Thoughts on Colouring. 7 



of our profeffional evils is looking too much to art for its rules; 

 but I believe a great fource of the pleafure derived from the 

 fight of the Venetian pictures, is their comfortable warm 

 niafles: great caution however will be required to diftinguifh 

 between a glowing and a glaring colour ; as we are apt to ad- 

 mire what is fhowy, before we can diftinguifh what is beau- 

 tiful. I have frequently had occafion to remark the fatisfac-. 

 tion expreffed by the fpectators on viewing a warmly coloured 

 picture, and the degree of comfort it has appeared to impart: 

 this has frequently led me to reflect on the application of 

 colour to medical purpofes, as in the ague or fever, or how 

 much the mind might be tranquilifed by the room being of 

 a particular colour; every one is fenfible of the effect of that 

 beautiful amber-coloured light that at times prevails on our 

 fummer's evenings, and which is fo highly congenial to health 

 and life*. 



In all cafes the good fenfe of the artift muft be ufed, for 

 the colouring that fuits one fubject will not agree with an- 

 other; moft of the Venetian pictures that I have feen, have 

 been of the pleafing or ornamental caft, which require more 

 decoration of colour than the higher walks of hiftory, but I 

 have never been able to prevail on mvfelf to believe the moft 

 fublime fubject would be hurt by grouping the colours. It 

 would be worth inquiring how far the painter might be be- 

 nefited (as the poet certainly is) by confidering colours as 

 indicative of the paflions, and applying them accordingly : 

 the fiery reds convey the idea of anger, and in this fenfe are 

 often ufed : 



" Should intermitted vengeance arm again 



" His red right hand to plague us ? Milton. 



* The fae~t is it is ufed medically, as in the cafe of weak eyes, but not 

 <?n fo extenfive a plan as it might be ; fdr inltance, if the walls of the 

 chambers where infane people are confined were to be plaftered to an uni- 

 form furface, and coloured of a ftill green, as near the tranquil colour of 

 grafs as pofTible, it is probable it would contribute to compofe the fpirits; 

 inftead of which the fight is diftrafted,.and in all probability the mind fet 

 to work in decyphering- the fifTures and irregularities in their furrounding 

 old walls, which may ultimately end in provoking that propenfity to- 

 wards drawing exprefisd by many unfortunate people. 



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