after the Venetian School. 305 
fpace; poffeffing individually their peculiar colours; and ge- 
nerally expofed to the operations of light. The quantity of 
light each can receive muft depend upon its form, and its 
pofition refpe€ting that part whence the light comes; for, 
in proportion as ather parts recede from the light, the fhadow 
becomes vifible: but fhadow is nothing but privation of 
light, and privation of colour, in proportion as the light is 
diminifhed. Some attention to thefe circumftances will, 
perhaps, enable us to demonftrate the truth of Sir Jofhua’s 
pofition. 
Tf a globe of one colour be expofed in a painter’s room, 
properly darkened, that part which is neare(ft the light will | 
partake of its colour; the next part will fhew the true colour 
of the object: that which firft recedes from the light will be 
a little obfcured, the next a little more, and fo on progref- 
fively, till that part which is fartheft from the light will lofe 
its colour, and appear equally dark with the fhadieft part of 
the room. Now we know this globe is of one uniform 
colour; the variations we fee in diferent parts of it are only 
deceptions, occafioned by the acceffion of light in fome 
parts, and the privation of it in others. 
What is true of this one object and its parts, would be 
equally true of any number of objects, whatever their co- 
lours or relative fituations might be: if they were placed 
together in the fame room, each would poffefs its own in- 
dividual colour, each would partake of the general light, in 
proportion to its fituation, and of the general darknefs in 
proportion as it recedes from the light. All this may be 
eafily conceived; but the difficulty, and in the ordinary 
modes of painting a ferious one it is, is to reprefent fuch 
objects with the appearance of truth, and preferve the 
harmony neceflary to conftitute a whole. The Venetian 
painters however, by whatever means they obtained their 
knowledge, difcovered a method fo fimple, that perhaps no 
other can produce fuch brilliant effects, and undoubtedly 
not with facility and certainty at all comparable with theirs. 
Vor, Ii. x ; The 
