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On Painting in Oil. ' 38 
Upon the moft faperficial view of this procefs, it will be 
evident that a picture painted by it is, as to all vifible pros 
perties, a varniih pictures for the {mall quantity’ of oil that 
had been ufed, funk into the ground, and never could rife 
again to be hurtful; while the varnifh, being laid on after 
the colours, gave them all the brilliancy and durability they 
could derive from that vehicle, without being liable to the 
objections that are made to painting in varnifh, fuppofing it 
to be ufed in the fame manner as oil is in painting with oil. 
It is true that this mode of painting is itfelf liable to fome 
objections: thefe I have endeavoured to obviate, and fhall 
therefore mention hereafter. Here it may be obferved that, 
as any varnifh may be ufed, it is to this circumftance we 
muft attribute the different degrees of durability in pictures 
of the Venetian School. I have feen fome that would refitt 
the moft powerful folvents, while others were deftroyed by 
the weakeft; though all poffeffed the apparent properties 
that diftinguifh the Venetian pictures from all others. 
As I do not pretend to degrade painting to the rank of a 
mechanical art, that may be infallibly practifed by a receipt, 
I thall be permitted to obferve, that this was the general 
fyftem of the Venetian School, which I have feen varioufly 
modified in the works of different artifts of that, as well as 
of the Flemifh, which is derived from it. It is fufceptible 
of an almoft infinite number of modifications, in proportion 
to the talents, the judgment of, and the objects to be painted 
by, the artifts who may adopt it. This being the cafe, if it 
‘is proved by experiment ‘that effects fimilar to thofe of the 
Venetian piGtures may be produced by this method, and 
_ that the fyftem has a ftrone tendency to produce that bril- 
fiancy, and harmony of colouring that is fo much admired, 
with more certainty and facility than thofe qualities can be 
obtained by any other mode of painting, I hope my cafe 
will be proved to the fatisfa€tion of the Society. 
‘T once afked Sir Jofhua Reynolds, by what circumftances 
‘im the management of a picture he thought the harmony of 
colouring 
