124 ON THE KELATION OF OPTICS TO PAINTING. 



IV. HARMONY OF COLOUR. 



We here naturally raise the question : If, owing to the 

 small quantity of light and saturation of his colours, 

 the artist seeks, in all kinds of indirect ways, by imi- 

 tating subjective impressions to attain resemblance to 

 nature, as close as possible, but still imperfect, would 

 it not be more convenient to seek for means of obvi- 

 ating these evils ? Such there are indeed. Frescoes 

 are sometimes viewed in direct sunlight ; transparen- 

 cies and paintings on glass can utilise far higher 

 degrees of brightness, and far more saturated colours ; 

 in dioramas and in theatrical decorations we may 

 employ powerful artificial light, and, if need be, the 

 electric light. But when I enumerate these branches 

 of art, it will at once strike you that those works 

 which we admire as the greatest masterpieces of 

 painting, do not belong to this class ; but by far the 

 larger number of the great works of art are executed 

 with the comparatively dull water or oil-colours, or at 

 any rate for rooms with softened light. If higher 

 artistic effects could be attained with colours 

 lighted by the sun, we should undoubtedly have pic- 

 tures which took advantage of this. Fresco painting 



