THE PRINCIPLES OF DECORATION. 391 



to be divided harmonically when they have certain ratios to one 

 another, and spaces may have similar proportions, and these as 

 well as certain curves give more pleasure than others ; the combi- 

 nation of some flat and sharp curves is also found to be beautiful ; 

 the contrast of certain forms and of certain colors also gives 

 pleasure. It is the application by man of these observations prop- 

 erly worked out to things he wants that makes them ornamental, 

 and their superposition on elegant forms is said to decorate them. 

 That which is the most perfect in ornament is the work of people 

 gifted with high artistic fiber, and faultless execution, to whom 

 Nature appeals in her masterpieces, who assimilate some of the 

 matchless grace they see in a flower, in the turn of a leaf, in the 

 curves that mark the growth of a creeper, in the wing of a bird, 

 the curve of a lizard, or the knots or spirals of a serpent, who can 

 so arrange these forms as to perfectly satisfy the cultivated eye, 

 and keep them subordinated to the containing lines ; such things 

 may be seen in examples of Greek and Tuscan, or rather north 

 Italian, ornament. This sort of ornament by some mishap has 

 got christened conventional, a term which has no meaning as ap- 

 plied to ornament ; it should rather be called abstracted. 



Color is another species of ornament that, like form, has 

 doubtless its laws, though as yet neither have been discovered, 

 and we call form and color, like medicine, empirical arts. We 

 observe that the collocation of certain spaces, or masses of certain 

 colors, give us more pleasure than others, and we try and recollect 

 these collocations if we deal in color, and use them when we have 

 occasion. It has been observed that the primaries that are com- 

 plementary i. e., whose mixture produces white go well to- 

 gether, and that certain secondaries and tertiaries set off primary 

 colors. Chevreul found that the saturation of the eye with a 

 color caused it to see the complementary color if a white surface 

 was looked on ; and Chevreul also found out that, if we looked 

 at another color, it was modified by the complementary color of 

 the first. 



In choosing color we should be careful to have such a tone 

 as we can live with, for most people have their dislikes and 

 preferences. The color of a lady's boudoir is mostly chosen be- 

 cause it sets off her complexion. In a room where we work we 

 are soon conscious of an objectionable color which irritates in- 

 stead of soothing us. Certain colors and certain tones are bene- 

 ficial or prejudicial to health. Very dark rooms are prejudicial, 

 and red or yellow will also have a prejudicial effect on our 

 health if we have to remain in rooms of either color all day and 

 every day. A manufacturer had a women's workshop painted 

 yellow, and found much more than the usual sickness among 

 his hands. His doctor recommended whitewash, and the normal 



