z ON COLOUR. Part I. 



fact, define to be the union of bright hues without har- 

 mony ; and no wonder the effect should be disagreeable. But 

 this is the result of want of skill in their combination ; the 

 fault is not in the colours, but in the arrangement. Any 

 face which is deformed, however perfect the individual fea- 

 tures, would fail to please ; while the same features, properly 

 put together, would make it beautiful; and certain musical 

 notes, incorrectly combined, would produce a discord, though 

 the same properly adjusted would produce harmony. So too 

 with colours ; and we find that some, even of those who have 

 always been indifferent to colour, or averse to the use of 

 bright hues, are ready to acknowledge the beauty of certain 

 harmonious combinations, and are surprised at the effect, 

 which they expected to be gaudy and offensive. There are, 

 however, some who are as completely insensible to the effect 

 of such harmony as they are to that of musical sounds : others, 

 again, have a perverted or false taste ; and others are unable 

 to distinguish colours, being affected by what is called 

 " colour-blindness." To these three it is useless^ to appeal ; 

 as it would be to expect a person incapable .of discovering 

 discordant notes to have an appreciation of harmony in music. 

 But for those who are capable of understanding the har- 

 mony of colour, and who only require proper instruction, it 

 is essential that correct examples should be provided, which 

 should be constantly set before them, as the perceptive facul- 

 ties may be improved or misled by the frequent contempla- 

 tion of perfect or imperfect models. It is therefore of great 

 importance that those who give instruction in the harmony 

 of colours should be thoroughly imbued with the true feeling 

 for it, and should possess that natural perception which, 

 though it may be improved, cannot be obtained by mere 

 study. 



It is not by forming a theory on some fanciful basis, that a 

 perception of the harmony of colours is to be acquired. Like 



