SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY IN ART 351 



and shadows and objects, when introduced for the main effect, 

 are always along this line. Nor is there only one line, but 

 a parallel series, always running at the same angle. So with 

 shadows, trees, elevations, depressions, or with whatever ob- 

 jects the picture is composed. Numerous examples can be 

 brought forward from his pictures. One may refer to No. 

 250, "Le Jardin de Monet a Vetheuil." 



It represents a garden rising from the foreground. This 

 is occupied by an open space a little to the left of a right line 

 drawn from the median line of the canvas. This space is a 

 very high light, with deep shadows of dark blue. On each 

 side are blue figured vases filled with flowering plants, the 

 shadows on the space and vases being along the diagonal line. 

 A staircase, which is interrupted by a narrow terrace, leads 

 from the space upward to the right, to a second terrace, on 

 which are the houses. Nearly the entire canvas is occupied, 

 and the narrow space above is a deep blue sky. On either 

 side of the staircase are numerous tall plants, their yellow 

 flowers rising one higher than the other, like a flight of steps. 

 This is ended by a lattice work running along the second ter- 

 race. The light falls along the hypotenuse line through the 

 flowers to the left, across the stone steps, and vanishes be- 

 yond to the right-hand lower corner. The same is true of the 

 shadows. The lattices of the little fence around the terrace are 

 distinctly seen only where the slats are arranged in the direc- 

 tion of the hypotenuse. The left-hand corner, which corre- 

 sponds to the right angle of the triangle, is where the ob- 

 jects are most clearly represented, and the coloring is richer 

 in tone. As the right-hand upper corner of the picture is 

 examined, it will be seen that the objects are less distinctly 

 painted, but the lines that correspond to the direction of 

 the hypotenuse are more distinct, and the color of the picture 

 seems to fade away, and only the geometrical basis remains. 



The sky is cloudless, but a vapor-like effect can be detected 

 by close observation, draped over the sky's form, in direc- 

 tions corresponding to the hypotenuse. This light drapery 

 is a most appropriate clothing for the heated sky. The color- 

 ing of the sky is remarkable; the appearance is one familiar 



