SKKT<MI1N'<; FROM NATL'HH. 



293 



Fig. 7. 





capable of, in a pasnago to bo found in bin work upon landscape 

 planting in oil. It is thun : "In rxiiniining the pioturoa of 

 (Jlumlo Ixirraine, and especially tho work of tho ' LilT V . 

 containing print* from those pictures, wo aro Mtruck witli tho 

 varioiiH ways in which his studio* from nature wore applied and 

 dovetailed in, as it wore, to tho composition of u complete work. 

 The coitm-'-t iir,' links which his own taste made necessary for 

 this purpose, give us a clear insight into tho mode of generalis- 

 ing his ideas. The strong passages from nature aro interwoven 

 juul t<>nod down in their harshness by the extension of tho forms 

 in more delicate linos, and their abruptness swallowed up by 

 bringing the softening influence of shadow to come in contact 

 with them." 



In our choice and treatment of a subject, we must bear in 

 iiiind that there should bo always one leading object to form tho 

 central attraction of the composition, and wo must devote suffi- 

 cient care and attention to its character and details, that tho 

 cyo may have something to rest upon at onco, before it is allowed 

 to wander off to other parts. It is a practice, or rather a habit 

 of which few aro aware, but all follow without any predeter- 

 mination, first to look for something upon which tho eye may 

 repose ; and, however 

 interesting tho details 

 may be, the principal 

 object will certainly 

 ;be the last the eye 

 rests upon before it 

 leaves the picture. 

 This being the case, 

 the theory of composi- 

 tion teaches us to pro- 

 vide for this result. 

 Very frequently a few 

 figures will give an in- 

 terest to the subject, 

 and afford an oppor- 

 tunity for concentra- 

 ting the attention of 

 the spectator upon the 

 picture. 



A view which an in- 

 experienced eye would 

 pass by without any 

 especial remark, may 

 be made exceedingly 

 interesting. Let . us 

 go out and sketch a 

 view on a common : 

 there may be nothing 

 much in it ; it may 

 'be very dull and flat ; 

 but something, we 

 trust, will turn up as 

 we proceed to make 



it more lively. The one we have chosen has no trees upon it, 

 except one, old and dead, possessing only a few angular and leaf- 

 less branches. Its trunk, almost totally stripped of the bark, 

 Jbas still clinging to it a piece of ivy ; and even that is weak and 

 straggling. On the left of the tree, and at about the centre of the 

 picture, is an unused gravel pit, in which we perceive the leavings 

 and rubbish of a recent gipsy camp. These are the principal fea- 

 tures, and we might have passed it by, but as we have sat down 

 to draw it we will try to make a picture out of it. We begin by 

 marking in the general lines of the gravel pit, place tho position 

 of the tree on the right of the picture, and indicate its trunk 

 and branches. We also arrange some of the lines of tho furze, 

 brambles, and other wild shrubs, whose forms, wave-like, rise and 

 fall, gradually blending both in form and colour into the distance, 

 until the eye is arrested by a low line of far-off lulls. This is 

 the arrangement. Now we must trust to details in the drawing 

 to make up the rest, re-commencing with the gravel pit, the 

 top of which makes an incline from the tree, and dips into a 

 hollow partly out of sight. The left slope of the pit is covered 

 with brambles and honeysuckles, and we now perceive for the 

 first time a stream of water, running under the shelter of some 

 dock -leaves and foxgloves. Whilst we are drawing these a 

 donkey approaches, and stations itself upon the bare spot under 

 the old tree, and its foal lies down by its side. These are valu- 



able additions to our picture. Two ragged children, wondering 

 what wo are about, come oat of curiosity to watch our proceed- 

 ings. Soon finding no amusement in thin, they go into the gravel 

 pit, and turn over tho rubbish the gipsie* have left. These afford 

 other suggestions, and are added to our picture. Home duck*, 

 from off the common, come and dabble in the little stream 

 amongst tho dock-leaves. We take advantage of these also. 

 We then devoto our attention to the mid-distance, amongst 

 patches of purple heath and yellow furze ; and here we avail 

 ourselves of tho pictorial licence already mentioned by removing 

 a cottage, partly surrounded by apple-trees, which is placed 

 beyond the limits of our picture. Wo see only iU white gable, 

 pierced with one small window, and it thatch and chimney ; 

 but this is enough, and we place it peeping above the f urza in 

 the mid-distance. This object helps to break a long monotonous 

 line, and adds another idea to the whole. Beyond this some peat- 

 gatherers have lit a fire, and its curling smoke amongst the dark 

 heather affords another kind of contrast. The whole surface 

 of tho scene is broken up by passing lights and cloud-shadows, 

 which, as they float along, bring out alternately brilliant bits of 

 colour, backed up by shades of various tones to relieve them. 



Thus a sameness is 

 avoided, and what is 

 very important, they 

 assist the perspective. 

 The sky also helps us ; 

 its patches of blue, 

 broken up by a few 

 dark clouds, with 

 their thousands of 

 semi-tones and white 

 masses, form an ex- 

 cellent background, 

 against which we put 

 in the sharp and care- 

 fully drawn tendrils 

 and leaves of the ivy 

 on the old tree. We 

 finish with the weeds 

 and wild flowers in the 

 foreground, brighten 

 up the children's 

 dresses, put a few 

 more brilliant touches 

 to the ducks, the 

 sparkling water, and 

 the most prominent 

 of the leaves and 

 branches of the bram- 

 bles, tone down the 

 shadows on and near 

 the donkeys, and 

 having finished our 

 sketch, we exclaim, 

 " All this comes of a dead tree and a gravel pit !" 



A repetition, of extreme contrasts must be avoided. They 

 would render the picture, if in outline, angular and harsh; if 

 in colour, or light and shade, the result would be " patchy." 

 Such effects are startling, but they are not pleasing when re- 

 peated. They must be accompanied by middle tones of vari- 

 ous grades. Black and white in juxtaposition are not agree- 

 able ; but place combinations of them in conjunction with the 

 extremes, and a very different effect is produced. The same 

 may bo said of colours without their combinations ; lines also. 

 Suppose a perpendicular line cuts an horizontal one (and where 

 there is a repetition of these the effect becomes worse), it will be 

 necessary to take off the harsh effect they produce by adding 

 inclined lines (see Fig. 7, where the stooping and inclined figures 

 unite the two extremes, the one on the ground and the upright 

 figure). 



We must now say something about the introduction of figures 

 and other objects, all of which contribute largely to the interest 

 of a picture. If we draw a view of a river and its surroundings, 

 and there is a towing-path at the side, there ought to be boats 

 and barge-horses. A farm-yard is not complete without cattle 

 and pigs ; or a sea-coast without its boats and fishermen. In 

 short, whatever may be the character of the landscape, the 

 character of the figures must be in unison. To qualify, there 



