STUDY X. 295 



feélions. For example, making red the point of 

 departure, which is the harmonic colour fuper- 

 eminently, and proceeding toward white in an 

 afc€nding progreffion, the nearer you approach to 

 this firfl tei'm, the more lively and gay are the co- 

 lours. You will have in fucceffion the poppy, the 

 orange, the yellow, the lemon, the fulphur, the 

 white. On the contrary, the farther you proceed 

 from red toward black, the fadder and more lu- 

 gubrious are the colours ; for this is the progref- 

 fion ; purple, violet, blue, indigo, and black. 



In the harmonies which may be formed, on 

 both fides, by the union of oppofite colours, the 

 more that the tints of the afcending progreffion 

 predominate, the more lively will be the harmo- 

 nies produced ; and the contrary will take place, 

 in proportion as the colours of the defcending 

 harmony fhall prevail. From this harmonic ef- 

 fe(ft it is, that green, being compounded of yel- 

 low and blue, is fo much more gay, as the yellovv 

 has the afcendanc, and fad in proportion as the 

 blue predominates. 



Farther, from this harmonic influence it is, 

 that white transfufes moft gaiety into all other 

 tints, becaufe it is light itfelf. Nay, it produces, 

 from oppofition, a moft delightful effed in the 

 harmonies, which I call melancholy; for, blended 



u 4 with 



