THE 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE. 



OCTOBER 1800. 



T.. Thoughts on Colouring, and particularly with a RetrofpeB 

 to the Method ufed by the Venetians in the Mechanical Part 

 of 'the Art, and to their Method of Arranging the Tints. 



A theory founded on experiment, and not afTumed, is always good 

 for fo much as it explains. Burke. 



SIR, 



i^INCE I troubled you with a paper on the fubject of 

 Venetian colouring*, I have paid particular attention to 

 fuch pictures of that fchool as have occafionally come under 

 my notice, and, in my inquiry, I have been much aided by* 

 thofe in the Orleans collection j but, from all the obfervations 

 I have been able to make, I cannot help concluding that 

 they never thought of the abforbent ground, on which I 

 made fome remarks in my laft, and that the dark red ground 

 never formed a part of the picture. Thofe conclufions I feel 

 authorifed in making from the general tendency in the ab- 

 sorbent grounds to produce a hardnefs, a thing never oc- 

 curring in the pictures of the Venetians ; and that the ground 

 never entered into part of their pictures is evident from their 

 being painted folic! throughout, and the JhcJows glazed on a 

 body of colour. I fhall, with a view further to illuftrate the 

 fubject, introduce (occafionally as quotations) fuch remarks 

 on colouring as I made in my catalogue immediately oa 

 my viewing the pictures in the collection above alluded to, 

 * See Vol. IV. 



Vol. VIII, B % On 



