NOTES. 97 



The Dutch Painters particularly excelled in the management 

 of light and made, and have (hewn, in this department, that 

 confummate (kill which entirely conceals the appearance of 

 art. 



Jan Steen, Teniers, Oftade, Du Sart, and many others of 

 that fchool, may be produced as inftances, and recommended 

 to the young artift's careful ftudy and attention. 



The means by which the Painter works, and on which the 

 effect of his picture depends, are light .and (hade, warm and 

 cold colours : That there is an art in the management and 

 difpofition of thofe means will be eafily granted, and it is 

 equally certain, that this art is to be acquired by a careful 

 examination of the works of thofe who have excelled in it. 



I mall here fet down the refult of the obfervations which I 

 have made on the works of thofe Artifts who appear to have 

 beft underftood the management of light and (hade, and who 

 may be confidered as examples for imitation in this branch of 

 the art. 



Titian, Paul Veronefe, and Tintoret, were among the firft 

 Painters who reduced to a fyftem what was before practifed 

 without any fixed principle, and confequently neglected occa- 

 fionally. From the Venetian Painters Rubens extracted his 

 fcheme of compofition, which was foon underflood and adopt- 

 ed by his countrymen, and extended even to the minor Painters 

 of familiar life in the Dutch School. 



When I was at Venice the method I took to avail myfelf of 

 their principles was this : When I obferved an extraordinary 

 effect of light and made in any picture, I took a leaf of my 

 pocket-book, and darkened every part of it in the fame grada- 

 tion of light and (hade as the picture, leaving the white paper 

 untouched to reprefent the light, and this without any atten- 

 tion to the fubject or to the drawing of the figures. A few 



N trials 



