40C> ARIADNE FLORENTINA. 



The Italian power of abstraction into one mjthologic per- 

 sonage Holbein's death is only literal. He has to split hig 

 death into thirty different deaths ; and each is but a skeleton. 

 But Orcagna's death is one the power of death itself. There 

 may thus be as much breadth in thought, as in execution. 

 ****** 



What then, we have to ask, is a man conscious of 'in what he 

 sees ? 



For instance, in all Cruikshank's etchings however slight 

 the outline there is an intense consciousness of light and 

 shade, and of local colour, as a part of light and shade ; but 

 none of colour itself. He was wholly incapable of colouring ; 

 and perhaps this very deficiency enabled him to give graphic 

 harmony to engraving. 



****** 



Bewick snow-pieces, etc. Grey predominant ; perfect sense 

 of colour, coming out in patterns of birds ; yet so unculti- 

 vated, that he engraves the brown birds better than pheasant 

 or peacock ! 



For quite perfect consciousness of colour makes engraving 

 impossible, and you have instead Correggio. 



VL 



Final notes on light and shade. 



You will find in the 138th and 147th paragraphs of my in- 

 augural lectures, statements which, if you were reading the 

 book by yourselves, would strike you probably as each of 

 them difficult, and in some degree inconsistent, namely, that 

 the school of colour has exquisite character and sentiment ; 

 but is childish, cheerful, and fantastic ; while the school of 

 shade is deficient in character and sentiment ; but supreme in 

 intellect and veracity. " The way by light and shade," I say, 

 " is taken by men of the highest powers of thought and most 

 earnest desire for truth." 



