!08 ON COLOUR. 



Paet I. 



than pure white; and their comparative merits may be judged 

 of in Parian ware and in plaster casts. Black is an excellent 

 ground, and sets off other colours when properly assorted, 

 especially if there is sufficient white (or yellow, or orange) to 

 give the black its full effect, and prevent its losing its real hue. 

 How much better, for instance, are red, blue, yellow, and 

 white, on a black, than on a grey (or light), ground ; and the 

 loss in the effect of black, without any white (or yellow) near 

 to it, should never be disregarded. It is not advisable, when 

 black is used as a ground, that it should always appear in 

 large masses, with the other colours dotted upon it ; the effect 

 is often more agreeable when, as in many Persian carpets, the 

 black ground only appears as a thin fillet, or edging, round the 

 other hues, showing itself here and there to assert its position 

 as the ground of the pattern, and giving relief to it, which 

 it is sure to do when properly set off by the judicious intro- 

 duction of white, yellow, or orange, in contact with it. The 

 black absorbs light, and heightens, by contrast, the other 

 colours, especially by candlelight, if properly corrfbined : but 

 if blue, and green, and red, or scarlet, are arranged with black 

 lines between them, the effect is bad, and those lines would 

 then be better if yellow, or even white. But a black ground 

 can seldom be introduced into a ceiling; and, unless the room 

 were of considerable height, it would be fatal to its appear- 

 ance. A low room, with much black in the ceiling, would 

 appear still lower and most gloomy. And, indeed, for a 

 coloured ceiling to look well, the room should always be of 

 sufficient height, and be well lighted. The ceiling of the 

 library at the Cathedral of Siena affords a remarkable 

 instance of colours on black, blue, red, and gold grounds; 

 but here the arrangement is subservient to the effect of 

 Pinturicchio's beautiful frescoes on the walls, which is assisted 

 by a wainscoat of dark wood twelve feet in height at the lower 

 part of the room. 



