughtsman except that of method, 
 dip a palette into water, rinse off the old colours, 
 and immediately, whilst wet, place a fresh set 
 upon it. Of course, in a few moments the colours 
 run together, giving a good representation of mar- 
 bled paper, but which are entirely useless and 
 unmanageable for any purpose that can be ima- 
 gined. There is only one way in which water- 
 colours can be used on a plate or palette. Either 
 is to be made quite dry, the colours rubbed in 
 separate patches round the margin, and so little 
 water used that they cannot run together ; then, 
 
 K when
 
 138 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 
 
 when a mixture is wanted, a small portion of the 
 requisite colours is to be taken with a wet brush 
 and placed in the centre, or on another plate, and 
 great care should be used not to dilute more than 
 will be required for the purpose in hand. 
 
 When a drawing is about to be commenced, it 
 will be found most convenient to make up a few 
 of the tints on separate small white plates : as the 
 blue tints for the sky, on one ; the pale orange, 
 yellow, or red tints, on another ; one for the greys 
 of clouds and distances : the greens for all the 
 vegetation of foregrounds should also be on a sepa- 
 rate plate, viz. the colours of which the greens are 
 composed ; and another is to be set apart for those 
 colours from which the rich earthy tints, suitable 
 for stone, wood, &c. and all the deep shadows in 
 and near the front of the picture, are to be made. 
 This method of dividing the tints will keep them 
 from being sullied by wrong mixtures, and will 
 be found greatly to facilitate the progress of the 
 drawing. The faint colours that are used in skies 
 
 and
 
 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. J3fJ 
 
 and distances will frequently have to be cleared 
 off the plates, but those which contain the colours 
 from which the greens and deeper tints are used 
 in and near the foreground of the picture, may be 
 kept in better order by being continued in use, 
 renewing the separate colours as they are con- 
 sumed, without clearing the plate ; for a vast num- 
 ber of useful tints will be constantly appearing by 
 the repeated mixtures, requiring nothing more 
 than a little water to prepare them for any parts 
 of the drawing to which they may be applicable. 
 
 As a general rule, it is better to make the tints 
 rather too light than too dark ; unless it is intended 
 that the drawing shall be washed or sponged 
 before the finishing colours are laid upon it. 
 
 If, by accident, the drawing should become 
 darker or deeper coloured than the student pro- 
 posed, or if the colouring should prove in any 
 other way unsatisfactory, whether it may be in an 
 advanced state or only just commenced, the stu- 
 dent should not hesitate to apply a large, flat, 
 K 2 camel's-hair
 
 140 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 
 
 camel's-hair brush, with plenty of clean water, 
 lightly over the whole drawing, using it with some 
 degree of pressure on the most objectionable places; 
 or, should the brush be too ineffective, a mode- 
 rately-sized soft sponge must supply its place. 
 
 The application of a wet sponge may cause some 
 apprehension as to the ultimate fate of the draw- 
 ing, and more, should the work have been pre- 
 viously brought into a forward state ; but however 
 forward it may appear, a few trials will shew that 
 sometimes a drawing is much nearer being finished 
 after, than previous to the employment of the 
 sponge or wet brush, gaining, when worked over 
 again, an appearance of solidity and transparency 
 that no other process can produce. Perhaps it 
 might be most prudent to let the wet brush or 
 sponge make its debut upon one or two small 
 drawings of little value, by which more confidence 
 will be gained for greater affairs. If this operation 
 can be done before the greens are worked into the 
 picture, more especially those which have gam- 
 boge
 
 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 141 
 
 boge in their composition, and whilst it is yet fixed 
 to the drawing-board, the washing, either with 
 brush or sponge, will be much more easily manag- 
 ed ; or should the water have to be applied 
 when no more than the sky, clouds, and dis- 
 tances are done, there will not be any diffi- 
 culty. 
 
 From the above statement it will have already 
 been inferred that the greens occasion the greatest 
 trouble ; caused, first, by their readiness in dis- 
 solving ; and secondly, by the extraordinary care 
 requisite to get every stain of green out of the 
 sky and pure greys, by repeated ablutions of clean 
 water. It is necessary that the whole surface of 
 the paper should be made equally wet before the 
 flat brush or sponge be applied with any pressure, 
 that the colours may float off equally, viz.. leaving 
 as much equality of tone as may be desirable. 
 A contrary mode will bring off the colours in un- 
 even patches, rising most readily from those places 
 that have been longest made wet. 
 
 As
 
 142 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 
 
 As another general rule, it may also be con- 
 sidered better to lay the warm tints and local 
 colours first (by local colours we mean the natural 
 colours of objects when seen without shadow), 
 and the colder tints over them, not forgetting, 
 whilst laying the local colours, to attend care- 
 fully to their perspective decrease of brilliancy, 
 caused by the increased intervening body of at- 
 mosphere or lengthened column of air, as they 
 retire from the foreground ; or, in other words, 
 the perspective gradation from colour to grey, as 
 the tints become more distant. And as shadows 
 take very much the appearance of thin gauze 
 veils thrown over the places that they obscure, 
 they seem to be most easily imitated by following 
 a similar process in painting, which permitting 
 more or less of the local colours to be seen, ac- 
 cording to the greater or less intensity of those 
 veils or shadows, produces a richly-varied set of 
 tints, the very opposite to monotony, and posses- 
 sing all those estimable qualities of the Italian - 
 
 and
 
 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 143 
 
 and Flemish painters, called by some " internal 
 light," by others " transparency." 
 
 It may also be recommended to the student, 
 not to attempt the mixture of a greater number 
 of colours than three, as pointed out in the Index, 
 but rather to choose the one the nearest in ap- 
 pearance to the tint he seeks, and if necessary, to 
 lay other colours over it, in order to bring it to 
 the desired hue. When many colours are mingled 
 together, they lose brilliancy in proportion to the 
 numbers mixed (unless the selection has been 
 most skilfully made) ; consequently, any two co- 
 lours, or mixed tints, will be found to possess 
 brighter hues when laid over each other, than 
 could be obtained by mixing either the two co- 
 lours, or all the colours that enter into the com- 
 position of the two mixed tints together. And 
 it may be here well to mention, that when one 
 colour or tint has to be laid over another, the 
 first must be allowed to be perfectly dry before 
 the second is laid upon it, or an appearance 
 
 and
 
 1 44 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 
 
 and blemish will be produced not easily reme- 
 died. 
 
 It should be particularly noticed of what kind 
 the tints are, upon which any additional tint has 
 to be laid, viz. when skies and distances are 
 finished (and they are usually finished before the 
 foreground objects), perhaps other colours will 
 have to be laid over them, as trees against the 
 sky, or against a distant mountain. If the greens 
 for the trees be of a yellowish tint, it is not im- 
 probable but that the blue of the sky or mountain 
 may be so deep, that very much less blue than 
 could be imagined will be sufficient in the greens, 
 or perhaps none, for a transparent yellow laid 
 over blue must necessarily become green ; there- 
 fore, if a tint be made up on the palette exactly 
 to the tint required, and then laid upon a blue 
 sky, it will appear much too cold. The same 
 calculation will be requisite throughout the draw- 
 ing in the finishing. Again, if upon a yellow- 
 green some dark foliage should have to be placed, 
 
 perhaps
 
 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 145 
 
 perhaps a tint of blue alone, or blue with a very 
 little of one of the browns in it, may be sufficient; 
 or in placing the shadows of a rock or piece of 
 earth, stone, &c. already laid in with the warm 
 local colours, a much cooler grey is to be used 
 than if no colour had already been placed on the 
 paper. 
 
 Sometimes it will happen that the paper, either 
 wholly on in part, will resist the colours, or, 
 as it is commonly termed, appear greasy. A 
 very little prepared gall, such as sold at the 
 colour-shops, or when not to be had, two or 
 three drops of ox-gall in its natural state mixed 
 with the colours, will make them work very 
 satisfactorily: but it should be used only when 
 necessary, as it occasions a loss of brilliancy to 
 most of the colours, particularly the blues, It 
 should also be remembered, that when gall is 
 used in the tints, lights cannot be taken off so 
 freely with the cloth. To those who have not seen 
 this operation an explanation will be acceptable. 
 
 When
 
 1 46 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 
 
 When colours have attained some degree of 
 depth and lights are found necessary, as on the 
 foliage of trees, &c., where they have not been 
 left sufficiently bright or perfect in shape, with 
 a small brush, holding as much clean water as 
 will allow it to preserve its point, lay the forms 
 of the lights (not too many at once) on the 
 places requiring them. When the water has 
 rested a few moments, press strongly upon the 
 wet places with a piece of cotton or linen cloth, 
 to absorb the water; immediately afterwards 
 rub the places with a dry corner of the same 
 cloth, using much pressure ; or if Indian rubber 
 be employed, less pressure will serve. The parts 
 thus rubbed out will be left quite white, con- 
 sequently fresh colours will have to be placed 
 to reduce them to their proper tints. 
 
 The Author would not wish it to be under- 
 stood, because he has selected near twenty different 
 colours for the mixtures in the Index, that the 
 student is to employ the whole of them in his 
 
 drawing
 
 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 147 
 
 drawing at the same time : en the contrary, he 
 will find it better to limit himself to as small 
 a number of colours as possible, perhaps seven 
 or eight ; as yellow ochre, gamboge, light red, 
 lake, indigo, and Vandyke brown or burnt sienna, 
 with their admixtures. A larger list of colours 
 will be found to occasion more inconvenience to 
 beginners than advantage. Nor, again, should 
 it be inferred that the whole of the greys, greens, 
 orange tints, &c. &c. to be found in the Index, 
 may or can be used on the same drawing. Were 
 such an experiment to be tried, most probably a 
 melange of colours would appear sufficient to star- 
 tle even the experimentalist. On the contrary, 
 he will find a small selection from the different 
 classes of tints serve his purpose infinitely better : 
 he will then stand a chance of maintaining the 
 hue which he may have adopted, as the repre- 
 senting and prevailing tint of some particular 
 effect of cloud, sunshine, hour, or season. 
 
 There is an unity of colouring, as well as of 
 
 light
 
 148 INDEX OF MIXED TINTS. 
 
 light and shade, that is to be preserved, otherwise 
 the finest outline and arrangement of effect will 
 fail in pleasing ; for as painting professes to repre- 
 sent natural objects, which in themselves have 
 consistency, fitness, and elegant propriety, we 
 must be equally consistent, arid moreover, must 
 attempt to gain some of the elegancies of nature, 
 if we hope to succeed. 
 
 In compiling these tints, some colours which are 
 at times used by Artists for landscape and figure 
 painting have been left out ; as ultramarine, a 
 colour that approaches so nearly to cobalt, that its 
 mixture with others produces very nearly similar 
 results. The same may be said of carmine, &c. 
 It will be noticed by the Reader, that many of 
 the specimens in the Index are not so equally laid 
 as others : these are not faults in the operation, 
 but have been purposely produced, in order to 
 shew as much diversity as possible in each of the 
 tints.
 
 PRECEPTS. 
 
 As Painting embraces so large a field of opera- 
 tions, and always under varying aspects, it can 
 hardly be expected that the following precepts 
 are to be considered absolute. Many of them 
 depend so much on localities, circumstances of 
 weather, and other things, that they can only be 
 taken in a general sense : yet, in this manner, 
 the pupil will find himself provided with a good 
 foundation on which he may construct with safety, 
 and common observation will supply him with 
 the exceptions to these rules. 
 
 LIGHT AND SHADE. 
 
 1. Objects in a strong light, whether natural 
 or artificial, have their shadows dark and accu- 
 rately marked. 
 
 2. Shadows
 
 1 50 PRECEPTS. 
 
 2. Shadows from artificial light increase in 
 size, as they recede from the object causing the 
 shadows. 
 
 3. Shadows from the light of the sun or moon 
 are of equal breadth throughout ; that is to say, 
 a perpendicular post will cast its shadow in lines 
 parallel to each other. This is to be understood 
 with proper allowance for the mode in which lights 
 and shades are distributed. Lights always inflect 
 or bend into shadows in passing the object which 
 casts the shade : in the same manner, shadows 
 bend towards the light, making a softening pe- 
 numbra between them, which must not be over- 
 looked in a finished work. 
 
 4. Lights and shadows in cloudy weather are 
 very indistinct ; frequently there are neither. 
 
 5. In fogs the objects become of one colour, 
 having neither light, shadow, or cast shadows on 
 the ground. 
 
 6. Cast shadows are always darker at their 
 origin than the shade side of the object which 
 
 casts
 
 PRECEPTS. 151 
 
 casts or throws the shadow ; frequently altogether 
 darker than the shade side of the object which 
 projects the shadow. 
 
 7. All round objects, as columns, globes, 
 &c., have a strong reflected light on the outer 
 edge of the shaded side, the darkest part of the 
 shadow being removed to near the middle of the 
 column, &c. 
 
 8. Lights thrown on objects from fire are of a 
 reddish hue, and not so bright as those received 
 from daylight. 
 
 9. In the shadows of the human figure or 
 animals, do not mark the features, limbs, or mus- 
 cles, with hard strong shadows : let them blend 
 imperceptibly into the lights, as well as other 
 shadows which may surround them. It is in this 
 that Correggio excels. 
 
 10. If a figure or object is to be strongly de- 
 tached from the back-ground, let the dark parts 
 of the figure be placed against the lighter parts 
 of the ground, and the lighter portions of the 
 
 object
 
 1 52 PRECEPTS. 
 
 object against the dark masses of shadow of the 
 back-ground. 
 
 11. If grandeur or breadth be desired, let the 
 lights of the object mingle with the lights of the 
 sky or back-ground, and the shadows mass with 
 the shadows. Sir J. Reynolds has shewn in his 
 practice, that this mode, in addition to grandeur, 
 gives a graceful softness. 
 
 COLOUR AND EFFECT. 
 
 12. All objects will partake more or less of the 
 colour of the medium through which they are 
 seen, according to its density ; as fog, smoke, 
 vapour, &c. : and also are strongly tinged with 
 the hue that the light receives in passing through 
 clouds, varying with the colours to be found in 
 different parts of the sky. 
 
 13. Light will appear brighter by being op- 
 posed to dark shadows, and at the same time 
 the shadows will appear darker. And similar 
 results are produced by colours, which will vary 
 their appearance according to the surrounding 
 
 contrasts,
 
 PRECEPTS. 1 53 
 
 contrasts, as a flesh colour will appear fairer on a 
 red or green ground than upon a white ground or 
 one of its own colour. Red and green are middle 
 tints, and thus operate as shadow when sur- 
 rounding lights, as well as being agreeable con- 
 trasts : the first, a harmonizing contrast, and 
 often used by Titian ; the latter, a distinct and 
 separating contrast to the rose tints. 
 
 14. Bright surfaces do not shew their colours 
 so well as objects less smooth ; as in the colours of 
 grass, leaves of trees, silks, &c. In these we find 
 the colours of the sky strongly reflected, espe- 
 cially on objects near at hand. Thus the colour of 
 objects in a bright or dull day are widely different, 
 and by their hue mark the state of the atmosphere. 
 
 15. When there is most light, colours will be 
 most distinctly pronounced. In their shadows 
 each colour will partake of two hues ; the shade 
 proper to the colour, and shade proper to the 
 atmosphere ; and in the deepest shades colours 
 merge nearly into one tint. 
 
 L 1C. Colours
 
 154 PRECEPTS. 
 
 16. Colours seen in a reflected light will gene- 
 rally be colder than in an open light. The excep- 
 tions to this rule are rare, and proceed from arti- 
 ficial lights. 
 
 17. Colours will always have their purity de- 
 stroyed if the light be of a different colour ; and 
 reflected lights will always partake of the colour 
 of the objects nearest to them, or lying within the 
 proper angle for their reflection. Thus, both the 
 lights and shadows of a white dress become red, 
 by the reflection of a red dress near it. 
 
 18. Shadows may be impure by reflection, 
 whilst the lights have their own proper colour, or 
 conversely. These require nice distinctions, and 
 should be marked with careful discrimination. 
 
 19. Shadows should seldom destroy the colours 
 of objects. When colours have to be destroyed 
 to give value to particular points, it is best done in 
 distances, by the representation of mist, shadows 
 of clouds, &c. ; and on foregrounds, by generaliz- 
 ing with the surrounding objects, or the intro- 
 duction
 
 PRECEPTSv 155 
 
 duction of objects which possess little or no 
 colour. 
 
 20. "White is most easily seen in distances, the 
 darkest colours being first to lose effect. 
 
 21. Colours are most distinctly seen when near 
 or surrounded by their proper contrast, as red 
 against green ; whilst the opposite would ensue, 
 by placing near each other colours that harmonize, 
 as blue and green, or yellow and green, &c. But 
 it is to be observed, that when two different 
 colours come into contact, both are changed in 
 appearance at the junction : if a contrast, both 
 become more vivid, and are each proportionably 
 less vivid as they depart from the junction. If in 
 painting this appearance be subdued, a great 
 and natural beauty is lost. 
 
 22. When a set of equal or flat shades are laid 
 close to each other in gradation, increasing in 
 darkness, the effect produced is that every tint is 
 a gradation in itself, and not a flat tint ; but if with 
 two pieces of paper the tints on the right and left 
 
 L 2 of
 
 156 PRECEPTS. 
 
 of any one of them be carefully covered, the one 
 left exposed will shew the truth of the experiment, 
 as we have noticed under the head Chiaro-scuro. 
 
 23. All objects lying under the effect of a clear 
 sky will share a portion of the azure in their colours. 
 
 24. Distant mountains or high lands will often 
 have their summits well defined by colours, lights, 
 and shadows, when their bases are not visible. 
 This is occasioned by thin mist or vapours, which 
 are constantly playing over the surface of the 
 earth, especially in summer, or autumnal morn- 
 ings and evenings ; therefore the distant summits 
 must be more marked out than the bases, notwith- 
 standing the latter are considerably nearer. 
 
 25. Splendid colours, without a due subordi- 
 nation to each other and a certain quantity of 
 shade-tints, will not make a splendid picture ; for 
 colours, in painting, have value only by proper 
 association and treatment. 
 
 26. It is by the aerial perspective united to 
 lineal that the distance from one object to another 
 
 is
 
 PRECEPTS. ] 57 
 
 is estimated. Lineal perspective is not sufficient : 
 therefore let the colours of objects diminish in a 
 ratio corresponding with the increasing distance 
 of objects. 
 
 27. Dark objects become lighter by distance, 
 and light objects darker, but not in like manner ; 
 for lights are slowly lost, whilst the darker objects 
 lose colour at a great rate. The distance at 
 which they both become of one hue is dependent 
 on the state of the atmosphere and nature of the 
 ground. 
 
 28. A fog, by destroying the colours of objects, 
 gives to them an effect of great distance, whilst 
 their size is preserved : thus deceiving the eye and 
 producing an unnatural appearance of magnitude. 
 
 29. Objects in front are to be most finished. 
 As they recede the smaller points vanish, until we 
 see them only in masses of light, shade, and 
 general colour. 
 
 30. Objects seen between the spectator and a 
 strong light will appear diminished. The contrary 
 
 effect
 
 158 PRECEPTS. 
 
 effect will follow when the object is lighter than 
 the ground on which it is relieved. 
 
 3 1 . Objects seen through rain lose much of their 
 correctness of outline. 
 
 The following useful hints are from Leonardi 
 da Vinci. 
 
 32. "It will be proper for an artist to quit his 
 " work often and take some relaxation, that his 
 " judgment may be clearer at his return ; for too 
 " great application is sometimes the cause c" many 
 " gross errors. 
 
 33. " Whoever flatters himself that he can retain 
 " in his memory all the effects of nature, is de- 
 " ceived ; for our memory is not sufficiently capa- 
 " cious : therefore be constant in consulting nature," 
 which will supply us with an infinite series of effects 
 as well as of forms, endless in their varieties. 
 
 The following list is taken from Mr. Field's enu- 
 meration of the different substances at present in 
 use as colours, separated into two classes, differing 
 in permanency. 
 
 Permanent
 
 PRECEPTS. 
 
 159 
 
 Permanent Colours for Oil and Water- Colour 
 
 Painting, 
 
 WHITES. 
 
 Zinc White, 
 
 True Pearl White, 
 
 Constant or Barytic White, 
 
 Tin White, 
 
 The pure Earths, as Chalks. 
 
 YELLOWS. 
 
 Yellow Ochre, 
 Oxford do. 
 Roman do. 
 Stone do. 
 Sienna I^arth, 
 Brown do. 
 Plat-ina Yellow, 
 Lemon do. 
 
 REDS. 
 
 Vermillion, 
 
 Rubrates or Madder Lakes, 
 
 Madder Carmines, 
 
 Red Ochre, 
 
 Light Red, 
 
 Venetian Red, 
 
 Indian Red. 
 
 BLUES. 
 
 Ultramarine, 
 Blue Ochre. 
 
 ORANGE. 
 
 Orange Vermillion, 
 Orange Ochre, 
 Jaune de Mars, 
 Burnt Sienna Earth, 
 Burnt Roman Ochre, 
 Danconico. 
 
 PURPLES. 
 Gold Purple, 
 Madder Purple, 
 Purple Ochre. 
 
 GREENS. 
 Chrome Green, 
 Terra Vert, 
 Cobalt Green. 
 
 RUSSET. 
 
 Russet Rubrates or Madder 
 Brown, 
 
 Intense Brown, 
 Orange do.
 
 160 
 
 PRECEPTS. 
 
 BROWN and SEMI- 
 NEUTRAL. 
 
 Vandyke Brown, 
 Rubens' Brown, 
 Bistre, 
 Raw Umber, 
 Burnt Umber, 
 Marrone Earth, 
 Cassel do., 
 Antwerp Brown, 
 Chestnut Brown, 
 Asphaltum, 
 Mummy, 
 Phosphate of Iron ; 
 
 BROWN and 
 SEMI-NEUTRAL continued. 
 
 Ultramarine Ashes, 
 Sepia, 
 Manganese Brown. 
 
 BLACKS. 
 
 Ivory Black, 
 
 Lamp Black, 
 
 Franckfort do., 
 
 Mineral Black, 
 
 Black Chalk, 
 
 Indian Ink, 
 
 Graphite or Black Lead. 
 
 Colours subject to Change. 
 
 BLUES. 
 
 Cobalt is very little changed 
 by light, oxygen, and pure 
 air, but more or less by the 
 contraries. 
 
 Royal Blue, 
 
 Prussian Blue, 
 
 Antwerp Blue, 
 
 Indigo, when mixed with lead. 
 
 REDS. 
 
 Iodine Scarlet, 
 Dragon's Blood. 
 
 YELLOWS. 
 
 Turbith Mineral, 
 Patent Yellow.
 
 PRECEPTS. 161 
 
 The Author has not found it possible to insert 
 every colour which may be reckoned amongst 
 those that change, and fears that many colours 
 which are now in use, not enumerated in the 
 list of permanent colours, must be considered, 
 more or less, as liable to fade; such as Yellow 
 lake, Dutch pink, Italian pink, Brown pink, 
 and many others of similar make.
 
 ( 102 ) 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES, 
 
 WITH 
 
 CRITIQUES, &c. 
 
 INSTRUCTION in the theory of painting must 
 always be defective, without those demonstra- 
 tions, no where to be found but in the original 
 works of the artist, whose particular excellencies 
 it might be necessary to discuss. 
 
 Coloured prints can do little towards giving 
 anything like the true representation of painting, as 
 they contain many great faults ; faults consequent 
 on the manner in which they are produced : nor 
 will the expense ever permit publishers to em- 
 ploy that talent, which alone could make an 
 attempt with the least probability of success. 
 
 Thus
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 1 63 
 
 Thus from such prints we can only obtain a gene- 
 ral idea, if any, of that delicacy so necessary to 
 ensure some notion of the original. In black 
 prints, the light and shade, with the outline, may 
 be serviceably given : the composition or inven- 
 tion is also, as far as the want of colour will allow, 
 complete ; but the chiaro-scuro must remain im 
 perfect, as colours which stand for shade and 
 colour in the painting can only be represented as 
 shadows. These defects occur also in the lighter 
 tints, for a great variety of hues and colours will 
 often be so exactly balanced, whether in the 
 lights or middle tints, that they can only be re- 
 presented in the print by one and the same tint 
 or shade, most frequently producing an unpleas- 
 ing and undiversified breadth of light or monotony 
 of shadow. In portraits this difficulty obliges 
 the engraver to consider which is the least evil ; 
 whether to omit altogether the carnation tints, or 
 to represent them by a shadow in the middle of the 
 face ; for he must do one or the other. 
 
 Notwithstanding
 
 164 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 
 
 Notwithstanding the above, much may be 
 gathered from good prints ; and in those which 
 accompany the present work, more has not been 
 attempted than the means will permit, vis. to 
 give an idea of outline and of light and shadow 
 from a few of the works of the best artists.* 
 
 It will be perceived by a little attention to 
 them as well as to others, that as far as outline 
 is concerned, Artists have not been always very 
 solicitous about one arrangement more than ano- 
 ther; for we frequently see the chief objects 
 placed in different parts of a picture, sometimes 
 with particular contrasts and accompaniments, at 
 others with few or none, and not seldom the 
 same effect of light and shade used for altogether 
 unlike, or nearly similar subjects. As an exam- 
 ple 
 
 * The best plates are, unfortunately, the first to wear out, yielding a 
 very small number of impressions perfect enough to convey any idea of the 
 care that has been bestowed in their execution. The Mezzotinta or Aqua- 
 tinta, when engraved on copper, are the best modes for the representation 
 of painting, but yield the smallest number of good prints. Plates in either 
 of these methods engraved on steel last much longer, but never can, from 
 the nature of the material, have the delicacy of those done on copper.
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 165 
 
 pie of the latter we have given two subjects from 
 Claude Lorraine, at the top and lower end of the 
 1st plate. 
 
 In the centre, the subject, which is taken from 
 Rembrandt, is composed of one mass of dark, and 
 another of light ; in the middle of the picture, 
 where the darkest point of the gable end of the 
 cottage is brought against the light of the sky, so 
 as to bring the whole of this end of the building 
 forward, the farther end of the roof being light 
 and massing with the lights of the sky, retires, 
 and thus completes the perspective of light, sha- 
 dow, and colour, and unites the lights of the sky 
 with the ground, preserving a breadth and unity 
 in both. The unity of the shadows is well ar- 
 ranged, by spreading it from the building through 
 the shade it casts on the ground into the brook, 
 where they are naturally broken by the rippling 
 of the water, and graduated into the fore- 
 ground lights. The small figure in dark shade 
 is placed to break the continuous line of shadow, 
 
 and
 
 1 G6 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 
 
 and also to make the distance retire by oppo- 
 sition. 
 
 In plate 2, the upper subject is from Vander- 
 velde. In this the same care is shewn in order 
 to obtain a grand effect by the simplest means, a 
 large mass of light graduating through every degree 
 of demi-tints into a positive mass of darkness on 
 the rock and sea at the front of the picture. It 
 may be here observed, that the darkest shadows 
 should never be continued to the bottom of the 
 picture, but must be so much enlightened as to 
 convey to the mind some idea of returning light. 
 
 The lower subject on the same plate, ' Christ 
 quelling the Tempest,' is from a picture by Vlieger, 
 an excellent painter of marine subjects, from 
 whom the younger Vandervelde derived his in- 
 structions. In this the effect is obtained by a 
 different process. The lights, although kept 
 near together, are broken by sharp contrasts : 
 thus the dark figures in the boat contrast against 
 the waves at the stern ; the bright light under 
 
 the
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 167 
 
 the bows of the vessel is opposed to the dark 
 shades of the vessel and water. This method 
 will produce great brilliancy, if the colouring 
 be judicious and not disturbed by too many as- 
 perities in the contrasts ; for where a sufficiency 
 of effect has been gained by light and shade, a 
 much milder and harmonious style of colouring 
 may be allowable, than where most, if not all, 
 has to depend on the colouring of the picture 
 for its effect. 
 
 The tranquillity of the sky-tint in this piece 
 is in some measure broken by the sail, vane, and 
 birds. Had it not been broken in this way, it 
 would not have united with the subject ; or had 
 the sky been as much disturbed with lights and 
 shadows as the sea and vessel, there would have 
 been no effect in the picture. If the expression 
 can be allowed, there would have been a general 
 scramble for precedency, such as may be found 
 in the centre subject of plate 3, where the picture 
 being stript of its colours, has an appearance of 
 
 scattered
 
 168 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 
 
 scattered spots, from the lights of the sky, figures, 
 &c. being of equal brilliancy. 
 
 Wouvermans, from whom this subject is taken, 
 was so refined in his colouring, and used tints 
 of such delicate texture in his different distances, 
 that no prints we have seen convey to us any 
 idea of the extreme beauty of his paintings. " In 
 " contemplating the works of this inimitable 
 " artist, we find ourselves at a loss to determine 
 " what part is most worthy of applause and ad- 
 " miration ; whether the sweetness of the colour- 
 " ing, the correctness of his design, his cattle, or 
 " his figures, the charming variety of attitudes in 
 " his horses, the free yet delicate touchings of his 
 " trees, the beautiful choice of his scenery, the 
 " judicious use he makes of the chiaro-scuro, or 
 " the spirit that animates the whole. His figures 
 " are always finely drawn, with expressions suit- 
 " able to the subject ; and the attitudes he chose 
 " were such as appeared unconstrained, natural, 
 " and perfectly agreeable. He had an amazing 
 
 " command
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 169 
 
 " command of his pencil, so that he instantly and 
 " effectually expressed every idea conceived in his 
 " mind, and gave to his pictures an astonishing 
 " force by broad masses of chiaro-scuro, which he 
 " contrasted with peculiar judgment, and gave 
 " an uncommon degree of transparency to the 
 " colouring of the whole."* 
 
 The subject at the top of Plate 3 is from Berg- 
 hem : a peasant girl, on an ass, at the door of 
 an inn, with appropriate accompaniments. The 
 effect is produced, notwithstanding the appearance 
 of scattered lights, by combining them in such 
 manner as nearly to encircle the principal figure, 
 which is made prominent by the mass of dark on 
 the ass and deep or rich-toned colours on the 
 figure. The subject at the bottom of the plate is 
 from Paul Potter. In this the simplest possible 
 mode is adopted, viz. a white horse is placed 
 against a dark one, with a great breadth of middle 
 
 tint in the picture. 
 
 The 
 
 * Pilkington. 
 
 M
 
 ] 70 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 
 
 The subjects on the fourth plate are compo- 
 sitions of figures. The centre subject is from 
 Rembrandt, and represents our Saviour conversing 
 with his disciples. Here the effect of light and 
 shadow is produced in the most natural and inar- 
 tificial manner. The chief light is on the prin- 
 cipal figure, made more powerful by breadth, 
 being carried also on to an adjoining figure, 
 which, though equal in light, is not so in interest, 
 having a more subdued action and colour. These 
 lights gain additional breadth by uniting with the 
 middle tints of the back-ground, and the whole is 
 opposed by one mass of dark shadow, preserving 
 a strict unity of light and shade, which in the 
 original painting would be made more perfect in 
 the completion of the chiaro-scuro by colour. 
 
 The subject at the top of the plate is also from 
 Rembrandt the ' Pilgrims of Emmaus,' in which 
 the dignity of our Saviour is preserved by a small 
 increase of size and the most perfect simplicity of 
 manner. The three female figures at the bottom 
 
 of
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 171 
 
 of the plate are the three Marys, visiting the 
 sepulchre, from Salvator Rosa. We shall not 
 criticize these small specimens any farther than to 
 call attention to the ease and natural positions of 
 the figures in both subjects, and the serpentine 
 lines used by Salvator in the attitudes of the 
 female figures, which, being well suited to the 
 action, add much grace. 
 
 Plate 5, contains four subjects from different 
 artists. No. 1 is from Salvator Rosa, one of those 
 wild subjects in which he excelled. No. 2 is from 
 Rysdale, where a beautiful picture is made out of 
 nothing but what we see in every field and lane. 
 Nos. 3 and 4 are from Gas par Poussin, of whose 
 works the Abb Lanzi, in his History of Painting 
 in Italy, speaks with so much correct judgment, 
 that we cannot resist the pleasure of transcrib- 
 ing the whole passage from Mr. Roscoe's transla- 
 tion, as it also includes a just critique on the 
 works of Claude Lorraine and Salvator Rosa :* 
 
 " But 
 
 * Vol. ii. page 212.
 
 1 72 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 
 
 " But the three celebrated landscape painters, 
 " whose works are so much sought after in the 
 " collections of princes, appeared under Urban. 
 " Salvator Rosa, a Neapolitan and a poet of ta- 
 " lent ; Claude Gellie, of Lorraine ; and Gaspar 
 " Dughet, also called Poussin, the relative of 
 " Nicholas Poussin. That kind of fashion which 
 " often aspires to give a tone to the fine arts, 
 " alternately exalted one or other of these three, 
 " and thus also obliged the painters in Rome to 
 " copy in succession, and to follow their various 
 " styles. 
 
 " Rosa was the most celebrated of this class 
 " at the commencement of this century. A scho- 
 " lar of Spagnoletto, and the son, as one may say, 
 " of Caravaggio, as in historical composition he 
 " attached himself to the strong natural style and 
 " dark colouring of that master, so in landscape 
 " he seems to have adopted his subject without 
 " selection, or rather to have selected the least 
 " pleasing parts. Le selve sdvagge, to speak with 
 
 " Dante,
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 173 
 
 " Dante, savage scenery, alps, broken rocks and 
 " caves, wild thickets, and desert plains, are the 
 " kind of scenery in which he chiefly delighted. 
 " His trees are shattered, torn, and dishevelled; 
 " and in the atmosphere itself he seldom intro- 
 " duced a cheerful hue, except occasionally a 
 " solitary sunbeam. He observed the same man- 
 " ner, too, in his sea views. His style was ori- 
 " ginal, and may be said to have been conducted 
 " on a principle of savage beauty, as the palate of 
 " some persons is gratified with austere wines. 
 " His pictures, too, were rendered more accept- 
 " able from the figures of shepherds, mariners, or 
 "banditti, which he has introduced in almost all 
 "his compositions; and he was reproached by 
 " his rivals with having continually repeated the 
 " same ideas, and in a manner copied himself. 
 " Owing to his frequent practice, he had more 
 " merit in his small than in his large figures. He 
 " was accustomed to insert them in his landscapes, 
 
 " and
 
 174 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 
 
 " and composed his historical pictures in the 
 " same style as the ' Regulus,' so highly praised 
 " in the Colonna palace ; or fancy subjects, as 
 " the ' Witchcraft,' which we see in the Campi- 
 " doglio, and in many private collections. In 
 " these he is never select, nor always correct, but 
 " displays great spirit, freedom of execution, and 
 " skill, and harmony of colour. In other re- 
 " spects he has proved, more than once, that his 
 " genius was not confined to small compositions, 
 " as there are some altar-pieces well conceived 
 " and of powerful effect, particularly where the 
 " subject demands an expression of terror, as in 
 " a ' Martyrdom of Saints' at S. Giode' Fiorentini 
 "at Rome; and in the ' Purgatory,' which I 
 " saw at S. Giovanni delle Case Rotte in Milan, 
 " and at the church del Suffragio, in Matelica. 
 
 " Gaspar Dughet, or Poussin, of Rome or of 
 " the Roman school, did not much resemble 
 " Rosa, except in dispatch. Both these artists
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 175 
 
 " were accustomed to commence and finish a 
 " landscape, and decorate it with figures, on the 
 " same day. Poussin, contrary to Salvator, se- 
 " lectedthe most enchanting scenes, and the most 
 " beautiful aspect of nature ; the graceful poplar, 
 " the spreading plane trees, limpid fountains, ver- 
 " dant meads, gently-undulating hills, villas 
 " delightfully situated, calculated to dispel the 
 " cares of state and to add to the delights of 
 " retirement. 
 
 " All the enchanting scenery of the Tusculan 
 " or Tiburtine territory, and of Rome, where, as 
 " Martial observes, Nature has combined the 
 " many beauties which she has scattered singly 
 "in other places, was copied by this artist. He 
 " composed also ideal landscapes, in the same 
 " way that Torquato Tasso, in describing the 
 " garden of Armida, concentrated in his verses 
 " all the recollections of the beautiful which he 
 " had observed in Nature. Notwithstanding this 
 
 " extreme
 
 17G DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 
 
 " extreme passion for grace and beauty, it is the 
 " opinion of many, that there is not a greater 
 " name amongst landscape painters. His genius 
 " had a natural fervour, and, as we may say, a 
 " language, that suggests more than it expresses. 
 " To give an example, in some of his larger land- 
 " scapes, similar to those in the Panfili palace, 
 " we may occasionally observe an artful winding 
 " of the road, which in part discovers itself to the 
 " eye, but in other parts leaves itself to be fol- 
 " lowed by the mind. 
 
 " Every thing that Caspar expresses is founded 
 " in Nature. In his leaves he is as varied as the 
 " trees themselves, and is only accused of ad- 
 " hering too much to a green hue. He not only 
 " succeeded in representing the rosy tint of morn- 
 " ing, the splendour of noon, evening twilight, or 
 " a sky tempestuous or serene, but the passing 
 " breeze that whispers through the leaves, storms 
 " that tear and uproot the trees of the forest, 
 
 " lowering
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 177 
 
 " lowering skies, and clouds surcharged with 
 " thunder and rent with lightning, are represent- 
 " ed by him with equal success. * 
 
 " Claude Lorraine is generally esteemed the 
 " prince of landscape painters, and his composi- 
 " tions are indeed, of all others, the richest and 
 " the most studied. A short time suffices to run 
 " through a landscape of Poussin or Rosa from 
 " one end to the other, when compared with 
 " Claude, though on a much smaller surface. His 
 " landscapes present to the spectator an endless 
 " variety, so many interesting objects, that like an 
 " astonished traveller, the eye is obliged to pause 
 " to measure the extent of the prospect, and his 
 " distances of mountains or of sea are so illusive, 
 " that the spectator feels, as it were, fatigued by 
 " gazing. The edifices and temples which so 
 " finely round off his compositions, the lakes peo- 
 " pled with aquatic birds, the foliage diversified 
 " in conformity to the different kind of trees, all is 
 
 N " Nature
 
 178 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 
 
 " Nature in him. Every object arrests theatten- 
 
 " tion of an amateur, every thing furnishes instruc- 
 
 " tion to a professor : particularly when he painted 
 
 " with care, as in the pictures of the Altieri, 
 
 *' Colonna, and other palaces of Rome. There 
 
 " is not an effect of light, or a reflection in the 
 
 " water or in the sky itself, which he has not 
 
 " imitated, and the various changes of the day 
 
 " are no where better represented than in Claude. 
 
 " In a word, he is truly the painter who, in de- 
 
 " picting the three regions of air, earth, and 
 
 " water, has embraced the whole universe. His 
 
 " atmosphere almost always bears the impress of 
 
 " the sky of Rome, whose horizon, from its situa- 
 
 " tion, is rosy, dewy, and warm. He did not 
 
 " possess any peculiar merit in his figures, which 
 
 " are insipid, and generally too much atte- 
 
 " nuated. The figures, indeed, were generally 
 
 " added by another hand, frequently by Lauri. 
 
 " An artist of the name of Angiola, who died 
 
 " young,
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 179 
 
 " young, deserves to be mentioned as the scholar 
 " of Claude, as well as Vandervert. Claude 
 " also contributed to the instruction of Gaspar 
 " Poussin." 
 
 The following plates, 6, 7, and 8, are from 
 paintings by the Author. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed by J. L. Cox and SONS, 1?>, Great Queen Street, 
 Lincoln's-Inn Fields.
 
 /'faff 111.

 
 MIXED TINTS. 
 
 ii 
 
 Lake and Indigo. 
 
 Lake and Cobalt. 
 
 Madder Brown and Cobalt. 
 
 Madder Lake, Cobalt,, and Yellow Ocre. 
 
 m 
 
 Indian Red and Cobalt.
 
 MIXED TINTS. 
 
 , 
 
 Indian Red and Indigo. 
 
 
 Light Red and Cobalt. 
 
 Vermilion and Cobalt. 
 
 Lake, Cobalt, and Yellow Ochre. 
 
 Lake, Indigo, and Yellow Ochre.
 
 MIXED TINTS. 
 
 Gamboge, Lake, and Indigo. 
 
 Raw Sienna, Madder Lake, and Cobalt. 
 
 Light Red and Indigo. 
 
 Vandyke Brown, Lake, and Indigo. 
 
 f 
 
 Burnt Sienna, Lake, and Indigo.
 
 MIXED TINTS. 
 
 Gamboge, Light Red, and Indigo. 
 
 Gamboge, Burnt Sienna, and Indigo. 
 
 Gamboge, Burnt Sienna, and Indigo. 
 
 Vandyke Brown, Gamboge, and Indigo. 
 
 Italian Pink and Antwerp Blue.
 
 MIXED TINTS. 
 
 Italian Pink and Lamp Black. 
 
 MIL 
 
 Yellow Ochre and Indigo. 
 
 Burnt Sienna and Indigo. 
 
 Brown Pink and Indigo. 
 
 Raw Umber and Indigo.
 
 MIXED TINTS. 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 Yellow Ochre and Lake. 
 
 Yellow Ochre and Light Red. 
 
 Yellow Ochre and Vandyke Brown. 
 
 Vandyke Brown and Lake. 
 
 Burnt Sienna and Lake.
 
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