P AIIS TING. 



greatest importance to a painter, as it is 

 very chiefly by the proper application of 

 this branch of the art, that he is enabled 

 to make the various objects in his picture 

 appear to project or recede, according 

 to their relative situations or distances ; 

 and thus far, indeed, the principles of it 

 are necessary to the artist, ere he can 

 hope to render his imitation just or intel- 

 ligible. But it is required in works of 

 fine art, not only that truth should be 

 told, or that beauty should be represent- 

 ed, but likewise that the one and the 

 other should be made appear to every 

 possible advantage ; it has, therefore, 

 ever been the study of great painters, not 

 only to give the due appearance of 

 roundness or projection to the objects in 

 their pictures, by proper lights and sha- 

 dows ; but likewise to unite or con- 

 trast the masses of light and dark in 

 such a manner as to give at once the 

 most forcible impression to the imagi- 

 nation, and the most pleasing effect to 

 the eye. 



Leonardo da Vinci was the first artist 

 of modern times who treated the subject 

 of chiaro-scuro scientifically ; but al- 

 though he gave great force and softness 

 to his pictures, yet the system which he 

 recommended, and generally adopted, of 

 relieving the dark side of his figures by 

 a light back ground, and the light parts 

 by a dark one, prevented that expansion 

 and breadth of effect, which Coreggio 

 soon after discovered could only be at- 

 tained by a contrary mode of conduct, 

 that of relieving one shadow by ano- 

 ther still darker, and of uniting several 

 light objects into one great mass. The 

 figures, as well as the other objects in 

 the pictures of Coreggio, are at all times 

 so Misposed, as naturally to receive the 

 light exactly in those parts where it 

 is most wanted, and best suits the ef- 

 fect of the whole, and yet this is done 

 so skilfully, that neither propriety nor 



frace of action seems in any respect to 

 e sacrificed in the astonishing combi- 

 nation. 



The principal painters of the Venetian 

 school, Giorgione, Titian, Bassan, Tin- 

 torit, and Paulo Veronese, were masters 

 of effect ; but with them this effect is 

 more frequently the result of accordance, 

 or opposition of the local colours of the 

 different objects composing their pic- 

 tures, than of any very studied or skilful 

 disposition of the masses of light and sha- 

 dow. Rubens, the great genius of the 

 Flemish school, united the wide expan- 

 sive effect of Corregio, the richly con- 



trasted tints of the Venetians, and the 

 force of Caravaggio, and has only left us 

 to regret that his magnificent and bold 

 inventions were not designed with the 

 purity of Raffaele, or the correctness of 

 Buonaroti. From the scanty introduc- 

 tion of light in the works of Rembrant, 

 we might be led to suppose that this sur- 

 prizing artist considered the illumined 

 parts of his pictures as gems, acquiring 

 increased lustre from their rarity ; whilst 

 the striking effects he has thereby pro- 

 duced, happily teaches us, how vain the 

 attempt to limit or restrain by rules the 

 workings of genius in the human mind. 

 From an attentive study of the works of 

 these great masters, the student will de- 

 rive the true principles of chiaro-scuro, 

 and be the better qualified to seize and 

 avail himself of those transclent, but beau- 

 tiful effects, which nature, the great mas- 

 ter of all, every day presents to his eyes. 

 It remains for us to say a few words on 

 colouring. 



Colouring is the art of giving to every 

 object in a picture its true and proper 

 hue, as it appears under all the various 

 circumstances or combinations of light, 

 middletint, and shadow ; and of so blend- 

 ing and contrasting the colours, as to 

 make each appear with the greatest ad- 

 vantage and beauty, at the same time that 

 it contributes to the richness, the brillian- 

 cy, and the harmony of the whole 

 "Should the most able master in design," 

 says Mr. Webbe, " attempt, by that alone, 

 a rose or grape, we should have but a 

 faint and imperfect image ; let him add 

 to each its proper colours, we no longer 

 doubt, we smell the rose, we touch the 

 grape." 



Colouring, like chiaro-scuro, (and the 

 same observation applies to the other 

 parts of the art) may be divided into two 

 kinds ; that which is necessary for ren- 

 dering the imitation just and intelligible, 

 and that which is expedient or orna- 

 mental, as contributing to render the 

 work more impressive to the imagina- 

 tion, and more harmonious and delightful 

 to the eye. In the first kind truth in 

 the local tints is alone required ; the se- 

 cond demands choice in their selection 

 and distribution. 



The Bellini's, of Venice, towards the 

 close of the fifteenth century, first began 

 to discover the beautiful effects resulting 

 from a skilful combination, or opposition, 

 of colours, at the same time that they at- 

 tained a richness and truth in their local 

 tints, far exceeding any thing hitherto 

 practised. In both these qualities, how- 



