336 Gilpin's forest sceneky. 



As these great effects are certainly tlie most 

 picturesque of all aerial appearances, it is rather 

 surprising that landscape painters in general 

 make so little use of them. It is much more 

 common to see landscape painted under the uni- 

 form brightness of an equal light than to see it 

 illumined by these grand circumstances of the 

 atmosphere, in which light and shade are so 

 happily combined. 



The landscape-painter may say that effects like 

 these are uncommon, and he chooses to paint 

 Nature as he generally sees her. 



The idea is good, but certainly these effects are 

 common enough to have been often the object of 

 every one's observation. He will not, I suppose, 

 take the commonest objects as he finds them. And 

 if he select his objects, why not the most beautiful 

 mode of exhibiting them ? The great effects of 

 morning and evening suns, of mists, and storms, 

 are not more uncommon than natural combina- 

 tions of beautiful objects. But the real truth 

 seems to be, that such effects are the most difficult 

 to manage, and require great study and observa- 

 tion. The artist, therefore, who paints for his 



